USBW Invitational - Filmmaker Drew Stone Brings Together The Best Stunters In The Northeast And Squares Them Off
Though it has fallen off the map somewhat recently in light of high-profile events in Florida and the West Coast, the northeast was once a mecca of streetbike stunt riding and home to many of the original pioneers of the sport. One of the guys who remembers those good-old days and wants to bring them back is veteran filmmaker Drew Stone, and he hosted the first-annual Urban Street-Bike Warriors New England Invitational Competition this past fall to do just that. Teaming up with local promoter/stunter Ray Ray Zalneraitis of Xclusive Freestyle Riderz (XFR), the two created a competition expressly to showcase the (often-underrated) talent from the New England region, and give the next generation of Northeast stunters some well-deserved attention.
This inaugural year of competition consisted of three rounds held over the course of the summer, with only riders living within New England allowed to throw their hats into the mix. Scoring was according to established XSBA rules, and the first weekend event was held in front of packed grandstands at series sponsor, Excalibur Powersports in Plainfield, Connecticut. Riders from all over New England came out for this event ready to hang it out for pride and glory, displaying not only some very entertaining riding for the crowd, but busting out the most difficult technical tricks the sport has to offer, including combo coasters, high chair circles and some very creative acrobatic moves. In the end it was Brad "Korno" Conley coming out on top, ahead of "Ill" Bill Knight and "Beaver" Bob LeLievre in second and third, respectively.
Round 2 found the competitors gathering at Thompson Speedway in Thompson, Connecticut. Despite difficult circumstances (a quad rider was killed in a tragic practice crash), the riders and organizational staff maintained their professional composure throughout the entire event and once again wowed the crowd with an array of tricks from all four major stunt groups: wheelies, stoppies, burnouts and acrobatics. Coming out on top with a jaw-dropping run was Gerry Owerka from Barely Legal, with Beaver Bob and Korno rounding out the podium spots. So impressive was the display of riding that Excalibur Powersports threw in an additional $500 to the top finisher of the day, giving Owerka an extra-fat wad of $100 bills to go out drinking!
The third and final round of the competition saw three riders-Ill Bill, Beaver Bob and Korno-all within striking distance of the coveted New England championship crown. With only four points separating the top three riders, the stage was set for a battle royale, and each rider knew that if they wanted bragging rights for the year they were going to have to put on their best performance possible. Beaver Bob was limited by a new and unfamiliar bike with no handbrake and finished seventh, knocking him out of championship contention. The surprise of the day (but only to those who didn't know...) was Dan Herz putting on a spectacularly well-rounded run, finishing third after not even qualifying for the finals in round one-keep an eye out for this guy in 2007! In the end, it was too close to call, and the judging panel declared a tie between Ill Bill and Korno. Always the showman, Korno suggested a battle with Bill-old-school street style! The two riders mounted their bikes and were given three minutes on the track at the same time to see who would come out victorious. Despite the excitement of the "street battle," the crowd, judges and riders themselves were still unable to determine a winner. Stone then stepped in and, after agreement from everyone, flipped a quarter to determine the winner. Korno had lady luck on his shoulder that day and took home not only the first place prize money for round three, but the overall championship money and bragging rights as well to keep him warm throughout the long winter!