We returned to the shop on Friday morning, where we were greeted by James' shop manager and right-hand man, Bill Dodge. Dodge calmly explained the Starboyz would be sharing a stretch of road the next day not only with the Metal Mulisha freestyle motocross crew but also the Carolina Crusher monster truck. After showing the riders the layout, Dodge gave us a full tour of the shop and told everyone what we could expect at the party. The rest of the afternoon was spent watching Marino, Caraboolad and Blankstrom bust stunts on the street in front of the shop, followed by dinner and another shop tour-this time with Mike Russell of LBZ in nearby Huntington Beach.
The No Love Party was a blast-by far the most fun event I have ever covered. Kicking back in an industrial warehouse district and watching street stunting, FMX shows and a monster truck crushing cars on a public street was a trip. The crowd was also a surprise; it wasn't just chopperheads-there were people from every different walk of life. The stunters blew the crowd away, and Khashabi absolutely killed 'em with his just-finished CRF450 shifter kart, especially after he blew the tires doing doughnuts. Tires weren't the only things blowing up during the show: Khashabi's F4i and Caraboolad's GSX-R1000 both suffered mortal injuries by the end of the day.
All great stuff, captured not only in pixels for this story but also on video for an inevitable segment in the Starboyz's upcoming FTP 5 DVD-keep your eyes peeled for hot stunt action from the LBC, Crenshaw Blvd. in Inglewood and the Pacific Coast. As for me, I'm still sleeping off the trip, and I haven't even touched on our nighttime activities. Probably better, that last bit-some stories, after all, are best left untold!
Street Takeover!
More Than 1200 Sportbike Riders Clog The Nation's Busiest Freeways For The Fourth Annual Ruff Ryder Parade
Motorcycles are typically a rare sight on freeways in Southern California's San Fernando Valley, a hostile environ braved by only the most battle-hardened, lane-splitting commuters. Roles were reversed, however, during the fourth-annual Ruff Ryder Parade as Ruff Ryder chapters from across California and as far away as Las Vegas and Arizona laid siege to Los Angeles-area freeways for the day, flooding thoroughfares until bikes vastly outnumbered cars for once.
Sportbikers look forward to this event to mark the end of the riding season. It's also an opportunity for a sea of double-R soldiers to get together and show support for one another and the Los Angeles Toys for Tots foundation, which benefits from proceeds raised by the ride. Approximately 1200 riders came together this year to trace a route through Los Angeles' most famous neighborhoods, including Hollywood, Venice Beach and Balboa Park. Safety and order were ensured by police helicopters buzzing overhead, while land-bound Hummers and Escalades scurried to stay in front of the horde of bikes. Police escorts blocked lights and onramps in an effort to keep the bikes together in a single massive group, which added to the ride's unity and strength.
Socal stunters Sic Riders, Brian "B.S." Steeves, Jamal "J-Beats" Kindred, Kavi Cermak and many others were part of the parade, which at various points brought traffic on Highway 101 to a complete standstill as spectators stopped in amazement to watch the antics. There were even a few celebrities in the house, such as MTV's Pimp My Ride star (and West Coast Customs manager) Quinton "Q," who rolled along in his alligator-painted Raptor trike, complete with alligator-skin-wrapped seats and steering wheel. Plans are already in the works to make next year's parade bigger and more organized, with expanded sponsorship and even an afterparty. It ought to be a wild event, one we're already looking forward to.
Back2Back
Squeaky-clean Euro Stunters vs. American Outlaws
Craig Jones
Occupation: The official extreme rider for Harley-Davidson and Buell worldwide