Anyone who has been around the block with this street freestyle thing knows that it's more than just the next big extreme sport. It's more than the tricks and the points and trophies handed out at the last stunt competition. For many of its practitioners, stunting is a way of life, an attitude that bleeds over into everything they do, from how they look to who they associate with to how they spend their hours off the bike. And no one is more closely associated with the style and substance of the stunter lifestyle than the Starboyz, the O.G. Ohio stunters who showed us how it was done with their legendary series of F.T.P. videos in the late-'90s. The crunchy, furred-out bikes, the big pants and bright hair, and especially the casually nihilistic attitude toward authority that characterizes the stunting lifestyle can be traced directly back to the Starboyz' early days, for better or worse.
Of course, stunter style is not the only thing that the Starboyz have left their mark on. They also helped lay the groundwork for those who strive to make a viable career out of street stunting. Their wildly successful line of videos, clothing, bike accessories, and now their own wheelie school, are just a few of the revenue streams that allow founding Starboyz Scott Caraboolad and Kevin Marino to make successful careers out of goofing off on motorcycles. Opening the "Starboyz Compound," a 17,000 square-foot retail supercenter that will include a full-service bike shop, a sandwich shop, tattoo parlor, hair salon and bar/night club, is the next step in the Starboyz Program for global domination.
Though Caraboolad and Marino are certainly excited about the Compound, the business idea they are most proud of is their annual "Stuntfest" competition, now in its fourth year and one of the most anticipated stunt happenings on the calendar. And, true to the Starboyz' ethos, Stuntfest is more than just another stunt comp-it's a five-day celebration of stunt culture complete with on-track competitions, semi-organized street rides, live music, and of course, plenty of off-the-hook partying. Riders from all over the country attend each year with hopes of living like a Starboy, even if only for a weekend; the opportunity to win cash, prizes and recognition at the competition is just icing on the cake.
The Starboyz took the classic stunt contests and put their unique twist on them, making their event more interesting and spectator-friendly than most. "We like to change things up a little to keep the crowd on their toes," Caraboolad said. For example, during the Individual Freestyle competition, instead of each individual stunter getting a two-minute solo session to show off, the Starboyz paired up competitors for head-to-head two-minute eliminations with the winner advancing to the next round. "Watching rider after rider perform the same tricks wears down the spectators, and they lose interest," Caraboolad said. Head-to-head eliminations forced the competitors to put in extra effort to outdo one another. Other unconventional (and popular) events included the fan-favorite Last Man Standing (invented for last year's Stuntfest), Fastest Wheelie, Most Destructive Burnout, Ultimate Obstacle Course (including a car jump), Longest Endo and Team Event. Payout from the events totaled around $7,500 in cash, along with merchandise prizes supplied by sponsors.
"If we can't keep the crowd from getting bored, then we've failed," Caraboolad said. At past Stuntfests, the Starboyz brought in freestyle motocross riders to put on an amazing aerial display. To change it up this year, the Starboyz invited veteran monster truck driver John Seasock for car-crushing exhibitions on Saturday and Sunday. The crowd loved watching the 10,000-pound, 1,500-hp T-Maxx monster truck launch skyward, demolish cars as it fell back to earth and then whip some manic two-wheeled doughnuts, kicking up a cloud of grass and dirt from the field.
While the spectators and riders busied themselves eyeballing Seasock's amazing monster truck, Seasock was busy looking over the stunt bikes and practicing stunts on his quad. Besides flattening your grandmother's cast-off Taurus, Seasock also counts motorcycle stunt riding as one of his favorite hobbies and brings his bikes and quads with him on the road. "I practice my wheelies and stoppies whenever the opportunity allows," Seasock said. He even entered a few stunt events over the weekend between performances in his truck.
Like good promoters, the Starboyz try to insure that their Stuntfests offer something for everyone. Thanks to the generous support of sponsors Maxxis Tires, Ferodo Brakes, North American Warhorse and Powers Bikeworx, plans are underway for the second Stuntfest 2005 to be held in early October, right around the time this issue hits newsstands. Check out www.starboyz.com for the latest news regarding that event.
Party On!
The action in Akron never slows down when a thousand of the Starboyz' friends roll into town
The bike action at Thompson Speedway is just one part of the Starboyz' Stuntfest. To keep the vibe going long after the drag strip gates shut each evening, the Starboyz planned parties for every night Thursday through the weekend. Thursday night's festivities started with a street ride and ended at Gatsby's Pub in downtown Akron, where the Starboyz put on a brief stunt riding demo outside before everyone headed inside to get their drink on.
Friday evening's get-together is traditionally the weekend's biggest blowout and held at founding Starboy Kevin Marino's home. This year, in deference to complaints from neighbors and local law enforcement, the party was relocated to a suitably out-of-the-way warehouse complex where the crew could throw down without having to worry about waking the neighbors. Taking advantage of the extra space the warehouse offered, the Starboyz brought in food vendors, DJs and even an inflatable boxing ring for impromptu tough guy contests. John Seasock was in the house with his T-Maxx monster truck, and it wasn't more than a half-hour before impromptu XR50 races started up inside the warehouse. Eventually the big bikes were brought out, with riders like Dan Jackson and Marino pumping the warehouse full of tire smoke.
Saturday's soire was held at the "Starboyz Compound," their new retail supercenter that they've been at work on for the better part of a year. Originally, this party was slated to be a grand opening for the store, but problems with building permits slowed construction and things weren't quite buttoned up for business. No permit was needed to party on the property, thankfully, so attendees showed up for a sneak peek at the new shop anyway. They also enjoyed live music from a few local bands and watched Marino add some more ink to his leg with help from Bruce Fairchild of Triple 6 Tattoos.
All of this along with the competition equaled an indisputably great weekend marked by very little sleep. Party on! -David Avila