The second annual motorcycle skills competition hosted by the Manteca Police Department motorcycle unit was made possible by countless hours of unpaid overtime by sworn and unsworn officers for the training event.

While Manteca officers could not compete for prizes, they participated in the various heats with their motorcycle prowess showing well throughout the event staged at The Proemenade Shops at Orchard Valley.

Quinn Redeker of the Ventura Police Department introduced the new Kawasaki police motorcycle into the competition. Officer Redeker literally flew through the course taking first place in the Honda/Kawasaki portion of the trials. Kawasaki had not been manufacturing a police motorcycle in recent years until the current model emerged.

Redeker brought awes from the audience as his front wheel would lift off the ground as he rode at high speed through the lanes of orange cones.

The first place honors in the Harley Davidson Road King division went to Nick Corti of the San Leandro Police Department. Officer Steve Blair of the Tracy Police Department won first place in the Harley Davidson Electra-Glide division and his Tracy partner Mark Duxbury, of Ripon, won second place.

The BMW competition first place honors went to Paul Rice of the Folsom Police Department. Rice also won a first place trophy for the Slow-Ride competition. Second place in the Slow-Ride went to Quinn Redeker of the Ventura Police Department – his second trophy in the event.

The Team Event trophy went to officers Paul Rice and Paul Barber of the Folsom Police Department.

The competition demanded three actual work days for the off-duty officers who donated their time – more than 192 hours in all. Thursday was a set-up day Friday was used for training through the courses by 43 competitors and Saturday was the competition.

Although only two Manteca motor officers remain active on the street, the team is made up of four who are called out together for special assignments. Giving of their off hours were Lt. Nick Obligacion, Bill Walmer, Dave Bright and Patrick Danipour.

Another 70 hours were contributed by seven other Manteca officers: Harris, Blackburn, Downs, Carmona, Steele, Smith, and Sgt. Mraz.

Police dispatcher Kim Thomas and property clerk Wendy Dirksen also pitched in to make the motorcycle contest possible as did former canine officer Grant Flory and detective division CSO Andrea Contreras. The Manteca Explorer Unit gave a total of 60 hours on Saturday with a total of 90 hours.

The Explorers operated a food booth and made little over $400 for the benefit of the teenage post within the police department. The net proceeds from the raffle went to pay for the chalk used to spot the cones and for the rent of the porta-potties.

Members of the Manteca CERT team were also involved in the program running the Slow Ride event as well as being in the role of timers and judges with six being stationed in the cone patterns.

In its first two years the Manteca department has not charged an entry fee but that may change next year, according to event organizer Patrick Danipour. He explained there is a need for a timing device that they have been presently borrowing from other departments as well as a need for bleachers.

Danipour also lauded the Manteca firefighters for having three off-duty personnel at the event both Friday and Saturday. Firefighters were responsible for marinating and barbecuing the tri-tip for lunch on Saturday sponsored by Magnum Boots.

Danipour added that the competitions up and down the state bring all levels of experience together for the benefit of all the officers involved in the events.