For students and faculty members who love excitement and motorcycles, a group of stunt riders performed shows on Tuesday, August 30, at the Concord University football stadium parking lot.
The Stunt Army is a show of motorcyclists who perform stunts that many would deem to be dangerous, but that many love to watch. They performed shows at 12 P.M., 3 P.M., and 5 P.M. in the parking lot. The group performs shows every 2 weeks and has 10 members, but only 4 members that perform in shows. Members of the Stunt Army are from West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and some have traveled to Kansas City, Atlanta, Tennessee, and New York.
Charlie Ross, a biker from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has performed for 13 years with a focus on stunt riding. While many would think it is just a job for these people, they would be quick to disagree with you. “Adrenaline. It is therapy. When you are out riding that is all it is, you are just riding. So no matter what is going on, no issues, no problems, it is just you and the bike. It is fun” says Ross. Ross has even performed his stunts on national television. He performed for the Discovery Channel last year.
Another rider, Joe D. originally from Long Island, New York now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I have always loved riding. It is definitely a release for me. It is my escape from the world, but my goal with the whole thing is to reach kids. I like seeing kid’s reactions. That is why I like to do shows” says Joe.
The shows are independent, with them doing a few charity shows when they are able to, and the sport is not very common. “There is definitely as few as in our group. It turns around a lot. Many come and go unfortunately because it is not a very familiar sport to people, so a lot of people get into it not realizing what it is and what it takes to do this on a daily basis” says Joe.
Many people would think that there is a school or training program the Stunt Army riders must go through, but they would be surprised to learn that the Stunt Army riders learned on their own: “I learned how to ride dirt bikes when I was younger and I have just kind of stuck with it since. As far as the free-style stunt riding I have just picked it up from YouTube videos and from watching and riding with them. It is all self-taught stuff. You have to really want it” says Joe. Ross says he learned in a similar way, with it being a “trial and error” experience.
Audience members can look forward to seeing many things in the shows. “It is out of the ordinary, so people who do not normally see it really enjoy it. It is just everyday riding for us, it is no big deal so we feel like it is not even fun to watch, but for everyone else it is exciting” says Ross. Some riders even say that audience members look forward to when there is a crash. “When you look like you are about to wreck, they like that” says Ross.
The Stunt Army has several photos and videos on their Facebook page for people to view, along with more information about the Stunt Army members and where they are performing.