HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – Nearly 100 current and retired motorcycle police officers from across the country and Canada have converged on the Grand Strand to participate in the 18th Annual Palmetto Police Motorcycle Skills Challenge.
Dozens of cones are set up on the back side of the old Myrtle Beach Mall on Highway 17 near Highway 22.
86 current motor officers are joined by eight retired and civilian participants this year.
They are all competing for three prizes, all while getting mandatory training hours.
“What these guys go through is an 80-hour two-week class to begin with, and then they have to maintain that skill throughout the year,” said Cpl. Ken Kovarsky.
Kovarsky joined the Horry County Police Department’s traffic division in 1998 and says every member of the team goes through various training exercises.
“Our agency, Horry County, periodically trains twice a month to maintain their skills all the time. So a lot of these agencies don’t get that, so they come to these rodeos to freshen up on their skills, learn new things,” said Kovarsky.
Skills and training are important for anyone riding a motorcycle.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a 2023 report showing South Carolina had 151 motorcyclists die in crashes. 86 of those people were not wearing a helmet.
“These are 1000-pound vehicles, you know, and at 30 miles an hour fall, you know, you could obviously do some head injuries pretty bad, you know, so absolutely helmets are a must,” said Kovarsky.
While all officers are required to wear helmets while riding, the law in South Carolina does not make helmets mandatory for others.
The four-day event is open to the public and free to enter.
12-year-old Landon Dowdy is visiting Myrtle Beach with his family and taking in the sights and sounds of the course.
“This is wild, the noise is crazy, I like motorcycles,” said Dowdy.
All proceeds from raffle tickets and merchandise sales go towards Camp Happy Days, a nonprofit organization based in Charleston. They provide assistance to children fighting cancer.
On Wednesday and Thursday, participants will be practicing their skills before the competition on Friday and Saturday.
Saturday will be capped off by a dinner, awards ceremony, and training hours sign-off.
For more information, click here.
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