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      Sunnyvale's Newspaper

      Photographs by George Sakkestad

      Carrigan and Hutchinson will compete in the World Police and Fire Games, held May 29 to July 3 in Calgary, Alberta.

      Dirty Work

      Public Safety officers tear up the track

      By LESTER CHANG

      On any given day at the Carnegie Vehicular Park in Livermore, Bart Carrigan and Don Hutchison will draw respect--but not only because they are Sunnyvale Public Safety officers.

      The respect comes from what they do on their motorcycles.

      Aboard machines set up for motocross (a manmade track using dirt to make hills) or cross-country riding, they fly up steep hills and descend them with ease.

      "I like it because [the race] explodes on you," Hutchison said. "It is aggressive and fast, and everybody is bumping for position."

      They expertly steer through conditions that threaten to throw them off their bikes at every turn: dust, loose rocks and unstable, narrow roads.

      With their training, both men hope to take home medals in motocross or cross-country riding competitions at the World Police and Fire Games, scheduled for May 29 to July 3 in Calgary, Alberta.

      Thousands of competitors from law enforcement agencies throughout the world will participate in sporting events, which include track and field, swimming and bowling.

      Carrigan and Hutchison are likely to be the only law enforcement officers from Santa Clara County who will compete in the motorcycle events.

      Both men hope to come out on top in four categories for racers who range from 30 to 40 years of age.

      They will face stiff competition from more than 200 riders, but said they have the experience that could put them in the winner's circle.

      Between 1985 and 1996, Carrigan, who has ridden motorcycles for 30 years, won six gold medals, five silver and 15 bronze in the annual California Police Olympics and the California Fire Olympics and at three World Police and Fire Games events.

      Hutchison has won 10 medals in similar events since he started racing motorcycles in 1991.

      In the big competition, they will parry with riders in motocross, in a 20-mile course, and in the cross-country contest, in which racers must negotiate 80 miles of wooded or rocky areas.

      Carrigan will compete aboard a KTM 300 EXC, a motorcycle made in Austria and designed to traverse roads with ruts, loose rocks and tree roots and stumps.

      The 60-horsepower motorcycle cost nearly $7,000, weighs 220 pounds and builds up speed gradually to allow Carrigan to control the machine over bumpy terrain.

      Carrigan said his training at Hollister Hill State Park and at Carnegie Vehicular Park will prepare him for both dry- and wet-weather race conditions in Canada.

      At the Hollister park, he can practice riding over logs and mud. At the Carnegie park, he can climb steep slopes.

      "I can ride dry weather, but if I encounter wet conditions up there, I will be in my element because I know how to handle wet conditions," he said.

      Aside from riding to prepare for the race, he has hiked more to build stamina.

      Carrigan prefers cross-country racing, mainly because the events run for an hour or more.

      During that time, he can figure out strategy and use riding techniques to pass other competitors.

      A one-time professional rider, he has competed in 300 races during his 30 years of riding.

      Carrigan gives pointers to Hutchison on how to do well in cross-country riding, and Hutchison, who excels in motocross, gives pointers to Carrigan in his specialty.

      Hutchison will be astride a Honda CR-250 motorcycle when he competes in the Canadian race. His bike also cost about $7,000 and can accelerate quickly.

      Hutchison has prepared for the race by running, lifting weights and riding at Metcalf Park in San Jose, a short drive of 20 minutes from his home in Campbell.

      Motocross riding is in his blood, he said. He broke his right foot and right ankle during competition in 1993, but they healed and he has stayed with the sport.

      Both men said they won't worry about faster riders in the big race. "The key to is to attack the course well," Hutchison said. "I think we have prepared well for that."

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      This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 30, 1997.
      ©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.