Police and civilian riders go head-to-head in motorcycle rodeo at PBSC

Law enforcement and civilian motorcycle riders competed head-to-head at the third annual Panther Prowl Motorcycle Rodeo hosted by Palm Beach State College March 27-29.

South Florida’s only combined law enforcement and civilian motorcycle competition, the rodeo took place at the 4.5-acre skid pad of PBSC’s Public Safety Training Center on the Lake Worth campus. Forty riders, including law enforcement officers from the Broward and Osceola County Sheriff’s Offices, participated in the event. Riders from across Florida, as well as from Virginia, Michigan, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York, took part in three days of challenges, practice runs and training. The event concluded with a day of timed competitions and awards.

David Canonico became interested in riding after watching “CHiPs,” a 1977 television series that follows the adventures of two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers. He later became a police officer, serving for 21 years with the Suffolk County Police Department in New York. Now retired and living in Florida, Canonico tries to attend six motorcycle competitions each year. 

“I do it because it’s a passion of mine and I want to be safe. I want to have total control of the motorcycle at all times,” Canonico said. “It’s for training purposes; it’s not for trophies.”

Riders at the event improved their ability to deal with the hazards of operating a 1000cc motorcycle. Skid pad obstacle courses mimicked hazards and roadway conditions, compelling riders to maneuver through twists and turns at slow and accelerated speeds.

“The speed course is challenging; it makes you do a lot of twists and turns. Things you would come upon in a real-world situation,” Canonico said. “It’s an inherently dangerous sport so the more you know and the more you train, the safer it becomes for yourself and for other people on the road.”

Jim Viviani, a friend of Canonico, began riding as a teenager but stopped for many years. He picked it up again after taking a motorcycle safety class for fun. In 2020, he became an instructor at SafeRide in Orlando, teaching both basic and advanced Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses to new riders. Viviani frequently attends competitions, having participated in 11 last year, and has competed in PBSC’s rodeo for all three years. He enjoys the camaraderie and energy of the event.

“They do a great job here. Because it’s the College, they put on a very nice professional event, and it’s relaxing and fun. I love it,” Viviani said. “It’s an intense competition especially this year, they’ve raised it up a notch. We’re hoping it gets bigger and bigger each year.”

The three-day event also featured performances by the PBSC Criminal Justice Institute Color Guard, the Fort Lauderdale Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Drill Team and a blessing of the bikes. The event was coordinated by Lydia Runkle, a quality control specialist for PBSC’s Criminal Justice Institute, and retired Major Tom Melnichok, interim director of PBSC’s Criminal Justice Institute.

“This event is an exciting opportunity to bring together both law enforcement and civilians for a friendly competition,” said Melnichok. “It’s fantastic to see how much the energy and enthusiasm have grown over the years, and the event is a great way to showcase the College and the strength of our public safety programs." 

The 2025 Panther Prowl Motorcycle Rodeo is part of the upcoming third annual Palm Beach State College Invitational, scheduled for April 28 – May 3. The invitational is a multiday, multidiscipline competitive event for members of public safety agencies to demonstrate their abilities, compete against their peers and learn in a cooperative environment.

Palm Beach State College is the leading educator of public safety professionals in Palm Beach County, offering degree and certificate programs in criminal justice, emergency medical services (including EMT and paramedic) and fire science, as well as various advanced, cross-over and career programs, such as Public Safety Telecommunications, which trains 911 dispatchers.

To see more photos of the event, view the 2025 Motorcycle Rodeo Flickr album.

 

Competition Results

RODEO: Deputy Franco Dal Bon (Osceola County Sheriff’s Office)

SLOW BOX: Deputy Bradley Willard (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)

SLALOM DRAG RACE:

• Faring Winner - Deputy Reynaldo Soriano (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
• Non-Faring Winner - Deputy Eric Crompton (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
• Other - Deputy Franco Dal Bon (Osceola County Sheriff’s Office)

FUN RUN:

• Faring Winners
  • 1st Jay Cusimano (civilian)
  • 2nd Deputy Reynaldo Soriano (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
  • 3rd Timothy Alexander (civilian)
• Non-Faring Winners
  • 1st Steve Distasio (civilian)
  • 2nd Deputy Christopher Moniz (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
  • 3rd Deputy Jose Gonzalez (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
• Other
  • 1st Deputy Franco Dal Bon (Osceola County Sheriff’s Office)

PRECISION RUN:

• Faring Winners
  • 1st Jay Cusimano (civilian)
  • 2nd Deputy Emmanuel Cano (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)
  • 3rd Timothy Alexander (civilian)
• Non-Faring Winners
  • 1st Deputy Christopher Moniz (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
  • 2nd Deputy Eric Crompton (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
  • 3rd Deputy Scott McGourty (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
• Other
  • 1st Deputy Franco Dal Bon (Osceola County Sheriff’s Office)

TIMED RUN:

• Faring Winners
  • 1st Timothy Alexander (civilian)
  • 2nd Deputy Reynaldo Soriano (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
  • 3rd Jay Cusimano (civilian)
• Non-Faring Winners 
  • 1st Deputy Scott McGourty (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
  • 2nd Deputy Eric Crompton (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
  • 3rd Jim Viviani (civilian)
• Other
  • 1st Deputy Franco Dal Bon (Osceola County Sheriff’s Office