German Stunt Week 2022
German Stunt Week is one of the oldest annual stunt riding festivals, which traditionally takes place at a former military airfield. Previously, the event was called German Stunt Days, but the riders usually arrived long before the weekend, so the organizers extended it to a week and changed the name.
The event includes several contests and the main competition for the best stunt show, which has no regulations. This gives riders the opportunity to show their full potential, as they are not limited by time or rules.
What makes this event unique is the fact that a long acceleration lane serves as the training area, where everyone practices fast wheelies and straight-line stunts.
This year there were a lot of young riders on supermoto. The organizers even set up separate contests for them: the longest coaster and parkour.
The popularity of supermoto among young people is easily explained: cheaper maintenance, easier transportation, easier riding and versatility.
A few years ago, supermoto stunt riding seemed very limited, but the development of drifting, 360 stunts and the class as a whole has added variety, and now full-fledged competitions are possible, especially since there are many high-level riders in Europe.
In Germany, supermoto riders mostly wheelied down the acceleration lane in a crowd, but all in different ways: there were highchair runs, slaloms, coasters and various positions.
The Longest Coaster contest surprised us with a large number of skilled riders who managed to go a long distance. A coaster is a professional stunt that requires fine control of the rear brake while the clutch is pulled in and the bike rolls by momentum. At the amateur level, only a few people can do great coasters.
The most dangerous contest was the Longest Stoppie. This time it didn't go without crashes. The organizers had street motorcycles and supermotos compete together, which was not entirely fair. Supermotos are much lighter and it's easier for the riders to take risks.
Parkour is interesting only on street bikes, because such an obstacle course is too easy for a supermoto. There were some very fast rides, but luckily, not a single bike was damaged.
We managed to film the main contest for the best stunt show only in parts, because many riders performed in teams of several people. It's great that there was no time limit and no penalty for mistakes, but watching several riders performing different stunts at the same time is impossible. We think the best format is one or two riders performing a program, or several riders taking turns.
German Stunt Week is a well-organized, growing event, so more participants are expected next year, also on big bikes. For many, this is the only opportunity to meet, practice and win prizes, because the number of stunt events in Europe is declining.
We will try to come for the whole week and spend more time at the training area. The GSW organizers provide the biggest stunt spot in Europe, so there is an opportunity to see something unique!