Idaho STAR hosts Moto Skills Challenge at Pocatello Airport

The Idaho STAR Motorcycle Safety Program held a skills challenge at the Pocatello Regional Airport Saturday afternoon.

Riders gathered in a lot by the runway to put their skills to test. Matthew Bass is normally an instructor for STAR, but on Saturday he was a student.

“It’ll make me a better rider out on the road,” Bass said. “Whatever I can learn, I can learn. That’s a benefit to me.”

Bass has been riding for twenty years but only started instructing two years ago, after being inspired by while auditing a session.

“I was watching a couple of students who had never been on a motorcycle before feet-up riding inside of two hours. And at the end of the second day on the range, they were able to pass their skills evaluation to get their endorsement for the State of Idaho and I said ‘I want to do that,'” he explained.

Saturday, he and other riders made their rounds to hone their skills.

Teianna Teixeira, one of the safety instructors the running the challenge, said she believes events of the sort are great for building confidence.

“I’d say this is crucial for any rider that wants to really make sure that they are 100 percent confident and ready to ride on the road with their bike.”

She said the challenges are always a lot of fun, even for the instructors.

“It’s always a humbling experience to go out and be like ‘oh, I do need to practice more, get more head turned.’ I find myself coaching myself out there too,” Teixeira explained.

Doing so as she goes over the things she learned in the program eight years ago.

“Yeah, I had never been on a bike before and I took a class and loved it, learned how to ride and then decided I wanted to do it.”

If you want to attend a challenge or class there are options for everyone, from experts to first-time riders, and remember to dress properly.

In addition to motorcycle courses, the group also offers scooter, side-car and three-wheeled classes.