Cops compete for ‘top gun’

It was a speeder’s nightmare — traffic cops from across the state, all in one place. But the motorcycle officers representing law enforcement agencies from as far away as Oxnard and Ventura were here to compete, not to give out tickets.

Motorcycles roared along Huntington State Beach Wednesday as officers competed in the Orange County Traffic Officers Assn.’s annual motorcycle skills competition. For 10 hours, they showed off their chops, in teams and individually, for points and the ultimate prize of “top gun.”

Different events tested a variety of skills, from riding in smooth figure-eights to weaving in and out of traffic cones. In more complex challenges, officers would zip through a complicated maze of narrow curves, banned from using the brakes.

It was not known by press time how the different agencies stacked up, as competition continued throughout the day.