PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS
Top bull riders cap season at Blaisdell
The elite of the Professional Bull Riders have excited fans on Maui -- now they bring their swagger to Oahu tomorrow and Saturday in the Cheeseburger Island Style PBR Hawaii All Star Challenge at Blaisdell Arena.
The top 15 bull riders over the course of the 2006 PBR season, headed up by Guilherme Marchi, qualified to compete. Marchi, the top rider in the Built Ford Tough season standings, and veteran Chris Shivers -- who won the Myron Duarte Maui Challenge at War Memorial Stadium last weekend -- will showcase their talents along with five other riders selected by fan voting.
PBR AT BLAISDELL
Tickets begin at $20 and are available through Ticketmaster outlets and the Blaisdell Box Office, or by calling 591-2211. Information on the individual bull riders can be found at www.pbrnow.com.
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Though it's an all-star event, each rider has significant incentive to give it their all. The top finishers of the two-day event will receive a share of $80,000 in prize money, which goes toward qualifying for the 2007 World Finals in Las Vegas. There's also the fact that the bulls don't realize it's an all-star game -- look for them to be riled-up and raucous. Each rider will grapple with two bulls each tomorrow and Saturday; the person with the highest cumulative score is declared the winner.
That totals 40 bull rides a night, starting at 8 p.m. both days.
"It's a real sport when you combine the fear and the determination to win," Shivers said. "Put it all together and it's a big mental game sometimes. That's what makes it a sport, and that's what makes it so interesting to watch.
Shivers, of Louisiana, managed to ride all three bulls to win the Maui event, and took home $12,407. He placed ninth in the BFTS standings this year, and has 18 career wins to his name.
"I think it'll be money well spent (this weekend)," he said. "The PBR brings the best that bull riding has to offer, it's a lot of show -- a lot of power, a lot of loud music, a lot of fun times. We got one of the funniest clowns (bull fighters) in the world, Flint Rasmussen. It's never a dull moment when you're at a PBR."
He enjoyed himself thoroughly on Maui, and looks for more of the same this weekend.
"I think everybody on the island really enjoyed the event, and were really impressed with what the PBR had to offer," Shivers said. "I think next year if we're able to come back then it'll be 10 times better. I couldn't see any reason why (the PBR) wouldn't want to come back. I should they should.
"It's probably the nicest bunch of people that I've ever been around," Shivers continued. "We always hear compliments about the South (being) courteous and (having) nice people, but over here people go out of their way to be nice. I'm really impressed."
Spokesperson Denise Abbott explained that future PBR all-star events could return to Hawaii if the event is a success.
Like the Pro Bowl, the PBR's all-star event takes place shortly after the season ends. Adriano Moraes, the PBR's oldest rider, won the 2006 World Title in Las Vegas on Nov. 5. Moraes is not competing in Hawaii because of a strained lower back.
Shivers explained that a lot of the riders are worn down after a long season, but most wouldn't miss out on a trip to Hawaii.
The events on Maui and Oahu mark the PBR's first trip to Hawaii, though bull riding fans might have seen the PBR televised nationally on the FOX, NBC, and Versus networks. The PBR was founded in 1992 by 20 riders, and has grown to encompass more than 700 cowboys since.
Tickets begin at $20 and are available through Ticketmaster outlets and the Blaisdell Box Office, or by calling 591-2211. Information on the individual bull riders can be found at www.pbrnow.com.