By Greg Gaudio
VIRGINIA BEACH
In 35 years as a stunt driver, Shane Cardwell has amassed a cringe-worthy list of on-the-job injuries: back broken, femur snapped, knee shattered in six places.
He's also compiled quite a resume behind the wheel, launching cars into the air and through windows in films such as "Bad Boys II," "Resident Evil II," and "Death Race."
Cardwell, 52, was in Virginia Beach on Wednesday to teach the craft to a class of aspiring stunt drivers and thrill seekers.
It was the first of a series of such classes Cardwell intends to offer in the area under the banner of International Film & Precision Driving Instructors Inc. He co founded the Toronto-based company, he said, after noticing more and more untrained drivers hurting themselves on the set.
In a voice turned gravel by years of smoking, Cardwell said he picked Virginia Beach for his first U.S. office because of its central location on the East Coast and because his wife has family here.
His "classroom" for sessions Wednesday and today was the convention center's south parking lot. Some of the eight pupils who came from Virginia and Maryland were hoping to break into the stunt business; others signed up for fun.
On Wednesday, they learned how to stop on a dime, turn 180 degrees, and slide the school's Crown Victorias (retired Newport News patrol cars) into a parking space "Blues Brothers"-style.
Teaching along with Cardwell was Al Wyatt, a 33-year veteran who drove the General Lee in every episode of "The Dukes of Hazard."
Andrew Gardner, 33, a driver's education teacher in Prince Frederick, Md., who hopes to make it as a stuntman, said it was a dream come true to ride with Wyatt, 56.
"Twenty-five years I've been waiting," said Gardner, who used to dissect the show's crash scenes as a kid. "Nobody would even watch TV with me because I'd always be rewinding tapes."
Cardwell's wife and institute general manager, Tania Cardwell, said they plan to have classes in Virginia Beach about every two months, or whenever instructors aren't busy with a movie.
The next sessions are scheduled for early September and mid-November.
A one-day beginner class costs $800; a two-day advanced class, $1,800.
"I learned how to be safe and just how to narrow down the accuracy of what's going on," said Barret Snow, 23, of Richmond.
"These guys are top-notch," said Kid Richmond, 28, who lives near Henrico. "If they say you can use their name as a reference, that's what's going to get you the job."
For more information, visit: ifpdi.com.
Greg Gaudio, (757) 222-5125, greg.gaudio@pilotonline.com
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Thanks for the article
My son and I were extras on a film set in February and he mentioned wanting to take a course like this to be a stunt driver. I think it's great to know you don't have to go to Hollywood for this type of training. It's also good to know that locals can offer their skills when filming is done in our area. We need to draw more films to this area.
Yes, it must be all the
Yes, it must be all the Yankees rear ending each other on 264. Your buddies must be from New Jersey. According to the Pilot's own Larry Printz, Jersey is the only northern state with worse drivers than VIRGINIA.
I'm already a stunt driver
You have to be a stunt driver living in Hampton Roads. The people that relocate here from the North drive in a reckless manner overall and I have adapted by becoming defensive and stunt-like to avoid accidents with my Northern friends who really don't obey the traffic laws and don't know how to drive safely
Better Driver's Ed
Following up on the comment about Driver's Ed: The local sports car clubs put on Autocross events all year long. By definition they are a test of driver skill and car handling. Courses are set up in large areas using pylons to create the path. Cars have to navigate thru slaloms, tight turns, and other manuevers. Speeds are basically highway speeds.
Autocrossing has been called the best driver's education by many people. Club members will often insist their teenagers run a few events, or at least attend practice sessions, before getting out on the highway. Where else can they learn what happens when you turn the wheel sharply at 55MPH, or what direction their car will go when they brake sharply?
Check out Autocross.US for more information about local events.
Xtreme Drivers' Ed Wanted
Would love to have my new teen driver take a course like this; not stunt driving, but something a little more rigorous than the standard driver's ed. I'd like for her to practice emergency driving skills (and I'm not the one to teach her, just going down the road spikes my BP into dangerous levels). I think kids should practice how to correct an error without overcorrecting, how to avoid obstacles at highway speeds, steer out of a skid, how to maintain control in an accident, safely learn how a second of inattention can result in a disaster; stuff like that.
All over our roads....
we have morons who think they are stunt drivers.