sturgis rider daily - Sturgis Buffalo Chip

OF
88
Saturday
Aug. 9, 2014
Buckcherry
Sevendust
A Course of Action
Sturgis
Sturgis Local Weather
Saturday
8/9
Sunday
8/10
Monday
8/11
Don’t Miss
Extreme ATV Racing
The Beautiful Black Hills
Miss Buffalo Chip Finals
One Last Beer with Friends
Today’s Bike Show
Rider
®
Happy trails until we meet again
Daily
Sturgis 2015 Starts Now
One baby was born. There were two proposals
and several marriages. Memorial stones were
placed as tributes to those who have left us
behind. It’s all part of the ritual that has become
the Buffalo Chip experience during the Sturgis
Rally for many bikers. And as new riders join
the fold, traditions are carried forward and new
ones are begun.
It’s not uncommon to hear Chip campers say
that spending the Sturgis Rally at the Chip was a
bucket list item. What’s less common is to hear
that someone bought a motorcycle and rode it
over 1200 miles to come to Sturgis during Rally
for the music festival at the Buffalo Chip. That
was unquestionably the motivation for John
from San Antonio who camped for just that
reason. A dedicated music fan, he had seen
Cheap Trick and Motley Crue in the 80’s and
the enticement was strong to hear them again.
When he learned they were both at the Chip this
year and his two buddies, both Chip Veterans,
said they’d go, the deal was set.
Pumpkin, so called because of his orange
chopper, was here for a second year. He was
sprinting around the site in a swanky new golf
cart he had fitted out just for the purpose. He
passed along this bit of wisdom for newbies:
“Last year I wore myself out. This year I paced
myself.”
Chad from Wyoming said he’s been to Sturgis
before but hadn’t stayed at the Chip until this
year. “It just makes sense,” he said. “All the
concerts are here so you might as well camp
right here, too.
Pat from Idaho, a first time Chip camper,
hadn’t been through Sturgis since 1976. “I just
heard about the Buffalo Chip from friends
coming and on Discovery,” he said. “Everybody’s
been really nice and it’s kind of controlled a
little bit, so the biggest bully doesn’t always
win.” Pat plans charity rides at home and says
that bikers are so generous. “They give more as
a percentage of their personal income than any
other demographic.”
There are legacy Chip Campers, too, people
who have camped at the Chip without fail
for decades with the same group in the same
Continued on Page 2
Your Bike in the Field of Flags
Today’s Ride
Go out and hang a left!
Sturgis Buffalo Chip’s
Wolfman Jack Stage
Tonight
10:30pm.........Buckcherry
8:30pm..........Sevendust
7:00pm..........A Course of
Action
See You Next Year.
Ride Safe!
James brought Woody a gift: a rare patch from 1982 that reads, “Buffalo
Chip Picnic,” a one-year only name for what has since become the legendary
Rachel gets around the Chip on these two wheels, what she calls her Harley.
Sturgis Buffalo Chip.
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location; and others whose years in are less but
not their enthusiasm.
Said Rachel from Santa Monica, “It’s just like
a family, everybody is so close knit.” You see
people from years past and they recognize you.”
That’s especially likely for Rachel because she’s
come to the Chip from California for the last
six years to work as a bartender, a high profile
spot in terms of visibility. She calls it a working
vacation at the Chip. “I love it! I won’t ever miss
it!”
Days before the rally even got underway, she
was lamenting the fact that it would end. You
have your post rally withdrawals,” she said.
One of the many friends Rachel has made is
James Backalich of Whitehouse Point, FL, and a
veteran of the Chip each year since 2009. “The
first time I came out to the Buffalo Chip to camp
I was here 15 minutes and I said, ’Oh my gosh!
Why has no one told me about this?’ I’ll never
Sturgis
miss this again as long as I live!”
James has since made a habit of arriving
early and leaving late. “I like to see the way it all
unfolds and folds back up,” he said “It goes from
a cow pasture to the best place anywhere then
back to a cow pasture! Besides, I worry I might
missing something if I’m not here. “
James also has a novel way of getting to the
rally. Each year he ships his bike to a different
location and rides from there. “I just throw a
dart!” He rode in from Omaha this year, but has
traveled before from Las Vegas, Los Angeles,
Denver and Bozeman.
Like Rachel, James says being at the Chip
ahead of time is great but it’s also an indication
that when the Rally begins, that means it will
also soon come to an end. A bit wistfully, he
adds, “To me it goes by way too fast.”
The Party Never Ends
Rally Week is coming to a close and you’re
packing up to head home. Does that mean
the Sturgis Rally is really over? Well, no,
because TV crews have been filing all week
to bring you more Sturgis once you get
home.
The History Channel was boots-on-theground filming the season finale of Biker
Battleground Phoenix at the CrossRoads and
on the main stage of the Buffalo Chip. The
episode will air August 26.
Roving Reporter Jesse Watters from the
O’Reilly Factor will relate the story of his
time at the Rally on Monday August 18 and
possibly again on Monday August 25.
The Bling Johnson Show, which airs on
Rider
a CW affiliate network, will dedicate one
episode of a 13-show season to the Chip.
Vladimir Roshchin, who has organized the
Two Days Fest in Moscow the last four years,
filmed all week. The bike scene there is only
a decade old, the custom scene younger still.
“But there is terrible traffic in Moscow so
for six months people ride their motorbikes
to escape it,” said Vlad. They may be more
interested in custom bike culture in Russia
than Americans are, he says, because they
don’t have any of their own.
Crews were filming from Japan and China,
too, so check your local listings and stay
connected to the Chip.
Daily
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
Woody’s Farewell
The Sturgis Rider® Daily crew began with
and maintained high hopes and intentions
to provide you the very best news of relevant
events that would happen during your vacation at the Sturgis rally. They’ve done a stellar job. I hope you’ve saved a copy of each
day’s issue to help make your own photos
more meaningful and, years from now, help
you to recall just what an enjoyable trip this
was.
The Sturgis Rider® Daily, first thing in
the morning, showed you what happened
yesterday and gave you today’s news and
expected events. It was a joy for the crew to
bring you the full-color highlights, knowing they weren’t merely reporting the news,
but were helping you maximize your rally
experience.
It was the staff ’s first newspaper experience. Great resources to work with included
more than 50 performing artists. We were
rocked out by a biker band from Japan.
We shared Motley Cruë’s very last tour.
We saw the 13th and climactic episode of
Biker Battleground Phoenix, season one,
being created. We experienced filming of
a segment for Chinese television as well as
unveilings of new and customized Indian
motorcycles. How about all those beautiful
custom motorcycles that competed in the six
bike shows?
And, speaking of bike shows, how about
the bikes included in Built for Speed – Race
Inspired Motorcycles and Art, the 2014
Motorcycles As Art exhibit? That was a
world-class museum exhibit curated by the
internationally respected Michael Lichter
and Paul d’Orleans that existed for only one
week. You were there, you experienced it
and the Sturgis Rider® Daily’s article is in
your saddlebag.
We shared it all with you and thank
you for having made this Biker newspaper
a success. Next year, the 75th annual
motorcycle rally at Sturgis, promises to be
a milestone, a genuine monster of an event.
We’ll be here to share those experiences with
you again. Until then,
Ride Free, Take Risks and we’ll see your
smiling faces next August.
Woody & Crew
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
5 Minutes
with Rod
“Woody”
Woodruff
Sturgis
Rider
All week long, the Sturgis Rider Daily has tapped the
hearts and minds of industry luminaries such as bike
builders, TV and film stars, motorcycle legends and
other personalities to give you, our readers, the inside
track on the motorcycle industry. But who better to
visit with than Rod “Woody” Woodruff, founder and
president of the Buffalo Chip, for a unique viewpoint
on the Sturgis Rally? The Chip is the best party
anywhere™, after all, right?
It’s the last day of the 2014 rally. Do you have mixed
emotions?
I woke up this morning thinking, all my friends are
leaving and I haven’t had enough time with them. I’m lonely
already. Even though I didn’t get to talk to all of them, we’ll have
their experiences to relive the next time we see each other.
What are your thoughts on this year’s rally?
It’s just the most successful rally we’ve ever had in terms of how
well things went. It hasn’t always been this way. There have
been those times where there were so many challenges, but that
was probably before we had the staff we do now. We’ve learned
something over the years.
How have things changed?
When I started there was just one guy and it was hard to do. Over
the years we’ve been blessed with a lot of good people who just
wanted to be part of the Buffalo Chip. So then it became our
responsibility to figure out how we could keep them employed
year round so they could be here for the rally. Everything comes
with a responsibility. We’ve invested in people over the last 10
years and it has become a bigger and more closely knit family.
How have your people managed this year?
They have worked about 355 consecutive days in preparation for
the rally and everybody has had a multitude of responsibilities
leading up to it, knowing that sometime between Friday and
Saturday several thousand people were going to show up all at the
same time and expect the best. It’s our responsibility to meet that.
The stress level gets real high.
It’s particularly rewarding that they made it though all that while
being friendly and sociable and helpful to all the people that came.
As far as I know, I’m the only guy that became cranky around
here, but instead of cranky I’m calling those my Gunny moments,
when I’m being bossy.
It seems like there are so many first time campers here this year.
I too am stunned by the apparent high percentage of people that
are here who have never been here before. They recognize the
place from TV, they recognize us. It’s apparent that part of the
reason they feel comfortable coming here is because from the TV
stuff, they saw a well-organized, polite, courteous group of people
operating a business. That’s rewarding for me personally.
Millions of people have stayed at the Chip, but how do you cater
to the various ways people want to experience it?
We pretty much let everyone choose their own way to vacation. If
someone wants a fancy piece of dirt we enable them to experience
the Chip their way.
That said, you want to retain the Chip’s grassroots heritage. So
how do you balance it?
At one point there was a definite awareness that we needed to
make this experience available to people who didn’t want to sleep
in the dirt. And what we noticed was, as soon as we did that,
people started bringing women with them and then the party
started growing exponentially. When it was all mechanics and rat
bikes there weren’t very many women here. But when they started
bringing motorhomes and trailers, well that was a big deal.
What question do people always ask you?
Long ago people used to ask me: what do you do the rest of the
year. But I think people have pretty much figured out this doesn’t
happen by accident.
What’s you favorite thing about the Buffalo Chip?
The people.
People seem to feel that the Chip is a special place.
I’ve come to accept that there’s a certain magic here. My job is to
not screw up the magic. Fifteen years ago 38-Special came out to
record live at Sturgis, at the Chip. I asked the producer why and
he said, “There’s a certain ambiance here that doesn’t seem to exist
anywhere else.” Another time, I was talking with Bon Jovi’s tour
manager and another guy, a top agent. He said, “I’ve done shows
all over the world and there ain’t no place like this place any place.”
What we have to do is to continue to grow and continue to provide
more amenities and services without losing that certain ambiance.
If we allow people to feel free when they come here, and meet
other people, and have the time of their life, the ambiance is there.
It comes from our guests.
So sometimes a place becomes more than a piece of land.
We’ve had people born here, people have died here. We have
memorials here and memories have been made here for lots of
people. We have to honor and respect those memories—and allow
more people to make them.
Tell us one thing we don’t know about you.
It’s not about me.
Daily
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Sturgis
Rider
Happy Campers
The advent of the Sturgis Rider
Daily makes the Sturgis Buffalo
Chip the only campground in the
world with its own daily newspaper.
The goal is to provide Sturgis Rally
goers—whether staying at the Chip
or anywhere in the Hills—with immediate news about what’s happening TODAY.
So how did we do? Tell us what you
think, what you want to see, and
how we can improve. Email the
editor at [email protected]
with your comments. Please include your first name and city/state.
No email addresses will be printed.
We Want To Hear From You!
Daily
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
Sweepstake Winner
In case you missed it, Bull Shipley of Flint, MI, was drawn as the winner of a
Ness-customized Victory 8-Ball and matching Les Paul Studio Epiphone guitar in
the Buffalo Chip Sturgis Rider Sweepstakes. He was shocked! “This was my first
Buffalo Chip experience. I came here as the tour manager for the band Pistol Day
Parade not knowing what to expect, and I am leaving here a fan of the best party
anywhere!” he said. “I want to thank Victory Motorcycles, Gibson, Rod Woodruff,
Pistol Day Parade for bringing me out here, and all the new fans and friends we
made here. It’s been awesome.”
Sturgis
Co-Publishers
Sturgis Buffalo Chip
Rapid City Journal
Rider
Editor
Marilyn Stemp
Advertising Sales
Rapid City Journal
Paul Mitchell, Sturgis
Buffalo Chip
Daily
Design and
Production
Rapid City Journal
Contributors
Chris Yushta, Jordan Axtman, Christine Paige Diers, Paul Mitchell, Aaron Packard, Jessica
Nelson, Rachael Omps, Mary Panerio, Kurt Shaw, Marilyn Stemp. Other material contributed
by staff of the Rapid City Journal.
Circulation
The Sturgis Rider® Daily is published eight consecutive days during the Sturgis Rally. 9500 copies are distributed each day at 70 locations in the
Black Hills and to campers at the Buffalo Chip.
Disclaimer
The Sturgis Rider® Daily neither endorses nor warrants the products or services of advertisers, nor does it warrant the completeness or accuracy of
the data provided herein. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers, advertisers, editors, contributors, or their agents. Sturgis Rider®
is a registered trademark owned by Rod Woodruff. Reproduction or transmission of content herein, in whole or part, without expressed written
consent is not permitted.
PRINTED IN USA
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
Sturgis
Here’s to the heroes
Rider
Daily
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Homes 4
Wounded Heroes
In 2007 Lance Corporal Tom Jacobson was
conducting a mounted patrol in Iraq with his
platoon to evacuate a team of snipers when the
Humvee in which he was riding detonated an IED.
The blast killed the driver and severely wounded
Tom and two others. After years of rehabilitation
for burns and damage to his right leg, Tom meets
bikers during the Sturgis Rally on the Buffalo Chip’s
Wolfman Jack stage as recipient of a mortgage free
home, thanks to The Military Warriors Support
Foundation and Wells Fargo.
The Military Warriors Support Foundation is a
501(c)(3) non-profit charity, founded by Lt. General,
Leroy Sisco, (Ret), in 2007. Their mission is to
provide support for our nation’s combat wounded
heroes and Gold Star Families as they transition
out of the military and into their new civilian life.
Programs include home donation, academic and
employment assistance, as well as recreational
activities.
Through the Foundation’s Homes4WoundedHeroes
home donation program, 100% mortgage-free
homes are awarded to combat wounded veterans
of Iraq and Afghanistan. The program is also
available to Gold Star Spouses of Heroes who have
fallen in combat. In addition to the home, each
family receives three years of family and financial
mentoring. Working with Wells Fargo they match
the hero’s needs with once-empty foreclosed homes
in inventory.
Jacobson, who currently lives with his two brothers
in Minneapolis, MN, joined the U.S. Marine Corps
in his senior year of high school in 2006 and shipped
out to Iraq July 2007. “I joined to change my life
for the better as well as to uphold the freedoms,
constitution, and the bill of rights we have all
inherited,” he said. His goal is to complete his college
degree and teach history at thecollege level.
Now that’s the way to pay it forward!
Art of the Lakota & More
Within our historical building you’ll find the finest
collection of Plains Indian Arts, Crafts and Jewelry,
plus Pine Art and Prints, Glassware, Pottery, Toys,
an incredible selection of Native American and
Pioneer Books, Tapes, CDs, Videos, Out-of-Print
Collector Books and unique Craft Supplies.
Prairie edge
605-342-3086 • 606 Main Street, Rapid City
www.PrairieEdge.com • [email protected]
Open 7 Days a Week
Sturgis
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Rider
Daily
Freedom Celebration Resonates
General Wesley Clark
It’s become an integral aspect of
being at the Buffalo Chip during the
Sturgis Rally: the Freedom Celebration.
“The Chip is blessed with a very large
population of U.S. military veterans,”
said Chip President Rod Woodruff.
“We aren’t here to do the familiar token
thanks to the vets. The vets here are
patriots.”
That thought was prevalent when
General Wesley Clark addressed the
crowd during the evening’s Freedom
Celebration on Thursday, August 7. It’s
not every day a highly decorated FourStar General and Rhodes scholar stops
in to visit. We got a few minutes to chat
with him.
You probably don’t get to many biker
rallies.
Some people will say it’s a really odd
place for me, but I know there are a lot of
bikers who are really patriotic and they
really care about our men and women
who serve. That’s why I wanted to come
out here.
So you don’t ride?
I was always discouraged when I was
growing up from having a bike. And then
the time passed, I was in the Army, and
had a family. There was no time and no
resources to devote to it. But motorcycles
make a great reconnaissance vehicle.
In one of my companies we were
actually contracted by Special Forces
to build an electric motorcycle. This
was the first electric motorcycle with
the motor in the hub in 2002 or 2003.
We were given a contract by Special
Operations Command because they
wanted something that was quieter. The
thing was fast, totally silent, and deadly
because it just takes off and you don’t
hear it moving. There’s no exhaust sound.
You’re a veteran of the Vietnam War.
Those soldiers were never welcomed
home properly.
There’s no doubt about it. But I think
it’s never too late to express your
appreciation.
I was recently with a group called Folds
of Honor for a charity golf tournament.
They invited 40 veterans in to play and
a lot of them were Vietnam veterans.
When the master of ceremonies said,
“Welcome home,” it was an amazing
feeling, even for me.
Tell us about your involvement with
the Grilled Cheese Truck and how the
company is helping veterans.
We want to give veterans a way to make
a transition into the civilian economy.
We want them to learn about managing
a business. In the military you don’t pay
for anything, everything is issued. You
also don’t have a chance to exercise a lot
of initiative.
This is a transition program for veterans.
They can work part time, go from truck
to truck if they want to. But the most
important thing, whether they stay
with it or are passing
through, is this: we’re
giving them the kind
of job skills, financial
skills leadership skills
to take what they’ve
learned in uniform
and apply it in the
civilian economy.
How is the effort
structured?
With this effort you’ve
got two groups; the
senior leaders, the
more
experienced
NCOs or soldiers,
who can take one of
these trucks and really
make a business out of
it. Then you’ve got the
younger veterans who
will transition through this program.
They’ll earn money from it, they’ll learn
skills, they’ll keep their relationships
with other veterans alive, but they’ll
probably go on and do other things.
What drives you to tackle new ventures
like this?
I think people take a lot from where they
grow up and I think people are a product
of their experiences in their adulthood.
You have to be true to yourself and it
takes courage to do that. It’s probably
even harder today with social media
and the press, especially for someone
who is in public life. They don’t have any
privacy at all.
Do you have a message for the bikers
here at the Chip?
I love this country. When I come here
I see other people just like me who
look at the beauty of this country and
enjoy meeting other people. It’s about
patriotism and love of country.
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
Make a Wish
for the 75th
As it turned out, the biggest buzz at the 74th Sturgis Rally
was about the fact that next year is the Sturgis 75th Rally.
And that generated speculation of vast proportions as
people threw out their wish lists of elements that would put
the 75th Rally over the top. Here are some of the answers
we got to this question:
If you could request anything at the Buffalo Chip for
the Sturgis 75th Rally, what would be on your wish list?
The Rolling Stones
Get some high-end food like tri-tip instead of deep
fried carnie food
Something to set some type of record
Set a Guinness record for the most motorcycles in
one place in the Chip amphitheater
Doug Danger will be jumping 22 cars. Why not 75
smart cars? Or 75 motorcycles?
Play candid shots of the day’s pictures playing all
day on the Jumbotrons.
Family first: Bikers welcome home
Fix it so the vendors take my credit card
Wine
A TORC Truck parade to the Chip as they come
into town
A Ferris wheel
AC/DC and the Foo Fighters
This is only my second year here so I don’t know yet
Mud wrestling
Daft Punk
Have a welcome home party for the early arrivals
then deputize them to be ambassadors who welcome
the other campers home!
What could we do that’s crazy for the 75th? It’s
already crazy here, right?
Sturgis
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
Rider
Daily
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Drag Racing in Sturgis With WMDRA
The WMDRA Amsoil Sturgis
Nationals hosted at Sturgis Dragway saw
eliminations cut short by rain but thanks
to the efforts of the impressive track
team and a field of greatest racers in the
world, they fit in the entire program on
Thursday.
This year’s track events included track
passes on S&S-powered machines, a drag
race school by Mark Dotson, drag racer,
Bonneville record holder and author.
Mark’s two classes included one for
novice racers and one for media contacts.
Drag racers on hand included street
machines to 900 horsepower NITRO
bikes. And if that wasn’t enough, the
Grand Marshalls included drag racing
greats Pete Hill, the first Top Fuel
champion at Sturgis on his NITRO
knuckle; Marion Owens with his vintage
double; and Glen Kerr of Dubble Trubble
fame with a double engine Triumph. But
the man of the day was Bonnie Truett who
had earlier been inducted into the Sturgis
Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame.
Keeping America foremost, members
of the USAF Academy band were on
hand singing the National Anthem. A
great day all around.
If you missed it this year, we’ll see you
next year for the best racing west of the
Mississippi.
Pete Hill, Bonnie Truett, Sandra Alberti, Marion Owens and Mary Lou Brewton – photobombed by
a moto-journalist!
Sturgis Top Fuel Champion Freddie Robbins.
Smoky burnouts courtesy Jim Deemer and Twang of Asshole’s Garage.
Troy Cade won the Street ET class on a vintage Indian.
Members of the USAF Academy Band Wild Blue Country.
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Sturgis
Rider
Daily
Buffalo Chip Campers
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
The nicest people at the best party anywhere™
Photos by Jessica Nelson, Jordan Axtman, Chris Yushta and Aaron Packard.
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
Sturgis
Rider
Daily
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Sturgis
Rider
Nitro National
Hillclimb Finals
And some unexpected racers
It was the perfect day for racing as North American Hillclimbers Association (NAHA)
‘climbers tackled the hill at the Buffalo Chip PowerSports Complex.
Logan Meade of Team Unlimited took the win in the 450. Austin Cardwell dominated
the 701 open class. The crowd got a treat when several sponsors put up cash and four
spectators stepped up to attempt the hill on their own bikes. You never know what
might happen at the PSC! Photos by Chris Yushta.
Daily
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
Photo by Chris Yushta.
AMA Extreme Dirt Track Day 1
At the PSC
Today’s action at the Buffalo Chip PowerSports Complex (PSC) saw Championship
ATV racers running heat races for qualifying in 16 classes, in preparation for
tomorrow’s finals. The super maneuverable four-wheelers carved out a section of the
challenging new TORC track to take advantage of the moguls, obstacles and tight
turns that promise exciting race action.
Class Name
Racer Name
Racer Number
Production B
Womens
Super Mini
70-90 Production
Amateur Open
Plus 25
Schoolboy Jr
Production C
Senior 45+
Pro Am
Production A
Youth Open
Veteran 35+
Pro Am Unlimited
0-50cc Stock Limited 4-6
70-90 Modified
Amateur Unlimited
Pro
Tim Burkhart
Andrea Creech
Dauson Heitritter
Stuart Parsons
Taylor Masset
Marc Noel
Tyler Allen
Jesse Shaudvitis
Kenny Marcou
Brad Riley
Garrett Keister
Blaine Stegenga
Rich Schoeberl
Garrett Keister
Braxton Earnhardt
Dauson Heitritter
Payton Hall
Brad Riley
12
25
10
44
15
121
4
106
33
27
4
35
0
4
19
10
42
27
AMA Extreme Dirt Track
ATV Races
Friday, August 8 and Saturday,
August 9 – 12:00 to 7:30 PM
Buffalo Chip PowerSports Complex
The main events take place in both pro and
amateur classes tomorrow. Events at the
Buffalo Chip PowerSports Complex are
open to the public and separately ticketed.
For more information or to purchase
tickets,
visit
www.BuffaloChip.com.
Advance tickets are $15 each.
Sturgis
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
Rider
Hall of Fame Welcomes
2014 Inductees
Representing riders,
rights, and racing
Being inducted into the Sturgis
Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is an
unqualified honor. Seven new members
were brought on board for 2014 at the
annual breakfast held each year during
the Sturgis Rally. Let’s get to know them.
Deb “Tiger” Chandler – Freedom
Fighters Hall of Fame – Deb “Tiger”
Chandler has been active in the
motorcycling community for over 40
years. In partnership with the Colorado
Confederation of Clubs she assumed
the role of Colorado Commander of
the Coalition of Independent Riders.
Tiger has worked tirelessly through
the state legislature to address issues of
importance to motorcyclists in Colorado
including funding for beginning rider
training and alcohol interlocking devices
for motorcycles. She has also helped
implement a Biker Day in Denver as a
means of opening dialog between bikers
and legislators.
Clyde Fessler – During his 25-year career
at Harley-Davidson, Clyde Fessler played
an integral role in the turnaround of the
company. He served in multiple positions
including Director of Marketing, VP
of General Merchandise, VP of Motor
Accessories, and VP of Business
Development. He was responsible for
many innovative programs, policies,
products, and marketing strategies that
made Harley-Davidson one of the most
recognized brands in the world. Since his
retirement in 2002, Fessler has remained
active in the Hamsters. He recently wrote
a book, "Rebuilding the Brand," and
travels extensively as a Keynote Speaker.
Jesse Jurrens– Legend Suspensions
began in 1998 when Jesse Jurrens
recognized the benefits air springs
could offer motorcyclists and sought to
develop the technology for the HarleyDavidson Softail chassis. The company
took off when Gates™ Rubber Company,
the leader in air spring technology,
agreed to lend their patented Kevlar
air spring technology to the fledgling
South Dakota start-up. Since then, Jesse
has continued to develop innovative
suspension systems. Today, the Sturgisbased company is a recognized leader
in suspension technology, making
suspension systems for Harley-Davidson
models and off-road UTVs.
Jay “Lightnin'” Bentley – From the time
he was a teenager, Jay Lightning rode in a
motordrome owned by Pappy Boudreaux
– first part-time and later full-time.
Early on, Jay rode Harley Hummers as a
straight rider, but soon graduated to trick
riding on the wall on Indian 101 Scouts.
By 1998, Jay took out a loan against his
home to begin building what would
become the American Motor Drome
Wall of Death. Completed in 2000, it was
the first of its kind to be built in over 50
years. For the past 14 years, the American
Motor Drome has toured the country
full-time.
Keith Terry – An avid motorcyclist
since he was 15, Keith Terry built his
first custom motorcycle in 1994, and
he’s been building them ever since. Keith
and his wife Fran have owned Terry
Components, supplier of motorcycle
starter motors and battery cables, for 20
years. More recently, Keith—along with
Chris Malo—started Baggster LLC, to
manufacture custom conversion kits
for Harley-Davidson applications. For
the last three years, Keith has been the
spearhead of the Buffalo Chip Challenge
Daily
working with Sturgis Brown High School
students to build a custom bagger that's
auctioned off at the Legends Ride each
year.
Bonnie Truett – Ask anyone in the drag
racing world about who’s had a broad
impact on the sport and Bonnie Truett’s
name will come up. Bonnie started racing
in the 1960s and was constantly working to
get more out of his drag bikes. He started
by changing the flywheels in his own
Sportster, but eventually he and his partner
Paul Osborn created and manufactured
their own flywheels, frames, cams,
cylinders and rods. Bonnie continued to
race until 1984, and he and Paul continued
to run Truett & Osborn together until his
retirement in 1997. Bonnie is well known
to everyone in drag racing as a friend,
mentor and all around good guy.
Paul Yaffe – For over 20 years, Paul Yaffe has
created custom motorcycles, working on
as many as 12 commissioned bikes in any
given year, many of which have graced the
pages of motorcycle magazines in the U.S.
and abroad. As part of his creative process,
PAge 11
Paul has often engineered innovative parts
for his custom creations, which were soon
in demand by others in the custom world.
Responding in kind, Paul created his
Bagger Nation brand of custom parts and
accessories. Paul’s contributions don’t end
with the motorcycle industry, though. He’s
well-known as an advocate and fundraiser
for children’s charities both in Phoenix
and in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Anyone can nominate a person or group
they think is worthy of consideration for
either the Hall of Fame or the Freedom
Fighters Hall of Fame. To see the
nomination form, visit www.sturgishof.
com. And don’t forget to visit the Sturgis
Motorcycle Museum while you’re here.
It’s one stop you won’t want to miss.
Sturgis Motorcycle Museum
& Hall of Fame
999 Main Street
Sturgis, SD
605-347-2001
www.sturgismuseum.com
Motorcycle
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Hills to Go from
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PAge 12
Sturgis
Rider
S&S Proves Performance
S&S Cycle’s T124 Demo Days event at the Sturgis Dragway allowed customers to feel the power of
an S&S T124 engine. This year, the event drew in 25 rally goers who can now say they’ve driven an
S&S T124 powered Dyna® down the dragway. An experience like no other! Pictured from right to
left: Steve Iggens, Grant Hillegass, Dean Young, and Bob Iverson.
Daily
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
2nd Annual
T124 DEMO DAYS
T e s t r i d e d o w n t h e Sturgis Dragway 1/8 m i l e !
FEEL THE POWER!
Test ride a T124 equipped motorcycle
down the Sturgis Dragway 1/8 mile!
20523 Hwy 79, Sturgis, SD
August 5th & 6th • 10:00am - Noon
For more details, visit sscycle.com/demo-days
Come visit us at the
S&S Display during the Sturgis Rally
Fri. Aug. 1st - Sat. Aug. 9 th at 1535 Lazelle Street
S&S T124 Demo Days is open to licensed drivers 21 years of age or older. Riders must have their own safety equipment – helmets, jackets,
boots, gloves, and eye protection. Anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol will not be allowed to participate. S&S reserves the right
to deny access to anyone in the interest of safety. Riders will be required to sign a liability waiver.
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
Sturgis
Rider
Daily
Accidental Tourists
PAge 13
They went on vacation to find bikers got there first
For a month, Donna Anderson of Utah
planned the quintessential American
family vacation: a tour-de-force of
sightseeing in the Black Hills of South
Dakota. Mount Rushmore, the Badlands,
Custer State Park. Her grandchildren
were excited. Her daughter and sonin-law were excited. The family could
practically taste the region’s Ponderosapine laced air.
But the gaggle of Utahans soon realized
there was a major hiccup in their plan —
they had unknowingly scheduled their
trip during the annual Sturgis rally.
“The first few motels we called, they
laughed at us,” said Anderson, 75. “That’s
when we found out.”
Despite the prospect of sharing the
road with legions of roaring, twowheeled beasts, Anderson and her
family decided to head to the Hills
anyway. Rather than dampening their
trip, however, the family said it morphed
into one of the family’s most memorable
vacations ever.
“It has probably enhanced it a little
bit,” said Wayne Berry, Anderson’s
son-in-law, yelling over the roar of
Harley-Davidsons passing through
Keystone’s main street. “The boys do
like motorcycles.”
That sentiment wasn’t uncommon
this week among the out-of-town
families that milled about in their
bright summer clothes down Keystone
sidewalks, surrounded by a sea of beards
and leather.
Like Anderson and her family, the
Schroeder family was on the cusp of
heading out the door of their home in
East Bethel, MN, when they realized the
rally was on.
Dustin, 33, and his wife, Nicole,
decided to go anyway. Rather than find
the bikers bothersome, the Schroeder’s
actually found some perks.
“When we went down to Evan’s
Plunge it wasn’t too busy,” Schroeder
The Schroeder family from East Bethel, MN, found out that the rally coincided with their family
vacation to the Black Hills while making hotel reservations, but decided to come anyway.
Vicki and Ralph Burlock of Sunnyvale, CA, walk along the sidewalk in downtown Keystone Tuesday
afternoon after visiting Crazy Horse Memorial earlier in the day. The couple didn’t know about the
motorcycle rally until they were almost to the Black Hills and called to make hotel reservations.
said of the Hot Springs natural water
park. “Basically because it’s not a place
where bikers like to hang out.”
Despite not riding motorcycles of their
own, the rally and all its trappings are
exactly why some out-of-towners decide
to hit the Hills.
It was 25 years ago that Pam Stressman
and husband Tom – who now live in
Harlan, Iowa – accidentally stumbled
upon the Sturgis rally on their visit to
the Black Hills as newlyweds.
The couple got such a kick out of the
event that they came back 10 years later
with their two kids. This year, they came
again for their 25th wedding anniversary.
“I enjoy seeing all the bikes,” Stressman
said. “And the people are so nice. They
are all just, you know, very nice.”
By coincidence, the Stressmans weren’t
the only tourists celebrating their
wedding anniversary on Tuesday.
Ralph Burlock, 75, and Vicki Burlock,
70, from Sunnyvale, CA, decided to
swing by the Black Hills during a crosscountry road trip to see the progress
on the Crazy Horse Memorial as part
of their 52nd wedding anniversary. The
couple didn’t realize the rally was on
until, just like the Anderson family, they
tried to book accommodations.
Despite the inflated prices, the couple
booked anyway. On Tuesday, standing
on Keystone’s main street as crowds of
burly bikers brushed by, the Burlocks
said they had no regrets.
“It really has been an experience just
walking up and down this street,” a
beaming Ralph said, clad in a 2014
Volksmarch shirt and matching cap.
Besides, Ralph added, it was far better
than their alternative traveling route.
“The other option was to go further
into Nebraska or something like that,”
he said. “And there’s absolutely nothing
to do there. This is real humanity.”
Sturgis
PAge 14
Rider
Hank Rotten, Jr.
Daily
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
The Voice of the Chip
Whether you’ve been camping at the
Buffalo Chip for decades or you just
arrived, there’s one voice you’re familiar
with: Hank Rotten’s. And that’s as it should
be, because Hank has been the voice of the
Chip for 26 years.
Hank first came to the campground
from his home in Carterville, MO, one year
earlier, as a camper like the rest of us. “That
first year, it was nothing like it is now,” he
said. “There was a line of wooden shacks
and not much more. The only thing you
could get to eat was from a carnival guy.”
He returned the next year as a performer,
eventually moved into an emcee role, and
just kept coming back—an unplanned
but welcome turn of events that suited
everyone. I was blessed with the voice, and
a little bit of wit,” he said.
His wit shows in a now-legendary contest
Hank didn’t invent but has developed:
the Pickle Lickin’ on the Kinison stage.
You haven’t been to the Chip until you’ve
seen a pickle lickin’! For some reason
even Hank can’t explain, the contest has
been especially popular this year. It can be
unpredictable but Hank handles whatever
comes along. In fact, going off script is his
specialty.
See, back home in Missouri, Hank is a
well-known TV and radio personality. “I’m
Walmart famous in the job,” he laughed. He
has a TV gig on a morning show, a regular
radio show, and hosts Friday Night Movies
With Hank each week.
But it’s his job at the Chip that makes
him smile and the interaction with Chip
campers that energizes him. “It’s thrilling
to be out on the big stage, to be the voice of
the Chip, to be backstage,” he said. “Each
year it improves so much. It just wouldn’t
be right not to be in the Black Hills in
August.”
Painting has connections to native beliefs representing this location (near Sturgis) as the
geographic center of the continent. The motif is being surrounded by state quarters appropriately
placed.
Crazy George:
A Buffalo Chip Mainstay
“I’m either an institution here or I should since the year it began.
be institutionalized!”
Stop by to see George’s artwork and also
So says Crazy George, the self-appointed to sign his birthday card. “The bottom line
artist in residence, lost and found of what the Chip is all about is taking care
department, and information booth at the of one’s self and each other,” he said. “And
Buffalo Chip. No one is quite sure how we bring to the Chip the brotherhood and
it happened that George became these respect that true bikers are all about.”
things, and if they know they aren’t saying.
He’s responsible for several art
installations on the grounds,
too, and is currently working
on two pieces for the 75th
anniversary, one painting and
one sculpture.
According to Crazy George
myth, his parents came to
Sturgis in 1947 in a ‘37 Harley
sidecar outfit. George’s mother
went into labor on August 1st
and he was born seven days
later on August 8th in a sweat
lodge at the foot of Bear Butte.
Some say the spirits of Crazy
Horse and George Custer
descended upon him and that’s
why he was christened Crazy
George. Decide for yourself if
that’s myth or bunk but either
way George returns to the
rally every year to celebrate his
birthday. He’s been at the Chip George’s latest sculpture, in progress.
Sturgis
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
The Indian in the
Basement
Back in 1952, Pappy Hoel still owned an Indian
Motorcycle dealership in Sturgis, SD. If you don’t
know Pappy’s story, he’s the dealer who brought
together a group of riders to form the Jackpine Gypsies
Motorcycle Club in Sturgis. It’s the same group that
was responsible for that very first weekend of racing
back in 1938 that was the start of what has become one
of the biggest motorcycle events in the world. Pappy’s
business, though, was selling motorcycles…and this is
one that he sold.
This 1952 Indian Chief is believed to be all
original—right down to the painted gas and oil caps on
the top of the tank. It was purchased new from Pappy,
and owned by the original buyer until his death, it’s
been driven fewer than 5,000 miles. Since the original
Indian Motorcycle Company went out of business in
1953, this motorcycle was made close to the end of
their era. The motorcycle was stored in a basement in
a house for many years before being uncovered when
Rider
the home needed to be torn down. While this bike is
– by itself – a great addition to the museum, perhaps
even more exciting is the memorabilia that came along
with the bike when it was loaned to the museum.
Besides the bike itself, the museum has almost
every license plate that the bike ever sported – and
even a few plates that were never even opened. There
are letters and receipts signed by Pappy Hoel to the
original owner and it also came with a set of Indian
PowWow magazines and a really great license plate
holder – we’re not sure if it was ever installed. Included
were AMA tour pins, motorcycle toys, even some
clothes and riding gear.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum is proud to have
this excellent collection of memorabilia that makes
the history of the motorcycle even more interesting. It
is collections like this one that help keep the history of
motorcycling alive.
Visit the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame
At the corner of Junction and Main in Sturgis
Open 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM during the Rally
See the Museum’s Women Rider Exhibit at the Buffalo Chip Russ Brown Event Center,
located at the Chip’s east gate. Free and open to the public all week. No ticket or
wristband needed.
Daily
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PAge 16
Sturgis
Rider
Daily
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014
List Lust
Ten Offbeat
Secret Service
Code Names
10. Parasol: Cindy McCain
9. Angler: Dick Cheney
8. Smurfette: Karenna Gore
7. Rawhide: Ronald Regan
6. Sunburn: Ted Kennedy
5. Deacon: Jimmy Carter
4. Searchlight: Richard Nixon
3. Lancer: John Kennedy
2. Javelin: Mitt Romney
1. Napoleon: Frank Sinatra
Bonus Points if you know which
one’s real name was spoken by
their spouse from the Wolfman
Jack Stage.
Last Night’s Concert
Last night’s Buffalo Chip headliners, Cheap Trick, delivered their signature hybrid of punk, pop, metal and rockin’ antics to
ardent fans from the Wolfman Jack Stage. Photo by Jordan Axtman.
The perfect lead-in to Cheap trick, The Pretty Reckless took no prisoners
with a hard driving performance. Photo by Jordan Axtman.