Intro: This is the first year in 15 that I did not experience the ride to South Dakota or the Rally in the Badlands. I felt so disconnected I began to collect stories from all our friends who made the assault on Sturgis. I received shots from Chris T. who flew from Hawaii to the coast shipped his Softail and headed out across the country. I received newspaper clipping from a Hamster, Guy, who owns the PhilTown in in Sturgis. Jose, from the Caribbean send extensive coverage of his tour beginning in the Caribbean, and the list goes on. You'll discover a myriad of vantage points, from the attendance statistics to the emotional aspects of meeting old friends, to breakdowns along the way. Let's get to it:

From T-Bear---After being stuck in massive traffic jams and blistering heat along with almost a million riders at the Sturgis 60th Anniversary back in 2000, there was no way I was planning on a return trip to Sturgis this year. Uh uh, no way, not this bear, not gonna happen!!! But fate has a funny way of changing the best-laid plans of mice and men. Sitting here trying to put together this tale, I have to digress briefly to July 2001 and tell you the circumstances that brought me back to the biggest motorcycle bash in the world again this year.

Main St. Sturgis 2002

It was my 15th wedding anniversary July 4th 2001. I thought it was fitting to loose one's independence on that particular day. My wife, Maggie had been pestering me for years to take her to Hawaii. I, of course had no particular interest in going. I travel the world writing about my adventures and had hoped to stay home by the lake and enjoy being off the road for a time. But, when Mama Bear wants something, she usually wins and not always by playing fair if you follow my meaning. Hence, I found myself at our travel agent booking a surprise trip to Maui for her and I. Depressed at the prospect of yet another jaunt to a tourist-ridden Mecca; I spotted a poster for Tahiti. I had always dreamed of the unspoiled Polynesian Isles since I saw the original Mutiny on the Bounty as a kid. " What the hell" I thought. If I gotta go as far as Hawaii I might as well go all the way. Surprisingly, Tahiti was a bit less expensive than Maui and only two hours further by Air Tahiti Nui from L.A.

On our anniversary, I gave my sweetie a card with a note saying "Pack Tropical, we're off on an adventure in a few days" She squealed with delight thinking I was finally taking her to Hawaii. When we got to JFK airport, she still had no clue as to our destination. Arriving in LAX, she almost passed out when I hauled down to the Air Tahiti Nui counter just in time to make our midnight flight to Papaete's Faa'a Airport. A Bottle of Champagne, 2 good movies and a nap later found us landing in paradise.

A quick 10-minute flight later and we were down on the island of Moorea. We were met by our driver and whisked away to the most beautiful white sandy beach I have ever seen and deposited in a deluxe beachfront Tahitian bungalow at the Sofatel La Ora Hotel. Just like in the movies. Sweet, real sweet.

To make a long story short, we spent the rest of the trip enjoying their hospitality. They threw a huge bash for us the day we were leaving Tahiti, took us to the airport, showered us with gifts and promised to stay in contact via e-mail and telephone. The club president Kiki Teagai came to NY to visit us in October and I bent over backwards repaying his hospitality showing him a grand time in NY. I showed him pictures from my Sturgis 2000 trip and he was hooked. He wanted to bring the club over to Sturgis this year and asked me if I could help make the arrangements for him and his group. I was delighted to help out but this was going to be a massive undertaking. I needed to call a few friends to help me pull it off.

First call was to my buddy Chad McDonald who owns Park Meadows Hog Rentals in Denver, Colorado to arrange for bikes and a motor home for the Tahitians. " No problem Bear. Whatever I can do to help out". So the bikes and a place to bunk were set. Next I needed more room for the folks to sleep and party. I got in contact with Dennis from Readycamps.com and set up a sweet deal for a 16"x32" Army tent complete with TV, microwave, air cots, etc for the group. Dennis made arrangements to set them up at Glencoe camp ground 3 miles out side of town. My buddy Tony Sparks who runs "the baddest biker run in the world" out of Sparks, Oklahoma was going to be staying at Glencoe as well and had agreed to take the club under his wing and show them a good time.

All that was left was to wish everyone luck and tell them to enjoy. A few friends from NY were heading out and had been pestering me to come along for almost a year. I was firm " I'm NOT going back to Sturgis this year!!!" or so I thought. First I got a call from Paul Moore. Paul is the press secretary for Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura. " Hey Bear, if you're heading out to Sturgis this year and you don't mind a small detour, I can arrange a meeting with you and the Gov." Next Fritz Clapp, Sonny Barger's pal and agent wanted to know if I was going to be there to meet up with Sonny again.

OK, so sometimes stuff just happens and you have to go with the flow.

My new Tahitian friends were going to be at Sturgis and needed someone to help them through the language barrier. Tony Ward was going to be there, Jesse Ventura wanted to meet me, Sonny Barger wanted to have a beer with me, my friends were trying to drag me along... Guess I was going to go to Sturgis after all.

Tbear in St. Paul

My NY crew met up at my place for the ride out. Two days later we roared into St. Paul, Minnesota to the steps of the State House. Paul was waiting for us there and in a while, a personal hero of mine, Jesse " the Mind" Ventura came out and met us. What a great guy. He came down and chatted with us, took a few photos signed a few shirts and wished us good luck on our adventure. Class, real class that guy. Nothing pretentious about him. He was wearing a Navy Seals shirt and cap. We tried to persuade him to come along with us to Sturgis and hang with some "real people" but he was committed to go to California the next week for a S.E.A.L. reunion and we more than understood his choice.

Again, What a good guy.

The next morning found us pulling into Sturgis a day ahead of the Tahitians arrival in Denver. Chad had arranged to pick up the group, get them settled on their rides and send them off in the right direction. Dennis from Readycamps.com had our hooch all set up for us and we spent a few hours sleeping the sleep of the dead. I had appointments up the ying yang that week. I was covering the event for MCM Magazine in Sweden, The Horse, Back Street Choppers, Bikernet.com and CC motorcycle News in NY. I was going to be one busy bear. I was going to be at the Broken Spoke Saloon for the panhead contest, meet with Sonny Barger and help out photographing a Preview Party for his new Sonny Barger Premium Larger Beer, catching all the action with Mike, the owner of the Full Throttle Saloon (the worlds largest biker bar), meeting there with Joan Jet, off to the Buffalo Chip to hang with John Popper and the Blues Traveler Band. In addition I had the group from Tahiti to take around and show all the wondrous sights that South Dakota has to offer.

I had been to Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Monument, Black Hills, Deadwood and the Bad Lands on previous trips out that way, but there's something about seeing it again through the gaping eyes of a foreign visitor seeing it for the first time that make you feel damned lucky to have been fortunate enough to be born in this great land of ours. Just to see the wonder on the faces of my new friends as we rode along visiting site after site was enough to make me glad I made the trip again.

Meeting up with Sonny Barger and Co. is always a treat for me. Sonny is a soft-spoken, articulate old school gentleman despite his media image. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to personally meet Sonny is caught off guard by his easy style. We had a few minutes together in between his book signings to have a beer together and catch up. Sonny is currently on a whirlwind media tour of book signings and promotional stops. He currently has two books in publication. "Hell's Angel The life and Times of Sonny Barger" and " Ridin High, Livin Free" an eclectic collection of tales from the road. Both well worth the read. He also has formed the BARGER BREWING CO. in St. Paul MN. To introduce Sonny Barger Premium Larger Beer, I have to tell you that I was a bit skeptical, but after hoisting a few, I am truly impressed with the quality and taste of the brew. Sonny has also developed a new Road Side Emergency Kit. Who better then Sonny Barger to know what a rider needs in a pinch.

After 3 days on the road west, a week in Sturgis with some of the best people in the world, old friends and new, countless parties, 14 rolls of film, a horrendous wind and hail storm that caused a massive mud slide closing off the town of Deadwood and practically destroying our camp and some of the best riding available in the United States it was finally time to pack up, kiss friends good by and start off on the 1800 mile ride back home to NY.

I have to admit that Sturgis can be a bit hard on the spirit at times. The traffic and over heating bikes, the local lawmen being a tad Gung Ho at times, some of the profiteering by the locals can tend to dampen the soul at times. But over all, Sturgis is a place to see and be seen. I probably won't return next year... but, I've said that before.

Teddy Bear

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