August 11, 2016 - Sturgis Buffalo Chip

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TONIGHT’S HEADLINER …
THURSDAY
AUG. 11, 2016
INSIDE
FIREARMS FRIDAY
Page 4
WIRED ON ART
Page 8
5 MINUTES:
JOHN SHOPE
Page 9
BIKERS FOR TRUMP
Page 11
30FREEDOM CELEBRATION
TH ANNUAL
Steadfast brotherhood, top-notch
music and poignant tributes
STURGIS WEATHER
Fri 8/12
Thurs 8/11
75/59
PM Thunderstorms
80/57
Partly Cloudy
Courtesy of weather.com
STURGIS BUFFALO CHIP’S
WOLFMAN JACK
STAGE
TONIGHT
10:30 PM
MIRANDA LAMBERT
8:30 PM
RATT
7 PM
STOLEN RHODES/
SGT ROCK
TOMORROW
10:30 PM
BUCKCHERRY
8:30 PM
POP EVIL
7 PM
SWEET CYANIDE
T
hings that look easy usually take a ton of
hard work. That could be said of the Buffalo Chip’s Freedom Celebration happening
today, Thursday, August 11. It’s a day set aside to
honor those who risked their lives to save ours, and
it’s organized by people who know how to take orders
and give them, so you’ll never glimpse the militarylike precision and careful planning behind the scenes.
What you will witness is a moving tribute that stirs
the patriotic soul.
The day begins with the third annual Freedom
Celebration Ride of Honor benefiting wounded
vets and their families. In fact, 100 percent of the
$75 rider donation goes to the Warrior Dog Foundation, Combat Wounded Coalition and America’s
Mighty Warriors.
The town of Spearfish rolls out the red carpet for
the Freedom Riders to gather. Then they make their
way to the Buffalo Chip CrossRoads for a private
reception that includes music by the South Dakota
Army National Guard Band, Sgt. Rock, a catered
meal, and camaraderie. The CrossRoads is adjacent to the Chip’s striking Field of Flags and new
Fallen Soldier Memorial with the American Veteran’s Traveling Tribute Wall as a backdrop, making
Continued on Page 2
SCHEDULE
RIDE SCHEDULE
9 AM
Spearfish Main Street:
Ride registration and gathering
11:30 AM
SD Army National Guard Band SGT
Rock
1:30 PM
Ride departs Spearfish Main Street for
the Buffalo Chip
2:45 PM
Ride participants gather at the Buffalo
Chip’s CrossRoads for a catered
reception and meet and greet.
AMPHITHEATER SCHEDULE
10 PM
Hanson Distinguished Service Awards,
Wolfman Jack Main Stage
10:30 PM
Concert performance by Miranda
Lambert, campground admission pass
required.
Million Mile Motorcycle Man, former Wisconsin State Senator and veteran’s advocate Dave Zien is a Sturgis
Rally stalwart.
STURGIS
PAGE 2
SHOWCASE STAGES
Thursday 8/11
BIKINI BEACH STAGE
11 AM ................................ Bikini Beach Party
1 PM ................................................. Karaoke
2 PM ...................... Beers And Burps Contest
2:30 PM .......................... Whip Cream Twister
3 PM .............................. Rope Swing Contest
3:30 PM ............................. Slip n’ Slide Relay
4 PM ........................... Frozen T-Shirt Contest
4:30 PM .......... Air Sex World Championships
5:30 PM ................ Homemade Bikini Contest
7 PM ...................................The Living Deads
Midnight ................................................. MMS
CROSSROADS EVENTS
7-11 AM .............................Sons Of Light Free
Pancake Breakfast
8 AM-8 PM .....................Ride-Thru Weddings
9 AM-1 PM ................ Miss Buffalo Chip Bikini
Bike Wash
9 AM-9 PM ............... Husker Helicopter Rides
10 AM-8 PM ...................... Trike Daddy Derby
10 AM...............Rat’s Hole Ride-In Bike Show
Black Hills Bagger Showdown
Noon ......................... Clint Ewing Stunt Show
12:30 PM ............................ Seattle Cossacks
2-6 PM ......... Sexy Dance Routine Bike Wash
4 PM ......................... Clint Ewing Stunt Show
4:30 PM .............................. Seattle Cossacks
6 PM ........Klocked: Women With Horsepower
Documentary Screening
CROSSROADS STAGE
Noon ...............................................The Mods
2 PM .......................................... Biker Games
2:30 PM ........................ Freedom Celebration
Ride Reception
5 PM ......Victory Owners Event With Brandon
Jones And The Thirsty Fish
HOYT AXTON STAGE
1:30 PM ..................................... Biker Games
4 PM ................................. The Big Dick Dash
5 PM ..................................Reformed Whores
5:30 PM ....................................Dueling Dicks
6:30 PM .......................Charlie Brechtel Band
Midnight ................. Midnight Endurance Ride
.....................................Charlie Brechtel Band
KINISON STAGE
4 PM .......................................... Captain Jack
5 PM ............................. Pickle Lickin’ Contest
6 PM ........................................ Colossal Boss
8 PM ................................... Buffalo Dreamers
8:05 PM ................................... Colossal Boss
9:55 PM .............................. Buffalo Dreamers
10 PM ................................... The Flaunt Girls
10:05 PM ................................. Colossal Boss
Midnight ................................ The Flaunt Girls
12:30 AM ........................BC And The Big Rig
ROADHOUSE STAGE
6:30 & 8 PM ........................... Brian Grilli With
Sturgis Rider Rhythm Rockers
Schedules are subject to change.
RIDER
DAILY
FREEDOM CELEBRATION
it the perfect setting.
The day continues inside the Chip’s amphitheater on the Wolfman Jack Stage with the pinnacle of the day’s activities, the Bob Hanson Distinguished Service Awards. If you’ve witnessed this in
the past you know it’s one of the most remarkable
yet humble examples of respect for our nation’s
military you’ll find anywhere. There, on the very
stage where the music industry’s top talents have
performed for decades, are individuals whose star
power outshines them all. On the night of the
Freedom Celebration, The Best Party Anywhere
becomes, at least for a short while, The Best Tribute Anywhere.
Celebration mode kicks in once again when
country music’s stellar upstart Miranda Lambert takes the stage, closing out a day like no
other. (Campground admission pass required
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
for concert.)
What’s next? You should get going and join the
third annual Freedom Celebration Ride. And as if
the experience of the ride isn’t worth every penny
on its own, Wrangler has stepped up to offer a
FREE pair of Wrangler Cool Vantage Jeans to every
person that registers for the ride, an awesome way
to support our military and those who honor them.
We’ll see you in Spearfish this morning.
Bob Hanson: A hero among heroes
I
n some cases “hero” seems too small a word.
This is one of them.
The Bob Hanson Distinguished Service
Awards honor those who have set themselves apart
through their fortitude, sacrifice and patriotism.
As double duty, they also act as a tribute to South
Dakota war veteran, rancher and craftsman Bob
Hanson, an exceptional man of courage and grace.
Since its inception in 2014, the Hanson awards
have become a permanent part of the annual Freedom Celebration.
Bob Hanson has been a horse trainer, a rancher,
a gunsmith, a deputy sheriff, a race jockey, a sharpshooter, and a boxer. And, yes, he served his country in the armed services in World War II and was
held as a prisoner of war by German forces for
more than four years.
Hanson is expected to attend the awards ceremony tonight, Thursday, August 11, wearing his
WWII Army Cavalry uniform — a uniform that
almost still fits, he says. Not bad for 95 years old.
Said Chip owner Rod Woodruff, “It’s cool to
have the chance to honor someone like Bob. He’s
the embodiment of resolute spirit and indomitable will.”
IT’S RAT’S HOLE DAY
T
oday is the day to ride or roll
that classy custom into the
Buffalo Chip CrossRoads.
Stretched and swanky or rebellious and
racy, there’s a class that fits. Because
it’s the Rat’s Hole Show, the one that
set the standard for motorcycle shows
decades ago. Whether you bring your
own rolling masterpiece or simply come
to examine the motorcycle marvels
entered, you won’t regret it. Gape, stare
and be amazed! Your flyin’ eyeballs will
never be the same!
STURGIS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
RIDER
All about the Chip landmarks
We got the skinny about
the Chip’s iconic landmarks
from the only one who knows
the scoop: Rod “Woody”
Woodruff. And starting with
Issue 1, as part of the Chip’s
35th anniversary celebration,
we’re telling you about one
in each edition of the Sturgis
Rider Daily.
SRD: Tell us about the Wolfman Jack Main Stage, where so many of the music
industry’s renowned and emerging talents perform.
RW: Wolfman Jack was here for two years, in
1990 and 1991. He was a great guy and a character like no other. The stage was built in 1999
and it seemed like the right thing to do to name
it after him.
What caused the Wolfman Jack Stage to be
built is the direct result of the 1998 rally. The
Chip featured Def Leppard and Lynyrd Skynyrd
that year. Skynyrd performed in a 40 mph wind
that forced them to brace themselves as they performed just to keep from getting blown off stage.
Still, Skynyrd’s manager said they loved working
with us, loved the Chipster audience of campers
and loved the place, but said if we ever wanted
them to come back we’d have to build a real stage.
I said we’d have one next year if they’d return to
perform again. He said they would if I would.
Done deal.
After the ’98 rally I started looking around to
learn what a “real stage” was. A friend got me the
blueprints of a stage in one of the largest and most
successful concert venues in the U.S. Using those
blueprints and strengthening the materials by
using heavy oil field pipe, and steel salvaged from
the Homestake Gold Mine and the 1903 Teddy
Roosevelt bridge, our master handyman Dave
Vice built the Wolfman Jack stage.
The most difficult part turned out to be pouring the 5” concrete deck, which was scheduled to
be done in June. It rained hard the first 23 days
of June but we tried to pour the concrete anyway.
One day we had eight cement trucks stuck in the
mud in the amphitheater! However, when Skynyrd showed up in 1999 the manager looked at
the stage and asked, ‘Why the overkill?’ I loved
that.
Have Your Say!
What do you love about spending the Sturgis Rally at the Buffalo Chip? Drop us a line to say.
Not the verbal type? Shoot us a picture and show us how much fun you’re having. We’ll get it.
Text: 828-205-8482 • Email: GetSocial@BuffaloChip.com
Letters to the Editor: marilyn@buffalochip.com
STURGIS
Co-Publishers
Sturgis Buffalo Chip
Rapid City Journal
RIDER
Editor
Marilyn Stemp
Printer
Rapid City Journal
Advertising Sales
Rapid City Journal
Paul Mitchell, Sturgis
Buffalo Chip
DAILY
Design & Prepress
Amy Runestad,
Rapid City Journal
Contributors
Aaron Packard, Jordan Axtman, Jessica Nelson, Brad Schneck, Kevin Karns, Nelson Horsley,
Madeline Campbell, Jeff Smith, Vincent Stemp, Jack McIntrye, Mary Panerio, Shandell Cutter,
Max O’Connell, Roady Loner. Other material contributed by staff of the Rapid City Journal.
Circulation
The Sturgis Rider® Daily is published eight consecutive days during the Sturgis Motorcycle 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
DAILY
PAGE 3
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STURGIS
RIDER
DAILY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
FIREARMS
FRIDAY
Sharpshooters, snipers & saving lives
R
The Chip’s photographers swarm the campground daily for the best shots — but you’re out there
taking them, too. So share! The best one we get each day will appear in the next issue of this paper.
So make it a good one and remember, it has to be printable — both in content and image quality.
Text to: 828-205-8482. Email: GetSocial@BuffaloChip.Com.
eal riders know that motorcycling is good
for the soul. There’s no match for the
unencumbered feeling of freedom you get
from being fully in the wind, with your troubles
fading fast in your bike’s mirrors.
Another thing riders know is freedom isn’t
free. Bikers have long been stalwart supporters of
military causes. That’s why the Veteran’s Charity
Ride (VCR) has caught America’s imagination.
The VCR takes wounded and amputee veterans on a week-long ride from L.A. to Sturgis
traveling America’s most beautiful roads, with
the help of Indian Motorcycle. The riders get to
know each other and help each other heal, veteran to veteran. They call it ‘motorcycle therapy:
changing lives, saving lives.’ Along the way they
stop in towns large and small to meet the grateful
people of our nation who want to celebrate these
brave men and women. Once in Sturgis, it’s a week of the real Sturgis
Experience. A new component of the VCR this
year is the First Annual Firearms Friday, sponsored
by Nordic Components. It happens at the Buffalo
Chip’s Shooting Complex on Friday, August 12,
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. With the help of Nordic’s
American-made firearms and equipment veterans
will compete with each other, special operations
snipers, plus local and regional sharpshooters.
So come out and watch the competition. The
Wild West has never seen professionals of this
caliber!
THE MEAL YOU DESERVE
Have you tried the Speakeasy?
I
f you haven’t yet tried the new Speakeasy in
the Buffalo Chip amphitheater, there’s still
time. It’s one of the best new features at the
Rally this year. In addition to premium wines
by the glass and top shelf cocktails, you’ll find a
menu of delectable dishes not available anywhere
else. There are cheese plates, appetizers, sandwiches, salads and the specialty of the house: a
never-frozen 12-ounce Dakota ribeye steak. Add
sweet potato waffle fries and a salad, and you’re
in hog heaven.
But more than great food and beverages, the
Speakeasy offers a respite from the ruckus. It’s cool
inside, there’s a swanky atmosphere, and you can
sit down to dine in relative peace and comfort.
Listen, you’ve been working hard all week
stuffing tons of fun into your Rally vacation, and
that’s as it should be. But it’s time to treat yourself to a hearty sit-down meal with the kinds of
gourmet touches you’ve earned.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
STURGIS
RIDER
EASYRIDERS SHOW
Ride in and win
T
he staff of America’s iconic biker magazine, Easyriders, certainly know how to
throw a bike show. That was evident yesterday at the Buffalo Chip CrossRoads where the
magazine held its ride-in custom event for the
Sturgis 76th.
It was a special occasion due to the Chip’s
35th anniversary and in consideration of the long
friendship between the two, Easyriders announced
they will focus their entire Sturgis coverage on the
Chip’s milestone celebration.
So you’ll want to grab that issue when it hits
newsstands to see if you or your bike made the cut.
Until then, scope out these images to see what an
Easyriders bike show winner looks like.
Proud to honor those who serve
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There’s been a military tribute at the Chip since 1987 so the stars this day are the men and women
of the United States Military, active and veteran. Pay your respects by joining the Freedom Ride in
Spearfish and the Chip’s Freedom Celebration on the main stage tonight, followed by country music
maven Miranda Lambert. God Bless America!
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STURGIS
DRAG RACE
I N V I TAT I O N A L
RIDER
DAILY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
MOTO
STAMPEDE
T
he sight of billowing smoke and vibrant-colored race machines. The
sound of tries grabbing pavement and engines straining under load.
The smell of burning rubber and nitrous. These are the addictions of
racing and they were ostentatiously on display in the Buffalo Chip amphitheater yesterday.
Both straight-line jockeys and dirt-racing hot shoes treated spectators to an
adrenaline-fueled gearhead fest. Brilliant machines and bold racers went toe
to toe for little more than bragging rights and flat-out fun on the inaugural
runnings on the Chip’s new drag strip and flat track TT course. And that was
plenty to fuel the competitive spirit.
Crazy John Markwald presided over the Buffalo Chip Street Drag Invitational with his band of merry mischief-makers. IV League Flattrack’s Brian Bell
designed the stellar dirt track, provided the race structure and swooshed the
checkered flag on the Super Hooligan races presented by Indian Motorcycles.
What a blast!
SUPER HOLLIGAN
F L AT T R A C K
STURGIS
RIDER
DAILY
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STURGIS
PAGE 8
RIDER
DAILY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
GETTING WIRED ON ART
A stunning patriotic tribute
I
f you’ve stayed at the Buffalo Chip before,
you’re familiar with the iconic Miss Chippie,
the distinctive white sculpture in the amphitheater that begs for interaction and photo opps.
You can’t miss her!
The man who designed and built Miss Chippie in 2004, stone mason Har-V Wallbanger of
Kooskia, Idaho, says she’s an homage to both
women and motorcycles — two of his favorite
things!
Miss Chippie is surrounded by a patio of stone
memorial tablets. Each one is a memory or tribute and they’re all hand-carved by Har-V. It’s a
way to leave your permanent mark at the Chip.
More recently the artist and proprietor of HarV’s Wild Notions has become stuck on barbed
wire and he’s really stoked about a new process
and a patriotic subject matter: the American flag.
Har-V explains: “I was asked to make a flag
for the Veteran’s Memorial at the Chip in barbed
wire and of course I said okay — without a clue
as to how I was going to do it. Everybody loved
the first one so I had to figure out how to make
it bright looking.
“I went to the powder coater and he said
multi-colors couldn’t be done. So I went home
and came up with a way to put on all three colors
and bake them at the same time.”
Har-V’s proprietary powdercoating process
makes for a brilliant finish. Each handcrafted flag
measures about 40 inches tall, although each one
is a unique work of art so they vary.
Find Har-V’s work on his Facebook page:
Har-v Wallbanger. And while you’re there, like
the Miss Chippie post for a chance to win
an original barbed wire mandala — by
Har-V, of course!
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STURGIS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
RIDER
DAILY
PAGE 9
john shope
JS: Yeah, the Gold Bike I built for my buddy
Norman and a Trike I just finished for him will be
on display at the Buffalo Chip Crossroads. They’re
both awesome machines and he really likes to have
them where people can see and appreciate them.
The Gold Bike took top honors in the 2015
Hot Bike Tour and the Trike just took second in
Arizona.
Owner of Dirty Bird Concepts in Phoenix,
Ariz., John Shope isn’t a follower, not by a long
shot. John goes where he wants to go and does
what he wants to do. We got in a quick visit.
SRD: So you decided to come to Sturgis!
JS: Yeah I really didn’t plan on it. I mean, they
wanted to put me into a space on Lazelle Street
that was bad so I just decided I wasn’t coming.
SRD: Why’d you change your mind?
JS: I just had too many things to do there. First
it was to be here with the kids from the Buffalo
Chip Challenge, then Kuryakyn wanted me to
come out, then Harley. And there was the Builder
Breakfast, too.
SRD: But no Dirty Bird booth display this year,
right?
JS: Right. I’ve had so much on my shoulders
this year, it’ll be good to not mess with all of that
this time. And I think I’m gonna have a lot more
fun. I’ll be riding around Sturgis on the new
Softail I built. Wait till people see this bike! I took
a brand new Softail and put an old style swingarm
on it, FL shocks with air ride, upswept fishtails
and nostalgic spoke wheels. It looks like an old FL
at first glance.
SRD: What? Not a bagger?
JS: Nope. People are gonna be really surprised
and they’re gonna love this bike. And it rides so
well, it takes bumps like a Dyna!
SRD: So will you be making parts for Softails
now?
JS: Yes, all kinds of things, a whole new parts
line. But the neck kit we developed is huge! See, if
you wanted to rake the neck on a Softail before, it
was a long, tedious process of cutting and welding.
Now we have a bolt on kit and it changes everything.
SRD: And you’re bringing some other bikes, too?
SRD: Did you say you built a trike?
JS: Look, all these guys have done trikes and I
wanted to build one in my life, just to shut everyone up. Remember Russ Mitchell’s trike? If I
hadn’t seen that trike I would never have thought
you could build a cool trike, but Russ’s inspired
this one. It’s a radical bagger trike with no fenders. It took a year to build — and I never want to
build another one.
Keep your eyes peeled for a stunning cream and
black Softail cruising around during the rally — it
might be John out enjoying himself. Stop by the
CrossRoads to see two top-notch Shope customs
— including what might very well be the only
Shope trike ever built!
SUMMER BBQ
Licensed To Grill
Summer BBQ is BACK
Start with a Sizzlin’ Cocktail:
Kentucky Apple Pie • Red Stag • Berry Cooler
1
Enjoy a Small Plate!
Film takes needed
to shoot the 65-foot
motorcycle jump in
The Great Escape
Steve McQueen got the credit but racer and Hollywood
stuntman Bud Ekins did the jump. Ekins is also considered the
father of motocross. His friendship with McQueen led to Ekins
playing McQueen’s stunt double more than once.
Pork Shoulder Tacos • Brisket Biscuits • Basket of Biscuits
Choose from our Savory Entrees:
St. Louis Ribs • Black Cherry BBQ Salmon • BBQ Mix
GrillSmoked Wagyu Meatloaf
Can’t Forget Dessert:
Bourbon Peach Cobbler
Welcome
Bikers!!
For a Limited Time Only!
2111 N LaCrosse St. • Rapid City, SD • 605.394.9505 • minervas.net
STURGIS
PAGE 10
RIDER
DAILY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
SUPPORT AMERICA’S MIGHTY WARRIORS
It’s our bounden duty
A
s the founder of America’s Mighty Warriors,
Debbie Lee has lived an especially impassioned life since her son Marc became the
first Navy SEAL to be killed in Iraq on August
2, 2006. In Marc’s last letter home, he asked for
friends and family to “pass on the love and kindness
and precious gift of human life.” His mother has
spent the last 10 years doing just that in tribute to
her son, America’s fallen soldiers and their families.
America’s Mighty Warriors works to educate the
public to value the sacrifices our soldiers make to
preserve our freedoms by giving voice to the struggles they’ve faced and by supporting their families. Through Random Acts of Kindness, Helping
Heroes Heal, and Gold Star Resiliency & Respite,
Debbie strives to make sure no military veteran is
forgotten or left unaided.
Debbie is a past recipient of a Bob Hanson
Distinguished Service Award and she speaks passionately about the honor due military personnel.
Robin Andersen, the organization’s director for the
Helping Heroes Heal Program, is being honored
with a Hanson Award this year. Robin speaks about
the signs and symptoms of PTS and TBI, and their
effect on the warrior and the family.
Speak with Debbie and learn more about the
efforts and success stories of America’s Mighty Warriors at the Buffalo Chip CrossRoads and www.
americasmightywarriors.org.
WILD THINGS!
Baby animals and Nature Girls at the CrossRoads
T
iger training conservationist and exotic animal
expert Dan Stockdale is on a mission to educate people about the plight of endangered species — and never has education been more fun! Because
Stockdale is bringing his World Nature Coalition road
show to the Buffalo Chip CrossRoads, complete with
live baby animals and equally live painted Nature Girls.
“Most people have no idea about how precarious
things are for some animals around the globe,” said
Stockdale. “One hundred years ago there were 100,000
tigers in the wild, now there are only 3,000.”
Stockdale has developed a novel way of reaching out
to create awareness of the situation. He travels with an
artist who paints the Nature Girls each day to match the
animals they’re handling. Visitors are encouraged to step
in for a picture and make a donation to the WNC. Animals on hand include a python, squirrel monkey, baby
alligator, kangaroo and tiger cub. (The tiger cub will be
shown on a limited basis.)
The Nature Girls will be painted in different animal
designs each day so you’ll want to stop in at the WNC
booth more than once. Think of the World Nature
Coalition as a United Way for Mother Nature – with a
Las Vegas flair for the dramatic!
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
STURGIS
RIDER
DAILY
PAGE 11
CHRIS COX: BIKERS FOR TRUMP
Political activist rallies at The Buffalo Chip
Chris Cox, founder of Bikers For Trump, figured the next big biker event was Sturgis, so he
headed west after the Cleveland convention. We
sat down with him for a few minutes.
SRD: FOX and CNN interviewed you during the
convention in Cleveland. How’d this movement get
started?
CC: I started last August taking the political
temperature. People were telling me I was crazy,
that bikers don’t vote. I knew that bikers were
very well organized locally, but nationally they
struggled.
I threw my first rally in Virginia Beach and
a couple hundred people showed up — and it’s
grown from there. I write a decent press release
and when I get the media to turn out I can turn
chicken crap into chicken salad.
SRD: How do you explain Bikers For Trump?
CC: Bikers are citizen crusaders from all walks
of life. If they’re not raising money to put a roof
on the house of a veteran, then they’re raising
awareness of important causes. There’s a biker
organization for about every good cause under
the sun. So what better cause is there than to get
our country back on track?
SRD: And you’re also reaching out to military veterans?
CC: The veteran is the backbone of the motorcycle community and has been since World War
II. That’s why they’re so patriotic. I can’t find
any other demographic for Trump that can pull
together a big rally when Trump isn’t even in the
state! That’s our hallmark; we can go into an area
and in a short time get 250 to 1,000 bikers to
come out.
SRD: Were you at Rolling Thunder this year when
Mark, a longtime camper from Ohio, got this tattoo at Jazzy Jeff’s the day after he met Chris Cox at the
CrossRoads Big Engine Bar.
Trump spoke?
CC: Yes. That was a big springboard for us. Ted
Spock from Rolling Thunder reached out to me
last May.
SRD: Are bikers as a rule politically active?
CC: That’s what we’re hoping for with Bikers
For Trump, that we’ll have a lobbying presence.
We are going to have a direct friendship with
the White House in the event that Trump wins.
Our whole premise is: We don’t care who gets the
credit as long as the job gets done.
tive around. That’s why I like to work with guys
who have a really strong reputation and foundation such as the Patriot Guard guys.
SRD: What do you think about protestors and the
negative actions in some places?
CC: The last thing I want is for any negativity.
Our code of conduct on our website says we don’t
condone violence. We’ve been asked to show up
to incite trouble, but we won’t do that. The biker
is not a protestor, he’s a patriot. It’s not the image
we want.
SRD: Is this your first time at the Chip?
CC: Yes, and it’s been enchanting! I’ve met a lot
of really nice people. One of them is Mark who’s
been coming here for years. He got a Bikers for
Trump tattoo on his arm yesterday!
SRD: And after Sturgis?
CC: I’m putting together four or five rallies
now for Florida, then in September I’ll be in
North Carolina and Pennsylvania. I watch for
anything the press might use to turn the narra-
SRD: What do you ride?
CC: I don’t have a bike right now. I’ve been living like a nomad since I started Bikers For Trump.
Between rallies I stop and do some of my chainsaw art, then sell enough to keep on going.
When I got to the Chip, Woody loaned me his
Fat Boy. The way I look at it, I’m on the sled of
a legend!
WHERE’S WOODY?
CUSTOM PAINT & BUILD • SERVICE
1567 SULLIVAN CT, RIVER FALLS, WI 54022
715-425-9322 • GILBYSSTREETDEPT.COM
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SHIPPING AVAILABLE FOR CUSTOM PAINT ITEMS
Gilby’s Street Dept.
was honored to be
asked to paint the
Sturgis Buffalo Chip
bike commemorating
the iconic venue’s
35th anniversary.
The Buffalo Chip’s ubiquitous Rod “Woody” Woodruff loves to
meet campers. He roams far and wide at the Chip, so keep your
eyes peeled for his smiling face and say hello. And if you want to
win classic Chip merch, also look for Woody in the pages of the
Sturgis Rider Daily. Each day there’s a different Woody caricature
hidden in a photo of an event or location he especially recommends. The first three campers or visitors who report their find to
the Chamber of Commerce/Rally Info Center at the Chip Crossroads win a prize. And don’t forget to take note of where Woody is
hiding out, because that’s definitely the place to be.
RIDER
Sparks ignited flame when Reverend Horton Heat took the
Wolfman Jack stage last night. These guys look like they’re
having so much fun it’s contagious. Their singular sound with its
rockabilly sensibility resonates with fans of blues, country, rock
and apparently all of those genres as mixed by the Rev.
DAILY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
There’s no denying the fierce lyrics and honest message that Five Finger Death Punch
hammers home. Last night’s show was an uppercut straight to the soul and fans
responded in kind as authentic groove hit solid ground.
STURGIS
PAGE 12
AT THE READY FOR ANY MISHAP
Chip’s emergency services are here for you
P
eople don’t think much about first responders and emergency services — until we need
them. That’s why having plans in place to
deal with the unexpected is so important.
As the Buffalo Chip grew into a venue that
drew thousands of reveling riders, concern for the
safety of visitors also grew. Today the Chip has
top-notch accident preparedness plans in place.
There’s a full complement of professional emergency services on site, including emergency medical technicians and security, who work in tandem
with Sturgis city and Meade County officials.
Jerry Davidson has been running the Chip’s
emergency services department for 30 years.
“We started with a tent. Ed and I ran the gates,
the medical, the security and ID check,” said
Davidson. “Now there are separate department
heads in all those areas.”
Davidson focuses on medical care, and he’s the
law enforcement liaison for the Buffalo Chip. He
says his goal is to build and maintain good relationships with law enforcement. “We don’t see
law enforcement here much because we don’t have
much trouble. They concentrate their forces other
places where they’re needed more.”
The Chip’s Fire and EMS station houses a small
emergency room, maintains a team of 14 and has
site-wide dispatch service that can bring help in
minutes, if not seconds. They’ve treated trauma,
dehydration, diabetic seizures, cuts, sprains and
more. There’s even been a baby delivered at the
Buffalo Chip! Between August 5 and 10 they’ve
treated more than 42 campers needing medical
attention, from mundane to major.
The department’s paramedic technicians have
training at all levels, from basic to advanced, and
help is available 24/7. That’s a good thing if trouble happens. When a motorcycle was accidentally ridden off the Wolfman Jack stage earlier this
week, the Chip’s EMS and security teams brought
their training to the fore.
Hank Rotten, the voice of the Chip, was on
stage at the time and called for help immediately.
“My hat is off to our staff,” he said. “They did a
wonderful job. They were there quickly and everyone cooperated well.”
Camper Paul Graf, a retired captain with the
Calgary [Alberta, Canada] Fire Department, was
at the edge of the stage, just inches from where the
bike rolled off. “Of course, seconds seem like minutes in an emergency, but it was a good response, it
was a fast response, it was a professional response,”
he said. “Security cleared the area so there were
no impediments, and they did everything right.”
And, he added, Chip announcer Hank Rotten
kept things calm. “He’s like Foghorn Leghorn! He’s
the best ‘dispatch’ system out there!” said Graf.
Campers Kat and Chuck Lewis were in the pit,
too. As first-time Chipsters and fans of Kid Rock
they’d booked VIP for the week. “It was chaotic,”
said Kat who was knocked to the ground and
experienced a leg injury. “Initially we thought it
was part of a stunt, part of an act!”
Chuck, who’d instinctively pushed Kat to the
side, said, “It was an accident and it happened,
and the response from the Chip and the paramedics was good. They were right there, and Woody
was, too. I don’t have any complaints about that
at all.”
“Here’s my thing,” added Kat. “Now that
I’m swollen I can’t wear my really cute outfit for
Miranda! I was gonna look hot!” to which Chuck
responded, “You already are!”
Bottom line: nobody wants to be involved in
an accident — but they happen anyway. Fortunately, for those unwittingly sidelined by mishaps,
the Chip has well-trained, caring people standing
at the ready 24/7 to help. If you need them all you
have to do is call: 605-720-8857.