W
ell, Sturgis has come and gone, and what did we learn from it this year? I, for one, would have to say that the main lesson is the same that has drawn us to the Black Hills, year after year, “Live Your Life.” Yes, some people caught Covid. Some others did not. Some people died in motorcycle accidents, some people got married, some got divorced, some babies were made, some police records were earned. In short, it was the same as it has ever been. Life goes on. Now, in terms of the number of people in town, it was monumental. The last report we heard from city officials was that the number was around 800k. Of course, there is speculation about that number, but I would surely agree that it was a record crowd. As Kid Rock took the stage, the headcount was around 110 thousand or more crammed into the Buffalo Chip Amphitheater, a number I’m not sure anyone expected. What these record crowds meant to average rally-goers is that there were more concerts, bike shows, activations, more of everything.
10 October - November ‘21 - Cycle SOURCE MAGAZINE
For us, the week started off in a way that I was proud to be a part of. In honor of losing a
good friend, we took a memorial ride for Brett Hatt. It wasn’t an advertised event. There were no sponsors or prizes. A bunch of
us just got together and took some time to remember a friend. As it turned out, this was our only quiet time of reflection for the next two weeks. With a brand new magazine, double the events, and working full time on two properties, this would be nuts. Saturday saw the Schools Out Chopper Show put on by Mondo at the Buffalo Chip. It also marked Dave Nichols retaking the helm for Easyriders Magazine, coming back to newsstands near you this winter. There were so many great bikes there, but Gerald Casey’s Denver’s throwback took top honors, and with good reason, it was a perfect example of the bikes that built an era. At the same time, Warren Lane held his True Grit gathering at the Iron Horse. With the success he has built up doing these shows in Daytona, there was a solid crowd of antique bikes and old choppers. Sunday was the 15th Annual Cycle Source Custom Bike Show in Sturgis. The temps were well over 100, and the crowd was insane again. Paughco
