Number VI was held in New Orleans, Lousiana: Oct 23, 24, 25 and 26, 2003.The rally took place at the University New Orleans (UNO) Field on the Lake Ponchatrain lakefront. There was an abundance of Bike Builders, Cajun food, music and attractions for bikers and wannabes of all ages to enjoy. The atmosphere was laid back and there was plenty of room to park, kick back and enjoy the festivities.Attractions included the Jack Daniel's traveling distillery display, Rhett Rotten's Wall of Death and the Purrfest Angel's Dance troupe. A large stage was set up for the music acts which included the Zydeco Twisters, Styxx and Creedance Clearwater Revisited. The New Orleans food court featured Louisiana dishes such as alligator sauce picante, BBQ, red beans and rice, and fried onion mums to satisfy the appetites of the crowd.
Of course the main attractions of the show were the bike builders and displays! These displays included: Arlen Ness, Covington Cycles, Dave Perowitz, Kendall Johnson, Jim Nasi, Desperado Motorcycles, American Ironhorse, Victory Motorcycles, Milwaukee Iron, Redneck Engineering, Custom Chrome Inc., Fog Hollow. There were also the crowd and TV favorites: Indian Larry, Billy Lane, West Coast Choppers and Orange County Choppers in attendance. The builders were accessible and willing to discuss aspects of their work as well as pose for the camera shots. Autographs were in high demand by the crowd and the builders took it in stride and were as obliging as humanly possible given the large demand.
The event had outgrown it's previous venue and the space provided by the UNO Lakefront grounds allowed for inside event parking of motorcycles and an uncrowded atmosphere. Security was present but not intrusive and the bikers were allowed to enjoy the show without hassle. Families were encouraged with discount pricing for kids. One day and multi-day pricing were available for adults.
The event was endorsed by the local community including the New Orleans Mayorís office. It continues to grow and offer a high quality event to local riders. Local area food and drinking establishments offered weekend specials for riders. Local area hotels offered a discount rate for rally attendees. The lake front grounds are minutes from the French Quarter which rocked each night with the biker crowd.
For future event information:http://www.steelponyexpress.com
We had a ball! My daughter, Lexi, melted the hearts of many a vendor already hardened by the demands of the large crowd. Eric, my son, made his photo debut with the likes of Randy Simpson, Indian Larry, Billy Lane and OCC. I have to say the builders were in rare form. All were outgoing and crowd pleasing. Billy Lane was as easy-going and down to earth as he is often depicted. When he signs an autograph, you get an autograph and not a scribble. When he talks to you, he talks to you and not the crowd.
Randy Simpson, who I had met before, was obliging in his laid-back Southern style. He took the time to allow Eric to sit on his display bikes, explain his upcoming Discovery TV chopper to us and talk about his business direction. He seemed pleased that I knew of his bike building past and the actual bikes he has built. When I pointed out that his Discovery bike was built along the same lines as the knuckle he built years ago, he got out a Milwaukee Iron catalog. He paged through and pointed to the knuckle with a gleam in his eye which suggested he truly enjoyed knowing that some of us have an appreciation built on the past and not just today's Discovery channel.
My daughters favorite the Wall of Death! We squeezed in behind Indian Larry and Billy Lane and she was in awe of the rider who rode the wall. Then she noticed the $50 and $100 dollar bills some high-rollers were holding out and she was really in awe! As we had ascended the steps to the Wall the rider was already riding, Lexi pointed to the wall boards as they flexed and bent due to the bike riding over them. All the times I have seen that show and I never noticed.
As for the bikes, I have to admit, I see a need for a new building direction. How about some fat bobs and a bike under 12 ft long? Sure the choppers are cool but how many wide tired kit bikes can you look at? Even so the displays were entertaining. The Choppers Inc. and Gasoline Alley bikes were real with the burnt pipes, wore tires and blued chains. You know those bikes are ridden! I liked that West Coast Choppers bikes seemed cruder than I would have thought and their pick-up trucks rule. Milwaukee Iron showed style with its JD-model rides.
Redneck Engineering had some great bikes on display. Their Buell based kit had me wishing I hadn't sold the M2. Dave Perowitz's Discovery bike was parked in the dusty field and it took on a totally different form from its TV appearance. It is really an understated ride that can be better appreciated in person. The mechanical aspects of the bike are as flawless as the paint.
The show had the usual Cajun-flavored food which we are all so spoiled on around here. I thought of Bandit when I walked through the Jack Daniel's traveling expo. Beer was high-priced at $4 plus, but that didn't seem to slow down the crowd. Somehow I got the kids to hang through another 60's rock and roll show – Creedance Clearwater Revisited. Who would have thought that Elliot Easton of the Cars would take over the lead guitar duties of John Fogerty in the year 2003? Hard to believe the two remaining members of the original CCR have been playing music together since 7th grade? The band was actually quite good and played the hits and tunes of CCR like a flashback coming on strong!
All in all a great day spent with the kids indulging in Dad's old no-count lifestyle as their mom is prone to say. Personally I wouldn't change a thing. I have met too many good people, seen to many sights and learned much about myself in the past 35 years of riding. If I can but pass a hint of this on to my kids in good form, I will have considered my time as a father well spent.
