Once again I was sent on a mission by Bandit. Ride to Scottsdale Arizona, spend a day at Myron Larrabee's Billet Bar and photograph the finest women I can find for “The Girls of the Billet Bar” article.
Let's review. Ride in Arizona, 85 degrees in April, go to a bar for a whole day (at Bandit’s expense), and photograph the finest looking female specimens I can find. I queried Bandit. At what point in our professional relationship do I get the really good gigs? Like hanging around a sweltering shop all day photographing some fat tattooed guy with a grinder trying to make the perfect fender strut for his old school project?
Bandit suggested that he could correct this horrible injustice, but being the kind of guy that I am and not wanting to make waves I bowed my head and headed off to do the masters bidding. I am very compliant that way.
I combined this trip with another assignment. I shot the Jail Break II, and old school chopper, for the The Horse Back Street Choppers with a stunning little lovely, Cindy. We finished that part of the day around 11am. I then moved into the Billet to do the extensive preparation required for my next assignment. i.e. … find an empty bar stool, park my ass down, order a beer and wait for the babes.
It was Bike Week in Arizona and Myron had let me know that the place had been jammed on a nightly basis and that I could stay very busy. With that in mind I decided to move about a little. You see some of the best looking women in the valley WORK at the billet. I set out on the arduous task of photographing each and every bartender and waitress in the place and I would not rest until that task was accomplished.
Not as easy as it sounds. Some staff members wanted their pictures taken over and over again, but there is always that one that hates to have her picture taken … and her name was Joy. Joy has been at the Billet for years but photos of her are as illusive and photos of the South American Slipper Lobster. I broke out my best telephoto lens so she couldn't see me coming, plus I look really cool carrying it around. My efforts paid off handsomely.
The added bonus of the day was the fact that from 4p.m. till 6p.m., Paul Yaffe, Jim Nasi and Roger Bourget were due for a little happy hour before they rode out to Arizona Bike Week headquarters to receive lifetime achievement awards … or something like that. I got to visit for awhile with Paul and his lady friend, Susan, for awhile while everyone waited for Nasi and Roger.
Also in attendance were Jay Allen of the world famous Broken Spoke Saloon and Mark from the also world famous Hideaway Bar in Cave Creek. Jay was in town to participate in the AHDRA races that weekend. I wanted to ride out with the couple hundred bikes that eventually left behind Paul and Myron, but alas, I had to be true to my original mission. Take pictures of the “Girls of the Billet Bar”.
I truly hope that all of you surfing through Bikernet.com realize what kinds of sacrifices are made by a few of us to bring you the best of what the biker community has to offer. I will keep taking these shit assignments to keep you informed.
–Scooter the Mutt
