Editor's note: Hollister 2008 was reported by Down Under Bikernet correspondent Doc Robinson who travelled half way around the world to attend the 61st Anniversary of the infamous first Hollister weekend. His features are also due to be published in Heavy Duty magazine, the largest H-D mag in Australia.
“What are you rebelling against, Johnny?”
“What have you got?”
Two immortal lines from the movie that started it all, The Wild One, filmed in Hollister, California in 1954 and loosely – very loosely – based on an “invasion of cyclists” who were in town for the local motorcycle races in 1947. Well, in typical mainstream media style the event became distorted and exaggerated beyond belief with the faked photo of a drunken “biker” on his Harley being printed in newspapers and magazines all over the country.Now, truth is often stranger than fiction and out of that weekend, not only a movie, but a culture was spawned – the American Biker culture, which has become a world-wide common culture in countries as diverse as Japan, Australia, most European nation states and even the former Soviet Union.
The voice over at the start of the movie intones in dramatic fashion: “This is a story of shocking violence. It couldn't have happened in most American towns, but the fact that it happened in this one – in this way – is a stern warning that it must not happen again.”
Well here we are, back in Hollister, where tens of thousands of bikers have once again “invaded” the town, but this time as in previous years of the Rally, in a mellow mood and ready to spend money and have a somewhat “mild” rather than a “wild” time, not that there is much choice as, in contrast to the sole town cop in the movie, the police presence during the rally was as usual, way, way over the top given the profile of the typical “biker” these days who, rather than being a bad ass blue collar Joe looking to blow off steam with some wild behaviour is more likely to be an accountant, a dentist or librarian for whom a double-double decaf coffee is likely to be their biggest hit for the weekend.
In fact, if recent Hollister Rallies had spawned a movie it would probably be titled, “The Mild One” and star William H Macy who lamely played the mild mannered computer nerd Dudley in that latest “biker” exploitation flick Wild Hogs. Funnily enough Wild Hogs, as corny as it is, and it surely is, does demonstrate the transition that has taken place whereby the boisterous biker of old, ready to booze and fight at the drop of a hat has become so much more civilised as have today’s production motorcycles, for the most part anyway.
But nevertheless, despite the sea change in today’s biker profile, motorcycles are still the last vestige of freedom and devil may care living. The look in the eyes of cage drivers or passengers as you blast past them, or the envious looks that guys and gals at gas stations throw your way as you dismount to fill up, bedroll strapped to the sissy bar says it all.
Envy, admiration, jealousy – all these emotions and more are stirred in the hearts of non-bikers when they see freedom on two wheels blast past them. What Jerusalem is to Christians, and Mecca is to Muslims, Hollister is to bikers, and almost sacred place if we can use that word in a non-religious sense but in the sense that it stirs deep feelings for anyone with more than a few drops Harley-Davidson oil running in their veins.
Hollister has also been the home town of Mike Corbin since 1977, and the site for the factory which produce the world famous motorcycle seats and much, much more. During the rally there is open house at the impressive Corbin factory down on Technology Parkway, a short couple of miles from downtown.
Both the factory and the Wizard’s Café were extremely well patronised during the rally, with many bikers having seats made to their individual ergonomic needs, tall, short, thin or fat, the Corbin craftsmen can tailor a seat to fit just perfectly.
Corbin, a major sponsor of the rally, also conducted Open Road Motorcycle Tours for those wanting to ride and there and there Many major vendors were displaying their wares with the ATI ProCharger guys drawing a regular crowd to their display of supercharged bikes and staffer, and motorcycle racer Walt Sipp, showing potential customers the cut away models that demonstrate the class engineering of these fine performance products.
A crowd favorite was the Leroy-Thompson ProCharger equipped bike and each time Scott started it up for the people, it drew wild applause.
Overall, there were close to 100 vendors displaying their wares including, just to name a few, Dakota Digital, Ride Wright Wheels, Scott Long’s Central Coast Cycles, Midwest Motorcycle Supply, Custom Chrome, Dragonfly Cycle Concepts, Turtle Wax, Sick Pig, Panoptx and House of Thunder Harley-Davison.
Johnny’s Bar & Grill, the very same bar that Marlon Brando and his compatriots from the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club strutted through in the movie is still there, still open and probably the most patronized joint in the entire town during the rally with guys and gals from many countries of the world taking in the atmosphere and no doubt wondering what those days really were like.
And if you cared enough about the old days, you could get stories first hand from guys that had been there, like the members of the Top Hatters MC, one of the first “Outlaw” clubs to form in post-WWII America. I met Jess Bravo, one of the Top Hatters and was treated to some tales from back in the day which was quite a treat. Another of the original 1% clubs, the Boozefighters had a presence as usual and added to the rich historic feel of the event.
The 2008 Hollister Rally had a bit of everything the modern biker could wish for with a slew of popular bands playing a range of music, a Custom Bike Show, Biker Breakfasts, a Poker Walk (??), Stunt Teams, a Bike Blessing, Boxing, a Fashion Show, Bike Games and more. But unlike the bigger rallies, getting around wasn’t too difficult although finding a motorcycle park could take a few laps of the block.
Without sponsors, the rally could not happen and we bikers would not have a great weekend event to attend in historic Hollister so thanks must go to them for getting behind it.
Sponsors included Bikernet.com of course, Corbin, BMC Chopper, Avon Tyres, Budweiser, Jack Daniels, Geico Motorcycle and Meguiar’s to name just a few. Thanks also must go to Mike Corbin for his sterling efforts in resurrecting the rally which, Mike is quick to point out, began with a vision by the legendary Sonny Barger of the HAMC, who Mike described as, “The original luminary with a vision to see the Hollister Rally reborn”.
Thanks also to the Mayor of Hollister, Doug Emerson and the City of Hollister itself for their core role in hosting such a great event, Jessica French CEO of the San Benito Chamber of Commerce and in particular, Seth Doulton who puts the rally together. Bikernet.com head honcho Bandit described the Hollister Rally as “the Most Historic Motorcycle Event on the Planet”, and it’s hard to argue with that. In his forward to the rally Event Guide Bandit wished bikers to, “Have a helluva good time!”
Well, the weather was kind, the beer was icy cold and despite naysayers predicting a slump in attendance a crowd estimated at well over 100,000 motorcycle enthusiasts made it to this sleepy little California town for the 61st Anniversary. If every one of them didn’t have a helluva good time it was their own damn fault. And there was no lack of pretty girls either. . .
Note from Reader:Reading your article on Hollister 2008, there's a part about the Top Hatters MC and then you refer to the Booze fighters:
“Another of the original 1% clubs, the Booze fighters had a presence as usual and added to the rich historic feel of the event.”
On all their club sites they claim they have never been, nor will they ever be a 1% organization. So who's right here?
You're right and Doc missed the mark.–Bandit
