After riding a motorcycle 20 some years, I can honestly say I still LOVE to ride. I love to ride, I love to love, and I love to live. Love Ride 28 took place this past month, and I think I have only missed the event a couple of years. After this year’s event, I have such sad mixed feelings.
After riding nearly every road west of the Mississippi, I still wave to every single biker I pass, when I am traveling. I believe we all share a very basic love of experiencing the great outdoors and the freedom doing it on a bike gives you. This year I was directly behind one of the riders, who went down on our ride from Glendale Harley to Castaic Lake. I could see slowing traffic ahead had come to a stand still, so I was already slowing when bikes started locking up all around us. Smoke started rising, and I heard crashing noises. I saw parts flying, and then bikes colliding and sliding and bodies were rolling……… I remember thinking that the man I could see rolling in front of me was tucked very tightly, which almost looked like a stunt man he rolled so well.
There wasn’t a moment where I wondered whether I should pull over or not. Your brothers and sisters are lying on the road, pull over! I was running back to the scene and could see that amazingly in all of these sliding bikes, only two went down. There could have been so many more. Both bikes had couples on them, and the women were up and standing.
One of the guys on the ground sat up and said, “Hey I know you!”
“That’s a good thing,” I replied, do you know your own name?
“Yes, yes I’m fine,” he said, and he got up despite his arm full of road rash, and went limping off. He seemed more worried about his friend than himself! The other man was still on the ground, and several of us had gathered around him to try and help. We were near the very front of the parade of bikes, so Jay Leno and Oliver Shokouh – Love Ride founder and owner of Glendale Harley, were also on the scene. The man was conscious, and able to speak to the paramedics as they took control of the situation. Paramedics told all of us who had stopped to get back on our bikes, as the 5 fwy was now backed up for miles.
We would not learn until after the event that farther behind us, other riders were in trouble. When a big rig truck slowed and swerved, his back end ran over and killed two fellow riders. They were both pronounced dead at the scene. Oliver Shokouh has issued this statement on behalf of Glendale Harley & the Love Ride Foundation:
“We, along with our family of riders, mourn the loss of our friends, Romarino Zeri and his passenger Julie Cameron. Our heartfelt condolences and sympathies go out to their families and friends. We will keep you posted as we learn more information. Together we will honor our fallen.”
After the accident, we returned to our bikes. My friend Reg said, “That’s it, I’m done, I’m going home to spend the day with my son.” He did just that. Standing on the side of the 5 fwy my friends and I just looked at one another in sadness.
I rode in from western Colorado for the event. My friends Masyn Moyer & Duane drove from Boulder, Colorado. Bean’re rode in from Louisiana! And Sasha Mullins flew in from Nashville. She even wrote a “Love Ride” song, and was hoping to take the stage to talk about it.
But this Love Ride didn’t turn out the way it should have, and I can’t imagine telling the story any other way. Jay Leno didn’t even make it out to the lake to take the stage, as host of the event, he was Grand Marshall. He stayed by the side of the injured man in the ambulance and at the hospital. I can’t think of anybody I would rather have next to me on my worst day. In a hospital room, when you could REALLY use a laugh, Jay Leno would be my choice.
The Love Ride is America’s longest running charity motorcycle event. In years past there have been as many as 20,000 riders in attendance. This year 3,000 riders made the journey. Over the years Love Ride has raised over 13 million dollars for its many charities, mostly benefiting children’s causes. This year the event raised $375,000 in pre-expense revenue. The majority of the proceeds will go to “Autism Speaks.” Autism is a challenging neurological disorder affecting one in 70 boys! One in 110 children, which are considerably high numbers. If you would like to learn more about Autism, go to: www.AutismSpeaks.org.
My friends and I started out our day with Qian’s bike having a dead battery after riding in the Malibu Hills the day before, so I had to bid adu to my buddy in the driveway in her bathrobe and sad helmet! The ride was held in October this year and offered a warm Indian summer day, and it started off picture perfect. By the time we rolled into Glendale the place was buzzing. Seeing old friends is always the main highlight for me, but meeting new friends at the Love Ride is always an added bonus! The first guy that walked over to us as we rode in was Danny Trejo of “Sons of Anarchy”, who I have long admired for his bad boy skills in knife throwing, and weaponry in movies like “Desperado” and “Machete.”
Emilio Rivera from “Sons of Anarchy and his beautiful wife were there again graciously taking pictures with everyone, and country stars Montgomery Gentry were on hand to perform later in the day. Jay Leno and Oliver took turns introducing the celebrities as they came onto the stage to say hello to the crowd. But both the crowd and celebrities went silent when an 11-year-old boy with Autism named Hunter Brown took the stage to perform an amazing song, “Everybody wants to be heard.” It was all about being heard.
Out at Castaic, Hunter was supposed to sing the National Anthem, but because of traffic, he did not make it in time. So, in his place, another Autistic boy named Andrew Hain stepped in and did the honors. He brought the crowd to their feet and we all joined in as he sang it perfectly.
How many of us would be brave enough to take the stage at a last minutes notice and sing that song without missing a beat? Andrews father is the western regional director for Autism Speaks, and proudly watched his son from the side of the stage. Sadly, it was plain to see that the sea of bikes and people that once filled this meadow was reduced to a fraction of what it used to be, but it made those of us, who were there more connected. Ticket prices went down from $100 last year, to $65 this year in hopes of drawing people to come back out to the event, despite the weak economy. The lower price did not include the usual BBQ meal. Instead you could purchase tickets that were good for a variety of different vendors. Most people figured out what they wanted quickly, grabbed a cool drink and searched out the shade of a big tree to escape the unusually hot sun.
One of the LR highlights has always been watching the Victor McLaglen drill team do their incredible stunts. This year I was able to get darn close for terrific pictures, and talk to the riders when they were finished, some of whom are in their 70s! The stunts they have perfected and are able to perform on uneven grass in a small, closed in area, amazed us all. And the music of Montgomery Gentry provided a relaxing country environment the whole crowd seemed to enjoy.
All in all, it had the makings for a beautiful day. Unfortunately, all of the good is shadowed by the tragedy of the loss of two fellow riders who simply set off to enjoy the day. But to lose the Love Ride, which has done so much for so many, would also be a tragedy. This event has suffered greatly in numbers, with our failing economy, and with the added burden of this tragedy, is in trouble.
After the event, I just sat still with my thoughts for weeks before writing. I have read many other articles and blogs concerning the accidents and the event. So IS the Love Ride unsafe? That seems to be the question. And “Of course it is.” Riding a motorcycle on the freeways in LA is dangerous any day of the week. Riding in large crowds is dangerous anywhere you go. Riding a motocycle at all must be dangerous, if they can take away our freedom of choice and make us wear a helmet to protect us from ourselves! Is there a way to have huge numbers of motorcycles on the road at the same time and never have an accident?
At the end of the day on my way out of the park, I stopped to say hello to Frankie who was sitting in a golf cart in the cool shade. Frankie has Down’s Syndrome, and was holding a Three Stooges tape. I asked him which Stooge was his favorite, and he told me not Mo….not Curly……..so Larry was his favorite. And then we talked for quite awhile about why. And as I was walking away, it seemed clear to me, that this event was created as a means of giving back. A way for bikers with Big Hearts, which we all have, to do something for those who are less fortunate. We GET to decide what is safe or unsafe for ourselves. We GET to ride our motorcycles whether they are safe or unsafe. We GET to make all of our own choices, and not all children get to grow old doing just that. Showing up to support them and their causes can only be a good thing, and I can only hope the Love Ride can find a way to continue safely into the years and continue to help so many.
We jammed over to the Sagebrush Cantina to have dinner with more friends before our weekend was complete. Our photographer friend Bart Mitchell came along who had snapped some awesome shots of us riding. I definitely packed as much riding, fresh air, and good friends as one can fit into 48 little hours!
My beautiful riding friend Dani Kelly hiked her equally beautiful mother to meet us for dinner! Guess which one is which? Dani is on the left. My friends have mom’s younger than me! Ugg!
The day before Love Ride a group of us friends did a beach and mountain ride that reminded me why so many people move to California! It is one beautiful state! We started off in Venice Beach, at the Venice Vintage Motorcycle show. Great old cars, and bikes, and my friends Kiwi and Carolyn from Kiwi Indian were there with their newest bike, which won first place for their category, as always!
From there we headed on up the coast to Neptunes and scarfed some peel-and-eat shrimp plates, yum yum! We had a big group of friends, old and new. Some of us never rode together before and just spoke on Facebook. It’s always great to meet and ride with bikers from all over the world!
We split in two from there, and me, Tommy, the Russian Butcher and Shawn rode our favorite old road Deer Creek, swung by the Rock Store, and made it home just after the sun went down!
And again, my heart and prayers go out to the families and friends of Romarino Zeri and Julie Cameron. And for my friends who ride all over the world, ride safe and defensively at all times! And don’t shake your finger at me, Tommy Malone, I’ll break it in two!
