Well, it looks like raisin pie for everybody! All you old timers will remember that phrase from the early days. It meant success and a job well done, and it still fits today. The 2012 Easyriders Show in Sac Town contained a great collection of the best custom bikes on the West Coast.
There were more than 150 entries in everything from street bikes, mild customs to radical customs, and antiques, all vying for attention like puppies in a pet store window. Everywhere you look, there was wild innovation, creativity, and a whole lot of hard work. This was the best of the best, and it was hard to focus because your eyes keep jumpin’ from bike to bike, like a kid in a candy store.
One of the Masters of Ceremony was none other than “Clean” Dean Shawler, who’s been a fixture around the Easyriders Empire for more years than he’ll admit. The security was tight, so the entrants didn’t have to worry about their bike wanderin’ off in the middle of the show, and the chow and entertainment was top-notch.
My little wife, Reggie, and I showed up on Friday for the “set-up.” We scrambled with excitement unloading our bikes out of the trailer (yeah, I know, but we weren’t gonna walk everywhere for three days) and got ‘em checked in and set up in their spaces. Reggie put hers in the People’s Choice category, and I put mine in Judged, so I could go head to head with the big dogs. My ol’ grand pappy used ta say: “If ya can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch!”
After we shined ’em up, we started wanderin’ around, talkin’ to some of the other competitors about their iron. One guy told us that he’d always wanted an old Indian board tracker, but didn’t want to ride an original around all the time, so he built a “tribute” bike, and if you don’t look real close, you’ll swear it was the real deal!
There was everything from a psychedelic Triumph Cub to an ugly little 2-stroke that was just too wild and “out there” to be overlooked. There was a massive engraved bobber to an antique “barn find” 1934 VLD Harley with a side hack. It still had its original paint. No matter where your interest lies, you’d find somethin’ on the Sac concrete floor to make you smile! There was even a real hearse pulled by a black trike. Your could have your last ride in it, if your ol’ lady didn’t spent everything on the party.
Saturday morning, we headed back to the show for a last minute touch-up, then started at one end of the building, and checked out all the vendors, the bikes, and the people. We said hello to Paul and Suzie Yaffe, and checked out all the cool stuff at their Bagger Nation booth, where Paul was giving away a $1,500 sound system. Always on the cutting edge, the accessories waitin’ for new homes would turn even the blandest bagger into a real eye catcher!
Our next stop was at the domain of Chris Rivas and Carl Brouhard. They’ve collaborated on the World’s Fastest Bagger, which Chris rode to 195.036 mph at Bonneville. That’s one SCREAMIN’ bagger! Carl is one of the top designers on the planet, and he’s designed bikes for Arlen Ness and others who are known worldwide. He’s recently started making really cool custom accessories for baggers that combine innovation and good looks with performance.
Before long, the band; HEMME, started jammin’ with high energy rock ‘n’ roll, an’ let me tell ya, that gal out front can really keep you listenin’ when she belts out a song!
Another attraction was the Purrfect Angelz, who did several unique and sexy shows every day. If that won’t get your motor runnin’, you better just drift to the side of the road!
Kirk Taylor, of Custom Design Studios had his new bike, “Dirty Boot” there, and it looks better in person than it did in the magazines. Lots of one-off stuff, along with blood, sweat, and probably a lot of cussin’ make this one unusual ride.
As I was headed down the center aisle, I saw a commotion ahead, so I snuck in behind two big guys who broke trail to the front, and there she was: the Easyriders Topless Tech, signin’ autographs. What a cutie!! Make yer little heart go pitty-pat!
There was also a roller derby match goin’ on up by the stage, with the girls hip-bumpin’ and slidin’ around, havin’ a great time. I wasn’t sure which team to root for, so I rooted for ‘em both. “Watch those splinters!”
There was also a couple walkin’ around on stilts, and a sure-fire mountain man from the 1830s who was makin’ balloon animals for the kids.
Leathers, T-shirts, sun glasses, knives, fur covered skid-lids with antlers, an’ all sorts of other stuff was there, makin’ your wallet lighter and easier to carry, and one booth called Damsels in Defense was sellin’ pepper spray an’ all sorts of female oriented self defense items.
A line was forming, snakin’ it’s way around the stage, so I headed over there to see what was goin’ on. There was Tommy “Chibs” Flanagan, an’ Winter “Lyla” Zoli from the Sons of Anarchy signin’ autographs an’ takin’ pictures with the crowd. In case you were wonderin’, Tommy looks just as badass in person as he does on television!
Of course, there was all kinds of food everywhere, from Kettle Korn an’ jerky to burgers an’ salads, and the beer was flowin’ like wine, so getting’ too thirsty wasn’t a problem.
One of my favorite booths was a great collection of original art by David Mann. The original paintings were not for sale, but there were prints available to take home with you. I’m a big David Mann fan, but there were a couple I’d never seen.
When it was time for the awards on Sunday afternoon, everybody was holdin’ their breath, and when the winners were announced, the cheers went up like it was midnight on New Years Eve. As it happened, I took second place in the Judged Old School Chopper class, and Reggie’s pink trike took the coveted 1st Place, People’s Choice, Best of Show! I only have a partial list of winners, so most will be limited to first place only:
Old School Chopper – Keith Blum
Old School Bobber – Bob Ragozzino
3 Wheel Custom – Mathew Kleinhans
Specialty Chopper – Ken Lazzarini
Radical Custom – Showtime – Jerry
Radical Bagger – Phil Estioco
PEOPLE’S CHOICE: BEST OF SHOW –
Reggie Cake, Bruce Boldon, Chuck and Doris Boyle.
(2nd and 3rd place were not identified)
In the JUDGED categories;
Old School Bobber – Goran Lassell
Old School Chopper – Ron Griffin
Pro Street Custom – Howard Inglish
Specialty Chopper – Norm Phillips
Radical Custom – Michael Rasmussen
Radical Bagger – Donovan Nimmo
Old School Antique- Hatt’s Motorcycles
JUDGED – BEST OF SHOW –
John Barnes, Grant Davis, Gerardo Jimenez.
(Not in proper order)
EDITOR’S CHOICE – Kirk Taylor; Dirty Boot
BEST PAINT – Leo Kirby
BEST DISPLAY – Ken Lazzarini
http://www.easyridersevents.com/
