Twin Club MC is one of the oldest and most respected biker clubs in Sweden. The club was founded in 1969 in the sleepy little sea side town of Norrtalje about an hour Northeast of Stockholm. These are the guys who chopped and built the bikes making Sweden world famous for their long bikes and Swedish style, no nonsense customs.
In 1974, Twin Club MC started to promote a local Custom Bike Show. Well, 34 years later the show has grown into the largest and most prestigious Custom Bike show in all of Scandinavia. Club president Ola, long time member Henkan along with the rest of the club members and local volunteers work tireless all year to get ready for the show. Gates open the first weekend in June each year.
This year's event marked the second year as an affiliate show to the American Motorcycle Dealer Magazine ( a prestigious industry publication) ProShow tour. The winners of the European tour get a place, all expenses paid, in the World Championship of Custom Bike Building finals at the Thunderdome in Sturgis during Bike Week.
Now this isn't just your ordinary Chopperfest. Riders and builders from Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Russia and all across Scandinavia and Northern Europe flock to the show to see just how radical their neighbors can get when it comes to innovative styles and techniques. This year over 10,000 people showed up at the Societetsparken (Peoples Park) on the waterfront to see the bikes and cast their votes in the Peoples choice show.
A jury of five representatives of the International Biker Press, including yours truly from Bikernet.com, was charged with the daunting task of picking the top 3 bikes that will go to Sturgis for the final world competition. With well over 100 worthy entries, this year was a bitch to judge.
Isto Kotavuopio of Tampere, Finland took first place for his mind blowing Omega Bike. A black Dr. Suess looking creation that just blew everyone away with its radical design and attention to perfect detail.
Second place went to another Finn, Petri Ruusunen for a Classic Custom Panhead given new life as a copper clad custom board tracker.
Not to be left in the cold, Ken Falkerhed of Ace Performance Customs outside Stockholm rode home with third place for his phantom of the Ace chopper.
An added highlight of Twin Club MC's Custom Bike Show is the traditional after-show party back at their club house outside of town. They have a huge clubhouse surrounded by a meadow and woods. About 3,500 bikers took advantage of their hospitality and attended the party and many camped out for the weekend. Man, I gotta tell you, I'm an old Gray Beard and I sorely miss the all night parties with the real deal ladies and hardcore dudes who graced the scene long before the Discovery Channel convinced everyone with a Gold Card that they too could be “Bad-Ass Bikers”.
With almost 20 Hours of daylight in Sweden in June, the bands, the bikes and the babes roared on late into Sunday afternoon.
A special thank you to my brothers and sisters at Twin Club MC for bringing me over for their event. I can't wait to get back there next year.
If you'd like more info the show check out their web site:
For more info on AMD's ProShow, check their site:
–TBear
