| Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Motorcycles lined up on Main Street during the Hells Canyon motorcycle rally. | |
| Genre | Motorcycle rally |
| Dates | 2nd Friday in June |
| Location(s) | Baker City, Oregon, United States |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Attendance | 6,000 (2000)[1] 400,000 (2008)[2] |
| Website | [1] |
The Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally is an American motorcycle rally held annually in Baker City, Oregon, usually the first full week of June. Hells Canyon is located on the border of Oregon and Idaho and was formed by the Snake River. Hells Canyon is the deepest river canyon in North America, 2,000' deeper than the Grand Canyon. North East Oregon is one of the most remote areas of the United States and has become a gathering place for motorcyclists seeking to escape the congestion of riding in metropolitan areas. Baker City is located 90 miles West of Hells Canyon and is the host city for the annual rally. Baker County, Oregon is historically significant for the amount of gold and silver mined from the Powder river over the last century. The rally route includes parts of the Oregon Trail.
History edit
The first rally was held on August 14, 1938, by the "Jackpine Gypsies" motorcycle club,[3] who still own and operate the tracks, hillclimb, and field areas where the rally is centered. The first event was called the "Black Hills Classic" and consisted of a single race with nine participants and a small audience. The founder is generally considered to be Clarence "Pappy" Hoel. He purchased an Indian Motorcycle franchise in Sturgis in 1936 and formed the "Jackpine Gypsies" that same year.[3] Jackpine Gypsies was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1997.[4]
The focus of a motorcycle rally was originally racing and stunts. In 1961, the rally was expanded to include the Hillclimb and Motocross races.[3] This could include half-mile track racing (the first year in Sturgis, there were 19 participants), intentional board wall crashes, ramp jumps and head-on collisions with automobiles.
The Sturgis Rally has been held every year, with exceptions during World War II. For instance, in 1942, the event was not held due to gasoline rationing.[3]
Recent rallies edit
In recent years, the revitalization of motorcycling and new fans of the old rallies have led to increased attendance of classic rallies such as Sturgis. Attendance has been estimated at 514,951 in 2004, 525,250 in 2005, and 754,844 in 2000.[citation needed] Many of the new attendees of the Sturgis Rally are families, bringing their children and driving trailers and campers to the rally, riding their motorcycles the last few miles.[5] This has prompted several of the attendees to start wearing patches and shirts saying "I Rode Mine to Sturgis" with the date instead of the traditional patch stating that the wearer attended the event in that year.
Media coverage edit
In 1997, the crew from the COPS television series attended the rally, as well as Dennis Rodman.[6] From 1996 to 1999, World Championship Wrestling held a pay-per-view event called Hog Wild (re-named Road Wild after the 1996 event).[7]
Annual television coverage of the festival by the VH1 Classic network includes interviews and performances as well as rock music videos. The rally was featured in 2005 as part of the ESPN SportsCenter promotion 50 States in 50 Days.[8]
Gallery edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, South Dakota Office of Tourism, retrieved 2010-01-07
- ^ Rally statistics, Sturgis City Rally Department, retrieved 2010-01-07
- ^ a b c d Official Site: Rally History
- ^ "Jackpine Gypsies", Motorcycle Hall of Fame, American Motorcyclist Association, retrieved 2012-02-02
- ^ Higgins, Michelle (2005-08-05). "The Really Easy Rider". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ Cops Episode 147: Sturgis Bike Rally in South Dakota, imdb.com, retrieved 2012-01-28
- ^ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 144.
- ^ "50 States in 50 Days". ESPN>com. 10 August 2005. Archived from the original on 10 August 2005. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
External links edit
Category:Motorcycle rallies in the United States Category:South Dakota culture Category:Recurring events established in 1938 Category:Tourist attractions in Meade County, South Dakota Category:Black Hills Category:August events