How did the beast we know as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally begin? Well, it has very humble beginnings to be sure. It all began with a motorcycle club called the Jackpine Gypsies, founded by JC Pappy Hoel. They are still around today. I knew several of them and they were all great guys.
Anyway, they started in 1936, and in 1937 they were a chartered member of the AMA (American Motorcycle Association). The AMA began to promote their racing events. This began on August 14, 1938. The event only featured 9 racers and a small audience of about 200 people, but fun was had by all and a beast was born.
Since that day in 1938, attendance has steadily risen with numbers in attendance now in the hundreds of thousands every year. Now the streets are packed with people from all over the world! And don't judge a book by its cover, because that grizzly looking biker sitting at the end of the bar is likely a cardiologist. And that hooker playing pool is likely a kindergarten teacher. That is what makes the rally special. It is that spot where people from all walks of life can come together and what you look like or what you do for a living doesn't matter. What you ride, how you treat people, and how you can handle yourself are the only things that matter here.
Want to know more? Here are some links that I found that I feel are reliable and useful. Enjoy!
Jackpine Gypsies Website:
www.jackpinegypsies.com
Brief History of Rally Origins and the Jackpine Gypsies:
http://www.sturgis.com/rallyhistory.html
Chart of Fun Facts Including Attendance, revenue, and police citations:
http://www.sturgis.com/2kstats.html
Bio of J.C. Pappy Hoel:
http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?racerid=198
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love feedback and would love to hear your Sturgis experiences. Please feel free to share!