The weekend of July 11-13 consumed the complete downtown area of Hollister, where this year’s rally started promptly at 9AM with three stages rocking and the vendors rolling out the latest industry products.

As a promoter for almost 40 years, entertainment is the business Horse Power Promotions focuses on most. For instance, the Hollister Rally hosted three stages of contemporary sounds from more than 20 bands that equaled almost 100 hours of music. In addition, stunt shows, bike games, custom bike shows, boxing, and the Jack Daniels Museum Tour kept the crowds thoroughly engaged. But, if that left anyone desiring something more, they could have scooted over to the Installation Station to receive a cool fairing or a new set of pipes installed. This year’s rally featured over 200 vendors with everything for the bike and rider from Geico Insurance, boots, wheels, exhaust, motors, paint, painters, to lights, seats and chrome. This year’s rally had the highest percentage of parts and motorcycle gear ever. In fact, I would venture to make a bet that Hollister has the highest percentage of motorcycle gear vendors in the USA.

Open Roads Motorcycle Tours ran rides all weekend starting at Corbin’s Factory and scooted to some great scenery on the coast toward Monterey as well as the Pinnacles and the other points of interest. Be sure to sign up for those next year and while you’re going out to Corbin’s for the ride, make sure you take the Corbin Factory Tour and get a bite to eat at the famous Wizard’s Diner.

Sunday’s highlights included a bike blessing at the Mission San Juan Batista in the morning where every blessed bike received a bike blessing pin. Then back to downtown Hollister, for the salute to the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club on the main stage.

Crowds at this year’s Hollister Motorcycle Rally reported numbers equal to 2007. While Friday’s crowd seemed down, vendors claimed higher sales. Saturday was as much of a wall-to-wall packed crowd as last year, while vendors reported sales were up on Sunday from 2007 and the crowd was stronger as well.

Because Hollister is free gate and takes place in a 16-acre, eight-block area of downtown, there is no way of calculating good attendance figures. However, the last two years, Horse Power has been conducting numerous surveys and a vehicle counting system with a goal to reach a closer estimate than the previous figures: somewhere over 100,000 people.

In terms ease and appease, this year’s rally was the safest and smoothest to date as reported by the law enforcement. There were fewer arrests, less accidents, and happily, less DUI’s. All of this is attributed to the professionalism and the protection by law enforcement officers that participate from all over California to help not only protect the residents of Hollister─ some of which live less than a block from the heart of the rally─ but also to oversee and respond to the tens of thousands of attendees who visit the downtown area of Hollister. This area, on any given weekend, would not see 150 people─ much less close to 100,000.

One of the pledges made to myself when I took over Hollister was to celebrate the reasons behind the rally. The heritage of the pre-‘47 era spawned the gathering of these racers and clubs, before anyone had a name for it like “The Birthplace of the American Biker.” Through the years, the message has gotten cloudy and has changed to fit into more of a Hollywood persona type of legend.

What gets my blood flowing is the thought of those modern-day cowboys riding their hopped-up twins half way across California to these weekend races that were spread out up and down California in never heard of locales such as Hollister and Pismo Beach, to name a couple, in the ‘30s and ‘40s.

It’s reminiscent of a buckaroo riding his pony into a dusty western town in the 1800s to compete in the annual rodeo, only to head back to the ranch as the sun sets on the event. These early racers rode what they raced. No fancy trailers! To hear some of the stories still flying around Hollister by the old timers about those long, tired riders back home late at night with the headlights dimmed, is truly what we’re celebrating.

Events like Hollister, or at least how Hollister started, are not planned. They are similar to a love-at-first-sight meeting. I cannot tell you how many towns, cities and fairgrounds have approached me in the last eight to ten years with the plea, “We want to do this big bike rally.” Big bike rallies just happen. They are not planned. Just like famous names or sayings (“Birthplace of the American Biker”), they are earned, not bought or created from scratch.

As much as we celebrate the past we cannot live in the past. As the rules changed in motorcycle racing in the early days, the rallies all over this country will continue to change. Unfortunately, the barometer for change always comes down to the bottom line. Balancing the cost with the income continues to be the biggest challenge for any promoter or committee organizing any event.

But, as I stated from the start, it’s all about entertainment and that has been Horse Power’s focus since 1981: action-packed entertainment at a good value.

Camping: It’s Not Just For Campers Anymore – Campgrounds: Still Cheaper Than A Motel

Unless you’re a big fat moneyball, the cost of going to a motorcycle rally has always been a major consideration for you. Given the economic climate of late, your vacation anxieties are not misplaced. As we enter the Great Depression 2.0 you may ask yourself, Should I be spending money on what amounts to a weekend of debauchery (basically) or would I be better served by stashing all my money under the mattress and savoring this delicious bowl of chicken noodle soup?

It doesn’t have to be R.I.P. to the good times. Summon your inner hobo and give some thought to the campgrounds near your favorite rallies. Make your reservations now because (I bet) we’re going to see a resurgence in camping during the coming year (or two). And while you’re at it, pat yourself on the back for investing in all that camping equipment because you’re gonna be pretty darn comfy when we’re all living outside. 

— Wendy Manning