Since the 50th anniversary in 1997, Hollister (dubbed The birthplace of the American biker) has gone through many promoters who eventually bailed because of the impossibility of dealing with the local “good old boys.” The most successful promoter since day one has been a local, Mark Maxwell, who led for a couple of years before he bailed.

 

   The Hollister Downtown Association hired a Lost Wages company to put on the rally at the request of the operator of Johnny’s Bar & Grill who is a also the author of a self-published Christian biography. Guess God wasn’t on her side when, in the interest of public safety, the chief of police convinced the city council to order bars closed at midnight instead of 2am on rally nights. More breaking news was a problem with the entertainment, specifically the band, Guess Who, who wasn’t the real deal. Glad I’m only around to photograph the event!

 

   Camping was available at the County Fairgrounds eight miles south of Hollister on CA25 over a great two-lane motorcycle road during daylight. After dark it becomes a narrow country road and should be ridden very carefully. The main drag, San Benito Street, between 4th and 7th was the location of the 1947 alleged riot that put Hollister on the map. Everybody wants to park their ride on historic San Benito Street. But the promoter, in their infinite wisdom, made extra cost VIP parking on one of the side streets. Just a couple blocks west of San Benito Street is Dunn Park (where a traveling Vietnam Wall was on display) whose most remarkable feature is the fact that the Calaveras Fault runs diagonally beneath it. For those who care, it was last active in 1989 during the Loma Prieta earthquake when many buildings in Hollister on San Benito were shaken, not stirred.

 

   But, vendors and bikers came to join thousands of locals on the streets of Hollister for poker walks (WTF?), a poker run, biker games, music, lawyer scams, insurance sales, food, drink, social intercourse and tire kicking.