Charismatic and focused are two words that well describe this seasoned promoter, but it’s his youthful enthusiasm and willingness to listen that undoubtedly got the “new” rally off to an excellent start. Step by step, Doulton plans to take Hollister to the next level, and under his supervision the event already crossed a threshold by drawing record-breaking crowds, some of who traveled from 17 states and four foreign countries. With the focus on constant action, Horse Power Productions oversaw three stages featuring live bands (as well as boxing); ongoing bike building demonstrations at the Baker Drivetrain Builder’s Square by such respected builders as Scott Long, Chica, Todd Silicato, Trevelen, and others; test rides by major motorcycle companies; and stunt riding demonstrations. Doulton says, “The city was happy, police and hospital activity was way down, and people were really enjoying themselves.”

The Hollister rally and the annual debate that has taken place among city planners and rally fans is notorious. Critics have accused it of being poorly organized, while the city has borne the burden of a lack of funding.  Last year, it was cancelled altogether because of the anticipated cost for security. Several national news venues suspected, and rightly so, that die-hard rally goers would show up anyway, which they did. Camera crews were dispatched and subsequently rewarded with footage of bikers and partygoers clashing with police, which wound up being featured front and center on the evening news. Nobody was happy with the 2006 fiasco: not the bikers, and certainly not the city.

This year, which is the 60^th anniversary of the 1947 “riot” that has taken on a second life in our imaginations ¾ and become synonymous with the event ¾ the city took an unprecedented move by enlisting a professional promoter. Enter Doulton, who brought to the table his 26 years of experience in producing successful automotive and motorcycle events. After getting the go ahead in December, he got to work giving the rally its much-needed shot in the arm while also building bridges with city officials that will lead, he believes, to an even bigger and better event in the coming years.

 “The number one thing that had to be done,” says Doulton, “was the rally had to pay for itself. The city made that perfectly clear to me. They cannot pay for a biker party, nor should they. Just as they shouldn’t have to pay for a garlic or strawberry festival.”

Even with a limited time frame to work with, Doulton wanted very much to produce a rally that would make everybody happy. Like Dad at Blockbuster on a Saturday night, he was determined to come up with something all the kids could agree on. But if you’ve ever been in that position, you know somebody still ends up crying. In this case, the crying took place over the new layout of the rally. The new pattern required bikes to be parked on side streets and foot traffic to be diverted into the downtown area. It’s kind of hard to picture if you weren’t there, but vendors were positioned back-to-back down the center of historic San Benito Street, which created a festival atmosphere but prohibited cruising. It was the lack of familial cruising that some people objected to.

“For the most part, the layout was embraced by everybody,” Doulton says. “But I do agree with the few people who said motorcycles are supposed to be the focus, I agree that [cruising] is tradition and it made a beautiful picture. People are right about that. But the layout was one of the changes I had to make to be able to pay the bills, even though I knew there’d be some opposition. Now I’ve got to expand on the changes and answer to those people who had some really good points.”

Doulton’s plan for next year is to add racing, hill climbs, and to address the lack of street cruising. “I really want to expand on designated rides to nice areas, like they do at Sturgis,” he says. “Bikers say it’s not the destination it’s the ride, and I need to find a way to please them so they will enjoy the rally for other reasons, like riding to the Pinnacles, or to Santa Cruz, or a ten-thousand-dollar poker run. I want whatever it is that gets them on their bike.”

Wisely, the city of Hollister has already given Doulton the green light for next year’s rally. 

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Miss Hollister 2007, aka Jennifer Riggs, is a hottie of a certain age who won her title over a flock of 20-something babettes. Children, really. They didn’t know who they were up against. For the talent portion of the contest, Jenny, who’s had a lifetime of classical ballet lessons, turned heads in all her biker babe glory. She performed “a kind of cabaret-style, sexy, chair dance” to Rob Zombie’s cover of Brick House. Her dance went over well, but what really won over the panel of judges, and the crowd too, was her answer to the question, Why do you want to be Miss Hollister? “I want to be Miss Hollister for all the over-40 women out there!” she declared, then amended her statement by saying, “No, for all the over-45 women out there! I’m 45.” And the crowd went wild.

A hairstylist at Attitudes and Images in Hollister, Jenny believes women should never abandon their interest in looking good and staying in shape just because they’re no longer 21. “I still dance, I work out all the time, and I’ll never choose my clothes by other people’s standards of what’s appropriate,” she said. What does Mr. Riggs think of his wife being ogled by a crowd of thousands? “My husband Kelly thinks it’s great,” she said. “He must have taken about a hundred photographs.”

Thanks, Kelly, for lending us this one.