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Although I don’t have any accurate figures it seemed to me that attendance was down this year. I’m not sure whether it was due to the weather, the economy, or just a sign of the times. I will have to admit that all the hotels in Rockingham were booked solid at the beginning, I think the rain may have dampened many spirits and they left to dry up.

Folks come from all points east and west, north and south to meet up with old friends, check out the array of hand-built motorcycles that seem to show up only at this particular event, and just plain party. No- holds-barred is what the Old School events were all about and this event comes about as close to the events of yesteryear as you can get without invoking the wrath of God.

Entertainment at the Smoke Out included a variety of bands, no big names just good groups playing good music, your usual biker games, and a stage show that had me saying, “Man, that just ain’t right.” Let me explain. There was an MC that got the crowd going with some pretty good banter and his assistant who was a remarkably busty women with numerous tats and piercings, and, oh yeah, a split tongue like a snake ― sweet! The MC (I assume she trusted very much) proceeded to throw metal-tipped darts into her back, and, you guessed it, her breasts! I’m talking serious skin penetration, the whole Monty. Ouch! Damn! For God’s sake, what the hell would possess someone to do that? Even I had to cringe every time he threw a dart, and every time she groaned, I groaned out of respect. But, I was clicking off as many photos as I could to see if I could catch the moment of impact and the look on her face. Hey, I do it for you, my readers, not for myself. I was totally disturbed. Make sure you check out the photos with this article so you can be totally disturbed too.

I can’t wait till next year to find out what the Smoke Out has in store. The sun, the heat, and the almost predictable thunderstorms seem to be there every year, but that’s just part of the show. Party on.