There’s something about the camaraderie and the spirit of the 13 Rebels MC that I love, so when I found out they were having a bike show, swap meet and tattoo contest on Saturday, I headed to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, to catch the fun. The event was held in the large lot beside the Ozark Mountain Hoe–Down (a local music theater), surrounded by trees and hills and a great deal of gravel.

There was more ink there than a hundred cases of Bic ball point pens, and the judges had to have had a tough time deciding on the finalists. Categories for both men and women included Best Sleeves, Best Shoulders, Best Chest and Best Back, and some of the artwork would have made da Vinci a little envious. The ultimate decisions were made by the crowd, and the happy winners were handed trophies and plaques by Chanel, a local bartender who doubles as a teeny-bikini-wearing trophy girl.

Of course, there were bikes—the big, the weather-beaten and the beautiful. Wandering around, I was amazed by the creativity of some of them. There was a trike built out of wood, with daggers for pegs and exposed machinery, custom choppers that were gleaming sculptures, Glides to die for and just about every other kind of bike you can imagine. The trophy winners were all well-deserving of their awards. Nathan Chaney, whose gleaming green custom was featured here a few months ago, picked one up, and Kevin Ratkovich received two awards for his one-of-a-kind, badass orange chopper. These were People’s Choice awards by the way, voted for by peers. Kevin received 80% of the vote in both the Radical Custom category and Best in Show, and it was easy to see why.

The thing about events like this is that the bikes in the parking lot are often every bit as cool as the ones competing for prizes. I lurked around the back and found some beauties. Since the show was held on what some believed would be Rapture Day, I took particular interest in a Road Glide that appeared to have been painted with gray house paint, giving it a rather rustic look. Etched into the bags and on the fairings were quotes from the Bible. I snapped a photo of one guy’s bumper sticker, which warned that, in case of Rapture, his vehicle would be unmanned. “It could be today,” the sticker-owner said, and I told him that I was hoping that if it was, I could swing back by later and pick up a beautiful Harley or two.

I wandered some more and was completely enthralled by some of these back-lot bikes. Some of them shined, some showed their battle scars, and all of them were worthy of admiration. If Harleys could talk, oh the stories that some of them could tell.

Of course, I was enthralled while talking to those in the crowd too. Bikers and bikerettes, vendors, kids and tattoo addicts were all milling around having a great time. I was glad to see my buddy Cartoon and his wife Moonshine in attendance, two of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet. Cartoon is a founding member of one of the 13 Rebels groups in Northwest Arkansas, and I recently wrote about him here. Moonshine is a Lady Rebel, and her Lady Rebel sisters (a great group of women) were well represented– mingling, laughing and enjoying the day.

The 13 Rebels are a group that dates back to 1937 and were the basis for the film The Wild One. Nowadays, they work hard to keep their rich, historic tradition alive. They ride, they race, they party, they parade. The bond that these brothers share is amazing to behold. Spending a bright sunny day surrounded by glorious Harleys while talking to Rebels with names like 2 Beer, Lako and Sleazy is the ultimate in fun. These riders are what we in Arkansas call “good people,” and this gathering is what we call a great time.