The other case in point is the Horse Smoke Out East, which is held in late June in Salisbury, North Carolina. Can you say 90-degree heat, blazing sun, and the typical thunderstorms that are common this time of year in North Carolina? Why not a little earlier in the year instead of peak summer? Apparently, I was not the only wimp at the Smoke Out, as this was the opinion of many of the people whom I spoke to.

That will be just about enough of my bitchin’ and whinin’ like a spoiled child. Regardless of this short rant, I would like to add that these are still two events at the top of my must-see list.

Okay. On to this year’s Horse Smoke Out East. Whether you’re at the Smoke Out to savor the bikes, the babes, or the beer, you’re in for a major treat. The beer is always cold and plentiful, and there is nothing like a cold beer when your sunglasses are melting on your face, and you’re starting to hallucinate from sunstroke ¾ just kidding! (I can really be an a-hole)

As for the ladies ¾ oh boy, what can I say that won’t get me in trouble? How’s this: One thing that caught my eye besides all the great bikes was the amount of tattoos visible everywhere you looked. The crowd was a virtual kaleidoscope of colors. I’m not just talking about a little arm band or cute little unicorn, I’m talking full sleeves, chests and backs, not to mention legs and I’m sure places the sun don’t shine. I would like to have the money all those tats cost. I would almost be as rich as Michael Jackson. (Oh, am I gonna pay for that one.)

Being that there is no one under 18 allowed in the fairgrounds, and the weather is hot and humid, the eye candy is oh-so-sweet, and since it is my sworn duty to photograph as many topless women as I can (strictly for the boys at the shop mind you), I take extreme care when looking through my viewfinder to focus only on the eyes. Yeah, the eyes, that’s what I focus on. Honest! I am a professional. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

Let me get to the main attraction at the Smoke Out, and that’s all those great Old School bikes. As usual there was a plethora (Your word for the day, look it up) of every make and model. It would be impossible to describe the talent and imagination that has gone into every bike. The best way is to enjoy the pics is on these pages and to check out our web site for more great rides.

A couple of things I can comment on are, first, the amount of automobile parts that are starting to show up on a lot of these two-wheeled hot rods. Everything from headlights and taillights, to carbs and pipes. The builders nowadays are not afraid to use parts off of just about anything imaginable to make a statement. The other thing that I think is great is that a lot of the bikes are being built and ridden by twenty-somethings. As a matter of fact, as I was leaving the fairgrounds six young guys rode in on six of the sweetest Triumph bobbers you would ever see.

I love this event! I could stand at the entrance to the fairgrounds all day and just watch the variety of bikes and people ride in, and that would be more than enough for me. If you can’t make The Horse Smoke Out East because you live on the West Coast or Middle America, have no fear, you can enjoy the same experience at The Smoke Out West in Arizona. I hope to be able to check out the Western version myself in the next couple of years.