Page 65 - Laconia Rally News 2018

Carey Hart’s The Good Ride. What a guy, so genuine and easy to chat with. He’s dedicated this series of rides, which take place all over the country, to benefit veterans and their families. Last summer, after we rode the Hills, we landed at the Buffalo Chip and shot guns. Does it get any better than that? No, it acutally doesn’t.
Food Throw Down. I attended the Tattoo Contest and was up against an impressive array of hard-core tat- ted folks. The RockStar girls kicked off the event, and from there it was a packed stage with colorful (literally) characters and good laughs.
People often refer to their friends as “Rally Family.” These two good friends showed up my first morning in Sturgis. And they weren’t there to arrest me.
Stone House Saloon feels like home. West of Belle Fourche, South Dakota.
The Mayor’s Ride. This Rally icon, led by Mayor Mark Carstensen and a the Sturgis Rally Grand Marshall (Jessi Combs last year), brings riders through the Hills, up to Mount Rushmore for a group photo with the great faces, ending in Custer State Park for lunch. Proceeds go to fund
Freedom to let go,
and just be. In our demanding world of work, kids, mort- gages, doctor appointments, rush hour traffic, performance reviews and more, Sturgis offers the opportunity to let go and just be. To let go of what and who we are and have to maintain the other 51 weeks of the year. That’s not to say all that goes away during Rally – indeed, several friends were on the phone with work-related matters, and I took client phone calls, one of them in the alley behind The Knuckle. But during Bike Week, can sport our leather
emergency service and is sponsored by Jack Daniels®. Riders walk away with huge swag. When I received the swag bag, I was sure I needed to split the contents with at least three other riders. I was wrong -- thank you Jack Daniels®!
vests or barely-there tops, go for long rides and take long breaks, snap ridiculous photos, flirt freely, talk to any- one about anything, go to bed way too late and wake up way too early, puffy-eyed and ready for more.
Dakota Thunder
Run. Out of
Ellsworth Air Force
Base, this ride is another moment of the Rally where I grew into a better version of myself. Standing amongst soldiers, veterans and hearing the story of a 100-year old veteran who survived the Pearl Harbor attack, my heart ached with gratitude. We rode out of Ellsworth on the airstrip, not something you get to do every day. Not to mention, I got up close with the B1 Bomber, which flew over Main Street Sturgis later that day. This ride, in one word – incredible.
and their partners and
Sturgis Mayor’s Ride
sponsors who bust their humps to pull off this great event, to all the Rally-goers
From the many veter- ans in attendance, to the police officers who work 12-hour shifts, from the Rally staff
Reverence, for it all.
Rally added several new events last year which are nothing short of a hoot: The Tattoo Contest, Beard and Mustache Contest, Mayor’s Pub Crawl and the Street
This year, the 78th Sturgis® Motorcycle RallyTM is anoth- er opportunity to experience and enjoy the best versions of ourselves and others. I hope to see you there!! #
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who make the memories, I rode away from Sturgis once again in awe of it all. I recognize that Rally is a place for a few individuals where the worst occurred – where acci- dents took the lives of our brethren riders. Never forget- ting them, and remembering that this sport we love so much is one that involves risk, we accept the risk. Another reason reverence serves us well and makes us better.