So far this year, audiences have turned two motorcycle movies
into mega-hits:
”
Ghost Rider
”
has grossed $228 million and
”
Wild Hogs,
”
has passed the $250 million mark.
So far this year, audiences have turned two motorcycle movies into mega-hits: “Ghost Rider” has grossed $228 million and “Wild Hogs,” has passed the $250 million mark.
My favorite “Wild Hogs” story comes from local mom Lisa Ready, who went to see the movie with her young daughter: “My 12-year-old daughter and I decided to go see ‘Wild Hogs’ on opening night. We noticed many Harleys parked out front,” Ready recalled. “Maybe it’s an advertising stunt” I thought. Then when we approached the ticket line, there was a long line of bikers, all wearing leather, getting tickets. I was a bit apprehensive, and I began clutching my purse tightly. Many of the bikers looked rough, with long hair, beards, and lots and lots of leather.
“Then I looked a little more closely and started reading their jackets, and I noticed that they all had the same emblem on them: C.R.O.S.S. I then read the small print: “Christ Rescues Our Sinful Souls.” These were Christian bikers! I kept reading. Some had ‘Jesus Saves’ down their arms; one had ‘Pastor’ on his jacket. Suddenly they were not scary anymore, and I thought of my friends who have bikes, and wondered if they knew about this biker club. The bikers were from Hollister, Gilroy, Morgan Hill and San Jose. My daughter and I enjoyed the movie with about 50 bikers, who were well-behaved, pleasant people! It was a good ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ lesson.”
This past weekend Hollister held its 60th anniversary Motorcycle Rally, which celebrated the biker invasion that long ago July 4th weekend of 1947 when 4000 motorcyclist enthusiasts converged on sleepy little Hollister, nearly doubling the population of the town. The Marlon Brando movie, “The Wild One,” loosely depicts that legendary weekend. Some say it changed American culture forever.
While bikers were glad to see the return of the rally (which was canceled last year), the main complaint was the new layout. Vendors and their products seemed to be the main focus on San Benito Street, while motorcycles were banished to side streets.
“Some of these bikes have $3500 paint jobs,” rally aficionado Sandy Aguilera said. “We want to see each others’ bikes and enjoy the artistry of them.”
“We had to park by the railroad tracks,” Jan Hicks (from Reno) complained. “We don’t know if our bikes are safe down there or whether they will be vandalized or stolen.” Many riders go to elaborate lengths to design themes for their bikes and their outfits as well. One that everyone enjoyed seeing at the rally was a woman who drives a trike painted and outfitted to look like a dinosaur – and she dresses the part as well.
“That’s what we came to see,” Aguilera registered the main complaint of bikers and non-bikers alike: “It used to be like a grand parade down the main street, and we could all check out the license plates, the paint jobs, and the cool customized designs. We’d recognize bikes from Reno and other rallies. It was all about really enjoying the bikes. Now it seems like it’s all about the vendors.” Even worse, exclusivity reared its ugly head: “There was a private parking lot for VIP parking that you had to pay for,” Aguilera said. “And no one was allowed to go in and look at the motorcycles that were parked there – it was a real shame.”
Local motorcycle aficionado Jack Gifford talked about the history of Harley Davidson and how bike history should be featured more prominently. “We’d really enjoy seeing more examples of historic bikes,” he said.
Longtime biker Manny Aguilera said, “I’m really glad the rally is back.” He enjoys connecting with his fellow bikers, and he loves the feel of the open road. “You can recapture that lost feeling of being free. You don’t have to go long; it’s like a mini-vacation. You go out on country roads and see the beauty. It’s all about the wind. You clear your mind and in just a couple of hours you’re re-energized.”
