I had planned on doing the Prince George HOG rally but my bike needed a new starter bendix which prevented me from riding there and I had wanted to go to Ashcroft for the CMDRA Drag Races on Sunday but rain and high wind stopped me - I don't get my new front tire until Wednesday but the good news is I did get to attend 3 out of 5 events that I had planned.
The first event I took in was Sturgis North. Like many a rider and vendor, I had high hopes for this event. I had been promised by the organizers that the new venue would bring about many positive changes. But as I rode into the venue I was saddened to see that the organizers did not appear to have learned much from their first rally.
The layout was awful in my humble opinion. The Motoplex Speedway was the ideal venue but they did not utilize it well. Instead of having all of the vendors ring the tracks oval they opted to put the vendors in front of the event and if you did not buy a pass to attend the event they were charging $20 to visit the vendors. Now, I am not sure of their rational but the question I have to ask is...Would you pay $20 to go to the mall?
What you see here is the vendor alley on the left with vendor camping in the background on the far left, the parking area and the ticket booths with the main entrance into the racing oval and stands in the forefront.
I spoke with many of the vendors who were disappointed in the traffic that came through vendor alley. Many expressed that it was an utter waste of their time to be there especially on Wednesday and Thursday, Friday was not much better and Sunday was horrible - so much so that they pulled out early. There were some who were very happy however because their products drew a lot of interest from those who did attend. Many show goers were questioning why there were 7 support booths in the vendors alley and if that was the reason the BEU (Biker Enforcement Unit) and so many other police units were present.
The custom builders who attended expressed to me that they were disappointed as they got very little traffic, one builder from the lower mainland said he couldn't even sell a tee shirt to help with his costs to attend as there was simply no one to sell to.
The music stage was professionally done and as a result was the jewel of the event however I felt so bad for the bands that played during the day as there was barely a handful of people to watch them. Many expressed to me that since pillows and the small legless chairs you can get for sitting in bleachers weren't allowed and sitting on the concrete stands in that heat, again with no shade, made them hold off until the night time music.
Many of the riders I talked to that were camping, were frustrated by the quality of the camping areas. I did not venture up there to see that first hand but I am told it was not pretty.
The story in the beer gardens was depressing. Apparently the Liquor Control Board put severe restrictions on their liquor license and as a result there were no chairs or tables allowed in the beer gardens. There was not much in the way of canopies to cover the area and the extreme heat of the sun and the heat of the asphalt made it unbearable to be in it during the day. The slope of the track made standing to enjoy a beverage painful for people like myself who wear braces and many who have no handicap expressed displeasure as well.
The organizers had a tent frame with hose attached to mist yourself, however it was placed in front of the port o potties causing people to have to slog through water to use them.
The gate nazi's (the paid security) were also checking everyone for support gear and motorcycle club patches - another restriction of the liquor license meant those items were not allowed and neither were umbrellas. The presence of the police was oppressive to say the least.
My question on to the organizers would be - who did they piss off in the Liquor Control Board or the RCMP that such severe sanctions were placed on them? I was in Merritt last weekend and even though there was a support booth there and way too much police presence, they were allowed tables and chairs in their beer gardens...
Then there were the poker runs for the various charities - the word from the pub owners and the riders who participated was that every ride got jacked by the cops who were apparently not stopping cagers ONLY bikes and were utter jerks. So again I have to ask the question - who did the organizers piss off? You could not go in and out of the venue without being checked by the cops it was utterly depressing and disgusting - the show of force and their hostile attitudes had many riders vowing they would not be back.
The story in Sicamous however was totally different.
I attended the Sicamous Burn Out Competition and what a PARTY!
There were four police officers who walked around chatting with everyone and they were polite, welcoming and quite enjoyable to be around compared to Sturgis North. The beer gardens had tents, chairs and tables and picnic tables, the entertainment was utterly fabulous and the street was lined with vendors - the free event was extremely well attended!
There were stunt riders and FMX jumpers, a skills competition and of course the burn outs and the Nitro Drag Bikes. And the was SHIRLEY - Sicamous has the most amazing ambassadress in her. This 70 something gal was walking around handing out Welcome to Sicamous cards and hugging the attendees and thanking them for coming to visit their flood ravaged region. Hi can tell you that at least 30 riders told me that Shirley deserves the front cover of the Busted Knuckle - I am thinking they are right!
Mother Nature was kind enough to hold off on the rain until the show ended at 4pm. My thoughts automatically went to those camping in Vernon and how they would fair....
My hats off to the CMDRA, Drag Specialties/Parts Canada and the Sicamous Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development for a FABULOUS TIME!
My accommodations for the night were provided by Joe Shmuck's Roadhouse. This is MY FAVORITE place to stay when I am in the area. The food is fantastic, the waitresses are so friendly, there is ample parking and motorcycle ONLY parking. The rooms are wonderful, air conditioned and have great beds. There is tons of tenting space and room for about 8-10 motorhomes - the place was filled!
I love staying here because of the atmosphere and location! Visit their Ad on Our Site to get their contact info by clicking HERE
You can't miss their Riders Welcome banners that grace the entrance either!
I had an opportunity to spend some quality time with Chance from the Riverfront Pub in Grindrod and ended up lending him my PINK rain gear - and he needed to get back to his pub where they were having live entertainment so he wore it - covered by his hoodie of course!
I met tons of riders over supper, many telling me their thoughts on our Rider Friendly phone books and sharing their horror stories over Sturgis North and the police presence.
I met Roger from Cherrie Customs in Kelowna and got an invite to come check out his shop which I intend to do later this week.
After dealing with the charging of electronics and the clearing of memory chips I headed out with Mark Pearson, the owner of Joe Shmuck's and a ton of his riding friends, they were just going for a guided tour of the region, I was heading to the Summer Stomp to see what was shaking out there.
As I pulled into the Stomp, Mark and his friends continued their journey.
Now, last year the Stomp could not get approval for the land they had been holding their rally on so it didn't happen. This year they got a very late approval for a new piece of land to use.
I was so happy to see about 800-1000 people were present. There were campers, tenters, trailers and motorhomes everywhere!
These guys and gals decided not to get a liquor license and so it was a BYOB party, one which through some very proactive thinking, ensure no one had to drink and drive!
You see, they had an agreement with the Hideaway Pub's Liquor Store in Salmon Arm and a shuttle service. You could place your order for beverages, paying a really tiny fee for the shuttle driver of $1 per item ordered, with the gals from the Hospice - the main charity for the Stomp, the shuttle would bring it in to the main tent and they would announce the orders had come in. You could then take it back to your camp or if you did not have a cooler, they would give you tokens and keep your beverages cold for you.
They also sold ice and had a hot beverage swapping program! What innovating and creative thinking!
There was a mechanical bull riding competition, rodeo games and a band along with a poker run and pancake breakfasts each day at the Legion just up the rad!
They had multiple vendors which included about 7 or 8 eating options. Everyone was in a great mood until the poker run came back which swelled the crowd to somewhere around - my guess is 1,100 people.
You see their ride of some 100+ riders was stopped in a road block and again, no cars or pick ups were stopped, ONLY bikes. Apparently one rider was charged for some "safety" violation and that was it, but, where the stop occurred, a motorhome came around a corner, and had to anchor out and swerved into the oncoming traffic lane to avoid the motorcycles.
Needless to say that my short speech on standing up for our rights was well received.
You see we have a Police Harassment form on our site. I am asking every rider who was jacked up to fill out a form. We need every photo, every video and every statement from riders right across the country that we can get as we get to take a stand for our rights and freedoms as they are guaranteed under the charter. If we do not fight for our lifestyle we will loose it. If we do not protect our freedoms and right, the same ones our soldiers fight and die for, then we disrespect their memories and sacrifices and guess what, no one else is going to work to preserve them for us if we don't do it!
PLEASE - if you were stopped at an event, on the highway - take the time to fill out a form so we can mount a class action lawsuit and a charter challenge - we have to folks, or be legislated out of existence and or be persecuted, harassed and maligned forever.
Tomorrow I will give you my impressions of Saturday night at Sturgis North along with my opinions on the "Biker Build Off", I will also be delving into the issues with the RCMP more so stay tuned.
For the other news and information that may affect your day or life as a rider, visit www.beltdrivebetty.com where our job is keeping YOU informed!
Ride safe please everyone!
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
The first event I took in was Sturgis North. Like many a rider and vendor, I had high hopes for this event. I had been promised by the organizers that the new venue would bring about many positive changes. But as I rode into the venue I was saddened to see that the organizers did not appear to have learned much from their first rally.
The layout was awful in my humble opinion. The Motoplex Speedway was the ideal venue but they did not utilize it well. Instead of having all of the vendors ring the tracks oval they opted to put the vendors in front of the event and if you did not buy a pass to attend the event they were charging $20 to visit the vendors. Now, I am not sure of their rational but the question I have to ask is...Would you pay $20 to go to the mall?
I spoke with many of the vendors who were disappointed in the traffic that came through vendor alley. Many expressed that it was an utter waste of their time to be there especially on Wednesday and Thursday, Friday was not much better and Sunday was horrible - so much so that they pulled out early. There were some who were very happy however because their products drew a lot of interest from those who did attend. Many show goers were questioning why there were 7 support booths in the vendors alley and if that was the reason the BEU (Biker Enforcement Unit) and so many other police units were present.
The custom builders who attended expressed to me that they were disappointed as they got very little traffic, one builder from the lower mainland said he couldn't even sell a tee shirt to help with his costs to attend as there was simply no one to sell to.
 |
| In the background you can see the builders area and part of the main stage, in the middle right, the "lovely" beer gardens and in the foreground, the concrete stands. |
In this photo, to the far left in the background was Western RV and their bike line up, to the right in the middle the main stage and production booth and again the concrete stands. These pictures were taken at about 5 pm on Thursday.
The music stage was professionally done and as a result was the jewel of the event however I felt so bad for the bands that played during the day as there was barely a handful of people to watch them. Many expressed to me that since pillows and the small legless chairs you can get for sitting in bleachers weren't allowed and sitting on the concrete stands in that heat, again with no shade, made them hold off until the night time music.
Many of the riders I talked to that were camping, were frustrated by the quality of the camping areas. I did not venture up there to see that first hand but I am told it was not pretty.
The story in the beer gardens was depressing. Apparently the Liquor Control Board put severe restrictions on their liquor license and as a result there were no chairs or tables allowed in the beer gardens. There was not much in the way of canopies to cover the area and the extreme heat of the sun and the heat of the asphalt made it unbearable to be in it during the day. The slope of the track made standing to enjoy a beverage painful for people like myself who wear braces and many who have no handicap expressed displeasure as well.
The organizers had a tent frame with hose attached to mist yourself, however it was placed in front of the port o potties causing people to have to slog through water to use them.
The gate nazi's (the paid security) were also checking everyone for support gear and motorcycle club patches - another restriction of the liquor license meant those items were not allowed and neither were umbrellas. The presence of the police was oppressive to say the least.
 |
| The beer gardens at about 8 pm on Thursday |
Then there were the poker runs for the various charities - the word from the pub owners and the riders who participated was that every ride got jacked by the cops who were apparently not stopping cagers ONLY bikes and were utter jerks. So again I have to ask the question - who did the organizers piss off? You could not go in and out of the venue without being checked by the cops it was utterly depressing and disgusting - the show of force and their hostile attitudes had many riders vowing they would not be back.
The story in Sicamous however was totally different.
I attended the Sicamous Burn Out Competition and what a PARTY!
There were four police officers who walked around chatting with everyone and they were polite, welcoming and quite enjoyable to be around compared to Sturgis North. The beer gardens had tents, chairs and tables and picnic tables, the entertainment was utterly fabulous and the street was lined with vendors - the free event was extremely well attended!
 |
| FMX Jumping |
 |
 |
| Skills Competition |
 |
| A Quad Stunter |
 |
 |
| West Coast Stunt Team |
 |
| The Beer Gardens |
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| The Band in the Beer Gardens |
My hats off to the CMDRA, Drag Specialties/Parts Canada and the Sicamous Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development for a FABULOUS TIME!
My accommodations for the night were provided by Joe Shmuck's Roadhouse. This is MY FAVORITE place to stay when I am in the area. The food is fantastic, the waitresses are so friendly, there is ample parking and motorcycle ONLY parking. The rooms are wonderful, air conditioned and have great beds. There is tons of tenting space and room for about 8-10 motorhomes - the place was filled!
I love staying here because of the atmosphere and location! Visit their Ad on Our Site to get their contact info by clicking HERE
You can't miss their Riders Welcome banners that grace the entrance either!
I had an opportunity to spend some quality time with Chance from the Riverfront Pub in Grindrod and ended up lending him my PINK rain gear - and he needed to get back to his pub where they were having live entertainment so he wore it - covered by his hoodie of course!
I met tons of riders over supper, many telling me their thoughts on our Rider Friendly phone books and sharing their horror stories over Sturgis North and the police presence.
I met Roger from Cherrie Customs in Kelowna and got an invite to come check out his shop which I intend to do later this week.
After dealing with the charging of electronics and the clearing of memory chips I headed out with Mark Pearson, the owner of Joe Shmuck's and a ton of his riding friends, they were just going for a guided tour of the region, I was heading to the Summer Stomp to see what was shaking out there.
As I pulled into the Stomp, Mark and his friends continued their journey.
Now, last year the Stomp could not get approval for the land they had been holding their rally on so it didn't happen. This year they got a very late approval for a new piece of land to use.
I was so happy to see about 800-1000 people were present. There were campers, tenters, trailers and motorhomes everywhere!
These guys and gals decided not to get a liquor license and so it was a BYOB party, one which through some very proactive thinking, ensure no one had to drink and drive!
You see, they had an agreement with the Hideaway Pub's Liquor Store in Salmon Arm and a shuttle service. You could place your order for beverages, paying a really tiny fee for the shuttle driver of $1 per item ordered, with the gals from the Hospice - the main charity for the Stomp, the shuttle would bring it in to the main tent and they would announce the orders had come in. You could then take it back to your camp or if you did not have a cooler, they would give you tokens and keep your beverages cold for you.
They also sold ice and had a hot beverage swapping program! What innovating and creative thinking!
 |
| My riding buddies from the BC Lone Wolves |
 |
| Vendors Alley and the Food CourtVendors Alley and the Food Court |
 |
| Bull Riding |
 |
 |
Scads of people taking in the action
|
They had multiple vendors which included about 7 or 8 eating options. Everyone was in a great mood until the poker run came back which swelled the crowd to somewhere around - my guess is 1,100 people.
Needless to say that my short speech on standing up for our rights was well received.
You see we have a Police Harassment form on our site. I am asking every rider who was jacked up to fill out a form. We need every photo, every video and every statement from riders right across the country that we can get as we get to take a stand for our rights and freedoms as they are guaranteed under the charter. If we do not fight for our lifestyle we will loose it. If we do not protect our freedoms and right, the same ones our soldiers fight and die for, then we disrespect their memories and sacrifices and guess what, no one else is going to work to preserve them for us if we don't do it!
PLEASE - if you were stopped at an event, on the highway - take the time to fill out a form so we can mount a class action lawsuit and a charter challenge - we have to folks, or be legislated out of existence and or be persecuted, harassed and maligned forever.
Tomorrow I will give you my impressions of Saturday night at Sturgis North along with my opinions on the "Biker Build Off", I will also be delving into the issues with the RCMP more so stay tuned.
For the other news and information that may affect your day or life as a rider, visit www.beltdrivebetty.com where our job is keeping YOU informed!
Ride safe please everyone!
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
This event had so very much potential- however, I can't imagine the producers giving it a third attempt; I heard the term 'epic fail' so frequently over the course of the three days I went (and we had 5 day passes!)I for one will ensure that any events we attend now do not have the name of the Sturgis North producer associated with them in any manner. I feel violated and my wallet's been raped for the exorbitant price of attendance. I tried, I really truly tried to have a good time but so many factors connected to the poor production of the event prevented a fun experience. Next year, it will be the Stomp- everyone knows THEY know how to have a party! And by the way, Renee, YOU ROCK! Should anyone criticize you for any reason, look in the mirror then go to your website and FB and remind yourself how many people love you to pieces, just like we do! Cheers, and ride safe woman! Cindy (NotBeyondHope)
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