Posted on 06/04/2008 9:44:19 AM PDT by Squawk 8888
PORT DOVER, Ont. --
"Get your motor runnin' Head out on the highway Lookin' for adventure And whatever comes our way" -- Steppenwolf
The buzzing sound is like a bunch of angry hornets disturbed by some careless kid whacking their nest with a stick. It fills the air for miles and lasts all day long.
That buzzing is actually the sound of thousands of motorcycles rolling down the highway. If you live in Norfolk County, it can only mean one thing -- it must be Friday the 13th.
Whenever that date appears during the year, bikers, riders and motorcycle enthusiasts from all over North America descend on the little Lake Erie beach town of Port Dover (pop. 6,000). This year, the party is scheduled for June.
Last July, the largest gathering yet, the streets of the town seemed to swell to accommodate about 150,000 people as Port Dover (just "Dover" to the locals) celebrated its 25th year hosting the motorcycle mania. This year Guinness World Records will be visiting Dover to confirm they host at least 100,000 visitors and 10,000 motorcycles for a record one-day event.
Now, unlike the subjects of the Steppenwolf song ((the group played at last year's event) -- and unlike Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper of Easy Rider fame -- this is a gathering of "motorcycle enthusiasts." These bikers are mainly Weekend Warriors who love to get out on the open road.
Of course there are also members of certain well-known "motorcycle clubs" who attend as well but they are balanced by the "Christian Bikers" who set up their own display. Last summer, many children came along, too, as families from all over the continent trucked in their bikes and crowded into campgrounds for a holiday prior to the day itself.
"There are literally hundreds of volunteers who set up this event," Keith Swarts, chair of the PD13 Committee, said. "We coordinate with all the essential organizations in the county -- emergency services, fire, medical -- to make this a fun, safe event. This is great for the entire community -- even the various churches set up breakfast and lunch venues."
The scene is reminiscent of a huge community street party. Millions of dollars worth of custom made machines line Main St. while proud bike owners answer any and all questions from the curious crowds that pack the 10 blocks of downtown Dover. No four-wheeled vehicles are allowed on the streets as the entire town becomes a pedestrian walkway. There are parking lots in fields outside of town, and visitors and locals are bussed in.
There has never been a problem in the 25-year history of the event. The Ontario Provincial Police make a very commanding statement on all the surrounding highways and foot patrols through town. But these teams mainly just assist with crowd control. It's a party.
"We just take the door off its hinges," Sheila Skinkaruk, manager of On The Fringe leather goods said, "because the store is just so jammed all day long." In this case, all day extends from 8:30 a.m. to midnight.
"The regular weekend staff of three jumps to 20 or 25 just for the Friday," she added.
The shop sells not only thousands of souvenir T-shirts that day but also hundreds of leather jackets, chaps, coats and silver buckles.
"The crowds were there, waiting for coffee and pastries, when we came in at 6 a.m. to get the store ready," said chef Anthony Stingo of his Imaginations Fine Foods. "The lineup continued, non-ending, until we ran out of food in the late evening."
No one talks about their monetary proceeds for the day -- surprisingly one of the few things actually kept secret in this small community. Like so many conversations in a small town, gossip abounds -- but facts are rare.
Bar owners are notoriously closed-mouthed about the hundreds (and hundreds) of kegs of suds served during the day. Restaurants owners don't discuss the tons of chicken wings, pounds of perch or miles of footlong hot dogs zooming out of the kitchen in record numbers for hours on end. But students have been known to put themselves through a year of school on the tips they haul in on a busy Friday the 13th.
"Friday the 13th is a tremendous opportunity for not only the merchants but the local service clubs," Board of Trade president Andrew Schneider said. As the owner of the Erie Beach Hotel, he and his staff are operating on full throttle for a very long day.
However, by Saturday morning, "everything is cleaned up and ready for a normal weekend," Schneider said.
As for accommodations, well, most people rebooked when they left last year. So if you plan to attend, make it a day trip unless you can bunk in with friends with a cottage in the area.
"Annual visitors have already booked for the next summer Friday 13, which is in August 2010," Skinkaruk said.
So if you want to kick off the summer in style with a good old-fashioned street party in one of Ontario's premier beach towns -- and help make the Guinness World Records -- head out on the highway down to Port Dover on June 13.
Canadian Hooligan ping.
What, is there going to be a 2 stroke rally?
Mark
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