As a business owner in Hollister who is grievously affected by the lack of a rally, my frustration continues to mount. I’ve sadly observed as every year without a rally the number of people who make the journey to Hollister on Fourth of July weekend declines. Thank God for Mike and the folks at Corbin. His annual Rider Appreciation Day, this year held on June 30th, draws thousands of motorcyclists to Hollister. Local media did not find it newsworthy, but last year the Corbin Open House drew an estimated 5,500 attendees. I would guess that somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 of them made it downtown and for a short time it looked like the good old days on San Benito Street. Without Corbin’s efforts, Hollister would have been a ghost town; if only we could talk him into a two-day event.
On Saturday July 2, 2011, I stepped outside of Johnny’s around noon and took in the view of motorcycles parked on both sides of San Benito Street from Fourth to Seventh Streets. It seemed that the folks who drove cars were considerate enough to park on the side streets so the motorcyclists could call San Benito their own. If the town’s people did not want bikers here they certainly wouldn’t have made such an effort. It warmed my heart and made me proud of our citizenry.
At Johnny’s we all miss the days of lines of people waiting patiently just to get in the door, employees running everywhere trying to keep up and tip jars overflowing. I really miss the extra money in our bank account. Every year we put some of the funds in the bank for the leaner times and reinvested the rest in the bar. Whether it was having Rowe upholstery recover our bar stools, purchasing new patio furniture at Kmart or buying a new printer for my office at Staples, most of the money went right back into our community.
In an ever-declining economy our rally is more needed than ever. Despite these turbulent times the motorcycle industry is thriving. In 2011 Polaris who purchased Indian Motorcycles posted a 43% increase in sales by the second quarter. Harley Davidson’s 4th quarter report showed increases from 11% to 7.5% in everything from motorcycles and parts to accessories and apparel. The once floundering industry is showing growth in all sectors while economic reports show a serious decline in the gross national product as well as the national income. Motorcycle enthusiasts are spending their hard earned money on all things motorcycle.
Despite these turbulent times the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally experienced only a 10% decrease in attendance in 2011 which they attributed to the rising cost of fuel and the uncertain economy. Rally promoters felt that considering all, they had a very good year. Attendance for their one week event was an estimated 416,727. That’s almost half the population of the entire state of South Dakota yet less than half of the city of San Jose fifty miles north of Hollister. According to their rally surveys, 75% are returning visitors with 40% visiting six to 25 times. Sixty five percent begin planning their trip 6 to 12 months in advance with 39% planning 12 months ahead of time. The estimated economic impact to the city of Sturgis, the Black Hills and the State of South Dakota is $816,893,000.
Why can’t our city officials and those in California’s capital see the potential of the Hollister rally? With feasibly hundreds of thousands of attendees within a 100-mile radius, the sky is the limit. Extended vacations would be on many bikers’ agendas. Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz, San Francisco and more wineries than any connoisseur could hope to visit are less than a two hour ride away. Our weather is the best in the country. When was the last time it rained in the area in July? Sturgis attendees never know if the sky is going to open up and dump on them and yet they brave the long ride despite it.
Hollister is the only city in the world that has the distinction of being called the Birth Place of the American Biker and most people believe that not capitalizing on it is makes our city officials look like blockheads. Cities all over the United States are trying to initiate motorcycle rallies because they see the potential of them while our city and county officials turn their backs on our heritage. It’s maddening!
There has been talk that the city is once again entertaining the idea of a rally in 2013 and that council members have been in touch with promoters. I’d like to get excited but I know that no promoter in his right mind will sign up for our rally if he is expected to pay all of the law enforcement costs without limits. It is impossible for a promoter to make any money on the event while being expected to shell out more than $400,000 before he even gets started. I’m hopeful that Robbie Scattini once again on the city council, with his extensive law enforcement background and a passion for the rally, can bring about change. He will of course need more support than he received in 2006.
Despite the fact that some city council members see the value in our rally, unless they give a reasonable budget for law enforcement to Chief Miller or whoever they choose to put in his place, on a temporary or permanent basis, a financially viable event will not take place. My prayer is that the council will choose a person for the position who will take into consideration the trickledown theory of what the rally does for our local economy as a whole and won’t let fear be the deciding factor when hiring law enforcement for the event.
If the California Tourism Industry got on board and gave the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce and Hollister Downtown Association a little guidance we could easily put on a rally that would rival Sturgis. It is paramount that these local business entities get completely on board and embrace the rally as a venue to bring money into our community. If they did so volunteers who believe in the rally would line up to help and the many non-profits who valued the rally could assist them while earning money for their worthy causes.
One of the reasons the Sturgis Rally is so successful is that outside venues give motorcycle enthusiasts plenty to do. We have plenty of property in the area for outside venues and if the event was handled well and promoted right it would generate much needed funds for the entire state of California. Counties within a 50-mile radius and beyond would benefit, giving a much needed boost to our lousy economy. Maybe then the state would go back to offering free law enforcement assistance as they did from 1997 until 2003.
If you feel a rally offers many benefits to Hollister and want to enjoy it again please email, write and call your city council members and share your thoughts. In the meantime please keep the Birth Place of the American Biker alive and celebrate our 65th anniversary by getting those bikes out and visiting Corbin and local businesses on Fourth of July weekend.
Charisse Tyson owns Johnny’s Bar & Grill in Hollister.
