The Hollister Motorcycle Rally passed the first of two tests
toward resurrecting a tradition that was built to last yet too
flawed to continue down the same, bumpy path.
The Hollister Motorcycle Rally passed the first of two tests toward resurrecting a tradition that was built to last yet too flawed to continue down the same, bumpy path.
The question answered this past weekend was whether Horse Power Promotions’ privately publicized event – after last year’s cancellation of the 1997-born Hollister Independence Rally – would draw the same massive core of bikers from throughout California, the country and even overseas.
There’s no question telling by the streams of visitors consistently perusing San Benito Street’s lineup of vendors and the scattering of motorcycles – they came and they saw.
The second and ultimate test, however, comes next year. Will they return?
Hollister had tradition to rely on in luring visitors back to the Birthplace of the American Biker in 2007.
This year’s event carried a much different ambiance, though, especially the No. 1 beef heard over the weekend about the endless river of motorcycles from previous rallies being moved off San Benito Street. It had been, in a sense, the rally’s identity.
Organizers saw the change as necessary to improve overall safety and congestion – and to provide a more enticing avenue for vendors.
What organizers and Horse Power Promotions must do for 2008 is somehow retool the rally’s identity. They had a shorter than usual timeframe to plan this year’s event. So work should start immediately on identifying this year’s flaws, finding a way to spice up the main drag or some other area where bikes are the focus and creating some sort of personality for Hollister other than its history.
Most important, organizers must listen to the customers and adjust where possible.
This year’s rally did, however, show there’s life to this party.
People, in general, seemed happy to be back. Authorities, with less congestion, and to their credit, avoided any major public safety catastrophes. Downtown merchants, restaurants and bars saw the usual boost in business and, perhaps, more foot traffic than usual with expanded walking room between vendors and storefronts. And a range of entertainment kept the bikers coming back through Sunday evening.
What also stood out about this rally, as it has in the past, was an extraordinary dedication from many police officers, public officials and volunteers who worked long, sun-drenched hours to keep it running smoothly.
It wasn’t hard to find either Police Chief Jeff Miller or City Manager Clint Quilter downtown because they were among the most active workers this weekend, as were countless volunteers.
With the rally’s future and reputation still on the line, though, the quality of promotion and planning over the next 12 months will determine whether Hollister remains among the most respected biker towns in America. The test, even with the 2007 version now behind us, has just begun.
