The sentiment was heard again and again at the motorcycle rally’s revival July 5 and 6 in downtown Hollister: Bikers were ecstatic to be back in historic Hollister, and they were thrilled to see the bikes back on San Benito Street.
Hollister officials sanctioned the city’s signature event, the Independence Day motorcycle rally, for the first time in five years. The city hired North Carolina-based Worldwide Dynamics and CEO Mark Cresswell to run the rally, the return of which gained momentum by the election of Mayor Ignacio Velazquez last November.
This year’s rally was held over two days as opposed to three days for previous events and was busier in the mornings than usual on both days. By 11 a.m. on Friday, lines of motorcycle riders were stopped at intersections along San Benito Street, ready to make the ride down the main drag. During the first official rally since 2008, many riders were almost giddy to get back on their bikes in the place known as the “Birthplace of the American Biker” – a title earned through the city’s attachment to the 1947 Boozefighter-led invasion into the town that inspired the “The Wild One.”
Earl Bernal, of San Jose, said he has been riding a motorcycle for 46 years, since he was age 15.
“It’s awesome,” he said during the rally, of having the event back. “It’s cool because it’s a close ride for us. There are no major rallies in the area.”
He really enjoyed seeing all the bikes and looking at the women who showed up.
“At my age, you’re only looking,” he said.
At each downtown intersection Friday, volunteers stopped motorcyclists to allow pedestrians to cross San Benito Street. By noon, the main street was full of foot traffic with people flowing into the side streets as well. Vendors were set up along Fifth, Sixth and Seventh streets.
Chiquita Logoria, of Ventura, said she had come to the rally for the first time “looking for guys.” She and friend Stella Lopez, also of Ventura, had patches on their leather jackets that read “805” to represent their area code.
“It’s just fun wandering around and looking at everybody,” Lopez said.
Ken and Lucia Reather drove from the Paso Robles area for the rally. They stopped in Monterey on Thursday night and then headed to Hollister early Friday.
They said they had been to the rally in the past and heard about its revival from a friend who lives in San Juan Bautista. He said they’ve been riding for eight years.
“I usually look at the motorcycles, and if I see something on there I like I go buy that,” he said.
Max Flores, of Union City, said his last time in Hollister was two or three years ago, at the annual Corbin Motors gatherings over the July 4 weekend.
“It’s nice to see all the bikes out here and the people walking around, having a good time,” Flores said. “It’s nice. I don’t know why they shut it down. I know why they shut it down, because they had problems here and there.”
Visitors like Flores were relatively calm but festive. Vendor booths stayed busy throughout the event, while vendors themselves were excited about the number of people who showed up.
Tim Melody, owner of Old School Eyewear in Orange County, said he had been selling at Hollister rallies since 1999 and was one of the “longest-term vendors.”
“You’re on the right track,” he said, also pointing to the bikes on the main drag as a major plus. “I’m supposing that everybody in this town will be happy in terms of the amount, of bringing equity.”
As of late Friday, he called the event “a slam-dunk success” and said his sales were as good as they were in 2006.
Aside from happy vendors and motorcycles on the main drag, the volunteer presence was prominent at the rally. The Christian Motorcyclists Association was particularly involved, taking on traffic control, Bike Games and other duties.
San Jose’s Dale Cotten was one of the Christian Motorcyclists Association volunteers at the event. He was watching over the entrance to the Veterans Memorial Building late Friday.
“We’re a service organization to the biker community,” he said, calling the group one of the largest biker clubs in the area. “Our goal is to bring Christ to motorcyclists.”
