Biketoberfest 2008 - Old School Chopper Show

Thursday morning dawned sunny, bright and I was headin' to my favorite Bike Show during Biketoberfest and Bike Week - Willie's Ol' Skool Chopper Show at Tropical Tattoo. This is the show for folks that appreciate building a bike to ride. No $50k bolt on parts; no $10,000 paint jobs. Just bikes folks build in their garages to ride.

I rode out about 9:30, hooked up with half of our Jacksonville writing team, Tim (below with a Dixie Biker Hello as we headed over the Granada Bridge) and headed to the Deadwood Saloon on US Hwy 1 across from the Iron Horse. I hadda drop by to pick up our Dixie Biker Illustrated Biketoberfest 2008 spokesmodel, Missi R. She was gonna be the Hot Chick part of the Ol' Skool Chopper Show.

After loadin' Missi on the DixieGlide, in Boots' seat (Boots was comin' in the pick-up cuz of her broken leg and wheel chair), we headed south on Hwy 1 about six miles to Tropical Tattoo. We hadda get in early to get things set before the hordes started arriving! Before I forget ... I gotta give a shout-out and thanks to my bro Ronnie, owner of Deadwood Saloon and McHenry's Irish Pub in Flagler Beach, for lettin' us hijack Missi for the day. She's workin' a beer tub at the Deadwood Saloon the entire 10 days of Biketoberfest and we kinda 'borrowed' her for the day. She'll be back workin' today (Friday) and thru the weekend, and will definitely be on hand for our Dixie Biker Biketoberfest Happy Hours party tonight!


The Ol' Skool Bike Show registration 'officially' starts at 12 Noon, ends at 2 o'clock and then the judges do their thing. Those in the know, however, start arrivin' by 11 am and Marcus graciously gets 'em registered and parked. Though this bike (below) isn't what the show's all about, Chopper Dan outta Jacksonville asked Missi if she'd git on it for a couple of pictures before the lot got jammed.

Looks pretty good, doncha think? Nice lines, huh?

Each year we've met hundreds of folks enterin' their bikes in the show, and are also surprised by some of the industry's long time chopper builders droppin' by. Below is Dave Perowitz with Willie and Missi.

In true-to-the-core old school fashion, Willie doesn't pay appearance fees, endorsement fees or any shit like that. The builders drop by to see what folks like you and I are buildin' in their garages with help from small, local shops or wrenches. They may be 'famous', but they're true to their roots and just wanna git out and see y'all - the real deal folks buildin' for the love of ridin' the open road. Not buildin' those pieces of crap Bike Night bar-hoppin', bolt-on chrome from a catalog bikes with thirteen miles a month on the odo. But I digress ...
Missi was lookin' fine as hell in her basic black bikini, but Willie wanted to get her in a Tropical Tattoo "I'm Not You're Role Model" tee. No problemo. She got one on but Boots (though a little hindered with her full-leg cast) hadda make some modifications after Missi said "C'mon Boots, help me out here ... make me HOT!"

"Shoot, girl," replied Boots. "You're hot-as-hell as it is, but com 'ere - I'll hook ya up."


Well Boots hooked her up and Missi was hot so of course I hadda get a picture of her with the Dixie Glide.



Then Chopper Dan decided he needed some more pictures of Missi on his bike so he rolled it around back and we kinda did our thing. He promised Missi a good tip for some pictures ...



' Course anytime you get a hot chick on a chopper you're gonna git lotsa whore-doggin' men around shootin' pictures. Least the folks were generous with the dollar bills when Boots hollered, "Tips, boys! She's gotta make a livin'!"


Our West Coast writer-rep, Dice, rode over for the day with his road bro Magic. Ya know I hadda get a picture of them ...



... and then a shot of the lovely Missi on Dice's awesome Shovelhead.


This bike show is what livin' in the Southland's all about - good folks hangin' at a local joint, shootin' the shit under a couple of old oak trees out back, sippin' beers and tellin' lies. Then every year, guaranteed, you'll see some shit that just makes you say, "WTF?!" And some crazy dude, like Noah (below), rides up on something he put together in the back yard under that ol' oak tree. This is the PBR Bobber. Course he didn't put it in the show, he just rode up to check out the bikes and then folks were checkin' out his shit, shakin' their heads, laughin' and sayin', "WTF" or something similiar. Way to go, Noah.

I hadda take a picture of Dennis Panzik, artist extraordinnaire who does all my paint, airbrush and mural work, cuz he was wearin' one of our not-so-world-famous Dixie Biker Gun Shirts.


The back yard is great for parkin' -- if ya get in early. If you come in late it's across the street or next door for the bikes not in the show. Frontside is reserved for Show Bikes.

GI Bill rode in from Ft. Hood, TX for the show. He recently retired from the Army and had the time to ride his Pirate themed bike across the Southland. I took this picture early in the day, and later on Bill was rewarded with a Show Trophy - I forget which class.

While the show was goin' on, the Willie's ink-slingin' crew were inside workin' -- Tropical Tattoo is a workin' Tattoo Shop, after-all. And that reminds me -- I gotta talk to Willie about some kinda special party. They'll be celebratin' their 20th Anniversary at this location this year. Man-oh-man - twenty years. Here yesterday, today and tomorrow. With that kinda history, why in the hell do folks go to little tents or trailers to get some ink during Biketoberfest and Bike Week? I don't understand that -- what in the hell are they thinkin'? Some scratcher that's gonna be gone in two days when ya got a shop that's been in the same location for twenty friggin' years. Oh well ... I'll get off the soap box. Below is Bosco layin' down some art on Justin.




Willie and Company started givin' out awards a little early - around 3:30 instead of the 4 pm annouced time ("Man, Monk, it's friggin' hot, bro! Can you bring Missi up now instead of at 4 o'clock? I'm gonna start the awards at 3:30 cuz it was so friggin' hot!" Good call, bro!

On the way out front, I ran into old friend and long-time advertiser in Dixie Biker, Andy Anderson, owner of Custom Iron in Deleon Springs, and his world famous rat shovelhead. "Yo, Andy!" I hollered. "Com'ere. I gotta git a "Beauty and the Beast" picture!" Oh, by-the-way, Sandy: I put him up to it. Kick my ass next time you see me, not Andy's!



We got around front finally and immediately ran into Billy Lane of Choppers, Inc. A good ol' Florida home boy who builds awesome, one-of-a-kind bikes famous throughout the land. But, like I said earlier, he's one of the ones who keeps it about Bikers - not YUP RUB weekend ten-mile ridin' folks.


Anyhow, first award of the show was "Billy Lane's Chopper, Inc. Choice Award." The proud winner had an awesome Panhead which was his daily ride. Here he gets congratulations from Billy and told the crowd a little about his ride.


Roadside Marty, MC of the Show, was whinin' (above) about not seein' enuff boobs and ass so he made an announcement beggin' and pleadin' for some hotties to give him a shot. Some pretty ladies obliged the fat boy, gave him the view then turned to the crowd.

'Course all the camera hadda come out then!


One of the class winners with Missi.

Roadside Marty got a big surprise when his Shovelhead was chosen as Cycle Source Editor's Choice for the Show. He's been MCin' an judgin' the show for several years, but was really surprised this year! He was so excited he swept Missi off her feet. Look at that big ol' shit-eatin' grin on his face. "Just goes to show you can get an awesome ride for under $5 grand," he told everyone.

Dixie Biker readers Chuck and Lori (above) rode in from Interlachen and went home with an award for best Rat Bike. Congratulations to you guys! Then reader Jimmy, from Weeki Watchee (right) got his picture with Missi. He won the Panhead class after ridin' in straight from Ohio. He hadn't even made it home to the West Coast of Florida. "I wouldn't miss this show, Monk," he told me. "First heard about it through Dixie Biker five or six years ago and I've been comin' ever since and it looks like it finally paid off for me. I've been coveting this award. It's the best chopper show on the planet! Thank you Willie and Company and DBI! You guys keep it real."

By the time Missi and I loaded up around 5 o'clock, the back yard had pretty mcuh emptied out, the shadows were gittin' long and it was good to get back in the breeze.

It was a long, hot, but absolutely great day. Hangin' with awesome people, kick-ass bikes, a great host in Willie and Company, and not to mention gittin' to hang out with our Spokesmodel Missi all day. Man, it don' git no mo' better 'an 'at, y'all.

Hope to see y'all on Thursday of Bike Week 2009 for the next iteration of this awesome show.