Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/617259
24 nJanuary 2016n www.thunderpress.net by Felicia Morgan SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ., NOV. 6–7—Scottsdale Harley-Davidson was hosting the fourth annual Bob's Biker Blast, which has been a pretty big blowout in years past, so when a notice went out to the press that there's a "not to be missed" gig about to go down out on Hayden Road, we scribblers hustled on over to check out the fes- tivities. Against the backdrop of mild fall weather, invited dignitaries like the governor of the state of Arizona as well as the CEO of Harley-Davidson were milling about with familiar faces like Panhead Billy and emcee Jack Shit as a variety of circus performers hung suspended from giant hoops, a talented gal cruised the grounds while fl inging fi re pots from chains, and a band fi lled the patio with background music. And that was just day one of the two-day event. As it turned out, the weekend kicked off with an offi cial ribbon cut- ting for the grand opening on Friday afternoon. Owner Bob Parsons pulled out all the stops as bombs were burst- ing in air at the end of "The Star Spangled Banner" and he took the podium to announce that even though he wasn't offi cially allowed to say the words "biggest dealership in the world," he was happy to say that, in reality, Scottsdale actually is the larg- est Harley-Davidson dealership in the world. Harley-Davidson's President and CEO Matt Levatich stood in the wings laughing and giving the thumbs up as Parsons beamed. Scottsdale H-D's General Manager Doug Roessing served as master of ceremonies and introduced Arizona Governor Doug Ducey as well as the city's mayor, Jim Lane, before the state's well-known sheriff Joe Arpaio took the podium. Next to the famous Wyatt Earp, there isn't a more noto- rious lawman in the entire country. Known for his less-than coddling treat- ment of local inmates who he requires wear pink underwear and eat meatless meals as he houses them in a tent city even during the 120-degree heat of the summer, the colorful Arpaio took his sweet time in lamenting over his pull- ing over Elvis Presley on his Harley back in the 1950's and his affi liation with Parsons over the years. He also jokingly threatened to not return the leather Harley jacket the dealership had loaned him for the photo ops and he appeared to make everyone nervous as he enjoyed his time in the limelight. Mayor Jim Lane resorted to heckling the sheriff at one point, which didn't faze Arpaio one bit. Matt Levatich, however, tried to focus on the Harley- Davidson brand's family values and commitment to customer service while the big scissors stood at the ready. Parsons, the founder of GoDaddy whose estimated wealth (according to Forbes) is roughly $2.4 billion, also owns GO AZ and a stroll down the block offers trips across Ducati, BMW and Yamaha showroom fl oors, just to name a few of the nine other brands he offers for sale. As of this spring, he also got into the business of manufacturing golf clubs, just in case you want to spend $5,000 on a set of sticks to use on the golf course he also owns. According to the local business journal, Parsons has sunk an estimated $200 million into real estate in the Phoenix area and it appears that 4TH ANNUAL BOB'S BIKER BLAST SCOTTSDALE H-D'S GRAND OPENING Giving on a grand scale Flooring for almost 500 motorcycles is a big part of the 150,000-square-feet of area at the Scottsdale dealership, a.k.a. the biggest Harley-Davidson dealership in the world The big scissors took center stage as dignitaries joined owner Bob Parsons in the offi cial ribbon cutting during the dealership's grand opening