Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/714189
40 nSeptember 2016n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS by Beandip Photos by Felicia Morgan VENTURA, CALIF., JUNE 25–26—A blistering June sun rose over the 17-acre Oak Canyon Ranch in Orange County for the eighth running of an incredible Southern California phenomenon known as the Born Free Chopper Show. Over the course of two days, some 35,000 attendees were treated to a sensory overload of all things chopper. Everywhere you turned there were cool bikes, literally thousands of them. From home-built rust buck- ets to gleaming chrome show ponies meticulously crafted for the show by 25 invited builders, the weekend was a celebration of two-wheeled custom culture on a truly massive scale. For those in the know, Born Free Chopper Show is the undisputed Woodstock of the chopper world and the do-or-die, don't-miss event of the year. If you want to be accurate, the weekend actually started on Thursday and Friday when several pre-parties raged all across the territory, as folks rolled in from everywhere. From Inglewood's Garage Company, to Loser Machine, to Cook's Corner just down the road from the event site, early arrivers got the party started in fi ne style. As Saturday dawned, one ques- tion remained: with triple digits and high humidity predicted all weekend, would the faithful really come out to roast together in this roaring SoCal heat? The answer arrived by the tens of thousands from every corner of the globe, straddling every conceivable iteration of two-wheeled thunder you could possibly think of, and a few you couldn't. One of those arrivals from afar was some guy named Willie G. Davidson, who, along with his wife Nancy, has been an enthusiastic sup- porter of this event since day one. Of course, while every brand under the sun was represented in the massive show, Harley-Davidson was naturally the overwhelming brand of choice for builders and riders. A grinning Willie G. could be seen all over the park, checking out the sweet iron and greet- ing fans. Started in 2008, Born Free is the brainchild of Grant Peterson and Mike Davis. Their fi rst show was thrown together in just 30 days and drew 200 bikes and 400 people. Oh, how they have grown, though they still like to think of it as a "glorifi ed barbecue." Grant and Mike's grassroots vision, heart and enthusiasm is the catalyst for the show's popularity. To understand why this show has captured the imagination of so many you needn't look much further than their mission statement: "The Born- Free Show is about the love of old motorcycles and like-minded indi- viduals having a good time together and enjoying these bikes of the past. It is also a family event, young and old alike are welcome to come out and enjoy the show. This show is meant to unite people from all walks of life by bringing the passion that we all have of these old machines together for two special days." Admission for the event was $10 a day, or you could purchase a Grass Pass, which allowed you to park inside the show. If camping is your style, then you could throw down your bed- roll at Camp Born Free next door to the show site. Once inside, there were lots of things to grab your attention: Rhett Rotten's thrilling Wall of Death show was incredibly popular as the never-ending line to go up the stairs attested. Two stages hosted every kind of band imaginable from the likes of the legendary Fryed Brothers Band, the Freight Shakers, Hell's Belles and others that kept everyone's toes tap- ping with good sounds all weekend. On Saturday, San Diego Customs hosted an FXR show within the show. As you probably know, FXR people are just a little different and religiously devoted to their chosen model. Over 80 entrants showed their love for brute horsepower and metal, including Bonneville racer Wink Eller's 135-inch beast. With a whopping 180 venders, there was no shortage of cool swag to pick up. From Harley-Davidson's BORN-FREE CHOPPER SHOW 8 Sensory overload A celebration of two-wheeled culture Truer words were never spoken The legendary Fryed Brothers Band made Sunday even hotter Ho hum, just another fantastic panhead