Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/714189
47 www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS nSeptember 2016n by Jay Anderson My buddy and I take a road trip each summer and this year we decided to return to Hollister for the reborn Independence Day Rally. Inland from Monterey and south of San Jose and the Bay area, Hollister was the setting of the 1947 "riot" made famous—or infamous—in 1953 by the Marlon Brando fi lm The Wild One. It is also popularly acknowledged as the birthplace of the American biker culture, initially comprised of World War II vets who joined various clubs, or "gangs," as the press of the era called them. Over the Independence Day weekend in 1947, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) sanctioned a Gypsy Tour motorcycle rally in Hollister. Stories differ widely, though it is generally understood many more bikers showed up than were expected, with some reports estimat- ing upwards of 4,000 in attendance. Some got out of hand, though the press wildly exaggerated the situation. Some riders roared their bikes up and down the town's streets and drank in all of the welcoming bars, a theme seized upon by the press. To counter the bad press, the AMA published an article declaring that 99 percent of its members were law abid- ing and only 1 percent were the "out- laws" who created problems. So some believe the term "1%ers" can be traced to that weekend in Hollister in 1947. Also in protest of the bad press, some of the groups cut their patches into three pieces. Later, various sources indicated the whole event was not as bad as made out to be. For good or bad, however, the legend of Hollister was born, with the American biker image indisputably taking shape and the foundation for the biker lifestyle being laid. Over the years the Hollister Rally has been tak- ing place over the July 4th weekend, and we attended a couple of times before problems were encountered. In 2006 the LA Times reported the Hollister City Council was canceling the rally, with complaints about the noise and the reported $250,000– $360,000 cost for security topping the list of the reasons why. In a bit of intrigue, the mayor supported the rally, with the sheriff dead set against it. Over the next few years, the rally was alternatively cancelled or poorly man- aged, with numerous bikers reporting harassment and excessive enforcement by local offi cials. A 2009 report indi- cated there were less than 300 bikes in the town over the rally weekend that year. Whatever the reasons, Hollister was crossed off the list of possible destinations for our annual road trip. In 2013 we learned it was reborn and that reports were generally positive, so it was chosen as this year's road trip destination. Beginning in the San Diego area, planning the route and timing for riding north to connect with the Pacifi c Coast Highway (PCH) is always important. Long experience has taught us that there just doesn't seem to be an ideal way to avoid the Los Angeles traffi c, unless riding in the less-than-ideal wee hours of the night or morning. We settled on an 8:30 a.m. departure, heading up I-15 and then cutting west on the 210 in order to continue onto the 134 and eventually 101. The fi rst couple of hours were good as we connected with the 210 and began the trip west. Even riding in the POV lane, there were stretches of stop and go. One of the worst areas was the junction of I-405. It was warm in the slow-and-go traffi c until we were on the 101 in Ventura heading to Pismo Beach for the night. Once settled in, we eagerly discussed riding north the next morning. For any self-respecting Californian biker, riding the PCH (a.k.a. State Route 1) between San Luis Obispo and Monterey is a must. Heading north, this roughly 135-mile journey is truly a spectacular ride. With the Pacifi c periodically in sight on your left, the ride is most defi nitely not a high-speed rush up the coast. So after a good night's rest, we headed north on the PCH, passing Harmony, Cambria, San Simeon and Ragged Point. This ride is a biker's nirvana, presenting tight twists and turns, up hills and down, and the associated leaning, shifting, braking, accelerating and decelerating. Often the road runs adjacent to the cliffs dropping precipitously down to the ocean, then up hills into the woods. Cool and overcast, the weather was thankfully not as damp as we have experienced in years past. Coming out of a sweeping right corner near Whaleboat Rock, we came upon Gorda, where a mixture of weather-beaten buildings hosts the Whale Watcher Café. On a cool, damp morning it was a no-brainer to stop for a hot drink. Predictably, there were other riders also downing hot coffee or grabbing a meal. One such group included veterans, with whom we spoke after dismounting. Riding south to Morro Bay, they said they were waiting for a chase vehicle carrying some of their ladies. Just then a large SUV whizzed past, as a couple of the guys were yelling and waving at it. Eventually, the SUV found a place to turn around and joined up at the café. After relaxing, warming up with cups of coffee, and enjoying the ocean view, we launched north for the remainder of the ride into Monterey, rolling through more of the same ruggedly beautiful coastal region. Passing Big Sur and Carmel-by-the- Sea, we noted the increasingly heavy traffi c heading south. Then it was a stop for a bite in Monterey prior to turning inland onto the 101 for the fi nal miles into Gilroy, our base for the visit to the rally. Dropping our bags at the motel, we headed back down 101, turning onto SR-25 for Hollister. It was a Friday afternoon and traffi c on 101 was jammed just before the turnoff to SR-25, in part because the southbound roadway narrows from three to two lanes and in part because it was Friday afternoon prior to a holiday weekend. Eventually making the turnoff, we rode the roughly 12 miles to Hollister. Entering the city from the north on San Benito, we found fi ve blocks of the main drag and one block east and west of it closed to everything but motorcycles. It wasn't hard fi nding parking on Friday afternoon, the fi rst day of the rally, so we put the kick- stands down close to Johnny's, the iconic bar on San Benito. Wanting to support the bar that has been instru- mental in bringing back the rally (and also being thirsty), we stopped in for a cold one. Thereafter, we walked around, stopping to listen to the live music and check out the predictable vendors. The main attractions dur- ON THE ROAD TO THE HOLLISTER RALLY The scenic route to biker history A carnival atmosphere awaits See "On the road," page 48, column 1