Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/727617
12 nOctober 2016n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS the top of the heap when it comes to bucket list destinations. No matter where a rider may bivouac or what kind of activity schedule may be arranged, everyone that scoots into Sturgis comes with a must-do list of places to ride and they set about the task of soaking it all up. From the Devil's Tower to the faces of Rushmore, the Badlands, Deadwood, Spearfi sh Canyon, Custer and the Wildlife Loop, there is certainly magic to be found along the roads beyond the City of Sturgis. While in the city, however, the legendary Main Street serves as the heart of the rally. The street is blocked off, motorcycles nudge up like sardines to park rubber-to-rubber and the party spills out from the storefronts, bars and restaurants. Sidewalks are busy until late in the night. Vendors set up in empty spaces and the resident 6,741 souls move over to make room as the population in their little burg swells into the hundreds of thousands, even during an off year like 2016. With traffi c counts collected from eight different locations during the rally, a total of 329,789 vehicles were tallied over the seven days, which refl ected the lowest attendance ever recorded since they started keeping track back in 1990. According to South Dakota's offi cial rally traffi c count, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has had a steady decline since 2000, with the exception of anniversary years like 2005, 2010, and 2015. Even so, the actual traffi c count differs greatly from the offi cial number the city releases after they use their complicated magic formula of garbage collected, rooms rented, cars cruising and any other factor they choose to toss into the equation that seems to result in grossly infl ated fi gures that don't refl ect the reality of what walking the streets and rid- ing the canyons will tell you. Initial numbers indicate a 30 to 40 percent drop in overall attendance, which most businesses were expecting after a banner year like the 75th. Basically, 2016 was the mellowest rally we've ever seen, unless you consider the weather, that is. From raging hail and lightning to buckets of rain, there were daily displays of Mother Nature's wrath throughout the week as riders con- tinued on with their partying by just adding rain gear. Bikers watched the heavens as promoters rearranged schedules accordingly and held bike show award ceremonies a little earlier or cut events a bit short in an effort to dodge the downpours. Places like the Iron Horse and Broken Spoke on Lazelle had a constant fl ow of foot traffi c since folks could get out of the weather easily and the Sidehack, Knuckle and One-Eyed Jack's Saloons were favorite hang- outs downtown. Kid Rock, who has garnered a reputation for bringing the rain with him when he performs at the Buffalo Chip, still held court Sunday night after a storm drenched patiently-waiting ticketholders for over an hour. Even though it was announced that a nasty storm was imminent and shelter should be sought, the crowd stayed put and stood in front of the stage to watch the dazzling display of lightning bolts that lit up the sky. By the time Kid Rock took the stage it was almost midnight. He was overheard backstage to say, "I'm not sure who I'd stand in the rain for an hour and a half to see, but let's go give these kids a show!" And he certainly did. By the second song the crowd had completely forgotten about the wait, or the wet. By Monday morning riders were ready to roll out for a week of local fundraising efforts through events like the Legends Ride, Biker Belles and the Freedom Ride, which, collec- Sturgis Continued from page 1 Photo by Mark Schmidt The Buffalo Chip is an exciting hotbed of sights and activities during the Sturgis motorcycle rally Downtown Main Street welcomes riders and has a constant fl ow of traffi c in between the tightly parked motorcycles