Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/751464
26 nDecember 2016n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS by Robert Filla NEW ORLEANS, LA., SEPT. 23–25—I left Houston on Thursday, September 23, at 9:21 a.m., the exact moment of the Autumnal Equinox, the fi rst day of fall. Four hundred miles to the east was my destination, New Orleans Bike Week, and it was going to be a great day. Later, after 100 miles of thunderstorms followed by stifl ing heat and many lost hours due to construction snarls and congested traffi c, it was dark and I was lost in the French Quarter. Poor night vision did not help my situation. But after three attempts at obtaining directions (one exasperated gal declared, "I live here and can't fi gure out these streets!"), I fi nally accepted the kindness of a stranger who had me follow him to the on-ramp that led to the bridge crossing the Mississippi to the Westbank and my hotel. I hoped that sunrise would shed light on my misguided sense of direction. The Steel Pony Express was the last major motorcycle rally to be held in the Big Easy and was well on its way to achieving national acclaim. That came to a dramatic and sudden end in the fall of 2005 when Hurricane Katrina forever changed the lives of thousands across the state. The storm and ensuing levy break devastated not only the city but also left the Steel Pony broken beyond repair. New Orleans Bike Week was devised as the fi rst concerted effort to re-establish an annual rally in the city. But this event goes beyond just being a party. Dubbed as "A Rally with a Cause," NOBW teamed with the St. Bernard Project (SBP) to aid those still affected by Katrina, and military veterans in need. Since 2006, the SBP has rebuilt over 600 homes in New Orleans and 1,000 nation- wide in disaster-affected communities. The rally selected to come to the aid of Theo Watson, a former hospital corpsman and emergency room techni- cian in the Marine Corps. After his time in the ser- vice, he worked as a main- tenance mechanic in the oil industry. When Katrina hit, Theo was working in Houston. His family evac- uated their New Orleans home and moved in with him in Texas. They fi nally returned to New Orleans in 2012 to a house that was totally destroyed. Despite numerous roadblocks, Theo and his family are determined to rebuild, and dream of a time when they are able to host a family reunion. Additionally, the rally was raising money for Disabled American Veterans (DAV) by raffl ing off a 2016 Road King. New Orleans Bike Week (some- what a misnomer since it's only a three-day event) was held on the grounds of the Louis Armstrong Park and the Mahalia Jackson Theatre. This location has great potential since it is only four blocks away from Bourbon Street and the heart of the French Quarter. In actuality the "grounds" are the back parking areas comprised of lots of asphalt but scant shade and, although the venue was large, the scant available shade was a premium com- modity. Any shaded areas provided by the few trees on site were immedi- ately appropriated by parked motor- cycles. And although it was a warm weekend, a light afternoon shower on Friday did well to cool things down. One very nice security measure that I witnessed when arriving on Friday was the required twin security bands, one for the bike and one for the bike owner, each with matching registration numbers. Upon leaving the rally site, the bands had to match before rolling through the exit gates or you had a whole lot of explaining to do. The band lineup was extensive, comprised mostly of local talent that ranged from rock to Zydeco. The one "not mostly local" performance was by the Charlie Brechtel Band. Although Brechtel currently resides NEW ORLEANS BIKE WEEK Laissez les bon temps rouler Rallying around the vets—and the crawdad nachos This serious Shovelhead was seen blasting around the rally grounds all weekend The Syrian Slammer and Traumagotchi with the Big Easy Roller Girls were on hand to give a demo "Dubbed as 'A Rally with a Cause,' NOBW teamed with the St. Bernard Project (SBP) to aid those still affected by Katrina, and military veterans in need." See "New Orleans," page 37, column1