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Have you ever wanted to meet a famous person of moto-celebrity? Well, here’s your chance! Check back for an updated 2013 guest list and join special guests for next year’s 6th annual Legends Ride.
Thanks to the Special Guests who attended this year’s Legends Ride!
Rod Woodruff - Sturgis Buffalo Chip, Sturgis SD
Rod Woodruff is the owner and operator of the Legendary Buffalo Chip in Sturgis. Rod transformed what was 20 acres of leased land into a 560 acre entertainment venue. The Chip is consistently filled with top name musical and entertainment acts, including icons like Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, Kid Rock, and Ozzy Osbourne. He has turned the Buffalo Chip into the focal point of the Sturgis Rally. Rod maintained an active law practice and developed real estate for 20 years before retiring and turning all of his time to maintaining one of the top party venues in America. Rod's family, including his wife, Carol, and his three children, Toni, Chase, and Daymon, assist in the management of the Buffalo Chip. For more information on Rod and on the Buffalo Chip, visit www.buffalochip.com. |
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Arlen Ness – Arlen Ness Enterprises – Dublin, CA
Arlen Ness, known as “The King of Choppers,” has made a name for himself in the motorcycling world by building some of the most iconic custom motorcycles in the industry over a 40-year career. Ness started out painting motorcycles in his garage in San Leandro, CA and continued on to hone in on his custom bike building and painting skills. He opened a parts store on East 14th Street in Oakland and eventually expanded to create his first catalog. Ness’ 1947 Knucklehead named Untouchable catapulted him to fame after he restored it to the way it looked in the 60s. In the fall of 2005, Ness moved his business to Dublin, CA where he opened a larger, modern facility called Arlen Ness Motorcycles, which included a museum featuring more than 40 of his custom bikes. He has been collaborating with Victory Motorcycles since 2004 and annually produces a factory custom for the American V-Twin manufacturer. |
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Bean’re – The Mayor of Fun
Bean’re, the globe-trotting biker gypsy, is best known as the Mayor of Fun. A professional tourist by trade, he spends over 11 months a year traveling on two wheels, logging over 300,000 miles on his customized Road King chopper. Famous for being the richest man alive with no money, he hits bike rallies from Canada to Australia, is a regular on the Legends Ride and has been to the Sturgis Rally every year since 1990. Bean’re is not only known for his ability to put long miles on a bike, he’s a stunt rider, performing balancing acts not heard of on a heavy Harley. You can catch Bean’re getting his Sturgis on at The Chip, riding on the Legends Ride, or on his web page year round at www.everythingbeanre.com
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Brian Klock – Klockwerks Kustom Cycles, Mitchell SD
Brian Klock is the President of Klock Werks, Inc. He began to cash in on his entrepreneurial dreams in 1997, when he opened up his first shop, a 700 square foot building in Mitchell. Since then, he has constructed Klock Werks into a large business, with 17 employees and over 7000 square feet of space to work freely. Brian saw his hard work and creativity pay off early in his career, with constant articles and stories of himself and his company becoming features in national and international publications. He has received numerous awards for his skilled bike building. He was named the winner of the Discovery Channel show “Biker Build Off,” he has been the featured bike builder for various rides and shows, and he was hand-picked by renowned motorcycle photographer Michael Lichter to construct a bike to be featured in his Motorcycles as Art exhibitions at the Buffalo Chip during previous years at the Sturgis Rally. For more information on Brian and on Klock Werks, visit www.kustombaggers.com |
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Charlie Brechtel – Bikers Inner Circle – Copperopoils, CA
Charlie Brechtel, a composer, arranger, songwriter and producer of 35 years, has opened for the likes of John Lee Hooker, Gregg Allman and Aaron Neville and played at events such as The Cowboys on the Coast, Hollister Rally, and Harley Davidson’s 105th Anniversary. Brechtel’s three albums, “Made in the USA,” “Freedom,” and “Iron Buffalo” received rave reviews from Easyriders Magazine, Thunder Press and V-Twin. Each CD tells the story of motorcycle clubs and bikers with songs dedicated to Dave Mann, Wino Willie, Rogue, Billy Lane and Indian Larry. Brechtel’s newest addition, “Iron Voodoo,” brings him back to his New Orleans roots and features special guests Erik Buell, Bill Hayes and Chris Callen, making it a truly legendary classic. Brechtel has been named “The Ambassador” in the motorcycle community thanks to his music crossing all the roads in America. |
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Cris Sommer-Simmons – American Motorcycle Girl – Haiku, HI
Cris Sommer-Simmons has long had a love affair with two wheels after first being a passenger on her step-father’s motorcycle at age 9. She rode her first motorcycle solo at age 14 and got her first Harley at age 19. Sommer-Simons has been a member of various organizations such as Women’s International Motorcycle Association, Women in the Wind, AMA, HOG, Motor Maid, and AMA’s Women in Motorcycling. She co-founded the world’s first motorcycle magazine for women called Harley Women in 1985, often riding her motorcycle cross-country to find stories while serving as co-publisher and editor. It was on one of these trips that she met her husband, Doobie Brother Patrick Simmons. Sommer-Simmons has written several books, including her award winning children’s book “Patrick Wants to Ride” and was featured in a documentary on women motorcyclists for Turner Broadcasting called Biker Women. In 2003, Sommer-Simmons was inducted into the National Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Anamosa, Iowa and the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Westerville, Ohio. In 2008 she was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame. She currently rides a 1988 Harley-Davidson VLD and resides in Maui, Hawaii with her husband Pat and three children. |
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Dar Holdsworth – Darwin Motorcycles, Oklahoma City OK
Dar Holdsworth is the owner and operator of Darwin Motorcycles. After spending much of his youth serving his country in the military, Dar turned his attention to his passion, motorcycles. He began his career by opening a successful visual design business, doing whatever it took to earn a fair living. After working on and building bikes in his spare time, he knew his love for motorcycles wasn’t going away. That’s when he developed Darwin Motorcycles with one goal in mind; offer the above average bike to the average Joe. Dar holds many awards in the industry, including featured articles in Iron Works Magazine, as well as reigning in awards as the Production Bobber of the Year by Easy Rider and V-Twin Magazines. He also competes in the World Championship of Bike Building, and has won multiple bike build-offs. For more information on Dar Holdsworth and Darwin Motorcycles, visit www.brassballbobbers.com |
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David Uhl – Uhl Studios – Golden, CO
David Uhl was born in Toledo, OH on Sept. 20, 1961. He began creating drawings early and by the time he graduated high school had decided to pursue a career in art. He excelled at the life drawing and illustration classes at Colorado Institute of Art and soon after graduation formed David Uhl Illustration, an award-winning firm servicing many prominent clients such as FedEx, IBM, Coca-Cola and Time magazine. Uhl acquired a motorcycle in 1988 and made his way to Sturgis for the motorcycle rally where he experienced first-hand the culture of cycling enthusiasts. He entered the Harley-Davidson world of apparel with great success. In early 1996, Uhl started oil painting, after 20 years of producing drawings for commercial clients. In 1998 he began exploring a timeless avenue for Harley-Davidson art. After researching motorcycle imagery from the 1930s and 1940s, Uhl created his first work, “A Change in the Weather.” A year later, he feels like he is still in the infancy of his painting career. |
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Donnie Smith, Donnie Smith Custom Cycles, Blaine MN
Born in 1942, Smith was raised on his parents' dairy farm in Donnelly, Minnesota. After moving to Minneapolis, Smith got into racing dragsters before entering a two-year tour of duty in the United States Army. Upon returning home, Smith opened up Smith Brothers and Fetrow, a race shop/auto parts shop with his brother Happy and his buddy Bob Fetrow. After chopping and raking a motorcycle frame for his uncle Elwood, Smith Brothers and Fetrow caught the rave and began producing motorcycle frames full time, which eventually led to Donnie becoming one of the top designers and fabricators of complete custom built bikes today. For more information on Donnie Smith, visit www.donniesmith.com |
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Greg Valentine – American professional wrestler – Tampa, FL
Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, is an American professional wrestler hailing from Seattle, WA and will be making his Sturgis rally debut at the Legends Ride® event in 2013. Valentine has made a name for himself in wrestling by holding more than 40 championships, including the NWA United States Heavyweight Championships and the WWF Intercontinental Champion. Greg Valentine is an alumnus of the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling and was inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. Valentine traveled Texas in his teen years with his father and during these travels he decided to drop out of college and become a wrestler. His initial ring name was Baby Face Nelson and then later became Johnny Fargo. In 1974, he became Johnny Valentine, Jr. and later changed his name to Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. Join Valentine as he participates in one of the most celebrated Sturgis rides of all time, the Legends Ride, at the Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling™. |
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Jim Hacksaw – American wrestler – Lugoff, SC
James Edward Duggan, Jr, also known as Hacksaw Jim Duggan, has been wrestling since 1979 and has wrestled for every major wrestling company in all 50 states. Hacksaw, member of the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2011, will join the Legends Ride® at the Buffalo Chip Sturgis rally camping, music and motorcycle festival for the first time in 2013. For the past 14 years, Hacksaw has been a major part of the Variety Telethon in the Mid West and has helped to raise more than $40 million for charity. For the past 10 years, he has been a celebrity guest at The World Sailfish Championship in Key West, Florida, raising millions of dollars for different charities. He has also organized the Hacksaw Jim Duggan Celebrity Golf Tournament that has raised money for the CHS. Join Hacksaw as he joins one of the most celebrated cornerstone Sturgis rides of all time, the Legends Ride charity event at the famed Sturgis camping, music and motorcycle venue this August. |
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Holly Hoffman – Eureka, SD
Holly Hoffman is a South Dakota native, and recently competed in this season’s episode of CBS’s hit reality show, “Survivor: Nicaragua.” The 44 year old swim coach will be at the Buffalo Chip for the entire Sturgis Rally. Holly performed extremely well on the show. She advanced all the way to the final four competitors, surviving as the last woman and last Espada member in the game, before being the final contestant voted off. Holly will be at the Buffalo Chip helping former “Survivor” star Rupert Boneham raise money for a worthwhile charity, Rupert’s Kids. Also, she will be attending the annual Legends Ride Event, raising money for the charities that benefit from the event. She will be at the Buffalo Chip all week, and will be available for autograph sessions to campers and concert goers. She will share stories of her own struggles, in hopes of inspiring others to overcome personal hardships. |
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John Shope – Sinister Industries – Phoenix, AZ
John Shope, owner of John Shope’s Sinister Industries, says he “eats, drinks, and sleeps motorcycles,” which can be seen in his designs. His creations are original and inspiring and have been compared to sculptures that would be seen in a museum.
Before a project starts, Shope mentally starts with an aerial view of all of the possible components to be considered. He does not draw his work but sees it before he creates it. Since the 1980s, Shope has had a passion for modifying, building and fabricating and started out customizing various models of Harley Davidson motorcycles. He has a strong background in sculptures, which have circulated various art museums across the United States. His works of art have graced the covers of many magazines and he has won many build off competitions. |
Kristy Swanson – Las Angeles CA
Kristy Swanson is a highly acclaimed actress, bringing her star power and charisma to this year’s Sturgis Rally. She has been in multiple blockbuster movies. Along with roles in “Big Daddy,” and “Hot Shots,” she is probably best known for her portrayal of Buffy, in the Twentieth Century Fox feature film, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” She has also starred in multiple television show, as well as making guest appearances in such shows as “Just Shoot Me,” “CSI Miami,” and “Law and Order: Criminal Intent.” Kristy had very little interest in bikes before she met her husband, two-time Olympic bronze medalist Lloyd Eisler, who loves to ride. She purchased a Can Am Spyder and immediately fell in love with the open road. Along with her love to ride, she is equally passionate about helping others, seen from her involvement with charities like the Wounded Warrior Project and the Iraq Star Foundation. More information on Kristy Swanson can be found at www.kristyswansononline.com. |
Laura Klock – Klock Werks Kustom Cycles, Mitchell SD
Named Cycle Source Magazine’s Motorcycling Woman of the Year in 2008, Laura Klock is described as “a true enthusiast, a real person with a great sense of self and purpose”. Working as Vice President of Klock Werks Kustom Cycles alongside her husband Brian, they have grown their company to over 350 Klock Werks Brand part numbers, including their well known, patented FLARE TM Windshield. In 2006, Laura set a national land speed record on a bike they built for the Discovery Channel Biker Build-off, making her the pilot of the first “World’s Fastest Bagger”. Since then Laura and daughters Erika and Karlee have become the first mother-daughter-daughter trio in the history of land speed racing to hold records at the same time. Laura has participated in all woman bike builds, was Crew Chief for “Team Effie” in the Motorcycle Cannonball, is a MotorMaid, a certified MSF RiderCoach, and the facilitator of programs to strengthen the lives of young women through Helping with Horsepower™. For more information visit www.kustombaggers.com and www.helpingwithhorsepower.com |
Lori Visker – Mrs. South Dakota International 2011, Sioux Falls SD
Lori Visker is 30 years old and a resident of Sioux Falls, SD. She is married to her best friend and number one fan, her husband Brad. She has three children, Jade 13; Payton 11; and Chase 1 years old. Lori has been employed at Citibank for the past 5 years. Lori was crowned Mrs. South Dakota International 2011 on December 12, 2010. This has been an extraordinary honor for her. The International System is based on a chosen platform and your involvement in your community. Lori's platform is Domestic Violence Awareness. She will continue to raise awareness about Domestic Violence by sharing her story and showing people that we are the ones in charge of our lives. She strongly believes our path in life is guided by the choices we make. |
Marc Lacourciere – Moto Marc Art – Ontario, Canada
Marc Lacourciere is a self-confessed motor head, which has shown through in his creations and his love for cars, motorcycles, plans, and high-tech machinery. Street Rods, Muscle Cars, Custom Motorcycles, Classic Corvettes and a series of NASCAR race cars have all been the subject of Lacourciere’s artistic vision as he creates groundbreaking pieces showcasing these vehicles. Lacourciere works hard to capture the emotions that define the essence of modern transportation and has a good attention to detail and sense of emotional attachment that is incorporated into his work. He is a licensed artist for Discovery Communications and has gained international recognition for his paintings showcasing the wild machines from the hit television show American Chopper. There are currently plans in work for a series depicting the automotive magic of Boyd Coddington hot rods. |
Michael Lichter – Michael Lichter Photography, Boulder CO
Michael Lichter started photographing custom Harley-Davidsons and the biker-lifestyle in the 1970s. By 1980, he was working with Easyriders Magazine, for whom he has been a major monthly contributor ever since and through which, he has become known internationally. Michael is credited with 10-books on motorcycling, more than 1200-magazine articles, numerous calendars, advertisements, posters and other printed materials. While Michael continues to operate his commercial photography business from Boulder, Colorado, most of his shooting revolves around motorcycling in one form or another and can take him anywhere in the US, or around the globe. Since 2000, Michael has become increasingly involved in exhibiting his photographic art in galleries and museums, both in the US and abroad - work which has also been profiled in motorcycle and photography magazines, several television documentaries and by Nikon cameras. The annual Motorcycles as Art display that Michael curates for the Buffalo Chip’s Lichter Exhibition Hall has become the most celebrated exhibition of its kind, providing Sturgis rally-goers with a memorable and irreplaceable experience. For more information, visit www.lichterphoto.com |
Nikki McGillis – Buffalo Chip Top Model – Rapid City, SD
Nikki McGillis, a Rapid City native, will represent the Legendary Buffalo Chip as its Top Model this year. McGillis moved to Rapid City in 2010 with her husband Chris, an Airmen First Class stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base. She is very supportive of her husband and the military. A Florida native, McGillis loves the beach and had never seen snow before her move to South Dakota. McGillis stays active raising her one-year-old son, enjoys taking Zumba class and playing golf. McGinnis, a very outgoing person, knew the Buffalo Chip Top Model search would be a great way to get involved with the community and meet new people. McGillis will be featured on Sturgis Buffalo Chip posters and billboards and will make live appearances at all Buffalo Chip events, such as the Legends Ride, Biker Belles Celebration, Fan Fest and more. She will also be signing autographs at the Buffalo Chip and the new CrossRoads free public access area during the rally. |
Troy Nicholson, Lightning Cycle Works, Fort Worth TX
Troy Nicholson of Lightning Cycle Works is from Fort Worth, Texas, and has been building great bikes and performing service on Harleys and Customs for over 30 years. He started as a technician for a local dealership and after a few years opened his own shop and he is still going strong today. He has appeared at numerous events across the U.S. in the last few years and has been working hard to keep up with all he has going on. He is a member and Master Builder of the IMBBA and associated with other shows and events. This will be his 3rd year on the Legends Ride and says he wouldn’t miss it for anything. More information on Troy and Lightning Cycle Works can be found at www.lightningcycleworks.com
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Zach Ness, Arlen Ness Enterprises, Dublin CA
It is clear to see that Zach Ness is the Third Generation of a legendary custom bike building family. He has learned well from his father, Cory Ness, and his grandfather, Arlen Ness. Zach’s personal style is very different than that of his family, but several Ness accessories always find a way to identify his work as a Ness cycle. His style comes through on his Zach Ness Signature Series Vegas 8-Ball, with custom paint and graphics done by Zach himself. For more information on Zach Ness and the entire Ness family, visit www.arlenness.com |
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