STURGIS — As Charles Dube walked past the thousands of motorcycles lining Main Street in Sturgis on Saturday, one bike in particular caught his eye.
Sitting there among the chrome and custom paint jobs was a motorcycle with a 4-by-4-inch wood frame, a 12-horsepower lawnmower motor, and other makeshift parts.
“Now that is a redneck bike right there,” the Union resident said with a laugh, then posed on the motorcycle with a helmet provided by Mike Myers, director of Beautiful Feet Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas.
Beautiful Feet Ministries was one of dozens of church groups and Christian motorcycle clubs that packed Sturgis this weekend for the Sturgis South Motorcycle Rally. Representatives from Sturgis Baptist Church and other organizations handed out water and literature, while bikers from throughout the country walked up and down Main Street, wandered through tents full of T-shirts and motorcycle accessories, and bought barbecue and funnel cakes from local vendors.
“Everything is going pretty smooth,” Sturgis South Motorcycle Rally Board President Donny Hanson said just before sound check for the night”s musical acts — Willy Waggs, Crossin Dixon and Diamond Rio. “People are moving around pretty good. It”s hot, but everything is going good. It”s looking to be a good turnout.”
Hanson had no estimates on the number of people who attended the rally this year, but said about 700 had registered as of Aug. 1, and plenty more registered throughout Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Still, Hanson and fellow Rally Board member Rodney Lincoln estimated crowds are down slightly this year.
“If I had to guess, I”d say it”s because of the temperature (which hit the mid-90s Saturday) and the economy,” said Lincoln, who organized the Dinner Ride Friday afternoon from Sturgis to Starkville to Louisville and back.
Despite the low estimates, the streets and sidewalks still were packed with bikers throughout the weekend.
“I love it,” Dube said. “I just like looking at the bikes. I mean, it”s great seeing this many people in one spot having a good time.”
The atmosphere at Sturgis — it”s touted as a family friendly motorcycle rally — is what has brought Myers back for the past three years.
“I come back for a couple of reasons,” Myers said. “My love for sharing the gospel and I”m originally from Kosciusko, so it”s kind of like coming back home. And, also, we brought about 25 people from Texas and Alabama and places like that, so we kind of build on our club every year and come and do outreach.”
One of the people who came with Myers from Texas was Tommy Walker, who said he was living in a crack house in Fort Worth at this time last year. With the help of Beautiful Feet Ministries, Walker has turned his life around and now helps feed the homeless with Beautiful Feet in Fort Worth.
This was the first Sturgis rally Walker has attended and he plans to make it an annual trip.
“I love it,” he said. “I”m out here looking at bikes and spreading the gospel.”
While the rally featured live music, bike shows and competitions, it also featured carnival rides, helicopter rides and other activities.
The rally is scheduled to end Sunday with the Blessing of the Bikes at 9 a.m.
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