Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is an American motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota, for ten days[2] usually starting the first Friday in August. In 2015 the city of Sturgis officially expanded the dates to have the rally start on the Friday before the first full week of August and end on the second Sunday. In 2016, Sturgis City Council passed a resolution to begin the Rally on the first Friday in August every year. It was begun in 1938 by a group of Indian Motorcycle riders and was originally held for stunts and races. Attendance has historically been around 500,000 people, reaching a high of over 700,000 in 2015. The event generates around $800 million in annual revenue.[1][3]

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Motorcycles lined up on Main Street during the Sturgis motorcycle rally.
GenreMotorcycle rally
DatesFirst Friday in August for 10 days
Location(s)Sturgis, South Dakota, United States
FoundedAugust 14, 1938 (1938-08-14)
Most recent07–16 August 2020
Next event06–15 August 2021
Attendancehighest: 739,000 (2015)[1]
Websitesturgis.com

History
Indian Ed Spilker, One of the original Jackpine gypsies and cofounder of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

The first rally was held by Indian Motorcycle riders on August 14, 1938, by the Jackpine Gypsies motorcycle club.[4] The club still owns and operates the tracks, hillclimb, and field areas where the rally is centered. The first event was called the "Black Hills Classic" and consisted of a single race with nine participants and a small audience. The founder was Clarence "Pappy" Hoel. He purchased an Indian motorcycle franchise in Sturgis in 1936 and formed the Jackpine Gypsies that same year.[4] The Jackpine Gypsies were inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1997.[5] Hoel was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame the following year.[6]

The focus of a motorcycle rally was originally racing and stunts. In 1961, the rally was expanded to include the Hillclimb and Motocross races.[4] This could include half-mile track racing (the first year in Sturgis, there were 19 participants), intentional board wall crashes, ramp jumps and head-on collisions with automobiles.

The Sturgis Rally has been held every year, with exceptions during World War II. For instance, from 1942 to 1944, the event was not held due to gasoline rationing.[4]

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the rally resisted cancellation in 2020.

Attendance

The South Dakota Department of Transportation provides official traffic counts, which sometimes differ from official attendance figures.[7] Attendance is higher on major anniversaries (e.g. 75th in 2015) and one or two years prior to the anniversary, and falls off the following year or two.[8]

YearSDDOT traffic countOfficial attendance
1990528,676400,000
1999539,475325,000
2000604,441633,000
2001530,667410,000
2002561,752450,000
2003605,140502,000
2004547,370514,951
2005524,656525,250
2006449,527456,968
2007461,507507,234
2008405,475414,917
2009394,009442,163
2010459,968466,769
2011415,367416,727
2013516,378[8]
2015c. 1,000,000[9]739,000[1]
2016c.360,000[10]448,000[11] – 463,412[12]
2017376,033[10][13]–469,100[8]480,000[11]
2018505,969[8]
2019499,654[14]490,000 [15]

Rally impact on community

For many years the city has been in a licensing agreement with a community non-profit, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Inc., and its predecessor-in-interest, the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce, that generates millions of dollars in royalties and sponsorship dollars.[16] In 2012 the City Council reaffirmed this relationship through a unanimous proclamation.

The City of Sturgis has calculated that the Rally brings over $800 million to South Dakota annually.[16] The City of Sturgis earned almost $270,000 in 2011 from selling event guides and sponsorships. The rally makes up 95% of the city's annual revenue.[17]

There were 405 individuals jailed at the 2004 rally, and approximately $250,000 worth of motorcycles stolen annually.[18] Rally-goers are a mix of white-collar and blue-collar workers and are generally welcomed as an important source of income for Sturgis and surrounding areas.[19] The rally turns local roads into "parking lots",[19] and draws local law enforcement away from routine patrols.[20] Furthermore, the large numbers of people visiting the town and region served as a model for the state of Oregon in preparation for the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, given the expected impact on emergency services.[21]

The Lakota Indian tribe in coalition with other tribes has protested the large amount of alcohol distributed at the event so close to the sacred Bear Butte, but also acknowledged that income from the event was important to the region and also benefits some members of the tribes.[22]

There have been a few deaths at the Rally.[23]

Concerns about the possible spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions are expected to lead to lower attendance in 2020.[24] While some health officials and local leaders wanted to cancel the rally, that proved impossible since many events take place beyond the city limits.[25] The 250,000 participants are recommended but not required to wear face masks in a state that has seen 9,371 confirmed cases, and 144 deaths due to the coronavirus.[26] Several checkpoints to stop outsiders have been put up on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, an action that state and federal officials consider illegal.[27]

Transportation to Sturgis

Many attendees of the Sturgis Rally have families, bring their children and drive campers towing motorcycle trailers to the rally, and ride their motorcycles just the last few miles. The director of the rally estimated in 2005 that fewer than half the attendees actually rode there.[28] Shipping companies transport thousands of motorcycles to Sturgis for attendees who arrive via airline.[28] Amtrak has run special trains from Boston to Sturgis, equipped with freight cars for transporting motorcycles.

Black Hills Run

The Black Hills Run is a route favored by motorcycle riders, across the Black Hills from Deadwood to Custer State Park, South Dakota. It reached the height of its popularity between 1939 and 1941. The popularity of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally attracted additional attention to the route in recent years. The pine forested mountains of the Black Hills make for a unique scenic motorcycle ride.[29]

Media coverage

The Rapid City Journal features daily coverage of the Sturgis Rally.[30]

The Seattle Times covered some of the 2008 Sturgis Rally while rock band Judd Hoos was playing at the Loud American Roadhouse.[31]

Television

In 1997, the crew from the COPS television series attended the rally, as well as Dennis Rodman.[32]

From 1996 to 1999, World Championship Wrestling held a pay-per-view event called Road Wild (Hog Wild for the 1996 event).[33]

Annual television coverage of the festival by the VH1 Classic network includes interviews and performances as well as rock music videos. The rally was featured in 2005 as part of the ESPN SportsCenter promotion 50 States in 50 Days.[34]

Starting in 2009 an American reality television series began airing on the truTV network: Full Throttle Saloon, showing the inner operations at the world's largest biker bar just prior to the rally opening and for the duration of the rally each year.

Sturgis was also featured on American Pickers Season 4, Episode 6, "What Happens In Sturgis...". Originally aired January 2, 2012 on the History Channel. ". . .When Mike tells Frank let's pack up for a trip to South Dakota, Frank says he can't. He's secretly going to his 30th annual trip to the legendary Sturgis motorcycle rally, but says he'll cover the shop. . .".[35] Sturgis has also been featured in the TV Show Pawn Stars in which Richard and Corey Harrison visit Sturgis with Chumlee Russell on his birthday.

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References
  1. Attendance at 75th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally estimated at 739,000 people, beating 2000 record, Associated Press, September 22, 2015, archived from the original on September 23, 2015 – via Daily Journal (Franklin, Indiana)
  2. KOTA. "Can you handle 10 official days of the Sturgis Rally?". Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  3. Fleming, Charles (August 5, 2014). "Sturgis Motorcycle Rally by the numbers". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2020.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
  4. "Timeline of History of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally". sturgismotorcyclerally.com.
  5. Jackpine Gypsies at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame
  6. J.C. Hoel at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame
  7. Rally statistics, Sturgis City Rally Department, archived from the original on February 12, 2007, retrieved May 21, 2015
  8. Deb Holland (August 15, 2018), "2018 Rally attendance up 8 percent over 2017", Black Hills Pioneer, Spearfish, South Dakota
  9. Woody Gottburg (August 10, 2015), Sturgis Rally Sets Records, KSCJ
  10. South Dakota Completes 77th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Associated Press, August 14, 2017
  11. Barry Amundson (October 12, 2017), "Official attendance at Sturgis Motorcycle Rally set at 480,000", News-Tribune, Duluth
  12. "Sturgis rally attendance down nearly 40 percent", Rapid City Journal, October 28, 2016
  13. "2017 rally is quiet, cool, calm", Rapid City Journal, August 14, 2017
  14. Todd Epp (August 13, 2019), "SDDOT says 2019 Sturgis Rally traffic down slightly", KELO-AM, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
  15. Deb Holland (October 4, 2019), "Sturgis estimates Rally attendance at 490,000", Black Hills Pioneer, Spearfish, South Dakota
  16. 70th Sturgis motorcycle rally statistics compiled by the city of Sturgis and the rally department, Black Hills State University, February 8, 2011, retrieved January 25, 2013
  17. "Sturgis area businesses make 95% of their annual revenue from the 7 days of the rally".
  18. Dalton, Aaron (August 1, 2005), "Biggest thing on two wheels.(TECHWATCH: This Month)", Popular Mechanics, Hearst Magazines via HighBeam Research., archived from the original on March 24, 2016, retrieved January 25, 2013
  19. "Profile: Thousands of Harley riders converge on small South Dakota town every year for a rally", Morning Edition, National Public Radio via HighBeam Research., August 9, 2000, archived from the original on February 16, 2013, retrieved January 25, 2013
  20. Vellani, Karim (May 1, 2000), "Security + Service = Satisfaction.", Journal of Property Management, via Questia Online Library, retrieved January 25, 2013
  21. Lynne, Terry (August 10, 2017). "Eclipse 2017: Hospitals stock up on blood, rattlesnake bite antidote". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  22. "In Sturgis, a Clash Over Motorcycle Rally", All Things Considered, National Public Radio via HighBeam Research., August 2, 2006, archived from the original on March 25, 2016, retrieved January 25, 2013
  23. "Statistics" (PDF). www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com. 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  24. Daly, Michael. "Even the Official Motorcycle Brand of the Sturgis Rally Thinks the Mass Gathering Is Too Risky". news.yahoo.com. The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  25. Orecchio-Egresitz, Haven. "'It's literally impossible to stop': Sturgis, South Dakota, braces for hundreds of thousands of bikers to arrive for an event in the middle of a pandemic". news.yahoo.com. Business Insider. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  26. Burke, Minyvonne. "Sturgis motorcycle rally draws thousands of bikers despite coronavirus fears". news.yahoo.com. NBC News. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  27. Helmore, Edward. "Thousands of bikers heading to South Dakota rally to be blocked at tribal land checkpoints". news.yahoo.com. The Guardian. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  28. Higgins, Michelle (August 5, 2005). "The Really Easy Rider". The New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  29. McKechnie, Gary. Great American Motorcycle Tours Avalon Travel Publishing, 2002. (ISBN 1-56691-448-5)
  30. "Sturgis Rally Daily", Rapid City Journal, retrieved January 25, 2013
  31. "Seattle Times", Seattle Times, retrieved August 11, 2008
  32. Cops Episode 147: Sturgis Bike Rally in South Dakota, imdb.com, retrieved January 28, 2012
  33. "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling's Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 144.
  34. "50 States in 50 Days". ESPN.com. August 10, 2005. Archived from the original on August 10, 2005. Retrieved August 16, 2010.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
  35. List of American Pickers episodes


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