IronWorks Article, November - High Seas Rally

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hour train ride took us throughsome of Alaska’s most scenic country(and there’s plenty of that!), andlater we gathered at the Red OnionSaloon in Skagway to enjoy our ownwildlife before re-boarding the shipto head south to Juneau, the onlystate capital that has no roads leadingin or out of it. There we weremet by the good folks at Taku H-Dfor a barbecue and to enviouslywatch as some of the local Harleyriders set out on a cruise of theirown. They didn’t get very far,though; there are only about 40miles worth of roads in and aroundJuneau that will take you to…nowhere. Another interesting factoidabout Juneau: with more than400 Harley riders, it has one of thehighest per capita Harley ownershipsin the country. As for Juneauitself, its gayly painted buildingsand narrow city streets make itamong the most picturesque andquaint little cities in the world, resemblingsomething you’d see inDenmark or Holland rather thanNorth America.We weighed anchor again, thistime for the seaport village ofKetchikan, where you’ll see moreNative American totem poles andbald eagles than any other port ofcall. As with the previous two stops,there are plenty of excursions availableto take you inland where youreally should go to fully enjoy Alaskaadventure and experience. Beforeheading back to ship, we paid aquick visit to the bawdy CreekStreet district, where trendy touristtrapshops have replaced the bordellosand speak-easies that once clutteredthis part of town.The final leg of the cruise took usto Misty Fjords National Park. Asthe name suggests, the park is comprisedof glacier-formed fjords thatrise into jagged saw-tooth peaksthat form narrow waterways. Waterfallsaplenty cascade down thecliffs, and a perpetual mist in the airgives the place its surreal mood.Much like the city of Juneau, accessto this park is limited to air andwater. At one point the captainstops the cruise ship, allowing passengersto absorb the vista in silence.It’s an inspiring moment, allowingyou to truly appreciate theexperience.At that point the ship does a complete180-degree turn, then headsback for the return portion of thecruise, taking us through The Narrowswhere the massive cruise linersails within yards of the jaggedshore. Sit at one of the ship’s cocktaillounges and enjoy your favorite beveragewhile you watch the shore goby, and if you’re lucky, like my wifeThe Red Dog Saloon on Juneau’s waterfrontdistrict is a favorite haunt forlocals and tourists. As you mightguess, it was SRO when the Hogscame into town.Donna and I were, you’ll see orcawhales surface within yards of you.It’s like having Shamu as your guide.I’ve given just a sampling of theAlaska wildlife that you’ll enjoy onthis cruise. And being a cruise ship,there’s more wildlife to be had, too,after hours aboard ship. You’ll alsobe treated to all the luxuries you’dexpect, with one exception—thedress code for the two “formal” dinnersduring the week is to wearleather of choice, and that’s it. Bluejeans and T-shirts with a blackleather vest are perfectly acceptable,and that suited this guy just fine,thank you. But if you’re a night owlwho enjoys the nocturnal hours, beprepared for a short night; this timeof year the Alaska sun doesn’t setuntil near midnight, and it pops upagain a few short hours later.Whether the sun shines or not,though, the High Seas Rally vendorexhibit opens its doors practicallyevery day aboard ship. This year’sexhibit was held in the VortexLounge on Deck 13, the highestlevel on the Serenade of the Sea.Participating vendors donate productsfor giveaways, and as it turnedout, each of the 412 cruisers won atleast one prize. In fact, nearly$100,000 in product was handed outduring the seven days! But thebiggest winner of all was ChristinePence of Sanatoga, Pennsylvania,who won the giveaway bike built byKustom Culture Motorcycles (for ariding impression, see page 70).The seafaring bikers gave back,too. Traditionally the High SeasRally supports a fundraiser for dialysis.Known as the HOHS DialysisFund, the money is given directly toDialysis at Sea to underwrite the expenseof doctors and nurses for kidneypatients on vacation cruises.This year HOHS Dialysis Fund enabledthree patients—Susan Murphy,Rob Steiner, and Don Hagerling—tojoin the Alaska cruise, andthe $16,831 raised during the cruisethrough the Inside Passage will enablemore patients to attend theCaribbean cruise this November.IronWorks will be there, too, promotingthe Third IronWorks/Caribbean High Seas Rally Bikeshow, plus we’ll be handing out freesubscriptions and ride pins, and simplywasting away in Margaritavillewhere there’s booze in the blenderand soon it will render…Well, youknow the words, so join us there andwe’ll repeat the chorus together.ResourceHogs on the High Seas RallyCaribbean Cruise:November 6-13, 2005Alaska Cruise:June 25-July 2, 2006800-444-8795www.hogsonthehighseas.comIronWorks November 200549
IronWorks/Alaska High Seas Rally Bike ShowPresenting our 2005 Alaska cruise winnersWhen the cruise ship Serenade of the Seas pulled outof Vancouver harbor for its seven-day voyagethrough Canada’s Inside Passage, 412 people who comprisedthe High Seas Rally cruisers left their bikes behind.But that didn’t mean they forgot about what’s nearestand dearest to their hearts, and many brought alongbrag pictures for the Second IronWorks High Seas RallyBike Show.Like the first bike show that we promoted during the2004 Caribbean High Seas Rally, the Alaska show wasopen to all rally participants. Entry was free, and aboutthe only rule laid down was that the pictures submittedhad to be no larger than 5”x7”, so they’d fit on the wall offame where the bikes were displayed for judging.What did the winner’s receive? Well, not much, really,but that’s not the point. Each winner did receive, however,a free subscription to this rag, the following 15 minutesof fame you’ll read about here, and the accolades oftheir cruising peers. But perhaps the biggest reward wasshared by all; everybody had a chance to participate andshare their personal rides with other cruise members.After all, when you get down to it, it’s all about the bikes,no? So without further ado, here are the winners of the2005 IronWorks/Alaska High Seas Rally Bike Show.People’s Choice:Bob “Wizard” KesslerGainesville, Florida2003 H-D Heritage SpringerIt was somewhatof a surprisethat arather stock-appearingHarley-Davidsonearned our People’sChoiceAward, but itwasn’t a shockthat the bike turned out to be an Anniversary Edition HeritageSpringer. The ’03 Heritage Springer will, undoubtedly,go down as one of the all-time classics for two reasons:First, it’s among the elite group of 100th Anniversarymodels. Secondly, the FLSTS’s traditional styling evokesall that is good about a Harley, mixing the heritage of yesteryearwith the Twin Cam technology of today.Bob “Wizard” Kessler’s FLSTS checks in with a fewupgrades that separates his bike from other HeritageSpringers. Those wide whitewall tires are wrappedaround multi-spoke Hallcraft wheels, and H-D backrestsassure he and his passenger arrive in comfort. Finally,Wizard equipped the TC88B engine with a set of Kerker’strue-dual exhaust pipes, giving the bike a rumblethat helps remind him every time he fires up the enginethat heritage, as much as technology, is what has beenkeeping The Motor Company going for all these years.Twin Cam Co-Winner:Kenneth RandellBay Shore, New York2002 H-D Electra GlideThis year Harley-Davidson has expanded its line to includecustom baggers. And it’s bikes like Ken Randell’sthat prompted the folks in Milwaukee to think in termsof combining the words “touring” and “custom” in thesame phrase. Clearly Ken—and now Harley-Davidson—are on to something. In Ken’s case, his slammed ’02 ElectraGlide elevates the custom touring look to a wholenew level.In terms ofmodifications,the FLH sportstreatment fromCycledelics tothe tank, fendersand saddlebags.All bodywarewasshaved andsmoothed, and the license plate was frenched into therear fender. Corbin supplied the seat, and the KerkerSlip-ons route beneath the stretched saddlebags. A set ofLindby bars were affixed to the front downtubes, andthe rich candy burgundy paint was applied by Cycledelicsbefore final assembly. A final touch is the personalizedlicense plate that reads “HIZZZ,” to complimentthe plate on Ken’s wife’s Road King. As you mightguess, hers reads “HERZ.”50 IronWorks November 2005
Page 1: story and photos by Dain Gingerelli
Page 5: Scratch-Built Winner:Kenneth Randel

IronWorks Article, November - High Seas Rally

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