Captain of a cruise ship or Captain of a Harley ... - High Seas Rally
Captain of a cruise ship or Captain of a Harley ... - High Seas Rally
Captain of a cruise ship or Captain of a Harley ... - High Seas Rally
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st<strong>or</strong>y and photos by Marilyn StempThe w<strong>or</strong>ld’s only mot<strong>or</strong>cyclerider rally on a <strong>cruise</strong> <strong>ship</strong>marked it’s fourth consecutivesailing to the WesternCaribbean last November 5-12 whenHogs on the <strong>High</strong> <strong>Seas</strong> loaded 1,500people on the Royal CaribbeanMariner <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Seas</strong> and headedsouth. What? You haven’t heardabout this? Read on and we’ll tellyou. F<strong>or</strong> those <strong>of</strong> you who think youalready know <strong>or</strong> simply don’tcare—turn the page if you like butyou’re missing out on a great time.This is no stuffy dress-up <strong>cruise</strong>,no sir, and we can understand whypeople with our two-wheeled proclivitieswould shun such a thing.HOHS attire is strictly biker-style,jeans and leather—<strong>or</strong> less. AndHOHS <strong>cruise</strong>s draw riders from allover the United States—and thew<strong>or</strong>ld—each year. In fact, the fifthanniversary <strong>cruise</strong> in November2007 is already sold out.Billed as “almost too much fun,”it’s hard to dispute that statement.Consider this: HOHS takes place onone <strong>of</strong> the w<strong>or</strong>ld’s largest <strong>cruise</strong><strong>ship</strong>s as it sails f<strong>or</strong> seven beautiful,tropical days in the WesternCaribbean Sea. In addition to theveritable Vegas atmosphere aboard<strong>ship</strong> and at the island p<strong>or</strong>ts, thereare private parties just f<strong>or</strong> theHOHS group in Jamiaca at JimmyBuffett’s Margaritaville; on GrandCayman at the Hard Rock Café; andin Cozumel, Mexico, at Carlos ‘nCharlie’s. You might question howprivate a party <strong>of</strong> 1,500 people canbe, but you don’t really know tillyou’ve tried it.There’s an on-<strong>ship</strong> pool partyduring the week, a private islandstop, and all the <strong>ship</strong>board amenities(gourmet dining, top-notch serviceand high-bling facilities) youexpect on a <strong>cruise</strong>. And if you arriveearly you can join a Bon Voyageparty at the host hotel in Fl<strong>or</strong>idawhere nearly 1,000 participantstook advantage <strong>of</strong> the chance tomeet their fellow <strong>cruise</strong>rs bef<strong>or</strong>ecasting <strong>of</strong>f.But it’s not just a party <strong>cruise</strong>.Mot<strong>or</strong>cycle-related vend<strong>or</strong>s andbike builders are onboard in the<strong>ship</strong>’s conference room to talk shopwith <strong>cruise</strong>rs, and nightly shows—f<strong>or</strong> HOHS <strong>cruise</strong>rs only—inc<strong>or</strong>p<strong>or</strong>atecash and vend<strong>or</strong> giveaways totalingm<strong>or</strong>e than $300,000. AllHOHS <strong>cruise</strong>rs are eligible f<strong>or</strong>prizes, too, just by being there. Theweek culminates in a final showwhere two custom bikes are givenaway. Yes, two.M<strong>or</strong>e cash and prizes are awardedvia shenanigans like the Belly SmackerContest, Treasured Chest(women), Topless Man (men), BestBeard and Best Tattoo (both!), and PirateBiker Bingo. Better still, a percentage<strong>of</strong> the money collected goesto HOHS’s kidney dialysis fund thatprovides no-cost cabin, airfare, dialysistreatments, and spending moneyf<strong>or</strong> mot<strong>or</strong>cycle enthusiasts requiringthis life-altering therapy. The 2006rally raised over $110,000 from thefun-loving bikers through 50/50 raffles,auctions and a poker walk—along with dollars designated by thevend<strong>or</strong>s, the <strong>or</strong>ganizers, and kindmindedindividuals—allowing f<strong>or</strong>even m<strong>or</strong>e dialysis patients to <strong>cruise</strong>in future years (see sidebar). Thanksto HOHS rally <strong>or</strong>ganizers Dean andDebbie Anderson, thousands <strong>of</strong> dollarshave been dedicated in the pastto this cause and the Andersons arecommitted to providing continuedsupp<strong>or</strong>t f<strong>or</strong> dialysis patients.continued63
www.ironw<strong>or</strong>ksmag.comYes, the 2007 <strong>Rally</strong> is sold out butin 2008, HOHS is adding a MexicanRivera trip in late April along withtheir annual Western Caribbean rallythat November. In 2009, it’s back toAlaska (they’ve been there twice bef<strong>or</strong>e)in late June leaving from Seattle,Washington, plus a first-ever, twoweek“back-to-back” Eastern andWestern Caribbean rally in November.Truly, Hogs on the <strong>High</strong> <strong>Seas</strong>gives the w<strong>or</strong>d “cruising” a wholenew meaning f<strong>or</strong> the biking crowd.F<strong>or</strong> additional content and to postcomments related to this and other articlesgo to ironw<strong>or</strong>ksmag.comMike Costic and his wife from Cumberland, Rhode Island, jumped on the customtrike he won. It was built by Terry Stonehocker <strong>of</strong> GearGasm in Anderson,South Carolina, who says, “Three <strong>of</strong> a kind beats a pair anytime.”Bikers get harassed everywhere, itseems. Though you have to ask,how could he ride holding the baby?ResourceHogs on the <strong>High</strong> <strong>Seas</strong>1-800-444-8795www.hogsonthehighseas.comCan you believe Kathy Buckbinder from Sumner, Washington, won the custombobber? Neither could she! <strong>Captain</strong> Johnny pulled the winning tickets f<strong>or</strong> bothgiveaway bikes. The bobber, like the trike, was built by Terry at GearGasm.Invariably, whenever I talked toone <strong>of</strong> the dialysis patients aboardthe HOHS 2006 Caribbean rally,somebody started crying. Maybe itwas the patient’s spouse, sometimesthe patient themselves, <strong>or</strong> perhapseven one <strong>of</strong> the technicians from theDialysis At Sea group who cared f<strong>or</strong>the patients. Let me clarify: thesewere tears <strong>of</strong> joy, <strong>or</strong> at least relief.See, this kind <strong>of</strong> freedom—to gowhere you choose, when youchoose—is a no longer a luxury topeople who have become tied to amachine f<strong>or</strong> their very life’s blood.Literally. Dialysis patients must havetheir entire blood stream “cleaned”by a dialysis machine every few daysto simply stay alive. This means remainingclose to a dialysis treatmentcenter, in effect tethering them to amachine and a process.The kind <strong>of</strong> mobility and wideopenview <strong>of</strong> the w<strong>or</strong>ld that patientson the HOHS <strong>cruise</strong> experienced onthis trip is akin to the exhilarationthey once felt riding their bikes onthe open road—and we can all certainlyrelate to that. Maybe that’swhy most <strong>of</strong> the rally participantswere so openly generous when itcame time to buy a 50/50 ticket <strong>or</strong>sign up f<strong>or</strong> the poker walk. Weheard the st<strong>or</strong>ies <strong>of</strong> these afflictedfolks and knew they could be us.We commend rally <strong>or</strong>ganizersDebbie and Dean Anderson f<strong>or</strong> theirsolid dedication to helping peoplewho live their lives bound to dialysistreatment. It reminds us all <strong>of</strong> justhow f<strong>or</strong>tunate we are to have ourhealth so that we can ride our bikesunimpeded. —M. StempLike the other 11 dialysis patients onboard, Chuck Mielak from Mesa, Arizona,had his treatments in the<strong>ship</strong>’s infirmary, monit<strong>or</strong>ed here byDialysis At Sea nurse Frank Janke.
The IronW<strong>or</strong>ks Virtual Bike Show is part <strong>of</strong> the fun f<strong>or</strong> Hogs on the <strong>High</strong> <strong>Seas</strong> <strong>cruise</strong>rs. Because unless you’re the<strong>ship</strong>’s captain, the closest most <strong>of</strong> us get to two-wheeling during the week is aboard a scooter in Ge<strong>or</strong>getown,Grand Cayman. The IW Virtual Bike Show gives participants a chance to show <strong>of</strong>f their rides and, if the judgesdeem it so, accept the accolades and affirmation <strong>of</strong> their peers.And the winners are…Arthur FilipettoGlassb<strong>or</strong>o, NJ2002 FatBoyClass: People’s ChoiceCredit undoubtedly goes to Jeff Waters atInferno Graphics f<strong>or</strong> the stunning paint job,but owner Arthur Filipetto added his ownhand-fabricated touches along with a Saddlemenseat and skull covers to upgrade this FatBoy. “And,” adds Arthur, “it’s chromed to thelast bolt.” It was chosen hands-down winnerin the People’s Choice class.Raymond SanchezP<strong>or</strong>t St. Lucie, FL2006 S<strong>of</strong>tail CustomClass: Twin CamRaymond credits Sonny Heflin from Custom Cycle W<strong>or</strong>ks f<strong>or</strong> building the engine<strong>of</strong> this tasty ride, inc<strong>or</strong>p<strong>or</strong>ating Wiseco pistons, S&S cases and carb, Craneignition, and fully polished Diamond Cut heads and cylinders. It sits in a DNAframe with 36-degree rake (2” up, 2” out) mated to a Pro-One front end, Baker 6-speed, and m<strong>or</strong>e top-name components than we can fit here. One thing is sure:the parts combined seamlessly to create a sleek and very rideable custom bike.Sunny SiegersColton, CA1993 Fat BoyClass: EvoThis Fat Boy’s engine, packed with Screamin’ Eagle upgrades, is fed by aKuryakyn air cleaner with a Mikuni carb, and dispatches spent gases via aThunderheader exhaust system. Custom sheetmetal, handlebar, and a snazzypaint job add bling to the Boy but we’re guessing the real st<strong>or</strong>y here is perf<strong>or</strong>mance.Who says Evos can’t keep up?
John NeidengardWintersville, OH1947 EL KnuckleheadClass: Pre-EvoJohn Neidengard’s Knucklehead was rest<strong>or</strong>ed by Neidengard’s <strong>Harley</strong>-Davidson with paint by Sterling’s Auto Body and plating by Brown’s. With theexception <strong>of</strong> the exhaust, which is a reproduction system, and the Coker tires,the bike is all <strong>or</strong>iginal including tank, fenders, 61” engine and springer frontend. Even the speedo is a rebuilt <strong>or</strong>iginal. It’s certainly one beautiful bike.Angela GravesShelbyville, TN1997 Sp<strong>or</strong>tster 1200 CustomClass: Sp<strong>or</strong>tster/BuellA 2” under f<strong>or</strong>k and some sh<strong>or</strong>tened rear shocks give this Sp<strong>or</strong>ty a low pr<strong>of</strong>ile,yet making it m<strong>or</strong>e comf<strong>or</strong>table f<strong>or</strong> its rider. Angela and Jack Graves leftthe engine stock, adding only a D&M air cleaner and Samson pipes. The bikerolls on fancy American Wire Wheels, has a LePera seat, Ness bars, and aftermarketlighting and controls. Our judges gave it the winning nod.Joe RiceAlbuquerque, NM2005 CustomClass: Scratch BuiltJoe Rice chose maj<strong>or</strong> components f<strong>or</strong> his custom build from Daytec (singledowntube frame), Ultima (100” engine), BDL, S&S, Vance & Hines, Avon,Hawg Halters, and other familiar companies. But it’s the sum <strong>of</strong> those parts—topped <strong>of</strong>f by Danny Bally’s lightning motif paint job—that cuts such a strikingpr<strong>of</strong>ile. Nice job!Peter and June HarrakaP<strong>or</strong>t Orange, FL2003 Vict<strong>or</strong>y VegasClass: Other V-TwinWith its tasteful touches from Arlen Ness, the Vict<strong>or</strong>y Vegas exemplifiesbillet custom cool. Top-shelf components like a C<strong>or</strong>bin seat, Vance & Hinesexhaust, PM wheels and Brembo brakes are icing on the cake. The BikerBuddy Hi-Low Rider air suspension contributes to function and comf<strong>or</strong>t.Owner Peter Harraka credits Ge<strong>or</strong>ge Snyder f<strong>or</strong> the pr<strong>of</strong>essional photo.Dan ZinkeWisconsin Dells, WI2006 Street GlideClass: Twin Cam TouringThere were so many handsome Twin Cam baggers entered in the show thatthe judges demanded a new class f<strong>or</strong> them—and got it. Capital City H-D inMadison (Wisconsin) handled this bagger’s Screamin’ Eagle engine upgrades,N. S. Designs did the paint, stretched saddlebags, frenched taillights and innerfairing. It’s one swoopy bagger.