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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

A rally by any other name

Off the Wire
News -
By Eric "Big E" Rutherford - For Weekly Surge
William Shakespeare wrote, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet."

With that in mind, let me welcome everyone to what the local Harley-Davidson dealership's Web site calls both "Myrtle Beach Bike Week" and "Myrtle Beach Cruisin' the Coast Spring Rally." MotorcycleMonster.com and BikeWeek.com are still referring to the event as "Myrtle Beach Bike Week." At MyrtleBeachBikeWeek.com the upcoming rally, which begins Friday, is listed as "Grand Strand Spring Rally," "Grand Strand Rally," "Cruisin' The Coast Spring Rally," "Murrells Inlet Spring Rally" and "Myrtle Beach Bike Week" to which they have added a trademark symbol. MyrtleBeachBikeWeek.com owner Sonny Copeland has told me in the past that he holds the trademark to the phrase "Myrtle Beach Bike Week" so that doesn't surprise me, but I am shocked that anyone would want that dubious distinction anymore. To that end, he has also placed the "TM" designation next to "Grand Strand Rally" which he is now using instead of "Myrtle Beach Bike Week" on the T-shirts he sells.

On Feb. 3, the S.C. Supreme Court heard arguments concerning the (state) constitutionality of Myrtle Beach's city-wide helmet ordinance - one of 14 enacted to run Bike Week vacationers off. At the time of this writing, no decision has been made by the state's highest court yet prompting rumors that the court may levy an 11th-hour verdict in time for this year's event, but I doubt that will happen. Some have suggested the court will eventually rule against the city of Myrtle Beach, but not until after this year's rally as a political courtesy, giving the city two full rallies with the ordinance in place to help officials achieve their goal of discouraging motorcycle tourists from coming to town.

One thing that everyone seems to agree on is that the spring motorcycle rally along the Grand Strand will never be what it once was and whatever is left is happening outside the Myrtle Beach city limits.

Don "Thunder" Baggett, whose artwork is well-known in the motorcycle community and familiar to Surge readers as he's drawn a few of our covers and contributed op ed cartoons, creates a rally map each year illustrating points of interest. He recently dropped some off at Pizza Grill-a, our family's restaurant in Litchfield Beach, and it was clear that there is still plenty to do, but that the rally is now taking place outside of Myrtle Beach proper. I dug out one of his maps from the 2004 rally and quickly counted more than 35 businesses located inside the Myrtle Beach city limits at the time. This year's map shows just four inside the same so-called "helmet zone."

While the city of Myrtle Beach is dead to me, and apparently lots of others, the annual gathering of bikers, weekend warriors, and riders from all over the world is indeed still on. Because of recent restrictions on vendor permits you may see shorter, published rally dates of May 11-16, but expect the activity to begin this weekend continuing the unofficial, traditional, 10-day party.

The Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson shop (which is actually located barely south of the city limits) at 4710 S. Kings Highway is hosting close to 20 vendors at the main store and another 30 or so at Barefoot Landing vendor location at 4898 U.S. 17 South, North Myrtle Beach. (For you out-of-town ralliers, North Myrtle Beach is a separate municipality; not part of the city of Myrtle Beach.) There will also be vendors at H.B. Spokes Saloon, a 30,000-square-foot biker haven located on the north end of the beach at 1111 S.C. 9 East in Longs. Spokes, as the locals call it, will also have a full complement of motorcycle fun and entertainment at its riverfront venue. See www.HBspokes.com for more info.

Both Suck Bang Blow (aka SBB) locations will be in full swing with live entertainment, contests, and biker games daily. SBB Four Corners is located at 11980 U.S. 17 Bypass S., Murrells Inlet and SBB Original is at 3393 U.S. 17 Business, Murrells Inlet. For details, visit www.SuckBangBlow.com.

Another favorite of locals and rally-goers alike is The Beaver Bar with two locations just three-tenths-of-a-mile apart at 3534 U.S. 17 Business and 3881 U.S. 17 Business, also in Murrells Inlet. The county line location will be breaking in its large, new open air bar. The covered structure has a giant rectangular bar in the center and an outdoor stage that will be open year-round. Owner Leslye Beaver told me there will be plenty to do at both places including live bands and the return of WWExtreme Midget Wrestling on May 14-15. (You weren't really expecting political correctness from a place called The Beaver Bar were you?) The Web site is at www.BeaverBar.net.

Another great spot to check out is Jamin' Town in Surfside Beach at 802 U.S. 17 Business South. In addition to being an outlet store for all things leather, the store is hosting a car show, its annual charity raffles where you can get some amazing deals, a comedy act, charity rides (out of the North Myrtle Beach location at 3830 U.S. 17 S.), free food, contests, and Jamin' Leather publishes a free event guide full of things to see and do.

So there you have it, folks. The city of Myrtle Beach was successful in its effort to slit its own throat, but the spring rally, no matter what you call it, rolls on.


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