OFF THE WIRE
BY: Lachlan Labere
Source: bclocalnews.com
The sound of rolling thunder may fill the streets of Salmon Arm next July as an estimated 10,000 motorcycle enthusiasts arrive for the first Sturgis North motorcycle rally and music festival.
This is the hope and vision of Sturgis North Promotions Inc. head Ray Sasserville, who has named his company after the popular Black Hills Motorcycle Classic rally that has taken place in Sturgis, South Dakota for the past 70 years. Sasserville, with partner and Summer Stomp Society treasurer Steve Hammer, presented this vision to Salmon Arm council Tuesday.
Sasserville explained the South Dakota event, held Aug. 9 to 15, attracts more than one million people, himself included. Sasserville explained that he used the time to meet with Sturgis mayor and council, the chamber and local hotel owners and asked them to explain the demographics of participants. He said those who attend the rally tend to be 35 years and older, usually with an above average income, and a desire to buy things.
“We have booked the fairgrounds from July 10 to July 20, 2011,” said Sasserville, explaining the actual event would run Thursday to Sunday, with the days prior for preparation and following for tear down.
Contrary to these comments, Salmon Arm Fall Fair Society chair Phil Wright told the Observer that the fairgrounds have not been booked and that things are in very preliminary stages.
“This is the first that I’ve heard officially that they’re looking at the fairgrounds,” said Wright. “I guess we’re one of several venues. But there’s been no commitments, they haven’t contacted us yet at all.”
Wright added the society would approach council to see if they had any concerns about the rally coming to town.
Sasserville also asked about the crime rate during the event, which he said is significantly lower than what happened during the Merritt Mountain Music Festival.
“I couldn’t figure out why you’d have one million people in a place of that size and then 100,000 in a place of another size, and there’s three or four times the crime rate,” said Sasserville. “The reason being was the demographics of the people coming to their city.”
Sasserville said he intends for the Salmon Arm rally to be an annual event that will attract people from as far as Germany and Japan, as well as from the U.S. and all over Canada. His one request to council was for their consideration to extend the noise bylaw to 1 a.m. for the four nights of the event.
“I can tell you absolutely that whatever city does do this with us, they will be on the map,” Sasserville said of the event, which would be held in conjunction with the Summer Stomp.
Coun. Kevin Flynn asked about the expected numbers for the first year. Sasserville said he would expect to see a daily attendance of at least 10,000 people.
“I’m going to have a contingency for 15,000 to 20,000 more people because once the word is out there, motorcycle enthusiasts are very funny people, they like to go to destinations, they like to ride…” said Sasserville, adding that number would “without a doubt” increase by 50 per cent the following year.
Professed rider Coun. Alan Harrison said he could not get excited about the event because of a certain undesirable element it would attract. Sasserville said he could control that and, furthermore, stated this element typically does not attend the Sturgis rally, in part because of a community ordinance that prevents the wearing of patches. Harrison, however, was not reassured by this.
“No matter… you’re going to have people there who are going to cause problems,” said Harrison. “To me, that’s not what I want in Salmon Arm.”
Coun. Chad Eliason noted that it took Roots and Blues 16 years before it was given an extension on the noise bylaw, and said Sasserville was going to have to prove himself before that happens.
Coun. Ken Jamieson said he shared Harrison’s concerns. At the same time, he said he visited Sturgis during the rally and was impressed by the people.
Mayor Marty Bootsma said that anytime there’s a crowd, there are going to be security issues.
According to Sioux Falls newspaper, The Argus Leader, there were 14 motorcycle fatalities in the few days leading up to and during this year’s event in Sturgis.
