OFF THE WIRE
Before bikers from all over the world rode to Sturgis to experience the Black Hills, the Jackpine Gypsies were introducing outsiders to the beautiful riding experience, one tour in the Hills at a time.
That's how the Rally became so big, said Greg Hultman, president of the Jackpine Gypsies motorcycle club in Sturgis. Bikers from outside areas would attend Gypsy tours throughout the Black Hills, then they would go home and tell their friends about the experience. The word of mouth worked then, just like it works now.
Neil Hultman, who joined the group in August of 1947, served as one of the original road captains for these “Gypsy Tours.”
“It helped give the crowd something to do because they would come to the races and the races were held on Saturday and Sunday. That was the only activity there was. That's how we got involved in tours on Friday. The tours grew bigger and bigger every year. They got so big that we had to divide them into two groups because traffic was building up behind them. The state highway patrol would go along with a police escort, and that would really help. They also carried nurses that we wanted to go along in case there was an emergency. We got the nurses from Ft. Meade. They didn't have a lot of work, but they had a lot of fun,” said Neil.
One of those nurses was Neil's future wife, Ramona Hultman. Though the couple actually met through their work at Ft. Meade, they became better acquainted through their work with the Jackpine Gypsies tours.
Jackpine Gypsies races that were sanctioned by the American Motorcyclists Association quickly gained notoriety in the motorcycle world as a way for racers to pick up the most points at one event. The gypsy tours and the races worked together to foster a good mix for growth that has continued for more than 75 years.
“The Rally was basically word-of-mouth by doing tours through the Black Hills,” Greg said. “That is how the Rally became so big. My pop led many tours, He was a road captain. We never advertised it. It just kind of grew by ear. Now it is the largest motorcycle rally in the world. That's kinda wild.”
The group was started in 1936 with Black Hills tours and the racing vision of Indian dealership owner J.C. “Pappy” Hoel. In 1937 the group received its American Motorcyclists Association certification, and by 1938 the Gypsies' heritage started with the half-mile motorcycle races at the Black Hills Motor Classic, an event that was largely organized and sponsored by a separate group of Sturgis business owners. At that first event the “Fabulous 9,” the group of original Gypsy racers, burned up the track on their early Indians and Harleys. Held on a track that had previously hosted horse races, Greg said the half mile track will celebrate its centennial this year - just a couple of months younger than the Indianapolis 500.
“The club was just kind of a fun group,” said Neil. “We didn't have any certain project or anything that we had and we were made up from people of all different (backgrounds.) We had some miners, some cavalry people … there were just people who took on motorcycling to have fun.”
The Gypsies races and tours quickly gained notoriety amongst racers and bikers alike.
“They had some of the best pro racers in the United States come to race in Sturgis,” Neil said. “It was well known as one of the top tracks going. We tried to keep the prize money up where it would be attractive for them to come because it cost them a little more money, and even more so today, to travel.”
“They came around and hung out in Hoel's back yard,” Greg said of the racers and tour participants. “Someone said they looked like a bunch of gypsies. So they decided to start a club called the Jackpine Gypsies. Jackpine came from them touring through the Hills, through the jackpines of the Black Hills.”
Greg went on to explain that the Gypsies' early races were very popular with amateurs who wanted to go pro.
“In the old days if you were an amateur racer and you wanted to make it pro, Sturgis was the place to come and you would get a lot of points in one week where it would usually take you three weeks to get all those points,” Greg said.
Though the Jackpine Gypsies do not host as many races as they once did, the club does host more than 12 races a year, with about seven of those held during the Rally. The only races sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association - which draw the pro and amateur racers from around the country - are held during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
While the races are not as frequent, Hultman said the Jackpine Gypsies have more to offer than in the days of old. The focus of touring and racing has not changed, but the races have, as the club now boasts hill climb, motocross, half mile and short track racing events on the same grounds. The group maintains about 40 acres of racing and practice grounds, where youth and adult enthusiasts alike go to practice the sport. Currently about 175 Jackpine Gypsies members take advantage of those facilities, as well as the other amenities the club provides in free racing admission, T-shirts, tour invitations, and more. Hultman said that membership number grows weekly, with members coming in from across the nation.
“I think we're about one of the only motorcycle groups that have all of them (racing events) at one facility,” Greg said. “It's a good place where little kids learn how to ride. The parents become members and they take them out there. The Hills are getting tougher and tougher to go trail bike riding and stuff like that.”
With the Jackpine Gypsies' racing heritage heaped in tradition, Greg said the group's mission to promote racing and tours has not changed. However, of the nine member board of directors, four of them are new this year, with fresh blood coming in all the time. All of those new members signify a change in the group, and while Greg said there have not been many changes yet, the evolution will be gradual. Already the group has developed a bigger, more effective presence with the public, producing a regular newsletter about the club for members; developing a brand new Web site and taking advantage of networking tools such as Facebook, and maintaining a larger presence with the public.
Overall, Greg said he is very proud to be involved in the organization that has such deep roots in the Black Hills, and in the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. His father, Neil Hultman, is the longest-standing member of the Gypsies, with 64 years in the club. It's a family heritage for Greg, and he intends to maintain the traditions and central mission in order to shepherd them into the future.
http://www.bhpioneer.com/black_hills_fun/sturgis_motorcycle_rally/article_5077a366-b7b7-11e0-8fbc-001cc4c002e0.html