Galveston motorcycle rally at full throttle

[CNF2002]

Nov. 5, 2006, 12:23AM -
By SALATHEIA BRYANT - Houston Chronicle - www.chron.com

Galveston motorcycle rally at full throttle
3 bikers' deaths mar event expected to attract 300,000

Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle


Attendance of Lone Star Rally:

• 2002: 12,000 (Rosenberg)

• 2003: 165,000 (Galveston)

• 2004: 250,000

• 2005: 250,000

• 2006: 300,000 (expected)


RALLY FACTS

There will be plenty to do on or off bikes at the Lone Star Rally. Check www.lonestarrally.com.

• Motorcycles are the stars of the rally, and the place to see them best is the Strand, from 21st to 25th streets, where bikers will parade by slowly "all day, every day," organizer Ron Limbock says.

• Poker Run: The three-day, 24-stop run starts at the Balinese Room on the Seawall.

• The Budweiser Clydesdales parade on the Strand from 21st to 25th streets at 6 p.m. Thursday and Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. They parade the Seawall, 21st to 25th streets, at 2 p.m. Friday.

• Free music: Two main stages, in Saengerfest Park and at Destination Seawall, will feature live shows.

GALVESTON — This is Donnie Riggins' kind of party: loud and long.

Leaning on a barricade, eyes hidden behind dark shades, a gold hoop in his left earlobe, head crowned with a straw hat, its brim curled up on the sides — Riggins, 66, didn't look any worse for wear Saturday, even though he and some friends closed down one place the night before.

"There ain't nothing like it," said Riggins, waving to a couple of the thousands of motorcyclists cruising down the Strand in the annual Lone Star Rally. "This is a place where you can meet up with old friends you don't get to see. You have a few drinks, a few laughs and enjoy the motorcycles."

By the time the last biker takes to I-45 north headed out of town this evening officials expect the rally to have attracted about 300,000 people — maybe more.

Casting a pall over the rally were the weekend deaths of three bikers. Two died in a single-motorcycle accident Friday night around 11 p.m. and another in an accident on I-45 outbound. Two other accidents resulted in major injuries, said Galveston police Capt. Phillip Morris.

Morris said that driver inattention and alcohol may have been a factor in the accidents. He said some riders were not wearing helmets.

"When you have a group this big you are going to have some who don't follow the rules of the road very well," said Morris. "They are performing for the audience. They are performing when they don't know the streets very well."

Rally co-founder Ron Limbock said there are two to four fatalities associated with the rally each year.

"It's always an unfortunate thing when someone goes down. When you put 250,000 bikers in one spot you're bound to have a certain percentage of accidents," he said.

Rally attendee Steve Escobedo said the accidents remind bikers to be cautious.

"It's still safe out here. You just got to be careful," he said.

Stretching across the island
In addition to the fatalities, Morris said law enforcement made about three alcohol-related arrests in the event area and an arrest for shoplifting.

Traffic along I-45 at one point had become a virtual parking lot backed up from Galveston to Bay Area Boulevard.

The rally stretched across the island with bikers cruising down Seawall Boulevard, Broadway and the Strand.

Motorcycles —Harleys, Hondas, Yamahas — lined both sides of the street along the Strand as others inched along the strip revving their engines in a bid for more attention. Extra loud choppers or fancy paint jobs received admiration and applause from the crowd. Some women flashed bare breasts for beads.

Law enforcement officers were perched on lifeguard towers placed along the Strand to enforce the "no wheelies" and "no burn out" prohibition.

Outgrowing Rosenberg
The Lone Star Rally started in Rosenberg but outgrew the city in its first year, "We filled up every hotel, restaurants ran out of food," said Larry Gore, president and chief executive officer of Lone Star Rally Inc.

It was relocated to Galveston and moved from April to late September.

It also became a free event. Last year, the rally survived four different date changes and the threat of Hurricane Rita. When it finally happened, staffers wore shirts that read, "Blame it on Rita."

Now the rally starts the first weekend of November — when deer-hunting season begins.

Gore said attendance grew faster than at some other well-known motorcycle rallies because it is free and has been helped by the advent of technology.

For example, last year when the date had to be changed he sent out a message to 10,000 people on his e-mail list. He also said cell phones help spread the word because attendees can call their friends to tell them to come down.

The popularity of the event has also extended the venue to other areas such as Kemah, Seabrook and La Marque.

"At this point there is no stopping it," said Gore. "The island has sank eight inches from the weight."