Buffalo Park cricket ground was transformed into a haven of bikes, beer and braaing yesterday at the start of the Golden Stallion Motorcycle Rally which is expected to bring up to 2500 bikers to the city this weekend.
At 11am today, bikers will take a mass ride from the cricket park, which has transformed into a campsite, exhibition and party venue, to the Gonubie Hotel and back.
The massive rally is the brainchild of East London biker Johan Jooste, 53, the national president of social riding club Travelling Buddies, who has been attending bike rallies countrywide since he was 18.
“We wanted to bring an upmarket rally to East London that will stay here and become an annual event.”
Clad in a badge- encrusted leather vest and doing his rounds of the venue on a golden BMW K1200LT, which trailed a flag bearing the rally’s logo, he said he had named it after a golden stallion because “stallions are powerful horses that don’t stand back for anything”.
By yesterday morning a giant music-pumping marquee complete with big screens for the Springbok/Argentina match were in place at the cricket ground’s B field and several stalls had sprung up on the practice ground.
Tents were starting to pop up beneath the coral trees on what was once a caravan park and piles of firewood were being splattered with rain in the braai enclosure, where chops and boerewors will sizzle on 28 fire drums.
The rally, which runs until tomorrow morning features a jam-packed programme including a Miss Golden Stallion competition, arm wrestling contests, bands and DJs, who will play music late into the night – but noise will abate at midnight.
This morning’s events include a poignant balloon release for “fallen bikers” at 9am.
“People worldwide submitted photos of brothers and sisters lost in accidents and these will be attached to the balloons with string,” said Jooste.
“Bikers will gather in a circle on the field and balloons will be released to the sounds of the Biker Angel song and revving. We are a community and this is a tribute to our own.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Roaring bikes to fill Buffalo Park
At 11am today, bikers will take a mass ride from the cricket park, which has transformed into a campsite, exhibition and party venue, to the Gonubie Hotel and back.
The massive rally is the brainchild of East London biker Johan Jooste, 53, the national president of social riding club Travelling Buddies, who has been attending bike rallies countrywide since he was 18.
“We wanted to bring an upmarket rally to East London that will stay here and become an annual event.”
Clad in a badge- encrusted leather vest and doing his rounds of the venue on a golden BMW K1200LT, which trailed a flag bearing the rally’s logo, he said he had named it after a golden stallion because “stallions are powerful horses that don’t stand back for anything”.
By yesterday morning a giant music-pumping marquee complete with big screens for the Springbok/Argentina match were in place at the cricket ground’s B field and several stalls had sprung up on the practice ground.
Tents were starting to pop up beneath the coral trees on what was once a caravan park and piles of firewood were being splattered with rain in the braai enclosure, where chops and boerewors will sizzle on 28 fire drums.
The rally, which runs until tomorrow morning features a jam-packed programme including a Miss Golden Stallion competition, arm wrestling contests, bands and DJs, who will play music late into the night – but noise will abate at midnight.
This morning’s events include a poignant balloon release for “fallen bikers” at 9am.
“People worldwide submitted photos of brothers and sisters lost in accidents and these will be attached to the balloons with string,” said Jooste.
“Bikers will gather in a circle on the field and balloons will be released to the sounds of the Biker Angel song and revving. We are a community and this is a tribute to our own.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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