Post by beachbikers1 on May 4, 2009 17:03:22 GMT -6
Myself along with others have been on forums and websites all along the East Coast and Inland Major Cities to inform Bikers of the truth about the May Spring Rally in the Myrtle Beach area after Mayor Rhodes and the City Council done the damage of sending out lies that they canceled the Rallies. We spent many days and hours posting and answering questions people had and finally we are seeing some results of our efforts and also the works of forums like this one to educate them to the truth of the Rallies. People like you in conversation and Bird & Co. with iBiker.com & the Sun News Forum you're all part of the success of this years Rally which has been a challenge. Thanks to you all, this year will be a great Rally!
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Sun News, The (Myrtle Beach, SC)
2009-05-02
Section: local
Edition: TSN
Page: A1
CRUISING THE COAST: Strand holds on ahead of rallies
City vendors still unsure of how many will show up
Lorena Anderson, landerson@thesunnews.com
Kim Raines is thrilled.
Despite the recession and Myrtle Beach's efforts to curtail May's motorcycle rallies, her rental division at Surfside Realty is going gangbusters.
"We've got more bikers booked for this year than last year - about 25 percent more - and they are still booking every day," said Raines, the director of rental operations. "I even anticipate walk-ins."
At least Raines can see how her May is shaping up.
With the Harley-Davidson Spring Cruising the Coast rally kicking off Friday and the Atlantic Beach Bikefest soon to follow, area businesses and leaders will see how the recession and Myrtle Beach's new biker-related rules will affect the crowds that usually flock here by the thousands.
"I don't know that I've heard anyone really make predictions," Myrtle Beach spokesman Mark Kruea said. "We knew there would be a transition period. No one should expect the rallies to be the way they were before."
Hakim Harrell, a Philadelphia-based promoter and organizer for Atlantic Beach Bikefest, said he estimates 175,000 to 185,000 people will come for the 29-year-old Memorial Day weekend event - a 30 percent to 40 percent decline in the number of people who normally attend. He attributes that mainly to the economy, but said Myrtle Beach bears some responsibility, too.
Ever since the city declared it is no longer willing to be the epicenter of the May motorcycle rallies that have been known to drawn an estimated 500,000 people to the Grand Strand, people have been trying to figure out what the new May will look like.
Bikefest swelled to draw thousands of 16- to 20-year-olds who come by car to hang out, watch the sportbikes and party at the beach. Each Memorial Day, they take over most of Ocean Boulevard, and the reports of publicly lewd behavior, rowdiness, drinking and littering exponentially added to locals' anger, until, last year, a college student was shot to death in an argument over a parking space during Memorial Day weekend.
A quieter 2009?
Like every May, some businesses flourish while others flounder.
But some who had gotten used to being busy now find themselves with time on their hands.
Because Horry County limited the number of vendor permits, Shank, who coordinates vendors for Cruising the Coast, said this year is noticeably quieter.
Last year, he arranged 192 vendor permits. This year - fewer than 70.
"I had no problem selling the permits I had," he said.
But whether people will stay as long as they used to, spend as much money as they used to, spend as much time - or any at all - in Myrtle Beach proper as they used to, all remain to be seen.
"I think they did some damage," Robert Rogers said of the city's efforts to curb the rallies.
For the first time, Rogers is organizing rally events at the Myrtle Beach Speedway off U.S. 501, which he said is a perfect fit.
"We're not going to be here into the evening - we want to be good neighbors," Rogers said. This year he'll get his feet wet, but wants to take the coming year to plan a spectacular core for the 2010 rally.
Some are taking advantage of Myrtle Beach's new rules and the economy to actually open businesses.
On Friday, the day the Harley rally starts, Harrell, who started Cycleshoe International in Philadelphia, is opening Hott Helmets, a helmet shop at 707-B N. Ocean Blvd. - in Myrtle Beach - to accommodate the bikers who don't know about the city's new helmet law.
"Just when they thought they were getting rid of us, here we come," Harrell said.
He's also actively promoting Bikefest with new events at Club 2001 off Lake Arrowhead Road, a pocket of county property.
The goal, he said, is for people to mainly avoid Myrtle Beach.
Around the city
The city of Myrtle Beach has to be ready for any scenario. Myrtle Beach Police Capt. David Knipes said his department is canceling days off during the rallies, calling in extra help from around the state and planning safety checkpoints.
"We have no earthly idea how many people are going to come, but we have to prepare just like we always do," Knipes said.
Raines said a common theme she's hearing from people booking vacation rentals is that they want to avoid the city.
People should anticipate traffic on S.C. 31, S.C. 22, S.C. 544 and 707 and 701, as well as all the back roads.
"They are asking how to get from point A to point B without getting near Myrtle Beach," she said. "That means those of us on the south end and the north end are benefiting."
Her counterparts within city limits are "not happy," she said.
"A lot of them are having specials, offering 50 percent off in May," Raines said.
Raines said bookings on Surfside Realty's 500 properties are slightly down for Memorial Day weekend, usually her second biggest week.
But she's not worried because her experience bears out what travel surveys are showing - people are waiting until the last minute to book vacations, making sure they still have jobs or to get tax return checks.
For Raines, that's no problem.
"Bike Week is our biggest time of the year, and I don't see that changing," she said.
*************************************************
Sun News, The (Myrtle Beach, SC)
2009-05-02
Section: local
Edition: TSN
Page: A1
CRUISING THE COAST: Strand holds on ahead of rallies
City vendors still unsure of how many will show up
Lorena Anderson, landerson@thesunnews.com
Kim Raines is thrilled.
Despite the recession and Myrtle Beach's efforts to curtail May's motorcycle rallies, her rental division at Surfside Realty is going gangbusters.
"We've got more bikers booked for this year than last year - about 25 percent more - and they are still booking every day," said Raines, the director of rental operations. "I even anticipate walk-ins."
At least Raines can see how her May is shaping up.
With the Harley-Davidson Spring Cruising the Coast rally kicking off Friday and the Atlantic Beach Bikefest soon to follow, area businesses and leaders will see how the recession and Myrtle Beach's new biker-related rules will affect the crowds that usually flock here by the thousands.
"I don't know that I've heard anyone really make predictions," Myrtle Beach spokesman Mark Kruea said. "We knew there would be a transition period. No one should expect the rallies to be the way they were before."
Hakim Harrell, a Philadelphia-based promoter and organizer for Atlantic Beach Bikefest, said he estimates 175,000 to 185,000 people will come for the 29-year-old Memorial Day weekend event - a 30 percent to 40 percent decline in the number of people who normally attend. He attributes that mainly to the economy, but said Myrtle Beach bears some responsibility, too.
Ever since the city declared it is no longer willing to be the epicenter of the May motorcycle rallies that have been known to drawn an estimated 500,000 people to the Grand Strand, people have been trying to figure out what the new May will look like.
Bikefest swelled to draw thousands of 16- to 20-year-olds who come by car to hang out, watch the sportbikes and party at the beach. Each Memorial Day, they take over most of Ocean Boulevard, and the reports of publicly lewd behavior, rowdiness, drinking and littering exponentially added to locals' anger, until, last year, a college student was shot to death in an argument over a parking space during Memorial Day weekend.
A quieter 2009?
Like every May, some businesses flourish while others flounder.
But some who had gotten used to being busy now find themselves with time on their hands.
Because Horry County limited the number of vendor permits, Shank, who coordinates vendors for Cruising the Coast, said this year is noticeably quieter.
Last year, he arranged 192 vendor permits. This year - fewer than 70.
"I had no problem selling the permits I had," he said.
But whether people will stay as long as they used to, spend as much money as they used to, spend as much time - or any at all - in Myrtle Beach proper as they used to, all remain to be seen.
"I think they did some damage," Robert Rogers said of the city's efforts to curb the rallies.
For the first time, Rogers is organizing rally events at the Myrtle Beach Speedway off U.S. 501, which he said is a perfect fit.
"We're not going to be here into the evening - we want to be good neighbors," Rogers said. This year he'll get his feet wet, but wants to take the coming year to plan a spectacular core for the 2010 rally.
Some are taking advantage of Myrtle Beach's new rules and the economy to actually open businesses.
On Friday, the day the Harley rally starts, Harrell, who started Cycleshoe International in Philadelphia, is opening Hott Helmets, a helmet shop at 707-B N. Ocean Blvd. - in Myrtle Beach - to accommodate the bikers who don't know about the city's new helmet law.
"Just when they thought they were getting rid of us, here we come," Harrell said.
He's also actively promoting Bikefest with new events at Club 2001 off Lake Arrowhead Road, a pocket of county property.
The goal, he said, is for people to mainly avoid Myrtle Beach.
Around the city
The city of Myrtle Beach has to be ready for any scenario. Myrtle Beach Police Capt. David Knipes said his department is canceling days off during the rallies, calling in extra help from around the state and planning safety checkpoints.
"We have no earthly idea how many people are going to come, but we have to prepare just like we always do," Knipes said.
Raines said a common theme she's hearing from people booking vacation rentals is that they want to avoid the city.
People should anticipate traffic on S.C. 31, S.C. 22, S.C. 544 and 707 and 701, as well as all the back roads.
"They are asking how to get from point A to point B without getting near Myrtle Beach," she said. "That means those of us on the south end and the north end are benefiting."
Her counterparts within city limits are "not happy," she said.
"A lot of them are having specials, offering 50 percent off in May," Raines said.
Raines said bookings on Surfside Realty's 500 properties are slightly down for Memorial Day weekend, usually her second biggest week.
But she's not worried because her experience bears out what travel surveys are showing - people are waiting until the last minute to book vacations, making sure they still have jobs or to get tax return checks.
For Raines, that's no problem.
"Bike Week is our biggest time of the year, and I don't see that changing," she said.