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STURGIS, S.D. (AP) — Thousands of bikers poured into the small South Dakota city of Sturgis on Friday as the 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally rumbled to life despite fears it could lead to a massive coronavirus outbreak.

The rally could become one of the largest public gatherings since the pandemic began, with organizers expecting 250,000 people from all over the country to make their way through Sturgis during the 10-day event. That would be roughly half the number of previous years, but local residents — and a few bikers — worry that the crowds could create a “super-spreader” event.

Many who rode their bikes into Sturgis on Friday expressed defiance at the rules and restrictions that have marked life in many locales during the pandemic. People rode from across the country to a state that offered a reprieve from coronavirus restrictions, as South Dakota has no special limits on indoor crowds, no mask mandates and a governor who is eager to welcome visitors and the money they bring.

“Screw COVID,” read the design on one T-shirt being hawked. “I went to Sturgis.”

Bikers rumbled past hundreds of tents filled with motorcycle gear, T-shirts and food. Harley Davidson motorcycles were everywhere but masks were almost nowhere to be seen, with an Associated Press reporter counting fewer than 10 in a crowd of thousands over a period of several hours.

For Stephen Sample, who rode his Harley from Arizona, the event was a break from the routine of the last several months, when he's been mostly homebound or wearing a mask when he went to work as a surveyor.
“I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to be cooped up all my life either,” he said.

Still, Sample, who is 66, feared what could happen if he caught COVID-19 at the rally. He said he was trying to avoid indoor bars and venues, where he felt the risk of infection was greater. But on the opening day of the rally, he said he ate breakfast at an indoor diner.

As Sample weighed the risks of navigating the crowds, the same thrill-seeking that attracted him to riding motorcycles seemed to win out.
“I think we’re all willing to take a chance,” he said.

Republican Gov. Kristi Noem has taken a largely hands-off approach to the pandemic, avoiding a mask mandate and preaching personal responsibility. She supported holding the Sturgis rally, pointing out that no virus outbreak was documented from the several thousand people who turned out to see President Donald Trump and fireworks at Mount Rushmore last month.

Daily virus cases have been trending upward in South Dakota, but the 7-day average is still only around 84, with fewer than two deaths per day.

The rally attracted crowds of retirees and people in age ranges considered to be at higher risk from the coronavirus. But for many who see the rally as an annual pilgrimage, the camaraderie and atmosphere couldn’t be missed.

“I fell in love with the rally. I love the sound of the bikes,” said Bill Sudkamp, who was making his 20th consecutive rally appearance.

He and his wife, who declined to give their ages but said they were at elevated risk for COVID-19, were among the handful of people seen wearing masks in downtown Sturgis, a community of about 7,000 that's roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Rapid City. They were also planning to avoid bars. Sudkamp felt it was inevitable that infections would spread in the packed bars and concert venues.

“It looked like South Dakota was plateauing mostly,” Sudkamp said. “It will be interesting to see what it looks like in two weeks.”

Marsha Schmid, who owns the Side Hack Saloon in Sturgis, was trying to keep her bar and restaurant from becoming a virus hot spot by spacing out indoor tables and offering plenty of hand sanitizer. She also scaled back the number of bands hired for the rally, hoping the crowds would stay thin but still spend the cash that keeps her business viable for the rest of the year.

She pointed out that many of her employees depend on the rally and the tips they can make.
“You’ve got people coming from all over the world,” she said. “I just hope they are being responsible and if they don’t feel good, they stay away.”

Several locals said they would be spend the rally hunkered down at home. Carol Fellner stocked up on groceries and planned to stay away from any gatherings. Her husband suffers from bouts of pneumonia and kidney problems, and COVID-19 would be a “death sentence” for him, she said.

Fellner felt that the risk of an outbreak would be felt long after the bikers leave. The city plans to mass test residents to try to detect and halt outbreaks, but the area’s largest hospital system is already burdened with the influx of tourists and bikers who inevitably need hospital care during this time.

Sample was aware his trip to the rally could end in the hospital, which seemed to weigh on him.

“This is a major experiment,” he said. “It could be a major mistake.”


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Why did you post schit as fact from the AP


Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Give a man a welfare check, a forty ounce malt liquor, a crack pipe, an Obama phone, free health insurance. and some Air Jordan's and he votes Democrat for a lifetime.
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Hoping BLM and Antifa show up...


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One of the LAST places those people want to be.


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Originally Posted by JakeBlues
Hoping BLM and Antifa show up...



OMG, we conservatives could never be that lucky.....

Thinking out of the box.... I'd love to see a biker, replace our Queen/Governor ( the lesbian) here in Oregon....

and one for the mayor of Potlandia....


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We were there last year, it’s amazing how many scooters there are.

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Originally Posted by Seafire
Originally Posted by JakeBlues
Hoping BLM and Antifa show up...



OMG, we conservatives could never be that lucky.....

Thinking out of the box.... I'd love to see a biker, replace our Queen/Governor ( the lesbian) here in Oregon....

and one for the mayor of Potlandia....


Lol... most of those “bikers”, are make believe bikers that are senior citizens just pretending to be billy badasses.

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Originally Posted by Ejp1234
Originally Posted by Seafire
Originally Posted by JakeBlues
Hoping BLM and Antifa show up...



OMG, we conservatives could never be that lucky.....

Thinking out of the box.... I'd love to see a biker, replace our Queen/Governor ( the lesbian) here in Oregon....

and one for the mayor of Potlandia....


Lol... most of those “bikers”, are make believe bikers that are senior citizens just pretending to be billy badasses.



When you headed to Sturgis to tell all them old fuggers that?


Paul

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Originally Posted by Ejp1234
most of those “bikers”, are make believe bikers that are senior citizens just pretending to be billy badasses.


Go ahead and tell them that from handshake distance- - - - -be sure to have somebody else take video, since you won't be able to post it afterwards.


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Originally Posted by Ejp1234
Originally Posted by Seafire
Originally Posted by JakeBlues
Hoping BLM and Antifa show up...



OMG, we conservatives could never be that lucky.....

Thinking out of the box.... I'd love to see a biker, replace our Queen/Governor ( the lesbian) here in Oregon....

and one for the mayor of Potlandia....


Lol... most of those “bikers”, are make believe bikers that are senior citizens just pretending to be billy badasses.


You appear sub human, what are you pretending to be?


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Got two buddy’s who have been there several times, been bikers all their lives, one is a former chapter president for a 1% club. Be amusing to watch some idiot tell them they were make believe or pretending.

I know for a fact one of them would probably just smack the idiot unconscious with his helmet. Saw him do it to a guy just because the guy had smacked a local girl during an argument. They were passing each other on a set of stairs, and the he-man woman hater took a helmet to the side of the head and proceeded to tumble down the steps, out cold. Never saw it coming. Sturgis has a lot of pretenders, sure, but you better be real careful assuming that about anyone you see there.

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We have a booth every year at Black Hills Harley and it's been record setting sales on guns and suppressors so far.


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I gone about every year except 2 since 06....There is certainly a diverse group that attends and with that maybe some "Want to be's"....But I'm with Hotrod Lincoln on this one, it would NOT end well for "Some" if they were stupid enough to show up !!


Originally Posted by Ejp1234
Originally Posted by Seafire
Originally Posted by JakeBlues
Hoping BLM and Antifa show up...



OMG, we conservatives could never be that lucky.....

Thinking out of the box.... I'd love to see a biker, replace our Queen/Governor ( the lesbian) here in Oregon....

and one for the mayor of Potlandia....


Lol... most of those “bikers”, are make believe bikers that are senior citizens just pretending to be billy badasses.


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The vote by the governing council was very close as to have it or not this year. Iirc, it was like 1 vote to proceed and have it.

It is quite an ordeal to see.


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Originally Posted by JohnBurns
We have a booth every year at Black Hills Harley and it's been record setting sales on guns and suppressors so far.

This is good news.


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I’ve been several times and it’s always fun.
Unless it’s raining and cold,
Then it’s just kinda fun.
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One very impressive good looking lady...
FOX: South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem praised the people of her state for working with her administration to both keep the coronavirus largely at bay, while preserving the state's economy and employment levels.
Noem told "The Ingraham Angle" that a dangerous way to potentially "lose the country" is for other state executives to "overstep" boundaries and restrict universal American freedoms in the name of virus mitigation.
"What works is washing your hands and making good decisions," she said, dismissing claims from Minneapolis Federal Reserve Chairman Neel Kashkari that another month's worth of lockdowns is best to mitigate the virus.
"I think what we are seeing there is encouraging leaders to make decisions where they will overstep their authorities and a time of crisis, and that's how we lose this country," she said.
Noem said South Dakota will be proud to host the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally -- which normally draws thousands to the state.

Last edited by BOWSINGER; 08/07/20.

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Originally Posted by BOWSINGER
One very impressive good looking lady...
FOX: South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem praised the people of her state for working with her administration to both keep the coronavirus largely at bay, while preserving the state's economy and employment levels.
Noem told "The Ingraham Angle" that a dangerous way to potentially "lose the country" is for other state executives to "overstep" boundaries and restrict universal American freedoms in the name of virus mitigation.
"What works is washing your hands and making good decisions," she said, dismissing claims from Minneapolis Federal Reserve Chairman Neel Kashkari that another month's worth of lockdowns is best to mitigate the virus.
"I think what we are seeing there is encouraging leaders to make decisions where they will overstep their authorities and a time of crisis, and that's how we lose this country," she said.
Noem said South Dakota will be proud to host the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally -- which normally draws thousands to the state.


Washing your hands and face a couple times a day can do a lot of good for any cold season.
Of course if you are the sort to get a painted up you are going to resist washing your face.
As someone else said a hand washing not-see would do more good that the dirty diapers many are wearing around...


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Originally Posted by OldGrayWolf
Got two buddy’s who have been there several times, been bikers all their lives, one is a former chapter president for a 1% club. Be amusing to watch some idiot tell them they were make believe or pretending.

I know for a fact one of them would probably just smack the idiot unconscious with his helmet. Saw him do it to a guy just because the guy had smacked a local girl during an argument. They were passing each other on a set of stairs, and the he-man woman hater took a helmet to the side of the head and proceeded to tumble down the steps, out cold. Never saw it coming. Sturgis has a lot of pretenders, sure, but you better be real careful assuming that about anyone you see there.

The 1%er wears a helmet?

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Originally Posted by 12344mag
Originally Posted by Ejp1234
Originally Posted by Seafire
Originally Posted by JakeBlues
Hoping BLM and Antifa show up...



OMG, we conservatives could never be that lucky.....

Thinking out of the box.... I'd love to see a biker, replace our Queen/Governor ( the lesbian) here in Oregon....

and one for the mayor of Potlandia....


Lol... most of those “bikers”, are make believe bikers that are senior citizens just pretending to be billy badasses.



When you headed to Sturgis to tell all them old fuggers that?


Crickets..............

That's exactly what I thought.


Paul

"I'd rather see a sermon than hear a sermon".... D.A.D.

Trump Won!, Sandmann Won!, Rittenhouse Won!, Suck it Liberal Fuuktards.

molɔ̀ːn labé skýla

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