Sand, SUVS, Tortillas and Ta Tas
Photos and text by "Danger Man" Todd Mehrer and Thunder Press
To the general public, the sight of well over 400 hundred bikers riding in formation down the highway is overwhelmingly one of fear. The looks on the faces of the motorists in the minivans and SUVs as the ‘bikercade’ for the
A smile crossed my lips at the irony of it all. The blazing bikers, those children in the SUV were so terrified of, were the same folks who had donated more than 10 truck loads of toys, school supplies, clothing and other items for the children of
Organized summer charity rides often feel uniform. You know the routine; go to the designated start point, sign in, pay your money, ride for a few hours, and then go home. The
Arriving at the Sweetwater Harley-Davidson dealership, where the ride began, was both an eye and earful. There were plenty of great bikes, crowds of people, loud pipes, music, girls in short-shorts and helpful staff. The dealership has been a proud sponsor of the Rosarito Beach Ride since the beginning according to Wayne Jorgenson.
The facility was impressive. The dealership just moved into their new building on
As the time for departure neared, it was apparent there was going to be a large crowd. Jammed groups often cause delays due to myriad small details, piss breaks, maps, topping off tanks, breakdowns and pre-run quickies slow progress. Reading the schedule, it called for a start time of 12:00 noon. I was skeptical, to say the least. I had my eye on a counter girl, was getting the munchies, thought about a new cam for my ride and another shot of tequila. As promised, the first bikes began rolling out onto the streets at 11:59 a.m., an indication of how well planned this event was. Kudos to Martin Resendez, his wife, and his crew anyway. They planned, organized and led the entire event.
The coolest part of the ride was the escort by the Federal Police through
Admittedly, there was some anxiety about a ride in
The folks, who weren’t toothless and making tortillas on Sterno hot plates in the filthy gutters, they were shy at first, but proved to be kind, helpful and generous of spirit. They gladly offered directions when we (Stitch and I) became hopelessly lost on our way home. Cool drinks were offered as we sat idling in the summer heat waiting at a check-point. They moved carts, cones, and cars so we could split lanes, and waved us to move to the front of the line at the border checkpoint on the way back. It was all a welcome surprise and helped to change my own preconceived notions about riding south of the border.
When we arrived at Papas & Beer, the ride was at an end, but the fun kicked off. The parking was secure, monitored, and directly across from the Cantina. Once inside, the band pumped out great music, and the food sizzled on the grill. Riders kicked back in the shade, laid out in the sun or cooled off in the pool located inside Papas & Beer. Stumbling around we heard the cheers of the crowd and women screaming as the Cantina’s mechanical bull claimed another victim. The Lady Rider was a great sport, though, and got a round of applause from the crowd as the donkey mounted her. After cooling off from the ride, we strolled out the beach entrance of the bar to check the surf and the bikini action. Folks were laughing, riding horses along the beach, playing in the surf, burying small children under sand castles and generally enjoying the beautiful day.
I went back to the front of Papas & Beer and we noticed a large crowd of children gathered on a side street. As we neared, several black T- shirted folks could be seen at the front of the line. We knew them to be part of the crew from the ride. Curious, we made our way to the front of the line, which by then had stretched almost to the edge of the sand. It marked one of the distribution points for the charitable donations from the riders. It was heartwarming to see kids so excited to get paper, pencils, pens and other needed supplies for school. It was a great feeling to be part of this ride.
And, it was awesome to see such grateful little faces smiling back at me. Yes, the
Rosarito Beach Harley Run- August 4, 2012
ESCORTED RIDE BY FEDERAL POLICE FROM THE BORDER TO
PAPAS & BEER AND BACK TO THE BORDER THE NEXT DAY
Last year, the Rosarito Harley Run staff/volunteers donated six truckloads of much needed clothing, shoes, toys, school supplies, and hygiene products for children and disadvantaged families.
The Harley Run Charity Event has grown every year in number of participants and donations and this year’s Run has riders traveling from all over the country... Northern California, Arizona , New Mexico and as far as New York City . The Mexican riders are no exception coming from Mazatlan , Puerto Penasco, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City .
As for our riders, those who have done this run can't wait for us to go again plus I have actually seen an increase in inquiries and have more people pre-registered now than I did at this same time last year. Since a few people fear riding to Rosarito, I have made arrangements for us to be escorted by Federal Police and bypass Tijuana all together. We will be entering Mexico from the Otay Border and using a new highway. Once we enter Rosarito, we will be escorted by their city police to Papas and Beer. Those same officers stay with the group for the entire time we are in Rosarito, our own private security force! We will also be escorted back to the US border on Sunday at 12 noon from Papa’s and Beer!
No entry will be allowed if you don’t have a wristband for this event or on the guest list. Make sure to pre-register because this event will sell out!
