Sturgis Motorcycle Rally facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Motorcycles lined up on Main Street during the 2006 event
Genre	Motorcycle rally
Dates	Starts first Friday in August (for 10 days)
Location(s)	Sturgis, South Dakota, U.S.
Founded	August 14, 1938 (1938-08-14)
Most recent	August 4–13, 2023
Next event	August 2–11, 2024
Attendance	highest: 739,000 (2015)
Website	https://www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com/

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is a huge event where people who love motorcycles gather every year in Sturgis, South Dakota. This special event takes place in the beautiful Black Hills area of the United States. It all started in 1938 with a group of Indian Motorcycle riders. Back then, it was mostly about cool stunts and exciting races.

Over the years, the rally has grown a lot and now includes many different activities organized by various groups. Many people attend, with numbers often around 500,000. In 2015, a record 700,000 people came! The rally lasts for 10 days and brings in a lot of money for the area, about $800 million each year.

History of the Sturgis Rally

Indian Ed Spilker, one of the original Jackpine Gypsies and a co-founder of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

The very first rally happened on August 14, 1938. It was organized by a motorcycle club called the Jackpine Gypsies. This club still owns and runs the tracks and hillclimb areas where the main events take place. The first event was known as the "Black Hills Motor Classic."

The person who started it all was Clarence "Pappy" Hoel. He bought an Indian motorcycle shop in Sturgis in 1936 and then formed the Jackpine Gypsies club in 1938. Both the Jackpine Gypsies and Pappy Hoel have been honored in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame for their contributions.

Early Days: Races and Stunts

In the beginning, the rally was mainly focused on racing and amazing stunts. In 1961, more events were added, like Hillclimb and Motocross races. These early races could include half-mile track events, daring ramp jumps, and even planned crashes.

Rally During World War II

The Sturgis Rally has been held every year since it started, except during World War II. In 1942, the organizers decided to pause the event until the war was over. They said it was hard to find good performers during that time. The rally didn't happen again until 1946, when plans were made to bring it back.

How the Rally Grew

Originally, the rally was made up of two main events over three days. It started with a "Gypsy tour," where Jackpine Gypsy club members would lead riders on a guided trip through the Black Hills. The next two days were packed with motorcycle and car races. There were also parades, dances, and even animal shows in downtown Sturgis.

For many years, the rally lasted for seven days, starting on a Monday in the first full week of August. In October 2016, the city of Sturgis decided to make the rally even longer. Now, it's a 10-day event that begins on the Friday before the first full week of August and ends on the second Sunday.

How Many People Attend?

The South Dakota Department of Transportation keeps track of how many vehicles enter the area, which helps estimate attendance. The number of people attending is usually higher during big anniversary years, like the 75th rally in 2015.

It's important to know that "attendance" counts vehicle crossings and other things, not just the exact number of different people. This means many attendees might be counted more than once. So, the actual number of unique people is usually lower than the listed attendance figures.

Who Owns the Rally Name?

For a long time, the Sturgis Chamber of Commerce tried to claim ownership of names like "Sturgis Motorcycle Rally." These claims were later given to another group called Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Inc. (SMRI).

However, in 2018, a court decided that these trademark claims were not valid. The court said that the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is a big event put on by many different groups, not just one. They also said that the city's role is mostly to provide services like roads and safety, not to own the event itself.

A judge later ordered that SMRI could no longer claim ownership of the names "Sturgis" or "Sturgis Motorcycle Rally." This means the names are free for everyone to use.

Impact of the Rally

The Sturgis Rally brings a lot of money to South Dakota, over $800 million every year. In 2019, the rally also raised over $628,000 for local charities. For the city of Sturgis, the rally provides a big part of its yearly income.

The rally can make local roads very busy, almost like "parking lots." It also means that local police need to focus on the rally instead of their usual patrols. The large number of visitors has even been used as an example for other places preparing for big events, like the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017.

Rallies During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were worries about the virus spreading at the rally. In 2020, about 462,000 people attended.

Some health officials wanted to cancel the rally, but many events happen outside the city, making it hard to stop everything. People attending were encouraged, but not required, to wear face masks and keep a safe distance. Some Native American reservations set up checkpoints to limit visitors, which caused some discussion.

After the 2020 rally, health officials tracked the spread of COVID-19. Cell phone data showed that people who attended the rally visited many different parts of the U.S. Health cases linked to the rally were reported in several states, including Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Public health warnings were issued for some popular spots at the rally.

Health officials asked anyone who went to the rally to watch for symptoms for 14 days and get tested if they felt sick. While some studies tried to estimate how many cases might have been linked to the rally, there was debate about the methods used. South Dakota's governor and state health officials disagreed with some of the higher estimates.

Before the 2021 rally, concerns about the virus continued. The city of Sturgis planned to offer quick self-test kits for the virus to visitors.

Getting to Sturgis

Many people travel to Sturgis by flying to a nearby airport. Then, shipping companies transport their motorcycles to the rally for them.

Media Coverage

The Sturgis Rally is a big event, so it gets a lot of attention from the media.

Print and Radio

Local newspapers like the Rapid City Journal and South Dakota Public Broadcasting often cover the rally every day.

Television

The rally has been featured on many TV shows. In 1997, the crew from the show COPS and basketball player Dennis Rodman visited.

From 1996 to 1999, a wrestling company called World Championship Wrestling (WCW) held a special event at the rally called Road Wild.

The rally was also shown in an episode of the cartoon King of the Hill called "Queasy Rider." In this episode, Hank and Peggy buy a motorcycle and go to the event.

The VH1 Classic network has shown interviews, music performances, and rock music videos from the Buffalo Chip Campground during the rally. ESPN's SportsCenter also featured the rally in 2005.

Shows like American Chopper and Orange County Choppers, which are about building custom motorcycles, have had many episodes featuring bikes made for and shown at the Sturgis Rally. The builders, Paul Teutul Sr and Paul Teutul Jr, have talked about their experiences and even had competitions to build bikes for the rally.

A reality television series called Full Throttle Saloon started in 2009 on truTV. It shows what goes on behind the scenes at a very large biker bar during the rally.

The rally has also appeared on American Pickers and Pawn Stars, where the hosts visited Sturgis.

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