West Coast Thunder XII – Paying Homage
Posted on 06. Apr, 2011 by Coach in Open Road
For many in America, especially the Veterans of the United States military, Memorial Day is a somber time. It is more than a day off, it is the day we pay homage to the men and women who have fought bravely for our freedoms, many not returning from the battlefield from which they fought. We honor the courage, the commitment, and the sacrifice that has been made by those that did not seek out safety and shelter, but rather heard the calling of our country and served to preserve the freedoms we Americans cherish dearly.
West Coast Thunder is a celebration of those men and women who heard that calling, and especially those that paid the ultimate sacrifice. Celebrating its twelfth year, West Coast Thunder is the Memorial Day ride held in Southern California. Every year over 7500 motorcyclists crowd the streets of Riverside, California to make the ride from Skip Fordyce Harley-Davidson to the Riverside National Cemetery, and after the ceremonies and presentations there, they ride to Soboba Casino for good food, drinks, live music, and great friendship.
I recently spoke with Jay Dabney, owner of Skip Fordyce Harley-Davidson, and some of the board members of West Coast Thunder XII about this year’s celebration:
Coach: “Let’s start out with taking a look at last year. You changed the venue last year, at the end of the whole day how did it turn out?”
Earl Chadd: “I thought it was wonderful. I have received positive feedback
from virtually everyone I spoke to. In fact I spoke to an awful lot of folks who said they wish they had made the trip out there. A lot of people have commented that they enjoyed the stage at Soboba Casino. It gave people an opportunity to actually see the Color Guard presentation, the presentation that we do. They could actually see it. We are in front of the stage, and there are grandstands so people are elevated so that they could see the presentation. A lot of folks were impressed with that.
“It is a lot of fun, besides. Tons of vendors, the food is excellent. There are a lot of folks that wish they would have made the trip to Soboba Casinos after the presentations at the Riverside National Cemetery. I have heard nothing but good stuff.
“And, it was an actual ride. We rode to the RNC (Riverside National Cemetery) first, and after paying our condolences, the Color Guard and Honor Guard made the trek out to the Soboba Casino. And the CHP closed the highway! There were parked CHP officers waving us on as we rode down the highway! That was very cool!”
Jay Dabney: “Last year we tried to shift directions and take the ride to the next level. It has been a wonderful ride, and a wonderful experience for the riders over the years, and we wanted to add to it. I talk to a lot of riders, and they tell me it’s a great ride, and going through and seeing everybody waving the flag along the parade route is awesome. And through the years the crowds have gotten bigger and bigger. And the Ultimate Sacrifice presentation put on by the Honor Guard is amazing to watch.
“Those are just two of the great features of West Coast Thunder. We have always focused on maintaining the absolute commitment to the values that were propagated in this event, which were honoring and remembering those who fought for our freedoms, the reason for Memorial Day. Because we have maintained our focus to those values over the years, people have come back over and over again. Once you have made this ride, you pretty much want to do it again. It has always been about the solemnity of that day.
“We wanted to take things a step further. We start the day off with Earl and his crew doing the Ultimate Sacrifice presentation. Then we ride over to pay our respects and take part in the presentations at the RNC. After the ceremonies, we have always had something afterwards to try to provide a sort of release of the emotions that were felt throughout the day.
“Last year was no different in that sense, but we wanted to take it up a notch and hopefully bring in more riders and riders from farther away, and bring in more money for the Riverside National Cemetery Support Committee. They then turn around and use the money for all kinds of things out there. The thing that I really associate with is the POW/MIA Memorial and statue, that West Coast Thunder was the primary donor to.
“We took the after ceremony party to Soboba, brought on a name act, made it an actual ride, and got the CHP to escort us making it an amazing ride. It allows the riders to really experience the values that those men and women died defending, which is freedom. It is really amazing having nothing but you and the road and a ton of bikers heading down the highway towards Soboba Casino.
“So that is how I view last year. We got there, had a great time, the entertainment was fabulous, we had a great turn out, and the vast majority of participants said nothing but great things. We really learned a lot, go organized a lot earlier, and we are refining a lot of things.”
Coach: “Since last year was the first year of the new venue after the ceremonies at RNC, what are some of the things you are looking at refining this year?”
Jack Dodd (Executive Director for West Coast Thunder): “This years event will be quite similar to last year in that we will still have the parade out to the Riverside National Cemetery, and then out to the Soboba Casino, but this year we are bringing in the Marshall Tucker Band and Staind’s Aaron Lewis, so I think we have got a great entertainment value for the riders. This year we tried to listen more to the participants and stepped up the entertainment with a well known performer in The Marshall Tucker Band.
“We are excited to have the Marshall Tucker Band performing this year. They are a well known southern rock icon, a great biker band, and they draw a huge crowd at Sturgis every year. And we tried to balance that with something a little different that would appeal to a younger demographic. Aaron Lewis of Staind has a solo album out, and was part of the alternative movement that came out of Seattle. Staind had several hits, and we believe that he will appeal to the younger riders.
“And we are refining the scheduling this year so that the entertainment does not go so late into the afternoon. We want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the acts all the way through.”
Jay: “As you know, we listened to the feedback from last year, and we made some changes to pricing to give the riders more options. We have this huge crowd, but something is missing if a large chunk of those riders don’t realize that everything that we raise goes to the Riverside National Cemetery Support Committee, and a concrete manifestation of what we do on that day is represented in the POW/MIA Memorial. That will be there forever, it’s concrete and as durable as our commitment to the men and women serving this great nation. There are all kinds of things we have provided the money for at RNC, including the roof over the amphitheater. There are beautification projects, the flags that are put on the graves for the Memorial, and a large list of things that RNC needs money for. But for me, if you want to know what West coast Thunder is about, go out and look at the POW/MIA Memorial. That is in my opinion the symbol of what this ride is all about.
“The Riverside National Cemetery is currently planning on building the Viet Nam Memorial Wall West, and is raising money for that project. West Coast Thunder is proud to give all the proceeds of this ride to RNC to help make this a reality.
“It is important that people understand that this is where the money that riders pay go to. So we tried to give people a great entertainment value, and now we are giving people more options depending on whether they want to just go to the RNC and pay their respects, or if they want to go to the Soboba Casino and enjoy the entertainment. We hope that more of the “ghost riders” that typically didn’t pay for the ride in the past will want to get a ticket this year knowing that the proceeds are going to the Riverside National Cemetery.
“We want to give the riders the best value for your money possible. If you need a great entertainment value, we have a great ride and the Marshall Tucker Band. As you work your way down, were going to have some levels. If you preregister, you get a better deal. If you have a passenger, you’re going to get a little better deal. If you just want to do the ride only, you’re going to get that deal, too. However you want to memorialize this day your way, we have an option for you.”
There is no other event on the West Coast that celebrates all that Memorial Day is. It never ceases to amaze me how many veterans ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and I know as a veteran that this day is important to us. The crew at West Coast Thunder knows, also. And they have put together a ride and celebration that is worthy of this solemn day.
Take a look at the website for West Coast Thunder XII at http://www.westcoastthunder.com . Take a look at their story; check out the ride map and entertainment pages. Get your tickets early, and come out and honor our military men and women who have sacrificed for this nation. And start planning now to have a great Memorial Day that you will never forget!
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