Sturgis Reflection

Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin talks of the old days at the Sturgis Rally

Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin

• Retiring after 32 years as county sheriff and after working 40 of the 82 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally's. Merwin lost the most recent sheriff election and will be leaving office.
• In earlier years the city sold camping spots in the city park. That park became notorious for debauchery and an "anything goes" atmosphere. With lots of nudity, drugs, biker gangs and about anything one can imagine went on there.
• But, that atmosphere helped cement the reputation of the Sturgis Rally as a wild place.
• Merwin said cars driven into the campgrounds were rocked, with the windows broken out.
• In 1989 the city held a referendum and voted to close the city campground to rally bikers. Then campgrounds sprang up outside Sturgis - Buffalo Chip, Glenco, and others.
• However, Merwin said that even in recent times he and officers have been nervous when dispatched to campgrounds to deal with some incident. Nothing has happened to them. But he said they think about what might.
• He says the rallies have been running smoothly.
• Sturgis has turned into a big money major event in North America.
• In the early days the Sturgis Rally drew 30,000. And 35,000 was considered a big year. Now it draws more than 10 times that many.
• Sturgis, population 7,000, has turned the event into a money-maker for the city.

An interesting Glimpse

59-seconds of Sturgis

A little experiment for the future...

And a star is born

More to come later...

Winding it Down

The hordes now mounting up to depart

I-90 now with bikers heading east and west as Sturgis 2022 comes closer to The End.

Sunday is the last official day and the big exit will come then, and on Monday. But many, of course, are already headed out.

Main Street still packed.

Our photographically brilliant photographer still seeing big crowds on the main drag. But then it is always like that during the rally regardless if the rally attendance is up or down. And it's up this year.

More young bikers

And Minorities

Seemed to be a more diverse crowd this year, as compared to the past when there was noticeably a lot of middle-aged white guys.

Numbers Up 5 percent

Maybe More...

The American Motorcycle Rally Revived

After warnings of doom about the aging motorcycle population and the demise of the huge rallies in North America, like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, numbers are up considerably this year.

At least 5 percent up from the five year average. And in walking about the rally it seems like that may be a low count.

Crowd of more than half a million

More accurate figures to be tallied later when the South Dakota officials add up the vehicle traffic from their check lines stretched across some key entry-ways to Sturgis.

Other Black Hills Towns Up

• A growing number of riders are taking up towns on the outskirts.
• Less crowded places like Hill City, Custer and others.
• And Hulett, WY is always big

104 F.

The main story today, as everyone is dealing with it

Entirely too hot. Notice the 104 F. temperature reading on Thursday at the 2022 SturgisRally. This from one of the Sturgis cams.

The future of global warming

Not many on the street when the temperature is this high.

Sturgis Thursday Band Schedule

Knuckle Saloon

• The Night Caps
• Frank Fletcher
• Micro Mania Midget Wrestling
• Victory Underground
• GarageBoys
• Camp Comfort
• Jack Daniels

Eye Candy Saloon

• Moonshine Voodoo

Full Throttle Saloon

• Jackyl

Iron Horse Saloon

• 6 p.m. to Midnight: Bass Lords

Buffalo Chip

• Jon Pardi
• DJ Hulio
• Tumbleweed
• Williams & Ree

Kickstands

• Limberlost
• Tim Zach
• Skynyrd Billys

Loud American Roadhouse

• Bryan Loweree

One-Eyed Jack's Saloon

• Guild of ages

Drag Pipe Saloon

(Wyoming)

• Terry Waugh Band

DUI Arrests and Citations about the same as 2021

Still, it's a very busy time for Budweiser, Miller, etc

It looks like a lot, but when one consideres that there are more than a half million bikers here, and practically every state trooper in South Dakota and many on the Wyoming side...

DUI arrests as of Wednesday

My theory is that most who drink heavily and then get on a motorcycle have already departed this world. Natural selection at work.

DUI Count will continue to climb

Very hot weather forecast on Thursday. Near 100-degrees F. So, establishments serving cold refreshments will be packed.

Third Fatality

Near Scenic in remote area to the south

A 66-year old female passenger was reported fatally injured when a motorcycle and trike collided near Scenic,S.D.

The accident involved a u-turn.

Here are other injury accidents reported by the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Directly from their reports:

Injury Crashes:

At 11:23 a.m., Tuesday, intersection of South Dakota Highway 89 and South Dakota Highway 87, five miles north of Custer: A 2009 Harley-Davidson FLHRC motorcycle was southbound on South Dakota Highway 83 when the 51-year-old female driver failed to negotiate a turn. She suffered serious non-life threatening injuries and was taken to the Custer hospital. She was not wearing a helmet.

At 12:25 p.m., Tuesday, U.S. Highway 18, mile marker 19, eight miles east of Sturgis: A 2006 Nissan Titan vehicle pulling a trailer eastbound on U.S. Highway 18 when the driver lost control. The vehicle and trailer tipped over in the eastbound lane. The 52-year-old female driver sustained minor injuries and the 57-year-old male passenger was partially ejected and sustained serious non-life threatening injuries. Both were taken to the Hot Springs hospital. Neither occupant wore a seatbelt.

At 1:20 p.m., Tuesday, Vanocker Road, mile marker 11, six miles south of Sturgis: A 2009 Harley-Davidson FLF motorcycle was northbound on Vanocker Road when the driver failed to negotiate a left-hand curve. The motorcycle went off the road to the right and hit rocks. The 60-year-old male driver sustained serious non-life threatening injuries and was transferred to the Sturgis hospital. He was not wearing a helmet.

At 5:15 p.m., Tuesday, South Dakota Highway 79, mile marker 112, two miles north of Sturgis: A 2019 Harley-Davidson FLHXS motorcycle was southbound on South Dakota Highway 79 when it rear-ended a 2019 Indian Chieftain motorcycle. The 61-year-old male driver of the Harley-Davidson suffered serious non-life threatening injuries and was transported to the Sturgis hospital. The 62-year-old male driver of the Indian Chieftain motorcycle was not injured. Neither was wearing a helmet.

At 6:50 p.m., Tuesday, Pleasant Valley Road, five miles south of Sturgis: A 2017 Harley-Davidson FLTRXS motorcycle was eastbound on Pleasant Valley Road when the driver lost control. The 56-year-old female driver sustained minor injuries and was taken to the Sturgis hospital. She was not wearing a helmet.

At 7:42 p.m., Tuesday, at the intersection of Lazelle Street and 14th Street, within the city limits of Sturgis: A 2005 Harley-Davidson XL883C motorcycle was westbound on Lazelle Street when it lost control. The 48-year-old driver sustained minor injuries, but was not transported. He was wearing a helmet.

Sturgis Music Scene

Considered one the best in the world

Promo video from the Buffalo Chip:

Sturgis band scene during the rally far outstrips anything in the state or even the entire region the rest of the year.

Some of the premier big-time rock bands with a smattering of country, rap and sometime just plain weird stuff the entire 10 days of the rally.

Some outlets now trying to move toward a younger crowd

Still caters to the middle-age with its classic rock. But variations showing up more-and-more each year.

2022 Band Line-ups Featured

We'll be having updates on bands right here on this blog forthe rest of the week.

Krist Noem on Governor's Ride

Legends Ride and the Buffalo Chip

South Dakota governor again a feature of the Legend's Ride at the Buffalo Chip Rally today.

The event raises money for charity, and is associated with the Buffalo Chip.

A run for the presidency

Also presumably part of Noem's unofficial running for the presidency where she is trying to politically right-wing crowds at the Sturgis Rally and elsewhere.

More info at: Legends Ride