Buffalo Chip reveals Sturgis celebrity rider lineup

A growing list of Hollywood stars, racing icons, custom builders, professional athletes and industry icons will be taking part in the Sturgis Buffalo Chip’s three signature rides this August.

Attendees participating in the Buffalo Chip’s Legends Ride, Biker Belles and Rusty Wallace Ride will have the unique opportunity to mingle with these celebrities to raise funds for worthy local charities. To date these Buffalo Chip charity rides have raised more than $985,000. More information on the Buffalo Chip’s signature rides, as well as links to rider registration can be found at www.buffalochip.com/EVENTS/Sturgis-Rides.

13th Annual Legends Ride Presented by GEICO Motorcycle

Monday, Aug. 10, 2020

The Silverado Franklin in Deadwood to the Sturgis Buffalo Chip

Riders who participate in the Buffalo Chip’s premier charity event, the 13th annual Legends Ride, will have the opportunity to ride and rub elbows with true legends. Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe winning actor Tom Berenger will be captaining the ride that leads participants from Historic Deadwood’s Main Street to the reception at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. Berenger has starred in over 100 acting roles since the 1970s. Some of his most notable work includes blockbuster hits “Platoon,” “Inception,” “Major League I and II” and the “Sniper” series of films. Berenger has also guest starred on dozens of TV shows throughout his career and has received two Primetime Emmys for his work in “Hatfields & McCoys” and “Cheers.”

Joining Tom Berenger on the 2020 Legends Ride will be:

• Sean McNabb is a well-established musician and actor. McNabb has played bass in big name bands such as Quiet Riot, Dokken, and Queensrÿche, and has seen success as a solo artist. As an actor, McNabb has notably appeared in FX TV’s “Sons of Anarchy” and “Mayans M.C.”
• Cory Ness is the business and key design arm of Arlen Ness Motorcycles, running the day-to-day operations and serving as the chief designer behind all that is Arlen Ness Motorcycles today. His award-winning innovations can be seen on covers and spreads in national and international motorcycle magazines and have made appearances at all major international custom bike shows.
• Zach Ness is the third generation of Ness builders. Though he comes from a long line of legendary builders and has learned from his father and grandfather, his personal style comes through on every motorcycle he builds.
• Billy Lane entered the chopper scene ahead of the curve with the formation of Choppers Inc. in 1995 and helped to pioneer the massive chopper movement. Since then, Lane has cast a wide net of success in the chopper industry with seven patents on his popular Six Gun parts. Lane has been featured in notable magazines, been featured on several TV shows including Discovery Channel’s “Biker Build Off,” organizes Sons of Speed races and has published two books on chopper building.
• Paul Yaffe is one of the most recognizable and influential builders and parts manufacturers in the motorcycle industry today. His Yaffe Originals and Bagger Nation shops carry hundreds of unique parts options for almost every Harley-Davidson model. Yaffe was one of the pioneers of the custom Bagger scene and has been featured in dozens of publications and TV shows including HISTORY Channel’s Biker Battleground throughout his 30-year career.
• Rick Fairless is the founder and owner of the world-famous Strokers Dallas and Strokers Ice House. Fairless is a renowned chopper builder known around the industry for his fabrication ability and his unique, psychedelic styling. Fairless has been featured on Discovery Channel’s “Biker Build Off,” “Ma’s Roadhouse” and “Texas Hardtails.”
• Brian Klock of Klock Werks in Mitchell, SD is one of the motorcycle industry’s most diverse and award-winning builders and aftermarket parts creators. He is a member of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame, and Klock and his team were featured on Discovery Channel’s “Biker Build Off” in 2007, which they won. Klock has been named as one of the five most influential men in the world of motorcycles.
• Mondo Porras of Denver’s Choppers helped create some of the first aftermarket parts for the Chopper industry in the late ‘60s and has since continued to define the look of custom motorcycles, helping to influence the “long bike” phenomenon synonymous with choppers.
• Shannon Aikau has been building bikes at Count’s Kustoms in Las Vegas for over 20 years. He is one of the stars of HISTORY’s hit series “Counting Cars,” which is filmed on location at Count’s Kustoms.
• Jeff Cochran of SpeedKing Racing reimagined the look of the custom bobber, and in doing so changed the definition of what a modern bobber is. Cochran builds on average 13 hand-crafted motorcycles a year and has been featured in the movie “Choppertown.”
• Jerry Covington is the mastermind and owner Covington’s Customs. Covington is recognized for clean, high-quality designs and has built custom motorcycles for comedian Carlos Mencia, musician Sammy Hagar and racecar driver Billy Boat. Covington is a member of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame.
• David Covington is a designer and builder working alongside his parents Jerry and Kathleen at Covington’s Customs. As a designer, he adds his own personal design touch to almost every custom bike or part that comes out of the Covington’s Customs Shop.
• Kiwi Mike Tomas is a vintage Indian expert and founded Kiwi Indian Motorcycles in 1988, but he has been fabricating and reengineering parts since long before then. Kiwi not only is a parts manufacturer but a gifted custom bike builder who has built bikes for Billy Joel, Jay Leno, and David Letterman.
• Pat Patterson of Led Sled Customs has put a unique stamp on the often-overlooked world of custom Sportsters. Over the years, Patterson has transformed Led Sled Customs from doing mostly paint jobs to full custom builds and a growing line of Sportster parts distributed around the world.
• Paul Wideman is the owner and lead designer of Bare Knuckle Choppers. Through many custom builds, Wideman and his team realized the need for creating one-of-a-kind custom parts. Bare Knuckle Choppers now offers hundreds of unique parts for sale.
• Earl Dotson is a Super Bowl champion and is known as one of the premier offensive linemen in Green Bay Packers’ history. Dotson retired from the NFL in 2003 and is the current CEO of the Green Empire Group.
• Michael Lichter is a world-renowned custom bike and biker-lifestyle photographer. Lichter has produced 800 stories for Easyriders Magazine since 1979, is a regular contributor to 16 other publications around the world and has 11 coffee table books to his credit. He is the curator of the annual Motorcycles As Art exhibition held at the Buffalo Chip every Sturgis Rally.
• Rod “Woody” Woodruff is the President and CEO of the Legendary Sturgis Buffalo Chip. Since its beginnings in 1981, Woody has transformed what was once 20 acres of leased land into a 600-acre entertainment destination that has long been the focal point of the Sturgis Rally.

More information is available at LegendsRide.com.

2nd Annual Rusty Wallace Ride

Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020

Black Hills Harley-Davidson to the Sturgis Buffalo Chip

Some of the fastest people on the planet have signed on to participate in the Sturgis Buffalo Chip’s 2nd annual Rusty Wallace Ride in order to help raise funds for the NASCAR Foundation for Children and South Dakota charities. NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace will serve as ride captain of the ride that leads from Black Hills Harley-Davidson to a reception at Legendary Buffalo Chip.

For over 30 years, Wallace made a lasting imprint on NASCAR with his aggressive approach to racing and with his unmatched personality and charisma. A former Sprint Cup Series Champion, Winston Cup Champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Wallace has a total of 55 race victories, the eighth best all-time career total in the sport. Following retirement in 2005, Wallace now serves as a board member of the NASCAR Foundation with a mission of helping children live, learn and play. This year, Rusty Wallace will be riding a 2020 Street Glide donated by Black Hills Harley-Davidson and customized by Cory Ness of Arlen Ness Motorcycles. The bike is being sold in support of this ride, with all proceeds going to charity.

Joining Rusty Wallace on the 2nd annual ride is:

• Mike Helton is the Vice Chairman of NASCAR and is the most visible leader at the racetrack. Helton has served as a leader to the sport since ’94, holding positions as Vice President of Competition, Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, President and Vice Chairman since 2015.
• Clint Bowyer is an all-around racing pro and professional stock car driver. Bowyer has also entered the limelight as a television personality, making appearances in A&E’s “Duck Dynasty,” “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” and “Inside NASCAR.”
• Walker “The Legend” Evans is “the legend” of the off-road racing circuit. He has racked up a total of 142 victories and 21 championship titles throughout his 30-year off-road racing career.
• Don “The Snake” Prudhomme is one of the most recognizable names in drag racing with a long list of achievements including four consecutive NHRA titles, seven-time U.S. Nationals title winner, the first NHRA Winston World Champion and many more.
• Steve Wallace is a professional race car driver and a custom motorcycle builder. He will be joining his father, Rusty Wallace, on this year’s ride.

More information is available at RustyWallaceRide.com.

12th Annual Biker Belles Ride and Celebration

Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020

The Lodge at Deadwood to the Sturgis Buffalo Chip

The most influential women in motorcycling will be coming together with Biker Belles attendees to ride, share stories and inspire others for the Sturgis Buffalo Chip’s 12th Annual Biker Belles Celebration.

Captaining the Biker Belles Morning Ride™ this year is not one, but two, influential women in motorcycling. Diva Amy Skaling has been involved with the Biker Belles since its inception and is an avid cross-country rider. She is also the owner of Team Diva, creating custom designs in apparel and accessories catering towards motorcyclists. Freelance motorcycle photographer, Maiden Moto art show founder, custom bike builder, Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor and social media manager Savannah Rose will also be leading the ride. Savannah is a strong advocate for women riders.

The ride will lead participants from The Lodge at Deadwood to the Sturgis Buffalo Chip for an inspiring symposium, catered luncheon, the Comfort Zone by Team Diva and the Women & Wheels Bike Show presented by The Wild Gypsy Tour.

Joining the Biker Belles’ ride captains for the 2020 Biker Belles Celebrations includes:

Symposium Panelists

• Jody Perewitz is one of the most recognizable women in motorcycling today and holds 16 land speed records, one of which is a world record. When she is not setting land speed records or racing antique motorcycles, Perewitz handles marketing and day-to-day activities at Perewitz Cycle Fab with her father, Dave Perewitz.

• Lena Fairless has been working alongside her father Rick Fairless at the legendary Strokers Dallas since its beginning. Fairless is a yearly attendee to the Sturgis Rally and enjoys riding the roads of the Black Hills more than anywhere else on earth. This year she is building a custom Strider bike for the Flying Piston Benefit.

• Marilyn Stemp will be serving as moderator for the Biker Belles Symposium. Stemp is editor of Iron Trader News, founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily, and is a member of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame and the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Special Guests

• Anne Hovdenes is the South Dakota and North Dakota District Director for the Motor Maids and works at Strider Bikes in Rapid City. No stranger to a toolbox, Hovdenes has been building and painting motorcycles and hot rods with her husband for the past 30 years.

• Laura Klock is President, one of the founding members, facilitators and incorporators of Helping With Horsepower™. She is past VP and Marketing Director of Klock Werks Kustom Cycles, was a Motorcycle Safety Foundation certified RiderCoach for 10 years and is a land speed record holder along with her daughters Erika and Karlee Cobb.

• Jill Parham and her husband, John, founded and took J&P Cycles from small operation to a motorcycle aftermarket parts giant through years of dedication and relationship building. She was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame in 2019.

• Cris Sommer Simmons has actively promoted motorcycling as an author and columnist since the late ‘80s. She founded the world’s first motorcycle magazine for women, “Harley Women,” and has been inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame, the National Motorcycle Hall of Fame and is on the Board of Directors for the AMA Hall of Fame.

• Gloria Struck is an industry pioneer and one of the earliest members of the Motor Maids, joining in 1946 at the age of 21. Struck has been riding since was 16 and has since logged over 500,000 miles on two wheels. She has been inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame as well as the AMA Hall of Fame. Struck still visits motorcycle rallies and Motor Maids conventions all over the U.S.

• Kelly Yazdi is the founder of Wild Gypsy Tour, the first ever all-women’s motorcycle festival at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. As an actress, model and events creator, she has created women’s-oriented motorcycling and surfing events as well as worked with some of the most prominent names in the motorcycle industry.

• Alisa Clickenger is the author of the best-selling book “Boost Your Confidence Through Motorcycling: A Woman’s Guide to Being Your Best Self On and Off the Bike.” She is also the organizer of the Centennial Ride and owns and operates Women’s Motorcycle Tours.

• Dana Wilke is the founding board member of the Jessi Combs Foundation, which has the mission to educate, inspire and empower the next generation of female trailblazers and stereotype-breakers.

• Penny Osiecki is the self-proclaimed “circus coordinator” at the iconic Hogs & Heifers Saloon in Las Vegas. She previously worked at Peterson Publishing and Cycle Source. She is now the owner of Lucky Penny Marketing, which caters to motorcycle industry clients.

• Vicki Roberts-Sanfelipo is a registered nurse who established Accident Scene Management, the leading motorcycle trauma training organization in the world.

• Laura Moore Berenger has a deep passion for the two-wheel lifestyle and furthering women in motorcycling. She taught husband Tom how to ride and you may know her as the striking blonde biker in “American Dresser.”

More information can be found at BikerBelles.com. 

Western Frontier Motorcycle Rides

Tuesday Aug. 11 and Thursday Aug. 13

Sturgis Buffalo Chip to the Slim Buttes Battlefield

Riders will have two chances to experience area history on the back of their bikes at the Western Frontier Motorcycle Rides.

Local historian Paul Mitchell will take a small group on a ride back in time from the Buffalo Chip Campground to the gravesite of Jonathon “Buffalo Chips” White, the campground’s namesake and protégé of Buffalo Bill Cody. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience history hands-on with antique rifle and pistol shooting and a four-hour motorcycle expedition to the Great Sioux Nation Battle at Slim Buttes, visiting several historic locations along the way.

Riders will have the unique opportunity to ride alongside the President and CEO of the Buffalo Chip Rod Woodruff at these rides. The rides will take place Tuesday, Aug. 11 and Thursday, Aug. 13. Each ride is limited to 20 participants.

More information can be found at https://www.buffalochip.com/EVENTS/Rides/Western-Frontier-Motorcycle-Rides.

The Buffalo Chip’s celebrity-filled charity rides are just a piece of the many activities happening at the Buffalo Chip during the 2020 rally. Visitors to the Buffalo Chip will have the opportunity to experience many events including professional boxing, top-tier bike shows, powerful freedom celebrations, world-class concerts and so much more. See all events at www.buffalochip.com/EVENTS.