Families and motorcycles mix in Moncton
Published Friday June 20th, 2008
This motorcycle event was such a success last year that organizers are ready for an even bigger turnout this year, and it's all for charity
Find the word that doesn't belong in the following list; leather, chrome, family, speed, custom fit, bad reputation.
If you guessed the word 'family' you probably believed you pulled out the most obvious answer, but in fact, 'bad reputation' would be the sore thumb in this category.
It seems that the second annual Atlanticade has built its reputation as a family driven event, focusing on maintaining the relationship between bikers and the community, and Dale Hicks, Chairman of the festival, plans to keep it that way.
"We have done that on purpose," explains the spokesperson. "There are two type of events out there, one is called biker events, which tend to be more on the edge, while we are trying to promote a motorcycle event, trying to keep our image clean while promoting safe motorcycling."
And who says clean can't be fun? With five days, June 25-29 filled with entertainment, bike shows, BBQ's and a few surprises, there is plenty to explore, day and night. This year's additional featured event has people buzzing in the bike world.
The Northeastern Custom Bike Building Championship will be taking place June 27 and 28 pulling interested participants and spectators from all over North America.
"It's the first ever event of this kind in our region," boasts Dale.
For those who are serious about competition, the Bike Building Championship is a sanctioned event, under the International Masters Bike Building Association (IMBBA), and is a gateway to serious IMBAA competitions.
"We are expecting ten bikes in the pro-builder category who are building bikes right from scratch," says Dale.
"There is also a customer modified category where contestants are vying for prize money."
Builders from Quebec and the Maritimes will be constructing with hopes to win but most important, to gain recognition.
"It's not so much the money," says Dale, "But the participation in an IMBBA sanctioned event which gets people excited.
"This may be only the second one offered in Canada."
Media coverage for the event will be hosted by BIKER-TV's Heather Ireland, as well as celebrity custom builder Bob Mckay of TSN's 'Biker Build-Off'.
The coordination of the competition is overseen by local teacher Mark Mazerolle, who under the supervision of Bernice MacNaughton High School heads up a popular Bike Program for students.
"The Bike Club is hoping to have their "Betty" bike ready in time for Atlanticade and see how they measure up against the top builders in eastern North America," says Dale, who is impressed at the professionalism the students have put into this event.
"These students are promising builders and have some serious muscle to show off."
Although a $5 admission is charged for the two day biker build-off, the donation is well worth the charge.
Proceeds go towards the Bike Club as well as the Children's Wish Foundation, which received $10,000 from last year's event proceeds.
"When we started the event, we knew the event would grow and we were not doing it for our own financial gain," Dale says.
"So we had to ask ourselves, where would the profit go? We (the committee) threw out a number of ideas, and decided to support kids charities."
So bring the family out to enjoy a week of bikes and community entertainment while celebrating a good cause.
It's a great way to start your summer vacation off close to home. To find out more details concerning the 2008 Atlanticade, visit their website at www.atlanticade.ca.
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