11th Annual FIre and Ice Bike Rally event guide

FIRE AND ICE HISTORIC BIKE RALLY 2011 3

FIRE AND ICE HISTORIC 66 BIKE RALLY

Riders come from near and far

CIBOLA COUNTY – Close to30,000 bikers are anticipated forthe 11th annual Historic 66 Fireand Ice Bike Rally, according toorganizers.

The 2010 U.S. Census listsGrants at close to9,000 residents.Rally attendancewill more thanquadruple thecity’s populationduring the four-day event.

Why do theycome? Wherewill they stay?What do theyeat? What willthey buy to takehome?

“There’s oneguy who comesevery year fromCanada,” saidBob Clark, MainStreet boardvice- president. “He enters everyevent, including the biker rodeo.”

“All my customers go to Grantsfor the bike rally,” explainedEppie Martinez, Eppie’s Motor-

cycle Services’ owner. “I’ve goneevery year, even if it’s really hotor pouring rain. It’s a nice rally –it’s not Sturgis (N.D.) but maybeit’s better that way,” said the Al-buquerque motorcycle enthusiast.“Most of the riders I see inGrants come from the northern

part of the state.”“The bike rally

is a big thing andit means a goodcash flow for us,”commented LarryRydberg, Larry’sCustom Cycles’owner. “You meetall different kindsof people on alldifferent kinds ofbikes at theGrants’ rally,”said Rydberg,whose Albu-querque shop wasestablished in1973. “We see a

lot of customers needing tires,belts, clutches and alternators inthe weeks before the bike rally. Ifrain is in the forecast, then wealso sell a lot of rain suits and

SCHEDULEThursday- 6 pm

Battle of the Bands

- 9 pm

Outlaws Icebreaker Party

Friday- Noon

Obsezzion

- 1:45 pm

Chucki Begay

- 2 pm

Bike Rodeo Registration

- 3 pm

Bike Rodeo Events - Tennis Ball

Run, Golf Ball Race, Egg Race

- 3:30 pm

Pleasure Pilots

- 5:30 pm

Bikini Mechanical Bull Riding

- 6 pm


- 7 pm

Bike Rodeo Events - Biker Bull

Riding, Flag Grab

Missing Stateside

- 9:15 pm

Hollywood Allstarz

- 10:30 pm

Fire and Ice Sculpture

BIKERS INCREASE

POPULATION

BY FOUR-FOLD

By Rosanne BoyettCibola Beacon

See Page 4

4 FIRE AND ICE HISTORIC BIKE RALLY 2011

Saturday- 9 am


- 10 am

Bike Rodeo Events - Slow Race,

Board Ride, 1st Gear Drag, Keg

Roll, Jousting, Potato Grab,

Weenie Bite, Pole Bending Race

- Noon

Cibola Arts Leisure Run

The Plateros

- 1:30 pm

Last Minute Band

- 3:15 pm

Old Bones Blues Band

- 4:30 pm

bike covers.”

Shawn Roach, Bernie’s Route

66 Motorcycles’ owner, joked

about the upcoming event. “It

gets a little busier around here

that weekend,” laughed the

Grants’ business owner. “With

that many people in town riding

motorcycles, we’re going to be

busier. I get friends to help me

out at the shop and we usually

stay open later on that Friday and

Saturday.” The owner acknowl-

edged that the shop specializes in

repairs but also sells T-shirts and

other smaller items.

He recalled coming to Grants

and said, “Bernie came over one

day and asked if I wanted to

open a bike shop in Grants, New

Mexico, with him. So, we moved

here from Alberta, Canada.”

Roach pointed out that many

people ride bikes in northern

Canada. “The bike season is

short that far north,” he said.

“It’s not the cold – you can ride

when there’s snow and ice in the

ditches but it’s no fun when

there’s ice on the roads.”

For motorcycle enthusiasts rid-

ing is one of the main features of

Fire and Ice. For those people

wanting to tour the area, they can

sign up for the Poker Run and for

the Leisure Run, according to

event organizers.

“The big difference between the

Poker Run and the Leisure Run

is the timetable, ‘leisure’ means

just that – you go at your own

pace. Last year Leisure Run rid-

ers departed from the gallery but

this year they will leave from

River Walk Park,” explained

Robert Gallegos, Double Six

Gallery director. “This

is the second time we

(Cibola Arts’ Council)

have participated in the

rally. Last year we

hosted an antique mo-

torcycle show along

with the Leisure Run.

This year we’re hosting

the Leisure Run again

and the “Tattoo as Art”

competition, which will

be held on Saturday at

the gallery on West

Santa Fe Avenue.”

Prize money for the run

comes from riders’

entry fees, acknowl-

edged Gallegos.

This event brings sub-

stantial revenue to area

merchants, according to

Donald Jaramillo, who

has served on the Main-

Street board for the past six years. In May he resigned

as bike rally committee chair but remains an enthusias-

tic supporter of the annual event.

Lodging and restaurants are extra-busy during the

week, which boosts the City of Grants’ gross receipts’

and lodging tax revenues, according to Clark. He had

worked in the information booth last year and recalled

answering questions from visitors whose homes were

in Wales, Australia, Canada, Colorado and Texas. “It

was a regular melting pot,” he said, “and most of

those people were staying here in the area during the

287-2631729 E. High • Grants


Bikini Mechanical Bull Riding

- 5 pm

Tattoo As Art Contest

- 6 pm


Duke City Saints

- 7 pm

Bike Rodeo Events - Biker Bull

Riding, Biker Barrels Grand Finale

Burn-out

- 7:30 pm

Hollywood Allstarz

- 9:15 pm

Great White

- 10:15 pm

Motorcycle Raffle Giveaway

See Page 6

BEACON / FILE

Visit the many unique shops in and around Cibola

County during your stay. Above, the Route 66 Gallery

and Acoma Curio Shop, can be found in San Fidel.

rally.”Souvenirs are an-

other hot-ticketsales’ item. Morethan 50 vendorshave reservedbooths in the down-town area, accord-ing to Peter Yanke,MainStreet boardmember. “Approxi-mately 22 are foodvendors,” he said,“and the remainderwill be selling sou-venirs along withHistoric Route 66and bike-relatedmemorabilia.”

“Overall, Fireand Ice brings inapproximately$140,000,” saidJaramillo. “It’s an-

ticipated that this year’s total will be around$160,000 or even slightly higher.”

Most of the money generated is used for Main-Street beautification projects in the downtown area.“The metal benches in the parks were bought withbike rally revenues,” explained Jaramillo. “Everyyear a certain amount of the proceeds is set asideto cover expenses for the next year’s rally.”

“Fire and Ice continues to grow in popularity,”acknowledged Yanke. “The bike rally’s Facebookhas over one million hits right now and the event isstill two weeks away.”

1300 Motel DriveMilan, NM 87021(505) 287-3801

Welcome to the 2011

Fire & Ice Bike Rally

DINEROPEN Tues. - Sun. 6AM to 12PM


Uranium Mining Museum

100 North Iron Avenue

Museum Hours

M-F 9- 4, Sat. 9- 4

Go Underground!

Sunday- 7 am

Poker Run Registration

- 9 am

Christian Motorcycle

Church Service

- 10 am

Biker Baby Contest

10:30 am

Poker Run Starts

Noon

Battle of the Bands

Calendar of events information

was provided by www.fireandice-

bikerally.com

More events to be announced.

BEACON / FILEOnly one-half hour away - take a ride out on Highway 53south to the Ice Caves, shown above.

GRANTS - For bikers wanting to experience thedifference between riding a hog and a bull they willget their chance at the Bikers vs. Bulls event duringthe 11th Annual Fire and Ice Bike Rally held at theGrants Rodeo Grounds on July 16 at 7 p.m.

Bikers vs. Bulls is a fun event for the bikers andspectators alike

The competitionhas been held at thebike rally for the pastthree years and alsoat the bike rallies heldin Laughlin, Nev.,and Ignacio, Colo.

The contest event isfree to any biker, 18years and older, whohas a motorcycle en-dorsement and thecourage to get on abucking bull. Thecontestants will becompeting for $250in prize money, win-ner takes all.

The rules are sim-ple: a biker has tostay on the bull for afull eight-second rideand get a scoringride. If nobody ridesthe full eight secondsthen the rider whorides the longest winsthe cash, according to Noreen Canada, coordinatorof the event.

The event, “allows bikers the opportunity to showtheir machismo,” said Charlie Green.

Green has been a rodeo clown and a bull fighterfor 23 years and works with stock contractor Mark

Sanchez, operator of the Crossroads Rodeo Com-pany, who will be providing the bulls.

“True bikers and cowboys are kinda the same,”Green said. “They both say, yes ma’am, no ma’amand we love our mothers and we will punch yourlights out if you p___ us off.” He added jokingly,“We also like kids, dogs and women . . . but wedon’t like the law.”Oops.

He said that heknows some bikerswho use to be bull-riders and vice versa,and has seen someguys who had noclue in what theywere doing and justwanted to get on abull to impress thegirls.

Green said thebulls that the bikerswill be riding are notProfessional BullRiders Associationor National FinalsRodeo bulls that totry to “cow kill”these guys, but thebulls will definitelybuck.

“We want to chal-lenge the bikers butwe don’t want to getanyone hurt,”Green said.

“The event is notlike drinking five beers and I dare you kinda thing,”Canada said. In fact, the stock contractor will notlet a biker ride if drunk.

The Biker rodeo has 16 events that would be heldthroughout the weekend including the Bikers vsBulls.


BEACON / FILE

“Okay Mr. Bike Rider. This is it. Let!s ride.”

— BIKERS VS. BULLS —

Bulls test riders’ courageBy Bob TenequerCibola Beacon

GRANTS – Great White lead

singer Jack Russell underwent a

facelift in 2006, afterwards saying

that the results made him feel

“good, young and rejuvenated.”

His choice of the word “rejuve-

nated” forms a nice correlation

with this year’s Fire and Ice Bike

Rally entertainment schedule; one

that includes Russell’s band, but

also includes a slew of new and

varied types of artists and musical

styles sure to intrigue many walks

of life.

In terms of opening-day enter-


— ENTERTAINMENT —

Great White on Saturday

BEACON / FILE

Great White

By Ron GonzalesCibola Beacon

tainment, a Battle of the Bands kicks off

the Rally’s 11th annual schedule, beginning

at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 14, under the Bud

Tent. Not just any battle, the winner of this

illustrious contest gets a spot on the Rally’s

main stage in a future Rally. Last year’s

winner, Obsezzion, could tell you all about

that, but more on that later.

Truly, a battle such as this seems a per-

fect way to kick off a long weekend at the

rally: free admission, Thursday night

where traffic is copious enough but not

arm-to-arm, and a chance to feel the grow-

ing hype of the weekend’s events. Add to

that a list of up-and-coming acts in and

around Cibola County, playing their best


— ENTERTAINMENT —

night and much, much more

See Page 11

287-7946

Welcomes Bikers

to the 11th Annual

Fire and Ice Bike Rally!


for people who have never seen them live (some-

times) and that’s the icing on the cake.

Don’t forget, either, that No Outlaws Bar –

on the east side of town – hosts its annual Ice-

breaker Party on this night at 7 p.m., a sure-

fire good time that sort of serves as the

warm-up for all things rock ‘n roll, your fa-

vorite libations and good friends

HEADLINING ACTS

Great White can be called the rally’s headliner –

primarily because of the 9:15 p.m. performance

under the Bud Tent on Saturday, July 16, when it

should be packed to the rafters – but also because

the L.A.-based band still retains many of its origi-

nal members from the heyday of hair spray and he-

donism.

Russell remains, as does original guitarist Mark

Kendall, and the bluesy interaction between the

two are largely responsible for the memorable

hooks found in the band’s biggest hits: “Save All

Your Love,” “Rock Me” and “Once Bitten (Twice

Shy).”

“When I met him, I knew that was the guy I was

going to the top with,” Russell said of Kendall re-

cently. “I had no doubt in my mind. We both quit

our bands . . . and started our own band and the

rest, as they say, is history.”

Great White has a recent album too, “Rising”

from 2009, though Russell admits that Great

White’s setlists arise largely from those songs that

people know the most.

“We’re doing mostly the hits and we got a couple


505-287-7927600 W. Santa Fe Ave.

Grants, NM

Welcoming All Bikers to theWelcoming All Bikers to the2011 Fire & Ice Bike Rally!2011 Fire & Ice Bike Rally!

287-21571415 W. Highway 66

Milan, NM

Proudly supporting the 2011 Fire & Ice

Bike Rally.Welcome Bikers!

See Page 13


of new ones put in,” Russell said. “We don’twant to bombard people with new stuff becausethat’s not fair. We let them discover the stuff ontheir own.”

If the rally’s other headliner – HollywoodAllstarz – has ANY edge on Great White, itmight be that it gets to perform twice under theBud Tent, 9:15 p.m. on Friday, July 15, and at7 p.m. on Saturday. And though Great Whitedubs itself the “world’s biggest backyard partyband,” the Allstarz should get consideration inthis category as well.

Helmed by vocalist Chas West (Bonham,Lynch Mob, Foreigner), the Hollywood Allstarzalso features bassist Jimmy Bain (Dio, Rain-bow) and drummer Krigger of Giufffia andLondon fame. The band’s wildcard – in thehumble estimation of a longtime guitar player –is Carlos Cavazo. That’s his searing Marshallstack you hear on the Quiet Riot hits “MetalHealth (Bang Your Head)” and “Cum on Feelthe Noize.” And in recent years, Cavazo easedin as second guitarist to Warren DeMartini inRatt, even as the Allstarz seems to be his full-time gig.

But what kind of songs might you hear fromsome “Allstarz” who have no original materialto offer? Well, if songs from the bands BlackSabbath, Led Zeppelin, Dio, Quiet Riot,AC/DC, Whitesnake and Rainbow are familiarto you, you’ll have no problem climbing on-board the Allstarz wagon when the band isgoing at full tilt under the Cibola County skies.

FRIDAYENTERTAINMENT LINEUPReverting back to the beginning of the rally’s

entertainment schedule means meeting Friday’sfirst performer, Obsezzion, the duo that claimedthe Battle of the Bands crown last year. A trulyNew Mexican-style band, Obsezzion merelyhints at how varied the rally’s entertainmentpackage truly is this year. Obsezzion’s music,heard regularly on KANW 89.1 FM, will becranked through the Bud Tent speakers at noonon Friday, followed by the soothing strains ofChucki Begay at 1:45 p.m.

Begay, a Diné singer/songwriter, calls her

See Page 16

BEACON / COURTESY

DUKE CITY SAINTS

BEACON / COURTESY

PLEASURE PILOTS

BEACON / COURTESY

LAST MINUTE


style “contemporary Native American,” andwhere she used to come on stage accompanied bya flautist, she now comes armed only with a steelstring acoustic, on which her rock/blues/folk/jazzstylings come rushing through.

The variance in music offerings continues withFriday’s 3:30 p.m. performer, Albuquerque’sPleasure Pilots. You’d be hard-pressed to call thePilots anything resembling “rock,” as its memberstake to the stage armed with keyboards, uprightbass, saxophones and brass instruments. But whocould deny that a little swing in the afternoon canbe uplifting, particularly in these times?

“(Swing is) happy music when times aren’t par-ticularly happy,” keyboardist/vocalist DavidPhillips said. “It’s not only good, but good foryou.”

Looking at the 7 p.m. slot yields one of the Fireand Ice Bike Rally’s (seemingly) most favorite per-formers, the Albuquerque-based band MissingStateside. The band’s story is well-known: a groupof U.S. Air Force members serving their countryoverseas form a band, and a fitting name is cho-sen. But “Missing Stateside” is only a name. Onstage, the M.S. boys are a bit like an active NewMexico volcano – docile at times, but capable ofbringing the fire. Their musical range – from theAllman Brothers to ZZ Top – usually means lotsof sing-along opportunities.

The Hollywood Allstarz hit the stage at 9:15 be-fore yielding the stage to one of the rally’s most il-lustrious performers, Aaron “The Wolf ” Costic(see accompanying feature). Costic hits the BudTent at 10:30 p.m., doing things with ice that meremortals can only dream of. Costic will also havesmaller displays and shows throughout the dura-tion of the Bike Rally.

That’s all for the music on Friday, but there’splenty else going on besides good tunes. Bikerodeo events (the tennis ball run, the golf ball raceand the egg race) start at 3 p.m., and if you’re likeme, the 5:30 p.m. bikini bull riding event counts asa must see; for research sake, of course. And,more bike events take place in the evening time (7p.m.) so as to keep at least part of the focus on thehogs.

See www.fireandicebikerally.comfor a full rally schedule.

SATURDAYENTERTAINMENT LINEUPDon’t have so much fun Friday that you won’t be

ready to rise bright and early for Saturday’s full dayof entertainment. Following the 9 a.m. bike rodeoregistration and a handful of rodeo events whichbegin at 10 a.m. (the weenie bite is a riot!), local(N.M.) boys The Plateros get the music rolling be-ginning at noon.

Hailing from the dusty hamlet of Tohajiilee, thePlateros got their start in the early 70s when patri-arch Murphy got the band going. Another incarna-tion followed in the 90s, but it really wasn’t untilMurphy’s son Levi joined that the band saw itsstock rise.

Stevie Ray Vaughan would be proud to know thathis work is likened to the fretboard madness ofLevi, and because of Levi’s playing prowess, theband has been able to spread its blues/rock/funkfire all over the country. The Plateros’ set will bethe band’s first-ever for the Bike Rally.

Next to take the stage (1:30 p.m.) is the band LastMinute, the Rally’s Battle of the Bands winnerfrom 2009. Fans of the band Sh*t Happens proba-bly already know that their long-running stintunder the Bud Tent has ended, but one of its for-mer members, guitarist Frank Armenta, who nowplays with Last Minute, could serve as a reminder.In fact, Frank – like Levi Platero – seems to havetotal command of his guitar arsenal, but he’s onlyone of the band’s aces. The rest of Last Minuteknow how to hammer out a rock tune and getcrowds going.

Following a rock-heavy beginning to the day, theOld Bones Blues band takes the stage over for a bitof midday blues action. Though the band mightstill be a little bleary-eyed from the Wallow Firesmoke that nearly threatened its home area of theWhite Mountains of Arizona, all indications pointto the Old Blues Blues Band putting on a good setof smoky rock and blues.

This band features what looks to be the onlyharpist (harmonica player if you prefer) of the BikeRally in Frank “Hoppy” Fick, who claims to havebeen blowing a harp since he turned 13 years old.But he’s only one piece of the puzzle. “Wobbles”(guitar/vocals), “Doc” (bass/vocals) and“Wammy” (drums) join Hoppy onstage for the

See Page 19


Bike Rodeo Sponsor

South 53San Rafael

band’s inaugural Rally performance. If you miss the bikini bull riding on Friday night,

no need to worry. The event returns to the BudTent at 4:30 on Saturday, following the Old BonesBlues Band’s set. Following this event, the TattooAs Art Contest takes over; if you think you have acool-looking tattoo, be prepared to show it off for apanel of experts, who will be hoping to see some ofthe best tattoo artwork out there.

Then, get ready for the Duke City Saints, anotherrally newcomer. The Saints have been gigging allover Albuquerque, and must be doing somethingright, considering the generous spot they will per-form in. Perhaps it’s their choice of songs. Cage theElephant’s “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” and theBlack Keys’ “Tighten Up” form part of the Saints’setlist, making this group, perhaps, the one with itsfinger best on the pulse of current music.

The Saints are due to hit the stage at 6 p.m. andit’s only a short time after that (7:30 p.m.) that theHollywood Allstarz and Great White close out theRally’s lineup for Saturday. Don’t forget to stickaround until after Great White’s set, though, as abrand new Harley-Davidson motorcycle goes out toone lucky winner.

SUNDAYENTERTAINMENT LINEUPIf Thursday under the Bud Tent serves as a sort

of slow burn to get the full fire roaring, then Sun-day’s entertainment lineup could be called thesoothing balm that effectively closes things out.

Poker run registration begins at 7 a.m. and at 9a.m. spirits get a lift with the Christian MotorcycleChurch Service, always a popular rally event.

The Biker Baby Contest, where the youngestHarley heads around don their leather for coolprizes, begins at 10 a.m. followed by the Poker Runevent, which gets its motor runnin’ at 10:30. Thesort of “second half ” of the Battle of the Bands(inevitably there is some overflow from Thursdaynight) kicks off at noon, and upon its conclusion,Bud Tent entertainment comes to a close.

There are always new and different events to beadded, so the bottom line is this: if you want to seeall that the 11th Annual Fire and Ice Bike Rally en-tertainment has to offer, you and your compatriotsjust have to be there.

As always, visit www.fireandicebikerally.com formore and updated information.

— NEW THIS YEAR —ALL BIKER RODEO EVENTS

ARE AT THEGRANTS RODEO GROUNDSFor more information

call 285-3573Go to fireandicebikerally.comfor complete rodeo schedule.

WELCOME . . .From the President . . .Welcome to the 2011 Fire and Ice Historic 66 Bike Rally. For those who come into Grants for

the bike rally, one of the attractions is the fantastic riding in northwest New Mexico. The Main-Street Board of Directors and the Bike Rally Committee are excited about the 2011 Bike Rally.We hope you will enjoy the rally the committee has planned this year. We hope you enjoy allthe activities - Biker Rodeo, Leisure Run, Sunday Poker Run, Baby Biker Contest, all the en-tertainment, and much more. Enjoy yourselves and again welcome to Grants, New Mexico.

Dolores Vallejos, President Grants MainStreet Project

From the Project Manager . . .On behalf of the Grants MainStreet Project and the volunteers, we would like to welcome

you to the 11th Annual Fire and Ice Historic 66 Bike Rally in Grants, New Mexico. We hopeyou will enjoy all the activities planned for the Bike Rally. In addition, you may want to !cruiseCibola County and enjoy the natural beauty and take in some of the greatest sights in NewMexico. Check at the official Information Booth for all the activities. Our volunteers are veryeager to help our biker guests. The Bike Rally committee is looking forward to a terrific bikerally this year.

Randy Hoffman, Grants MainStreet Project


CIBOLA COUNTY

CORRECTION CENTERMILAN, NM

(505) 287-5101Barbara L. Cregger

FAX: 285-9892NM WATTS: 1-800-753-7475


(505) 287-47081210 East Santa Fe Avenue • Grants, NM

820 East Santa Fe Avenue(505) 285-6229

Serving Cibola County for 25 Years

Open

7:00 am to

8:30 pm

Mon. - Sat.

8am-2pm

Sun. 17th

Come

check out

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Building!

Can’t finda room?

There is room to campat the Grants Rodeo

Grounds for only $10 aperson - Call 240-1486.


Welcomes Bikers to the 2011 Fire and Ice Bike Rally!

416 E. Santa Fe Ave.

Service All Makes and Brands • SINCE 1979

287-7176

Phone: 505-287-5152Fax: 505-287-5422

Welcome to the

Fire & Ice Bike Rally

2011

Shawn Roach

Phone applications always welcome

Welcome bikers, to the11th annual

Fire and Ice Bike Rally!

We’re here to help when you need cash FAST!

287-9393 110 1/2 Geis

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CAN’T FIND

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Grounds for ONLY $10 aperson - Call 240-1486.

BEST BURGER IN NEW MEXICO!

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Tues. - Sat. 7am - 2 pmTues. - Sat. 7am - 2 pmSundays 9 am - 2 pmSundays 9 am - 2 pm

Let us feed you well while you’re here for the 11th Annual Fire and Ice Bike Rally!

Welcome Bikers!

QUESTIONS?

If you have any

questions pertaining to the Fire

and Ice Historic 66 Bike Rally,

call Grants MainStreet at

1-505-285-3573.

11th Annual FIre and Ice Bike Rally event guide

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