Letter From The Editor May 2012
Can you believe it’s May already? I can. Just one look at the Cruisin’ Calendar tells that it is riding season again. There are a variety of events to choose from, but none has drawn as much attention as the Myrtle Beach Spring Rally.
After the Horry County Council tried to dissuade bikers from coming to Myrtle Beach by raising vendor fees, passing a helmet law (which was overturned by the SC Supreme Court), and telling everyone via the internet that the bikers were not welcome, the biker friendly businesses are pushing back, letting us know that they want our business back.
Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson has been very aggressive and taken a lot of heat from both the community leaders and some local bikers for extending bike week dates into the Memorial Day weekend.
The traditional dates for the Spring Rally are the 2nd week of May. This year, those dates are May 11-20. Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson has named May 14-28 for their Cruisin’ The Coast event, which adds some extra days of events to benefit charities and the community.
Everyone is welcome, but it is my understanding that this is not an attempt to merge the MB Spring rally with the Atlantic Beach Bike Fest. Attend whatever dates and events you want, but be sure to support the businesses that are making an effort to re establish the Myrtle Beach Spring Rally and tell them you appreciate them for it.
Frankly, it is refreshing to see businesses in the MB area reaching out and letting us know that they welcome us and want our business. With the cancellation of the Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealer association rally in New Bern, there will be more of an incentive to attend Myrtle Beach this year. I do not think we will ever see a formal apology from the Horry County Council, but the initiative of the businesses is resonating in my ears confirming that THEY do want us back. And that may be the closest thing to an apology we ever get. At any rate, the beach is back. I hope that it returns to the fun event that it was before the politicians decided it was too big.
After all, the Myrtle Beach Spring Rally is one of the premiere events on the east coast and certainly stands tall in the Carolinas.
Have fun out there and be careful.