– Tony Colombini, photos: Billy Colombini
This was the best damn show ever! There I said it. Grant and the boys should be held up to the heavens. I’ve been to a lot of bike events and the quality of vendors, bikes and people was absolutely awesome. For those of you who don’t know, Born Free is a Classic Cycle and Chopper Show. It was free to go and the place was packed. $25.00 got you a poster and ticket to win a bitchen bike.
The whole Limpnickie lot was there. Vendors from as far as Minnesota and bikes just as far. There was a psychedelic dresser in the lot with Minnesota plates and a shit-load of bugs covering the fairing. There were a ton of vendors. I met up with old friends BOMONSTER, and Max Grundy. And met some new d-bags as well. Hippy Killer, Evil Spirit, Union, Salinas Bros., Chico, Jr’s, Spitfire and a bunch more. We spent the first two hours checking out the vendors who don’t normally make it out to CA for events. Hell, just open up an issue of Holt’s Street Chopper and you’ll find all the vendors there.
I can go on about the bikes, bobbers, choppers, dirt trackers and even few dressers. Here’s a list of the home-built bike builders in the show:
Andy, Pangea Speed, Triumph
Barons Speedshop UK/Factory Metal Works Pre Unit Triumph
Bryan Thompson , Pre Unit Triumph
Caleb Owens, Cro Customs, HD
Dave & Lucas Speedmetal, Panhead
Dave Polgreen, St Paul, Knucklehead
Ian Barry, Falcon Motorcycles, Vincent
Jason Craze, Eternal Combustion, Knucklehead
Jason Weber, ATR, Knucklehead
Jeff Leighton, Wing Nuts MC, Knucklehead
Jeffro, White Knights, Triumph
Jeremiah Armenta, Love Cycles, HD
Joe Lingley,Panhead Dragbike
John Copeland, White Knights, Shovelhead
John Edwards, Old Tyme Custom Paint, Panhead
Jon Rispante, Las Vegas, Triumph/BSA
Kosuke, Sunrise Cycles, Triumph
Max Schaaf, 4Q, Panhead
Robert Hernandez, AZ, HD
Scott Craig, Chopperville, Knucklehead
Shawn Donahue, Chino, PanShovel
Todd, Small City Cycles, Triumph
Warren Heir, JR Cycle Prod, HD
I really dug the music and the announcements. I didn’t make it to Woodstock, but watching the documentary, the announcements were very similar, keeping all the people cool and letting them know where the latrines are and shit. Great stuff. And I’m glad they are doing it again. I heard rumors that the man kept charging the boys for every little thing and costing the event a butt-load of bills. A free event that hopefully they made a bit of dough.
So get your gnarly butt out to Oak Canyon Park on the 30th of June 2012 for Born Free 4. Check out some of the great photos and shit on their site: www.BornFreeShow.com.