Superstitious date, motorcycle tags and a world record
The Staff of Clutch and Chrome
June 14th 2008
A motorcycle
event with a date that may seem unlucky to some was
fortunate enough to break attendance records in Port Dover,
Ontario Canada and possibly set a world record.
The event,
called
Friday the 13th originally started in 1981 when twenty-six
friends met at the Commercial Hotel, now known as Angelos of Dover. Every Friday the 13th thereafter, no matter what time of year, they met again with more and more joining them each time. This "phenomenon" draws motorcycle enthusiasts from all over North America and has grown to become what is believed to be an important economic driver for Port Dover and Norfolk County.
Organizers
worked with Norfolk County officials to attempt a new record
for the Guinness Book of World records for the Largest Parade of
Motorcycles. Although other motorcycle rallies in North
America may have larger attendance numbers, Organizers of
the Port Dover event registered visiting bikers, allowing a
quantitative attempt at the record.
According to Guinness World Records this was the first
record attempt. Places such as Daytona Beach, Sturgis and Harley Davidson's Head Office in Milwaukee have never made the attempt.
The needed number to set the record was 10,000 tagged
motorcycles or more, Norfolk County officials say they
tagged almost 12,000 motorcycles Friday as motorcyclists
from across North America converged on the town for Friday
the 13th festivities.
However, officials in Port Dover, Ont., estimate over 30,000
motorcycles were ridden to the event with riders coming from places including New
York, California, Quebec, Georgia, Maryland and the Great
Lakes region.
"We will be preparing the package for the Guinness World
Record organization in the coming days and submitting our
information, so the numbers are unofficial right now, " Clark Hoskin, a Norfolk County official
told the Canadian Press, "Port Dover is the first community hosting a motorcycle event
where an official Guinness World Record has been attempted."
|
