No more Myrtle Beach bike rallies?
City's move to keep bikers at bay in May ruffles some
Lisa Fleisher
(Myrtle Beach) Sun-News


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Mike Beard of Myrtle Beach has a religious version of the Harley-Davidson emblem on his leather vest at the Covenant of Life Church of God in North Mytle Beach on Sunday, May 11, 2008. Janet Blackmon Morgan / jblackmon@thesunnews.com[/align][/align][*]Biker Rally in Myrtle Beach [/ul][/align]
Myrtle Beach faces terrible business in May for years to come if the city succeeds in driving away the bike rallies that have become synonymous with the month, business owners and representatives predicted Wednesday.
Still, even some of those who said they would suffer financially during May said they welcomed Myrtle Beach City Council's actions of the previous day.
The council voted to raise taxes to pay for as-yet-unspecified strategies to get rid of the bikers and to outlaw vendors within city limits during May. Many said the move came as a surprise\\; some said they would fight it.
Other business owners - predominantly from motels, motorcycle shops and bars - said they would lose a huge chunk of their business and could go under if the rallies end. Hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists make the annual pilgrimage to Myrtle Beach for two bike rallies in May- first, the Harley-Davidson rally and then Atlantic Beach Bikefest during Memorial Day weekend.
But everyone agreed it would take time to adjust.
"You can't snap your fingers and get that business back," said Woody Crosby, president of hotel group Jordan Properties, who had called for reining in the rallies in the past. "It's going to be very difficult to recruit new business until the bikers are totally gone. ... It's probably a good decision long-term, but it sure is going to hurt short-term."
City Council asked the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce to find ways to replace that business, and its president on Wednesday said OK.
"While May poses a challenge because children are still in school, the chamber's plan would target adult visitors during the week and families on weekends," chamber president Brad Dean said in an e-mailed statement. "Weekend festivals and events can be created for family appeal. We'd like to see a true Memorial Day celebration that honors our military veterans."
Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes said Wednesday that although the council has committed to a course of action, it's not too late for people to make their voices heard.
"If people want the rallies, let's get a consensus here," he said. "If people want to keep them, they have to stand up and fight for them."
The Grand Strand Coastal Alliance has also asked for a public forum on the bike rally issue, Rhodes said Tuesday, so officials from the region can hear from residents and business owners. The date for that forum has not been announced.
Frans Mustert, president of hotel group Oceana Resorts, said his several hotels along Ocean Boulevard can financially deal with the trash, damage to rooms and the criminal behavior seen during the rallies. Morally, however, he wishes they would just go away.
"What we're doing right now is a lot of money, but it's not worth it," he said.
Mike Mullinix, owner of Pappy's restaurant and Cash Grocery on Sixth Avenue North, said he and several other business owners were getting together a petition to oppose the council's move, which many saw as a surprise, with little outreach to the public.
"I think they're going to break us. I think they jumped, they made a decision too quick," he said. "We've got laws. Let's just enforce them."
There was some shock and surprise at the speed with which the council made the decision to raise taxes.
"I thought it was pretty underhanded," said Tim DeBardelaben, owner of Sunnyshade Beach Shop on Ninth Avenue North. "Spend $1 million to do away with $12 million of income? I guess you can tell what my opinion is."
Crosby said he thought the council should first have studied the economic effect on local businesses.
"It disappoints me a little but they made that jump," he said. "It appears they hadn't thought it all the way through."
The council is simply trying to do what residents want, Rhodes said.
"If people don't want this, they should come and tell us, in person, or if they can't get off work to come to the meetings, write us letters. We will recognize them," he said. "I can live with or without the rallies. When you grow up with something, you understand it."
Along Ocean Boulevard, the rallies' focal point in Myrtle Beach, there were vast differences in how various businesses fare during May.
Jamie Jesse, co-owner of Airbrush Guys T-shirt shop, said his business catered more toward families, so he would not miss the rallies. He said he was confident the city and local business groups would continue to sponsor events such as oceanfront concerts to draw attention downtown. "The city will spice it up to bring business down here," he said.
Joseph Saad, owner of Burger Paradise, was open for his first bike rally this May and said he was worried at first that he wouldn't be able to pay his bills.
He did poorly during the Harley-Davidson rally - but made up for it quickly during Bikefest.
Right next door, however, the Fun Plaza arcade sees the opposite effect.
"Memorial weekend used to be the third or fourth biggest weekend in the year," owner Jimmy Waldorf said. "Now, Memorial is one of the worst weekends of the year - and I'm open year-round."
Jo Ann Bragg, a bartender at the Steel Horse Saloon on Third Avenue South, said the saloon and its sister bar, the Doghouse on Sixth Avenue South, do 70 percent of their annual business during the Harley-Davidson rallies. The rallies help tide the bars over between seasons.
"That is our bread and butter," she said. "It's an ungodly amount of money. It will have a major impact. Where are we going to pick up the slack between our golfers and the families?"

 

Be interesting to find out what's really going on here. I wonder if it's the "second" rally that's the problem, and the baby has to get thrown out with the bath water.

 

Have to admit, the rallys are fun, but, these places are also where many folks call home.&nbsp\\; Having seen the negative side of what even a small&nbsp\\;percentage of&nbsp\\;people do, I wouldn't care about the income, I wouldn't want tens of thousands of folks coming to my home town and trashing it for a week or&nbsp\\;two.&nbsp\\;

 

Once a politician getting his/her hands on something it is doomed. F'em all!

 

Can't we all just get along! If the 2nd rally was moved from Memorial Day weekend, There wouldn't be a problem. The HD rally is always before Memorial Day week end and the merchants appreciate that. But having the 2nd on Memorial day weekend is what most are complaining about. And to be politically correct, unfortunately we are caught in the middle.

 

The Rally won't leave the area, just the town.
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Daytona is an example. Look how the stuff moved from Beach Street and made its way North and West. I feel the same will happen to Myrtle. The vendors will just move to where they are welcome. They'll never stop the people/bikes. We have every right to those hotels just as the mini vans full of people do.

 

Can't we all just get along .&nbsp\\;Whether they stop the rally or have it next year. I will be there in Myrtle Beach !

 

I'm just guessing here but I think the problem isn't with the Harley event but with the Bike Fest Event.&nbsp\\; To cancel one they need to cancel both.....

 

The problem lies with the second rally and clientel. This past event was marred by a murder of a local and blantant sexual acts in public and on the streets. Car loads of non-riders came into town and caused a lot of problems. It also is a time where hotels are trashed and eateries are defrauded. If you cancel the troublesome event, the NAACP will sue based upon bias. What the NAACP needs to do, is to clean up the act of the second event, then there would be no bias at all.

 

it on my list of places to ride too now it might be cancelled just my luck