january 2016
vol 2 • Issue 1
HOLLISTER A birthplace of the
With the rebirth of the Hollister Rally this year,
we wanted to share with our readers the unique story
merican Biker
of the city of Hollister and its impact on the culture of bikers
in California, the U.S., and the world. Starting in the 1930s, Hollister hosted an annual July 4th gypsy tour event. Gypsy tours were American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) sanctioned events that were held throughout the U.S. At the time, they were largely considered the best place for motorcyclists to gather. Typical events included races, activities, and of course, partying. Since Hollister was a small town, the rally was a welcomed major event and revenue source for the local economy. However, like many favorite pastimes, the rally was cancelled during World War II. After the end of the war in 1947, organizers put together, what would be the revival of “Gypsy Tour in Hollister.”
A
fter the war, the popularity of motorcycles exploded. Many men returning fromb the war had been exposed to trends and techniques of British and European motorcyclee builders and racers. Many of them also returned with haunting memories of their horrible experiences in battle, later identified as post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). Making the difficult transition back to civilian life, motorcycling became an effective substitute for the feeling of danger, excitement, and camaraderie they encountered in the war. It was a great way to blow off post-war steam. Also, war surplus motorcycles were readily available at bargain prices. The ranks of motorcyclists swelled tremendously. On July 3rd, 1947, those ranks descended on Hollister. Overnight, the small town’s population doubled with the arrival of approximately 4,000 people, many of them bikers. Orangizers were caught off guard with the sheer mass of the attendance that flooded
the town. Coming from all over California and the United States, some had traveled from as far away as the east coast. Clubs in attendance included the Boozefighters, the 13 Rebels, the Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington, and the Market Street Commandos. Having never experienced a turnout as large at previous events, the town was unprepared for the number of people that arrived. There was a severe lodging and housing problem, leaving bikers to sleep on sidewalks, in parks, and on people’s lawns. Ignoring the sanctioned events going on at Memorial Park, the raucous crowd swarmed the downtown area bars. Initially welcomed by the merchants and bar owners, the bikers were consuming large amounts of alcohol and were beginning to grow rowdy. They staged drunken drag races as well as wheelie and burnout competitions on San Benito Street, the city’s main drag. Local residents lined the streets to view the shenanigans. but as events progressed, the city’s seven-man
police force was soon overwhelmed. Many arrests were made for public intoxication and disturbing the peace. but as the arrests continued, a rebellious dissent amongst the bikers became obvious, and the city’s police chief, Lieutenant Roy McPhail sent out a request for backup to the California Highway Patrol.
On Saturday, July 5th, thirty CHP officers arrived shortly before dusk. Armed with tear gas, they quickly dispersed the remaining crowd. It turns out most of the bikers had left before the CHP arrived. What remained were thousands of beer bottles and debris that littered the streets. There was some minor storefront damage, and in all about 50 arrests were made and there were about 60 reported injuries, of which only 3 were serious, including a broken leg and a skull fracture. Eyewitnesses were quoted as saying, “It’s just one hell of a mess, but the bikers weren’t doing anything bad, just riding up and down whooping and hollering. Not really doing any harm at all.” A City Council member remarked, “Luckily, there appears
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to be no serious damage. These trick riders did more harm to themselves that the town.” The media coverage that ensued after the “riot” brought Hollister to national prominence. However, articles that were written wereoverly negative and greatly exaggerated and sensationalized what had actually happened. And the reliability of a striking photo that was published has been debated with many saying the photo was staged. On Sunday, July 6th, a reporter accompanied by a photographer arrived on dispatch from the San Francisco Chronicle, only to findmost of the bikers had already left. According to many witnesses, the photographer staged the infamous photo that was published later in Life Magazine, with the headline: “Cyclist’s Holiday: He and Friends Terrorize Town.” Gus Deserpa was quoted in aninterview as saying, “I saw two guys scraping all these bottles that had been lying in the street together. Then they positioned a motorcycle in the middle of the pile. Continued pg. 2