In Photos: The Bikes and Bikers of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 2017
Article by: Laura Mason|@masonlazarusMon August 14, 2017 | 14:30 PM
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota – held the town of Sturgis, home to some of the most desolate and beautiful prairie lands in North America – has been going strong for 79 years. And each year the gathering has grown; now its usually sleepy ground zero welcomes upwards of 700,000 riders annually. That's a whole lotta bikers, beer drinking, babes of all kinds, and badass tunes.
But beyond the beer, biker babes, and bikini bike washes, there's a sociological ritual going on that tells you quite a bit about the United States. Sociologist Emile Durkheim coined the phrase "collective effervescence" to describe why pilgrimages exist. People take a journey to what they consider a sacred place as a means of connecting with some communal nectar that will help to make their everyday secular life all the more special. When you wear this lens to observe the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, you recognize that this marathon of myth and merriment is more than a party. It represents a longing for freedom, independence, and rugged individualism. Their hogs are symbols of their originality and their liberty. You know it's a pilgrimage when you hear someone erupt and break into tears, "I finally made it to Sturgis!"
Many of the riders make road trips out of going to the festival, often stopping at Mount Rushmore along the way. For ten days, many camp, party, hang with their far flung motorcycle families, dance, and marvel at the rebuilt Harleys, the futuristic space-age two-wheeled inventions, and more motorcycle gear and paraphernalia than you've ever seen in your life. There are concerts (Insane Clown Posse played this year), drag races, hill climbs, and even rides in the Cage of Death (scroll down to see what we mean). Enjoy the photos below of all the riders in their element, celebrating life together.
