Smaller Crowds A Good Thing For Bike Week?
DAYTONA BEACH -- Bike Week 2010 is reaching a climax in the Daytona Beach area, but not everyone is impressed with the crowds.
Ray Branton has been manning the barber's chair along Beach Street for nearly three decades.
He's seen the popularity of Bike Week explode and now start to come back to Earth.
"Used to, we didn't get that many,” Branton said. “I can remember when 10 [thousand] or 15,000 was a big crowd. Now, we have a lot more than that."
Branton doubts the city ever saw half a million people come to town for the week, but admitted it may have been close in the early 90s.
While most agree the crowds are down this year compared to years past, Branton said that's probably a good thing for those who have made the trip.
"We see the people smiling and laughing. Where we've seen it when you couldn't see the bricks out there. And you see the faces, where they have to wait for somebody to move before they move, and they're not smiling and they're not having a good time, really," Branton said.
Tom Miller works security down the street outside Froggy's Saloon.
He's been coming down from Wisconsin for the week since 2001.
What he sees on some days, he can't believe his eyes.
"It's got a circus atmosphere,” Miller said. “With the fringes and the animals, it's crazy. Long time ago you never seen on a hotel sign 'Welcome Bikers.' They hated bikers. Now, all of a sudden."
Branton and Miller agree those who attended the first Bike Week would never recognize the 69th edition.
"Definitely not. No way. They'd probably say 'oh my God,'” Branton said.
"No. They'd go ‘what the heck is that? What is going on here?’" Miller said.
That's not to say the hardcore bike crowd is gone. You just have to look a little harder.
Branton said another possible reason for smaller crowds is there were only about four big motorcycle rallies across the country in the past.
These days, you can find one just about any weekend.
(reprinted from Central Florida News 13 website)