Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A. (August 12, 2024) - The Harley-Davidson motorcycle company is undertaking a review of its corporate policies after filmmaker and anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck accused the iconic motorcycle manufacturer of embracing the “woke agenda of the very far left” which do not align with the values of the company’s core customers.
Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company
Sources claim that Harley-Davidson's presence at the legendary Sturgis motorcycle rally this month has been noticeably diminished, with many motorcycle enthusiasts boycotting the company’s tent and activities in protest of policies exposed by Starbuck.
“Harley-Davidson has been a proud American institution for more than 120 years. United We Ride defines how we run our business, treat our people, and underscores our commitment to freedom. As a responsible company, we are committed to evaluating our policies, strategies, and activities to ensure they are relevant to our business,” the company said in an email to employees viewed by Bloomberg.
Sturgis, South Dakota, USA (December 4, 2020) - Confident that open air festivals can be held responsibly and hot off the heels of a successful 2020 event, the Sturgis Buffalo Chip is blowing the gate wide open for the 81st Anniversary of the Sturgis Rally with the largest live entertainment announcement since the pandemic began. The American Badass, Kid Rock, will take the legendary Wolfman Jack Stage at The Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling® on Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021.
In addition to kicking off the campground’s festival lineup, the Buffalo Chip® has partnered with two dominating names of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Black Hills Harley-Davidson and Liv Hospitality, to award a once-in-a-lifetime $30,000 King of Sturgis prize package to one winner and three of their friends. The King of Sturgis™ Giveaway registration is now open. The Kid Rock video announcement can be seen here below. Entertainment is free with camping.
“We know from last year that outdoor events can be safely held when proper precautions are taken,” said Rod Woodruff, President and CEO of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. “The majority of people act respectfully and practice social distancing when they are expected to act responsibly. Plus, we feel good about the highly effective vaccines coming soon to market.”
The Buffalo Chip took the pandemic seriously in August 2020 and it plans to do so again in 2021. The 2020 event included social distancing built into the amphitheater, prominent signage providing information on COVID-19 and encouraging social distancing, hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the campground, free face coverings for those entering the amphitheater and a strict backstage policy that included mask requirements, temperature checks and limited in-person contact.
The Buffalo Chip’s nine-night music and motorcycle festival is an open-air, outdoor festival located on a campground with over 600 acres on which guests can spread out. The venue is not a closed environment like a crowded indoor bar. With the safest environment offered at the Sturgis Rally, the Buffalo Chip will again provide guests the safest place to camp and experience the benefits of social interaction, without restricting their personal rights and freedoms.
“We’ll be here in 2021 celebrating the freedoms we thought to be the birthright of all Americans, and I can think of no better way to kick off our 40th anniversary as a campground than to bring back legendary fan favorite Kid Rock. To top it off we’re going to drop a $30,000 bomb of amazing prizes on someone,” said Woodruff.
The 2021 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is On: Aug. 6-15
When asked why an event like the Buffalo Chip is important, Rod Woodruff continues, “Our event provides people the freedom to come together despite differences, share moments and make real human connections. That’s something no amount of internet or TV can ever provide. It is essential for people’s mental health, self-worth and general well-being that they get out and socialize.”
The outlook of the live music industry is optimistic. Bands are announcing tours again, and several major music festivals have announced events in summer 2021. With the recent news of successful vaccine trials, the Sturgis Buffalo Chip is optimistic that by August 2021 the pandemic will be on its way to being under control.
The world-class Buffalo Chip concerts and giveaways are just a piece of the many activities happening at the Buffalo Chip Campground for the 2021 rally. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience countless events including legendary rides, powerful freedom celebrations, top-tier bike shows, white-knuckle racing events and so much more. Entertainment is free with camping. More announcements coming soon.
About The Sturgis Buffalo Chip
The Sturgis Buffalo Chip® is the award-winning leader in music and motorcycle lifestyle experiences. Hailed as The Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling® and The Best Party Anywhere®, it has been the epicenter of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally since its establishment in 1981. Every August, the Buffalo Chip brings together the world’s largest gathering of music and motorcycle fans, with visitors from all 50 states and over 20 countries. As the first and leading entertainment destination for the motorcycle enthusiast, it remains one of the world’s most televised and longest running independent music festivals.
Located three miles east of Sturgis, SD on 600 creek-fed acres, it offers nine nights of world-class concerts, multiple stages of entertainment, races, motorcycle shows, a swimming hole, bars, food, showers, cabins, RVs, camping and more. The Chip’s entertainment is free with camping.
Sturgis, South Dakota, USA (May 7, 2020) BSB - From bikers to boxers, a partnership between a biker-run boxing team and the world’s largest motorcycle and music festival will deliver high-impact entertainment this August during the 80th anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Team Certified Promotions and the Sturgis Buffalo Chip® have teamed up to present “The Takeover” professional boxing event on Aug. 8, 2020 at the legendary Sturgis Buffalo Chip. This historic professional boxing event will feature two ABO title bouts and will be broadcast live worldwide through Adversary Sports Entertainment directly from Sturgis Buffalo Chip.
The Takeover will be featured on the opening weekend of the Sturgis Rally, preceding a headlining knockout performance from rock band Shinedown.
Team Certified Sports is the first-ever professional boxing team founded by a motorcycle club. Coach Ernie Haines, whose family has had MC chapters for over 16 years, dreamed up the idea of bringing professional boxing to the largest gathering of bikers anywhere because it promises to be one of the most unique boxing events in the history of the world.
Pro boxing event confirmed for August 8 during Sturgis Motorcycle Rally https://t.co/ui3IUaTnq6
— 𝙒𝙊𝙍𝙇𝘿 𝘽𝙊𝙓𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 (@WorldBoxingNews) May 7, 2020
When Team Certified Sports makes the transition from the road to the ring at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, some real heavy hitters will come out to play.
The ASE team will be led by broadcast producer and boxing hall-of-famer Ira Glass, and will include Emmy Award winning program host Jay Adams, Florida Boxing Hall of Fame play-by-play color commentator Bob Alexander, and TV sports commentary announcer Dan Hewitt.
“The lineup of fighters will be announced soon and will be action packed”, says M. Talley of Team Certified Sports.
Special guests at the event include:
“Sugar” Ray Seals, the 1972 American boxing Olympic gold medalist and former NABF and USBA middleweight champion
Craig Houk, a retired pro fighter and CEO of the Indiana Boxing Hall of Fame
Leon J. Muhammad, who worked with eight world champions, including heavyweight champs Muhammad Ali and Michael Spinks
Team Certified Sports and Buffalo Chip President Rod Woodruff are determined to broadcast this competitive boxing card for free.
“It’s important for fans to be able to share the sports they love with the people they love, and we won’t allow cost to be a factor,” says Tom Reed of Team Certified Sports.
For more information about the boxing event, fans may access Team Certified Promotions’ website TeamCertifiedPromotions.com and email at Teamcertifiedsports@yahoo.com for more information, including sponsorship and investment opportunities. For more information about the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, or to purchase passes fans may visit BuffaloChip.com
Sturgis, South Dakota, USA - (May 5, 2020) - The City of Sturgis and the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club are at odds over a proposed annexation. For more than five years, Sturgis has been looking to annex properties that are immediately adjacent to the city and get city services, but are not within city limits.
"The Jackpine Gypsies use city roadways to access their property, the emergency services, and even city utilities," says Sturgis City Manager, Daniel Ainslie. "And so it becomes natural to make sure that area is also within the city limits."
The city has been in negotiations with the club for almost half a year to discuss the proposed annexation.
An opponent said the city of Sturgis’ attempt to annex property owned by the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club will mean the demise of the longtime organization closely tied to the start of the Sturgis motorcycle rally 82 years ago.
Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club President Brett Winsell said the annexation goes further than the potential for a higher property taxes.
He said the club is more concerned with current and future city ordinances concerning noise, signage and other issues that may prevent the club from staging its races and other events on the grounds.
The Jackpine Gypsies and founder J.C. Pappy Hoel began the Sturgis motorcycle rally in 1938 and have hosted motorcycle races, hill climbs, motocross and other events, both at the Sturgis Fairgrounds and on the Gypsies Club Grounds. “This will basically kill the Gypsies,” club representative Brett Winsell told the Sturgis City Council. “The tax burden is something that we can’t bear.”
That burden would reportedly increase by slightly more than $2,500 annually, from about $4,800 in county and school taxes already paid yearly by the club.
"We have tried a voluntary annexation," says treasurer of Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club, Vicki Winsell. "It has not been in our best interest at all. But if we could come to an agreement that would benefit both parties it would be great. Because right now, we don't feel there's a representation for the gypsies."
Winsell says if the land became part of the city the club would be limited, and could loose some of the freedoms they have by technically being in the county.
According to Ainslie, the annexation is an agenda item at Monday's council meeting, but staff will recommend that a decision be postponed for another month. With the postponement, both sides are willing to head back to the negotiation table and hopefully reach a voluntary agreement.
Sturgis, S.D. USA (February 25, 2019) BSB — The city of Sturgis is proposing fees — as high as $5,100 in some cases — that would have to be paid in advance by campgrounds outside city limits if they want ambulance service at this year's Sturgis motorcycle rally.
The proposed fees range from $300 to $5,100 and are based on the number of ambulance calls to the campgrounds during the 2018 rally, Sturgis City Manager Daniel Ainslie said at a Feb. 19 special meeting in Sturgis with campground owners.
Motorcycles and people fill Main Street on Aug. 5, 2015, after a group photo was taken.
Barry Amundson / Forum News Service
Under the proposal, campgrounds that had no ambulance calls last year would be assessed a $300 fee to cover this year’s rally in August. Those with one to four calls last year would pay $650, those with five to nine calls would pay $1,850, and a fee of $5,100 would be charged to those that had 10 or more calls during the 2018 rally.
According to listings on sturgiscampgrounds.com, there are more than a dozen campgrounds in and around Sturgis.
Ainslie said services provided to campgrounds inside the city limits are covered by city sales-tax and property-tax revenues.
The city’s proposal is set for discussion before the Sturgis City Council on April 15.
If approved, the fees would have to be paid by May 15. Campgrounds not paying the fees by that date would no longer receive city ambulance service.
At the Feb. 19 meeting, Ainslie said during the 2018 rally the city ambulance service responded to 60 calls from campgrounds, amounting to 17 percent of total calls during the rally.
Of those calls, he said, 33 percent of patients refused transportation to a hospital after the ambulance arrived and of those transported only 23 percent of the amount billed was paid, creating a more than $25,000 shortfall, he said.
“We travel the distance out there and either we bandage the person up or give them the immediate aid they need and they refuse transport to the hospital, or other times we go all the way out there and no one’s there. That’s a significant cost that there’s absolutely no reimbursement for,” Ainslie said.
Ainslie said reimbursement for ambulance services by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance coverage is limited.
Medicaid reimbursements, for example, only cover 20 percent of the cost of an ambulance call, while Medicare covers 50 percent of ambulance services and private insurance covers 60 percent of a call.
According to the city, calls for ambulance service have essentially doubled in 10 years, from 1,076 in 2009 to 2,070 calls in 2018.
Ainslie said in 2018 the city provided $277,201 to the Sturgis Volunteer Fire Department and Sturgis Ambulance Service.
He said the total losses for the ambulance service in 2018, including building maintenance insurance and equipment replacement, was $250,798.
Calls to a number of campground owners around Sturgis revealed some who were unaware of the Feb. 19 meeting. Others voiced strong opposition to an upfront fee.
“They basically have told us if we don’t submit and pay, they’ll deny us ambulance services and we’re not OK with that,” said R.J. Ludwick, of No Name City Campground, located between Sturgis and Tilford along Interstate 90.
“We all pay taxes, and we have higher taxes because of our businesses, and we all feel that’s not right,” Ludwick said.
Buffalo Chip Campground owner Rod Woodruff said the campground has a full staff of EMT-trained security that will verify the legitimacy of an ambulance call and take a patient to a pickup point to minimize the time for an ambulance run from Sturgis.
“We’re doing that just to help the ambulance service to keep their costs down and eliminate the false calls,” he said.
