Sturgis Rally thunders ahead

They may be wearing leather and even the occasional helmet for their protection, but examples of face masks and social distancing have been few and far between at the world's largest biker party, which is in full swing in the US this week.

The 80th Anniversary Sturgis Rally kicked off last Friday (August 7) and continues until Sunday (August 16), the annual event seeing the sleepy South Dakota town of roughly 7000 turn into a Mecca for around 250,000 predominantly Harley-Davidson-mounted riders.

Organisers and local authorities voted in mid-June in favour of going ahead with the 80th Sturgis Rally despite concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, which according to stats from Johns Hopkins University has so far claimed the lives of over 165,000 Americans.

Organisers say the rally has a modified program in light of the pandemic, with hand sanitiser stations set up at locations throughout the town, high-volume footpaths sanitised nightly and city staff provided with PPE.

But various US newspapers report locals are concerned that the massive influx of bikers will bring COVID-19 to their town, in a US state that so far has escaped high infection rates.

Medical specialists are worried the rally, also the largest public gathering to be held this year in the US, may become a 'super spreader' event.

Attendees have been urged by organisers to "be respectful of the community concerns by practicing social distancing and taking personal responsibility for their health by following CDC guidelines."

Despite the fears, official live-stream footage of the rally from YouTube shows Main Straight lined with bikes and footpaths crowded with attendees, with few face masks visible and crowds largely ignoring social distancing recommendations.

A concert by Californian rockers Smash Mouth drew thousands of revellers together at the Buffalo Chip campground, where front man Steve Harwell rallied fans with the words, "Now we're all here together tonight. And we're being human once again. F*** that COVID s***."

Credit: KOTATV

In many ways the rally has served to highlight the wider political tensions gripping the US at present, with many bikers downplaying the pandemic's risks and claiming their attendance is an assertion of their personal rights and freedoms. Others, meanwhile, are claiming the event could ultimately put hundreds or even thousands more lives at risk. Needless to say, the gaping line of division is mainly falling along Republican and Democratic lines…

The Governor of South Dakota, the Republican party's Kristi Noem, welcomed bikers to Sturgis via Twitter…

"I trusted my people, they trusted me, and South Dakota is in a good spot in our fight against COVID-19," she tweeted on August 7.

"The #Sturgis motorcycle rally starts this weekend, and we're excited for visitors to see what our great state has to offer!"

Meanwhile debate has raged on social media.

"Trump's entire base is currently shoulder to shoulder, without masks, in the western side of my state," tweeted Misti Simpson.

"They're not watching Trump on TV. They are busy revving their motorcycles while women in star spangled bikinis wash the bikes, and coughing in each other's beer."

But there's plenty of support for the rally-goers too…

"Watching the Liberal media go ape**** over #Sturgis while they sat like crickets on the gathering below. Just call it a protest for getting back to some normalcy in life. #Hypocrisy," tweeted Dave Thomas.

In any case, no matter what views are held by those for and against, the event will continue on until its natural conclusion this weekend.

The bikers who attend will undoubtedly revel in the brief return of normality the week-long party represents. But many more will be watching on from afar, hoping and in many cases praying that the 80th running of the Sturgis Rally doesn’t provide a Big Twin-powered boost for the pandemic's spread…