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Event Reports

Lowbrow Getdown

Article And Photos By: Mikey Revolt

Originally Published In The December 2016 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

It is hard to believe Lowbrow Getdown 2016 has already come to pass. Each year we celebrate Ohio’s warmer months by having a huge moto camping party at Nelson Ledges Quarry park in July. You never really know what you are in for when you arrive at The Lowbrow Getdown, but it’s always lots of fun. In year’s past we’ve been in the middle of a rave, had guys rock the stage like David Allen Coe and Blue Oyster Cult, and we even had a Biltwell Cocktagon fight on the beach. This year we kept it simple; just ride, drink, camp, and surprisingly people said they had one of the best times yet.

The Atmosphere: Ohio is filed with tons of campgrounds, parks, and forests but none compare to the nostalgia of Nelson’s Ledges. Extremely tall trees cover the grounds and rays of sunlight peek through the branches, leaving warm pockets throughout the campground. There are small homemade shelters, canopies tied to the tops of trees, and tent fortresses built by the locals that live on the grounds in the summer months. Though you may feel completely surrounded by trees, there actually is a quarry filled with some of the cleanest water you will ever see to swim in at the center of the campground. There’s a small island in the middle of the water along with plenty of cliffs to jump from.

The Roll In: This year’s Lowbrow Getdown attendees rolled in from all over the Midwest, Canada, Alabama and even Vermont. Watching bikes ride into the “War Zone”, is one of my favorite things to do. At my camp we line up chairs semi close to the road to watch bikes come in and out for a good portion of the first day. I heard a few people got soaked the entire ride in Friday, while others missed the storms altogether. Everyone’s stories were different and I feel like that’s what helps make these events so great. When people start sharing their stories and relating to previous encounters with others, it forms bonds and friendships that last a life time.

The Food: Every year I love experiencing the ingenuity that some have when making food while camping, it really makes me smile. My friend Dan Lawrence has made burritos on the fire in past years but this year he stepped up his game a bit and smoked some chicken for a few hours along with cooking up some fancy type of potatoes and other veggies in a skillet over the fire. It was extremely delicious, and you could tell everyone at the camp thought the same. Another friend of mine ended up burning bacon and sausages on an old Coleman while drinking beermosas (orange juice mixed with Highlife) Saturday morning and yet those were delicious too. Also here at Lowbrow Customs we try to supply at least one meal per day for everyone. This year we had Paul Davis from Dan’s Dogs whip up some of his gourmet hot dogs for the party on Friday night. He even made special names for the dogs, which everyone seemed to get a good chuckle at. The bread was this crazy Texas toast kind of bun and the different assortment of toppings made you want to try one of each till you couldn’t eat anymore. On Saturday, Pizza Hut came through in a big way with a bunch of cheese and pepperoni pizzas for everyone. I have never seen 21 pizzas disappear so fast.

The Bikes: It’s always cool to see the bikes in our area out and about next to tents and ripping through the campground. There are always some that have changed, other stay the same, and some guys were riding something completely new this year. It’s always so relaxing walking through the campground, beer in hand and snapping photos.

The Cliff Jumping Contest: Poler gave us a bunch of amazing camping gear to give out and we thought what a better way to give it away that to have a cliff jumping contest. Guys and gals were going all out, trying their absolute hardest to win. They were doing weird back flip flair variations, double front flips, and even a few tried the dreaded belly flop. The cliff is about 15 feet off of the water and it feels like you are hitting a truck if you don’t land the right way. A few kept it sketchy with a piggy back jump and handstand push-off. The winner, Billy Howard came through with 2 and a half flips to take home first place and the goods.

The Best Campsite: We also decided to give out a second prize pack filled with Poler stuff to the best campsite. Kyle asked me, “Who had the cool old Dodge van with the blender, generator, and a bunch of choppers at their site? They look like they are doing it right.” I told him it was the Canton kids plus Paco. He laughed and said “Well that’s cool, some local guys get to take home some good stuff.” As we dropped off the prize pack to the site. They were all surprised and extremely happy. The word had gotten around that they had won the best campsite, so people kept walking over to see what it was all about. At one time I think there was over 50 people partying in their spot- just insane.

In Conclusion: The Lowbrow Getdown isn’t just a gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts in the woods to party their faces off. I feel as if it is a moment in time where everything can be let go, you can relax and be yourself with friends and do literally anything you want. From year to year every Lowbrow Getdown is different and its’ a completely different experience for every single person who attends. It’s all how you look at it, and how you choose to make your memories. That’s the beautiful thing about it all. The Lowbrow Getdown is in the same location every year but never the same memory for anyone. Till next year everyone.

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