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Skate Fast, Ride Faster

Article And Photos By: Chris Callen

Originally Published In The May 2011 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

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This year at Stone Edge during bike week, I ran into a group of young guys that were hanging around the lot. I hadn’t seen them before at any of our other gatherings. I made a few inquires to find out that they were actually doing their own thing and it is the perfect topic to write about to keep on top of where this is all going next. Now we’ve long been carrying the banner of the Next Generation and we’ve talked about how the cultural influences of skateboarding, BMX and motocross have begun to make their way into our thing, but this group was something I hadn’t expected. For them, the addition of the motorcycle is the part of the culture that has changed. Their ages range from 21 to 40 plus, and have them dead square in the youth demographic as far as the American motorcycle scene goes, but their roles are different. For them, skating and being themselves come first. The motorcycle is now the next fun thing they’re doing so they have found a way to work that into how they spend time with each other through an event called Skate Fast / Ride Faster. I had a chance to catch up with two of the organizers of this deal. Zach Gosteli is stationed in Tampa with the Air Force and Brent Foucht runs a promotions’ company out of Jacksonville. Apparently the first SF / RF happened in November of last year primarily from discussions that they had been having on the XL forums. They would agree that skating and riding, living like tramps and having a good time was perfect and why not make a weekend out of it. About twenty guys made the first trip on Shovels, Pans, Evos and Sporties, to skate and party all night. The next day, they would pack it all up and head to another park in New Smyrna and then on to Kona in Jacksonville. There were three bands at the end party, twenty or so bikes and a hundred kids. Companies like Biltwell, who has donated tons of product, L o w Brow and small businesses in Jacksonville, like Bold City Brewery, have reached out in a great way to help them get this going. By smacking down twenty bucks you got the ride, food, camping for two nights and a t-shirt, so obviously they aren’t doing this out of a grand commercial scheme. This isn’t just about timing for them, this is the way that they want to spend their time, dig the things they do and share them with the cats that are on the same groove.

The rough and rowdy atmosphere is just an extension of young dudes and the things they do. There was the now infamous “Panhead Snake Run” where Curtis, one of their crew, took his Pan over the edge of the cement pool and began to ride the bike the same way they had all just been skating the bowl. The longer he was at it, the higher he got. I immediately thought of the beginning of the next generation thrill riders. It took three passes in total for Curtis to go down in motorcycle infamy. Burnouts and cool tricks on boards; these are the days they will remember forever, just like it’s always been. On the last Saturday they sat around the park, winding down from what they believed to be the perfect event. They all decided then that it had to go down again. As bike week came closer, they figured that the Limpnickie Lot would give them a good reason. So once again, their crew got together and rolled out. They were all on Limpnickie style bikes, rough around the edges but real and cool as hell. At first they seemed to keep to themselves, camping in the back of the lot, skating at night and man I gotta tell you, it was a page out of our history books. Whether these cats realize it or not, they are doing what has always made this stuff great: their own thing. Yeah, in many ways it’s a radical departure from what has always been, but looking at the tent cities, old bikes and antics, they are much the same as well. Since I am asked so frequently what this younger generation thinks about things, I figured this was a perfect opportunity to do a quick interview and let them tell you for themselves.

CS: How do you guys think the older generation perceives what you have going on here?

Brent: I think a lot of the older generation is starting to accept it. I get comments on my buddies who ride older bikes and even Jap bikes. They really get into telling us how back in the day that was their first bike; that’s what they rode. That’s what people don’t understand, and what I’ve learned is that a lot of the Harley riders started out back in the day on CB750s and then they just progressed.

Zach: Whether they like it of not, we’re here, we’re the future and if you don’t like it, tough shit.

 

CS: What part of the industry do you feel is making the right moves to connect to your generation?

Zach: Harley’s doing something right with trying to attract the younger guys. Like that bike (as he pointed to Brent’s 883 Iron) sold really well and everything from the Dark Customs’ line. There aren’t a lot of younger guys that are into all the flash and the chrome. I mean OCC days are over and there’s no complaints there. I mean, what’s the most popular bike for all of us now? Everybody’s using Shovels, ya know? There are guys that are 25 years old and they’re riding 65 year old Panheads. It’s really ironic that that’s what the young generation is attracted to. It’s gotta drive the industry guys crazy. I mean Victory is building cool stuff; the new Victory is great but at the same time we’re saying, ‘But dude, an Ironhead is still f*#king cool!’

 

CS: Do you think the younger guys are more about do-it-yourself than any other part of the scene?

Zach: There are so many guys with more money than brains that ride around on big new Harleys but don’t change their own oil. The thing with an old Ironhead is ya gotta work on it. I’ve seen guys getting more into their own fabrication. It’s kinda like more of that old World War II ethic, the pride in doing it yourself. None of us are making sixty-grand a year so if something breaks, all right, how do I fix it? There’s not always money for the new parts ya know?

 

CS: Is part of that World War II ethic the pride in American manufacturing as well?

Zach: I’m all for small business and American made products. We send so much money overseas, everything’s imported. You can take a small business that’s just a couple of guys in a garage and an American made product and the quality is better. You’re keeping the money here and the jobs here. That’s the reason our economy is in such a shithole right now. If we could get more of those ethics back, we could really turn this country around.

 

CS: From different parts of the country and different ages and backgrounds, what is the dynamic that makes this happen for you guys?

Brent: We all have common bonds other than just motorcycles. Like we said, none of us ever even met before that first event and we just came together with all our same senses and just love what we do. I think that’s what makes it happen, when people split ideas with each other, pass it back and forth and get stuff done, that’s what makes the young generation click.

 

CS: Where can we take people for more info on Ride Fast / Skate Faster and whatever else you guys come up with?

Brent: I have a Facebook page – Iron Promotions. I update it ever day and I also post a lot of other people’s events. Getting the word out is the main key.

 

So there you have it, the next generation is now taking its place among all we do and man I gotta say, at least on behalf of these kids, the future looks mighty good from here. This is a time where it’s all going back to where it started and these cats are about two seconds away from running everything in this country through their buying power and the place they will soon take in our communities as leaders. With the values and ethics they exhibit, I feel America will get back on track again and under their watch become a great nation once more.

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