Who should be the next King of SmokeOut? Nominations are open for the person who will become the SmokeOut character for 2027, and we want to hear from the people who make the original chopper party what it is.
Every year, we choose someone who embodies the spirit of SmokeOut—the people, the motorcycles, the creativity, and the original chopper party. Who should carry that tradition into 2027? We want YOUR nomination.
A character that represents SmokeOut all year
Squindo—the artist whose work you’ve seen with Metallica—brings these characters to life. The chosen character represents SmokeOut on our banners, ads, T-shirts, and more throughout the year. So choose wisely!
The tradition has featured Paul Cox in 2022, Richie Pan in 2023, Jeff Cochran in 2024, Pat Patterson in 2025, and Bill Dodge in 2026. Who belongs on next year’s shirt?
Fill in your ballot
This is a write-in nomination. Tell us the name of the person you believe embodies SmokeOut and explain why they deserve to be the next King.
- Open the SmokeOut nomination ballot.
- Enter your name and email, then write in your nominee.
- Tell us why they should be the next King of SmokeOut.
- Submit your nomination before October 18 at noon Eastern.
Submit your nomination on the SmokeOut website.
You can also leave a name and your explanation in the comments on our campaign posts across SmokeOut and Cycle Source Magazine social channels.
Nominations close at high noon
Nominations close Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 12:00 PM Eastern—high noon. Get your ballot in before the deadline.
The full SmokeOut staff will review your nominations and make the final selection. The highest nomination or comment count does not automatically win. Tell us what makes your nominee a fitting representative of SmokeOut.
Follow the campaign on ShopTalk
We’ll talk about the nominations on ShopTalk Sunday, October 11. On October 18, nominations will already be closed by showtime and the staff’s selection process will be next. Join us on ShopTalk Sunday, October 25, when we reveal the 2027 King of SmokeOut.
