How do you prepare for each leg of the Easyriders Events Tour?
Greg Hicks: There is a lot of hard work and planning that goes into every tour – we have a great crew of people working with us. The coordinators out of California do all the planning for the show under the guidance of John Green. John is the tremendous driving force behind making sure each show runs smoothly – without him, we wouldn’t have a show.
For someone coming to the tour for the first time – what can they expect?
GH: Well the tour is 20 years old, in that time it’s been built up into this amazing show that people can look forward to every year. If you’ve never been, you will definitely be excited and surprised with all we have going on.
The Easyriders Events Tour showcases over 200 custom built bikes, as well as some of the best nationally known custom bike builders on site. People can talk with the bike builders and ask them questions. There are also autograph sessions with celebrities – we had Michael Ballard and the crew from Full Throttle Saloon at the Charlotte event. We have a lot of other big name celebrities in the works for future tours. There are also over 100 vendors selling apparel and gear. Live entertainment includes different bands and live fashion shows by The Purrfect Angelz.
Many people are excited about the bike giveaway – how does that work and how can people enter?
GH: Executive Choppers is the company that makes the one-of-a-kind bike for the giveaway, which you must be present at the Chillicothe Rodeo to win. We are also in negotiations with other national sponsors for a second bike giveaway which would not require you to be there to win.
Where do you draw your inspiration from when creating the Easyriders Events Tour?
GH: Easy Riders Magazine is what the tour is based on and sets the standard in the bike world as far as news and events for the biker community.
Which city has been the most memorable so far to visit with the tour?
GH: All the cities are unique in their own way and draw a big crowd, but the show in Columbus, Ohio is by far the largest – the people come from all over for this leg of the tour.
Will there be Easyriders Events Tour merchandise? If so, what do you plan on creating?
GH: Yes, tour merchandise is sold in Easyriders trailer – there is everything from T-shirts to hats. The tour T-shirts are especially popular – people love to collect them since they are different every year. The trailers are the only place you can purchase an official tour T-shirt from.
What type of bike do you like to ride? And how many do you own?
GH: I love to ride and own several bikes of my own including a Harley-Davidson Screamin' Eagle, a Hellbound Steel Chopper, a custom made Bobber, and two Orange County Choppers.
Where is your favorite place to ride?
GH: I enjoy riding to Florida. We have a big presence in Florida during Daytona Bike Week, we also have ownership in two of the major bars there – Saints and Sinners at Destination Daytona and The Iron Horse Saloon - http://www.ironhorse-saloon.com/
I also love to ride to Sturgis from my home in Atlanta. One of my most memorable trips was when I rode from Las Vegas to Sturgis – it was great seeing a new part of the country and all that beautiful scenery.
What are your future plans for the Easyrider Events Tour?
GH: We’ll be adding a lot more family value to the tour – we plan on building a large area just for kids that will have video games and other activities to keep the kids entertained while parents enjoy the shows.
We are currently in negotiations to have nationally known bands to play our events. We’re also in talks with other major bike manufacturers who will be adding to our bike line-up. This is already such a great tour – and we just want to continue to grow it and make it something that people will continue to look forward to each year.
