BikeFest organizers stress safety of event after Reno shootout

By Jackie Valley

Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011 | 2 a.m.

Motorcyclists headed to town this weekend for the 11th Las Vegas BikeFest are bringing more than leather, chrome and heavy metal thunder with them, organizers of the event say.

They’re coming with cash, too, and plenty of it. These motorcyclists aren’t your stereotypical rough-and-tumble bikers, organizers said, but rather are doctors, lawyers and other professionals — the majority of whom are in their 40s and 50s.

“You have to have money to buy a motorcycle,” said Mindi Cherry, vice president of ConvExx, event management for BikeFest.

Even so, the fatal shootout between rival biker gangs in Sparks last Friday isn’t lost on BikeFest organizers. The gunfire inside John Ascuaga’s Nugget killed a California Hells Angels boss and wounded two members of the Vagos Motorcycle Club, sparking a retaliatory drive-by shooting several hours later.

In response, BikeFest organizers posted the following message on the event’s website Sunday:

“While we were disappointed to hear of the incident that occurred earlier this week in Sparks, Las Vegas BikeFest will not let it dampen the festivities that will be occurring several hundred miles away in Las Vegas beginning this Thursday. Las Vegas BikeFest has never had an incident in its 10 years, and we work closely with law enforcement and our own private security detail to provide a safe event for all attendees.”

Beyond that, BikeFest officials declined to comment about increased safety measures.

Metro Police spokesman Marcus Martin said the department is boosting officers’ presence in the festival’s two main hubs: Cashman Center, where the event’s 200-plus vendors will be housed, and the Fremont Street Experience area.

“We’ve been fortunate compared to the Reno and Laughlin (festivals),” Martin said. “We’re going to do our best to keep the event safe like in years past.”

Shaun Ruddy, who owns Phat Choppers in Australia and works at Arlen Ness Motorcycles in Las Vegas, said BikeFest defies biker stereotypes and is a “very professionally run event.”

“Unfortunately, there’s a very small number of incidents that get all the headlines when the good things don’t,” he said. “What they see is a shooting as opposed to 30,000 people having a good time.”

The allure of Las Vegas is what brings many bike enthusiasts to the event — about 80 percent who come from out of town, Cherry said. This year’s BikeFest includes attendees from 19 countries, she added.

Ruddy said the scene inside the Arlen Ness showroom Wednesday solidified that point: “I could look around the store and pick out six or seven (customers) not from the U.S.”

Not one of the customers was younger than 50, Ruddy said

“They tend to have enough money where they can afford to take a week off work and come to Vegas,” he said.

The Golden Nugget serves as the event’s check-in center with most events downtown at Cashman Center and several locations on the Strip, including the Harley-Davidson Café and the Mirage.

For Saturday’s Poker Run, bikers participate in a scavenger hunt of sorts, traveling to various locations across the city to pick up playing cards. The best hand wins the top prize, $7,500.

BikeFest also features the Artistry in Iron Master Builder’s Championship — a peer-judged event among custom bike builders — as well as a sports bike freestyle stunt show, which is new this year, Cherry said.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority estimates BikeFest will pump $8 million into the city’s economy based on previous attendance records, LVCVA spokesman Jeremy Handel said.

Ruddy said he hopes the recent shooting in Sparks doesn’t deter people from coming and feeling safe at Las Vegas BikeFest, an event he always has regarded as one of the best.

“In all reality, you’re probably 100 times more likely to get killed on your motorcycle coming to an event than shot at one,” he said.

Parties at Buffalo Bill’s and Whiskey Pete’s casinos in Primm kicked off Las Vegas BikeFest Wednesday night. Registration begins at 8 a.m. today inside the Golden Nugget, with the festival lasting through Sunday afternoon.