27 SHOW BIKE AQUITAINE (FRANCE)

Home is where the Heart is and 24.000 Bikers from all over Europe will have a very special place in their hearts owned by Montalifornia for life, after being part of this impressive edition.

Text and Photos: Inigo Abril

The shock wave of the event is not limited to Vendays-Montalivet

For three unforgettable days, the Show Bike Aquitaine transforms Vendays-Montalivet into Montalifornia, a name clearly alluding to French Daytona Beach. This event that grows every year thanks to the hard work of Outcasts MC Gironde is not limited to the dimensions of the huge enclosure. Years ago, the impeccable behavior of the participating Bikers, how could it be otherwise, although it initially surprised some skeptical inhabitants who were still unaware of the Biker Culture, led the local authorities to further support the event and reserve the use of the Ocean Avenue, which leads to the 13 kilometers of beach, for bikers, thus turning the main avenue into the Main Street of Montalifornia. The shock wave of the event is not limited to Vendays-Montalivet where there are countless commercial premises that proudly display their Support Show Bike Aquitaine flags that identify them, but from many kilometers around these flags welcome Bikers from all over Europe. This year there was a huge number of Bikers who came for the first time and finding those flags so many kilometers from Montalifornia gave even more meaning to the kilometers rided.

Difficult times create people with a strong character

Checking that the parkings of the Hotels and Campsites in their path were full of motorcycles was something they expected, but not from so many kilometers around and seeing tents set up in the gardens and lands of the local inhabitants who annually receive the Bikers. It made them prepare for their arrival in Montalifornia already convinced even before arriving that it was their first time but that it would by no means be the last, becoming a mandatory annual attendance event to which a larger group attend each year, exercising of future hosts of the Bikers who this year did not accompany them but who are already thinking about their trip next year and share this great experience. Arriving in Montalifornia through the roads that cross the world famous Bordeaux wine vineyards, the pine forests or along the road parallel to the ocean feeling the sea breeze, huge official information panels at the accesses to Vendays-Montalivet welcomed visitors, informing that during the Show Bike Aquitaine everyone who circulates on these roads must circulate with caution and that they were accessing a “Motorcycle Zone”. Difficult times create people with a strong character and recent years seem to confirm this theory and attendance at this edition far exceeded that of previous years, to the point that even the ferry company that crosses the Gironde Estuary reinforced its services before the arrival of thousands of Bikers from all over Europe, who would not be prevented from attending their annual appointment to be part of the Show Bike Aquitaine. The Summer Solstice has been celebrated since ancient times with Fire Rituals and the regulars of this great event know that fire is never lacking but in this edition they raised the level again as they do every year and flames of fire of more than 7 meters gave the welcome to summer every night, at sunset when the sun turned the pine forests that surround the enclosure red, it was the signal to go to the exhibition area, where during each day the activities of Stunt, Freestyle or Wall of Death were incessant, but this time to admire the Fire Show of the Duck Team's “Furious Fire 2” Dragster equipped with a Fouga Magister Jet Aircraft Engine, surpassing 400 Kilometers per Hour in this two-wheeled version in Dragster competitions. The Fire Ritual was only the beginning of the long nights with international concerts during which the language barriers of the different nationalities of the attendees were amply overcome by sharing the same passion, which in this case is not a passing fad but a Way of Life. In addition to the fact that displays of affection or emotion sound very similar in all languages, such as the tremendous noise that invaded the entire enclosure after the impressive Fireworks Show "The Rock on Fire" on Saturday night.

A Band of Dirty Italian Bastards playing celtic music

That language was not an impediment to enjoying the party until dawn was amply demonstrated by "Uncle Bard & the Dirty Bastards", being, according to themselves, the most Irish Rock Band in Italy, having the honor of being the first Celtic Rock and Traditional Irish Music band playing at the Dublin Irish Festival in Dublin but from Ohio in the U.S.A., being the most important Irish Music Festival in the United States. A Band of Dirty Italian Bastards playing celtic music but singing in English at the Show Bike Aquitaine in France, proving beyond a doubt that Montalifornia knows no borders. Another demonstration was the very varied culinary offer in the restoration village inside the enclosure, with typical dishes from different countries masterfully prepared, including Italian Gelatos (ice creams) that were consumed without moderation to help withstand the heat in full sun, like thousands of liters of cold beer.

There is no doubt that wherever he is, he will feel proud of the work carried out by Outcasts Mc

The Bike Show is the finishing touch of this event and this year another novelty was the incorporation of the Clubstyle Category with the collaboration of Clubstyle France. Every year the number of stands grows, exceeding the capacity of a soccer field for years, where Bikers find exclusive products of the Biker Culture but which are in no way Souvenirs (Memories) since what they experienced during these three days cannot be erased from their memories and their hearts. But life is what happens while we make other plans and unfortunately on April 15 Joel, Founding Member of Outcasts MC and Creator of the Show Bike Aquitaine left too soon and this edition was dedicated in his memory to pay tribute to him, forever in our hearts. There is no doubt that wherever he is, he will feel proud of the work carried out by Outcasts Mc and the army of more than 300 Volunteers, as they feel proud to be part of his legacy and that the Show Bike Aquitaine is a European Reference of the Biker Culture.

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