The thing I like most about the show is it's openness. We have always wanted involvement by those who wanted to get involved and have tried to reach out to as many people as possible and include them in what we are trying to do...and that is put on the best motorcycle show we can in a fun, friendly environment.
We have made mistakes along the way..a lot of mistakes but we do try to improve on them and get better each time. The extremely difficult part on improving each year is the show keeps growing bigger with so many new elements & challenges...we fix 5 problems and 10 more arise. This year we are doing what needs to be done to handle a show this large and that is get some serious help. 2 guys and a handful of friends can not handle the amount of people that roll through those gates . I would love to go back to the days BF 2... free beer and food, less stress and pressure unfortunately those times are behind us.
This year we have bitten off the biggest, scariest, most stressful challenge to date...THE 2 DAY SHOW. This is something you all have asked for and we will attempt. The amount of work, costs, liability and stress that goes into the show for one day has now doubled and we are feeling it... so I am sure we will experience some failures along the way.
Having said all that we will do this show and do it the very best we can. The thing I would like to say and hopefully it hits home with the folks reading this is...this is a bike show and it's suppose to be fun. It's suppose to relieve stress not create it. So please take it for what it's worth. The who's invited who's not, the rumors, gossip, drama and the conflicts are not important. It's about the love of motorcycles and people getting together to enjoy them...that's it. So please come to the show, see some neat motorcycles, leave your problems at the gate, see your friends and have fun. If the show is not right for you and you don't want to come that's ok too.
Free Enthusiasm only!
ReplyDeleteWhats this born free thing anyway...
ReplyDeleteThe good far out weighs the bad. Good job guys keep it up and hats off to you and thankyou.
ReplyDeleteJosh,
These are the growing pains, Mike - the hurt that comes along from evolving from a grass roots type-of-thing, to a machine with many moving parts.
ReplyDeleteThere will come a point where you have to hire "experts," and when that time comes, hire true experts. Their direct tie to the motorcycle industry / world will not be as important as their true business acumen. You, Grant, and the others who brought the show up will always maintain its flavor, but your experts must be able to measure their (and the show's) success, and show it to you in a detailed and easy to understand way.
Good luck to you guys, I think it's really impressive what you've done. And man, if there's one motorcycle I regret selling, it's that chrome tanked T100 that you passed along to this good gentleman in the land of the rising sun: http://deluxie.blogspot.com/
I didn't realize how much I love that bike until it was gone.
-Anthony
AMEN!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work, this year I will give it my best to come and see you all and enjoy being born free!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from the netherlands!
Some of my best times and memories have been because of Born Free.yes there was things about 5 that I didn't like but as was stated above,the MASSIVE pros vastly out weigh the nearly meaningless cons.I look forward to being in California again next year and bitching about the heat while in the presence of such amazing bikes and people.Thanks.
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