Get your motors running or head out on the highway.
It’s the Sun and Surf Run and Hog Wild Weekend, the North Beach’s annual celebration of all things that roar and rumble on two or sometimes three wheels.
The annual motorcycle Mecca to the beach gets under way Friday at the Ocean Shores Convention Center for the 26th year of the charity-raising Sun and Surf event.
Rich Wiggers, who spearheads planning for Sun and Surf months in advance, noted the event first started as a party on the beach for motorcycle riders, largely from the Puget Sound area.
“Twenty-six years ago, it was a big party for bikers. They actually had money left over after the party, so they decided to make a donation,” Wiggers said.
Sun and Surf now raises thousands of dollars to benefit Boyer Children’s Clinic in Seattle, as well as Children’s Hospital, Ocean Shores Food Bank, North Beach PAWS, Guide Dogs Of America, and more than a half-dozen local charities.
As director of the Sun and Surf event, Wiggers himself has been involved for the past 17 years, and notes that unlike the Hog Wild event at the casino, Sun and Surf is non-profit.
“I think it causes a lot of confusion,” he said of the two events running simultaneously. “People somehow think Hog Wild and Sun and Surf are the same thing. Sorry. One is a charity and the other is a for-profit company.”
Hog Wild is brought to the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino by Roadshows Inc., which, according to its online site, is an entertainment booking agency and event management company based in Reno, Nev. A VIP registration for Hog Wild is $60, but the outdoor concerts are free.
Wiggers emphasized that Sun and Surf tries to be a “family affair,” and he encourages locals who wish to participate to buy a wristband for $25, which provides entry to all the events, entertainment and also goes directly to support the charities. If you have your own motorcycle, a wristband allows you to participate in the Memorial Ride from Hoquiam to Ocean Shores on Saturday, a Poker Run, the bike games and bike shows. The live auction, which includes a number of bike-related items, also is a good way to support the charities, Wiggers said. “It’s our main money-maker right now, and the way we can raise funds that we can distribute,” he said.
New this year is a live comedy act on Saturday, when Las Vegas impressionist and comedian Larry G. Jones performs before the charity auction, followed by longtime Sun and Surf band, Sons of Palmer.
One of the most popular returning acts is the Hollywood B Stunt Team and the T90 Drill Team, which performs outside the Convention Center. The Ocean Shores Firefighters Association also is providing breakfast all three mornings of the event as a way of raising funds. Wiggers said many of the participants see the events as a mini-vacation, and he encourages even those attending Hog Wild to join with Sun and Surf to raise money for charity.
“They party a little bit. It’s a change of scenery at the beach, and they just relax and don’t have to worry about things for a couple of days,” he said of the atmosphere. “But it’s a lot of work to put this thing together, and it’s a lot of work to maintain it and keep it on an even keel. Everybody likes a free show, but at least get the wristband or a t-shirt. It’s something we have brought to town for so long.”
Hog Wild also begins on Friday and includes a Friday night “Spirit Ride” and Poker Run, as well as live music, vendors, ride-in show and bike games.
Online:
Sun and Surf: For full schedule, visit online: http://ift.tt/1uj9c4a
Hog Wild: For schedule, visit: http://ift.tt/1uj99Fy
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