2022 - Born Free Texas, Mt. Enterprise, USA
The Born Free Texas idea was this: if thousands of California chopperistas can’t stay away from a friendly named canyon to gawp all day at vintage American motorized metal, why in tarnation shouldn’t that same idea work in Texas? Just swap the baseball cap against a ten gallon hat, drop the Vans in favour of some cool cowboy boots and Yee-haw!, Bob’s your uncle! The Lone Star state should be a-brimming with barn finds, discovered and undiscovered, they reckoned, and filled with dudes ready to appreciate a nicely customized Harley when they see one. So the Born Free creators called some friends, did some PR and fixed a date. As we had the Baja Twins (our narrow forked, magneto sporting rigid Shovels) over in California anyway for some road testing and photo shooting, we were ready to give it a go. So we brought the sleds to Mt. Enterprise, Texas (right out there in the boondocks) and hooked a left for the Yellow Rose Canyon to have a look see.
In a grassy bowl
For starters we had to secure our tent against the harsh Texas winds howling over the venue. Good that we had our support van ready to serve as an anchor. We neatly fell in line with the other vendors on hand that had grouped round the wide, amphitheatre-like grassy bowl that is the Yellow Rose Canyon. When Saturday came round, people with a "grass pass" started to rumble in, parked their bikes in front of the Lone Star bandstage, and went to have a chill day with all the vendors and food stalls, swap meet, the bands and what Texas beauties found the time to come over: gorgeous Knuckles, perfect Pans, serious Shovels, adventurous sissy bar constructions, tail pipes to potentially impede air traffic above Texas.
Add to that a few celebrity bikes
directly from the Born Free LA show, a wall of death, some flat track action, sand sprint races. In all some 3.000 people made their way to BFTX, a few low passes of private planes and helos included – that’s Texas, baby! Later that day the long haired dudes from Dallas, aka MOTHERSHIP let loose with their 70s hard rock psychedelic stoner rock show, turning the Yellow Rose Canyon into a rockin’ beer & beard party.
The Sunday started early with heavy heads and starting scooters, ’cos the Yellow Rose Canyon is a long way from anywhere, and Texas is a big place. What stays are memories of a superchill Born Free spin off: smaller, more intimate, a little wilder. Like rare steaks instead of well done burgers. That’s Texas, baby!