Old&Proud, Calafell, E
No one can tell if all the magnificent old clunkers that gather every year at the Old & Proud have been piloted to Calafell just because the paella they serve there from roundabout-sized iron pans is so otherwordly tasty. The queues were so long, that our local dude Mattias "LeBeef" Andersson could not wait a second longer and opted for a boccadillo con butifarra (a sort of regional sausage in a bap) to keep his body in top form, aided by a few pints of beer, which also helped to sharpen his check-out-the-bikes sensorium.
One thing can be said for sure is that apart from the local license plates a majority of rides came from all over the continent. Plates from Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France and Italy were seen, and there may have been others … the F.O.P. (friends of paella) are everywhere.
If you want to enter the party zone, you better come on a bike built no later than ’84. The disused quarry sports the rustic La Cantera biker bar exuding a strong Wild West vibe. To keep things moving the weekend is crammed with music, tattoos, tombola, the King of Kickstart contest, and, did we mention the paella? There was the communal ride out, and BAE the checking out of, and gossiping about the bikes, and (we suspect) a lot of inner note taking of weird wrenching ideas and customizing concepts. Can’t ask for more from a party like this, really. Which is the moment to thank the Gipsy Crew and Shovelhead España for organizing all of this. Hasta la Chopperia next year!
