The Original Wild Ones: Tales of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club

Description

Founding members of one of American's most colorful biker clubs share the stories and myths behind their history The seminal event in "outlaw biker" culture was a 1947 weekend in Hollister, California. Motorcyclists, including members of the Boozefighters club, engaged in street racing and other raucous activities. A sensationalized report of the event ran in LIFE magazine, along with frightening (albeit posed) photos of the outlaws. Was the event (later portrayed in Marlon Brando's The Wild One) as wild as reported? Or, in truth, was it even wilder? The answer is found in this book filled with first-person accounts from past and present members of the Boozefighters and others on the scene. This is gripping narrative of a now-legendary event. It's a true story that is more interesting than the caricatured outlaw legend that has grown up around the name Hollister.

Bill Hayes, a current member of the legendary Boozefighters, with the help of official BFMC historian, Jim "JQ" Quattlebaum, tell the story of the club, its involvement with events in Hollister, and the wild and wooley tales of the original members of this fabled motorcycle club. He lives in Redondo Beach, California

"Racing came naturally to riders back then. Gil once got into a drag race while riding Jack Lilly's Crocker. A Crocker was as fast as it was stylish. A good Indian Chief or Scout might do 85 mph, and Harleys would break into the 90s, but a Crocker was an honest 105-miles-per-hour rocket ship. During the race, Gil found himself fishtailing from curb to curb. Les asked him if he ever thought of backing off the throttle. "Hell no," Gil replied. "I was racing." - Excerpt from The Original Wild Ones"