Crowd put at 350,000; authorities dub it ‘quiet’

By JOHN KOZIOL

Staff Writer

LACONIA — A "quiet" Bike Week 2003, which organizers said drew an estimated 350,000 visitors, came to a close on Sunday.

Bike Week began on June 7 and on each of its nine days, as they did again on Sunday, public safety officials said there were few incidents to mar the rally.

There was, however, still a good number of visitors coming into Weirs Beach, said Laconia Fire Chief Ken Erickson, so many, in fact, that he had to call in extra personnel.

An unusually large number of bikers crowd into Weirs Beach Sunday afternoon. At left, Peter Fonda, signs autographs prior to the start of the motorcycle parade to NHIS in Loudon. (Citizen Photo/Daryl Carlson)

"We’ve been very active today," said Erickson, adding that there had been "a lot of crashes," including one early Sunday morning in which a Ledyard, Conn., man suffered serious injuries to his leg and lower body.

Laconia Police identified the victim as Ashley Gates and said he lost control of his bike at around 1:24 a.m. on Parade Road near Pickerel Pond Road and struck a tree.

Gates was transported to Lakes Region General Hospital for treatment and later to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, added Erickson. No other information was immediately available about Gates’ condition.

Police, who are continuing to investigate, say that speed and alcohol may have contributed to the accident.

Numerous minor motorcycle accidents were reported on Sunday throughout the Lakes Region, but in Laconia proper, there were fewer than expected, Erickson said.

"The lack of crashes I have to attribute to people being responsible," he said, and compared to past Bike Weeks, "this was a relatively quiet week for the fire and EMS which is a good thing."

What was not quiet — even on Sunday — was traffic.

"Gridlock was intense" on Saturday, said Erickson, and still a palpable presence on Sunday.

Charlie St. Clair, who is executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Rally and Race Week Association, speculated that daytrippers from southern New England were coming up in droves on Sunday because, finally, the rain had stopped in their areas.

With that influx, attendance at Bike Week should be in the area of 350,000 visitors, St. Clair added, although he emphasized that the figure, which was determined by the American Motorcyclists Association, was only a "guesstimate"

From noon Friday through Sunday morning, State Police made 17 arrests at Bike Week, said Lt. Harry Nedeau.

Barry ‘Drifter’ Allemao from Cape Cod wears an attention-getting cap while Sue Smith-Rogers from Nashua cruises Weirs Beach with her Shih tzu, Chan, Sunday afternoon. (Citizen Photo/Daryl Carlson)

The arrests were mostly for driving while intoxicated, disorderly conduct and drug possession, he said, although several persons were also taken into protective custody.

The 17 arrests were almost double the nine that State Police made last year at Bike Week, Nedeau said, "but 17’s still a low number."

Two of the arrests involved people throwing things at troopers, Nedeau said. He said one item lofted was an apple core while someone tossed a small chair at a passing cruiser; no troopers were injured.

The Laconia Police Department made 86 arrests from midnight Friday into Sunday morning, said Chief Tom Oetinger, most of which were alcohol- and drug-related.

"This rally, from our perspective, was successful," Oetinger said, because the LPD was able to realize the implementation of its Bike Week game plan to keep visitors safe and things orderly.

Oetinger thanked all of the law enforcement agencies who worked with the LPD during Bike Week, saying police officers demonstrated "courtesy, restraint and professionalism" over the nine-day rally.

In addition to Nedeau and the two Laconia chiefs, another person who was happy on Sunday was St. Clair.

The day began at Inter-Lakes High School in Meredith where the "largest" Bike Week motorcycle parade ever started.

The parade, whose grand marshal was actor Peter Fonda, attracted several hundred riders as it came through Laconia and then ultimately headed for New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon.

Erickson observed that he had heard radio reports that when the front of the parade was passing Laconia High School, the last riders were still in the area of Barton’s Motel.

The parade "could not have gone smoother," said St. Clair, who added that the thing that was especially satisfying about it was that Laconia residents gathered along the parade route to show their support.

Jennifer Anderson, who is the director of the Rally and Race Association, said "one of the peaks" of Bike Week 2003 was "the positive outlook of everybody."

Unlike in previous years, there were no issues hanging heavy over the rally and overall, "everyone’s in great moods," she said.

Next year’s Bike Week takes place from June 12-20.