Lone Star Rally roars back
07:11 PM CST on Sunday, November 1, 2009
By T.J. Aulds / The Daily News
GALVESTON — This was the motorcycle rally everyone expected. Galveston was home to the largest collection of Harleys, choppers, speed bikes and tri-wheeled cruisers this side of the Red River on Saturday for the return of the Lone Star Rally.
The sun was shining, and the roads were roaring with the sounds of motorbikes that converged for the rally on the island, which was severely dampened by Hurricane Ike a year ago. Organizers estimated the crowd at 250,000, while police estimated it at closer to 100,000.
Video Slideshows Blogs “The crowds have been tremendous,†D.J. Alvarez, a Galveston police lieutenant and president of the Blue Knights motorcycle club, said. His group set up shop in the Moody Bank parking lot, 23rd and Postoffice streets, in The Strand District. “Everyone is having a good time and on their best behavior.â€
Lisa Sharons, of The Woodlands, was experiencing her third Lone Star Rally after skipping the event last year.
“It’s tremendous — I’ve never seen this many people down here before,†Sharons said as she hopped from bar to bar on The Strand. “I must have counted 70 bikes in our motel parking lot before we came down here.â€
Rally organizers had hoped for the return of the big crowds after Hurricane Ike. It didn’t hurt that the event fell on Halloween. Bikers were trying to outdo each other with the best decorations to fit the spooky holiday theme. And the weather cooperated with clear skies and cooler temperatures.
The highlight of the night came as more than 250 bikes rolled through The Strand district in the first Halloween biker promenade. It was billed as a sort of Mardi Gras parade with motorcycles instead of floats.
While activities were relatively smooth in the main area downtown, the trip to the island proved hazardous for several riders.
At least four accidents involving motorcycles were reported on Interstate 45 near Tiki Island.
One accident in the southbound lanes backed traffic up to La Marque at 3:30 p.m. Two people were injured, sheriff’s officials said. Both victims were taken — one by helicopter and the other by ambulance — to the University of Texas Medical Branch, sheriff’s office spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said.
Traffic was backed up as far as La Marque for more than two hours, and the freeway was shut down for more than an hour, officials said.
A Louisiana man sustained minor injuries after his motorcycle crashed on Harborside Drive on Saturday, officials said. He was treated and released from the medical branch, officials said.
There were no reports of any fatal accidents involving motorcycles.
