a social organization of pioneer motorcycle enthusiasts

Hello Trailblazers! There’s only about a week to go until our 79th annual banquet at the Carson Center on April 6th . We are all very excited to be seeing our fellow Trailblazers again soon. Since this will be our last member newsletter before the event, so here are some things to know:

The banquet is sold out, but we have had some cancellations and have been able to fulfil some, but not all, of the requests from the waiting list. For those with tickets purchased, if you get any cancellations that you can’t fill, please let me know. We may have people on the list still looking for what you have available. My email address is: donemde@me.com.

If you and/or your friends are not attending the banquet, please spread the word…This year’s banquet can be seen on Facebook Live on April 6th on the Trailblazers Motorcycle Club Facebook page. The program begins at 6:00 pm PDT. There will be a one-hour dinner break, then back at 8:00 and on to the finish at approximately 9:30.

We can’t rule out rain! Since we are still getting some rain off and on recently, we need to have a contingency plan for the Check-in and Bike show. If its dry, we will have the check-in lines outside the gate as usual, the bike show in the semi-covered courtyard and the banquet inside.

If it is raining however, the bike show will have to be cancelled and the check-in will be moved to the courtyard. And please understand, there is nowhere else to park your motorcycles to keep them out of the rain.

Your first indicator if weather will be a factor would be to watch the local weather reports on television the week of the banquet. If it becomes obvious that there will be some rain any time that day, please do not bring your motorcycles to the event unless you have a covered trailer or van to keep them from getting rained on. If you have to leave them in your truck or on an open trailer, security could also be an issue during the day and evening.

We will do our best to provide information about what we know and will post it on the Trailblazers Facebook page all the way up to the day of the event. For those who would be wanting to bring their motorcycles, if necessary, you can call or text the Bike Show Director Norm Bigelow at 949-433-1218 or email at: cuzcobig@aol.com.

OTHER DETAILS

For those of you who purchased tickets, here’s some other things to know:

1. Except for the day of the banquet, stay tuned for updates on the website at www.trailblazersmc.org, as well as the Trailblazers Facebook page.

2. As always, we will have personalized or guest badges for you to pick up by name at Will Call. Badges include your table number and must be worn to enter the bike show and banquet areas. A first-time feature at Will Call this year will be a station with an on-site printer that can print labels for the badges in case of any last-minute name changes.

If the Bike Show is not rained out…

3. For those of you bringing motorcycles for the bike show, check-in begins at 11:00 a.m. and all bikes must be in place by 12:30. It’s first-come, first-served and space is limited, so please understand if you come skidding in at 12:29 or earlier, it’s possible we will be full. The sooner you arrive, the better the chances are that we can get your bike in the show. And as always, bring your own cable lock, an oil drip pan and remember vehicles only, no extra props like poster boards, helmets, leathers, etc. We just don’t have room in the courtyard.

If the Bike Show is not rained out…

4. Except for the bike show entries, Will Call and the Bike Show begins at 1:00 p.m. and continues throughout the afternoon until 5:00 p.m. We encourage you to come early so you have time to visit with old friends you might not have seen for many years. We always have lots of chairs to sit on during the afternoon. Also, there will 75 or more classic motorcycles to check out, many actually the old race bikes of your fellow Trailblazers members and honorees. You will receive a ballot at Will Call to vote for your favorite bikes. Those ballots will be collected and tabulated to decide on the bike show winners who will be receiving one of the coveted Trailblazers bike show trophies.

5. In addition to the motorcycles, we will have a limited quantity of 79th annual Trailblazers shirts on sale as well as some very cool motorcycle art and memorabilia items. We can accept cash, checks or credit cards for a donation payment.

6. The doors to the banquet hall will open at 5:00 p.m. As noted above, your table number will be printed right on your badge. There are no assigned seats. Once you arrive at your assigned table, seats are on “a first come, first served basis.”

 7. There will be two bottles of Racer’s Edge wine on your table when you arrive. These were sponsored by Barnett Tool & Engineering for the purpose of our annual wine toast. Those who have attended the banquet in the past know this, but if you have not attended before, one of our special moments in the first hour of our program is our annual In-Memoriam video and wine toast to members, friends and notables of the sport who have passed away since the last banquet. Please save a full glass to raise to our dear-departed friends at the conclusion of the video. A portable cocktail bar from the bike show will remain open during the banquet to purchase soft drinks or Alcoholic Beverages.

8. The program will begin at 6:00 p.m. We ask for your cooperation at that time to bring the noise level down as we begin. We have awards to give out and announcements to make and it’s hard to try to talk over 650+ people who are also talking. If you prefer to talk with your friends instead of listening to the program, please respect those around you and take the conversation outside to the courtyard.

9. Following the wine toast, we will break for dinner at 7:00 p.m. and like last year, it will be served to your table. For anyone with any dietetic issues, the deadline has passed to order you a special meal in advance. If anyone has the need, with a little notice when you arrive, the catering staff will do their best to modify the regular meal into a suitable alternative. Just don’t wait until the servers are bringing the meals to the tables before the request is made.

10. The program will resume at 8:00 p.m. with our Hall of Fame awards and presentation of the Dick Hammer Award. We should conclude by 9:30 after our annual Trailblazers Hall of Fame group photo including all of this year’s honorees and all previous inductees. If you are one of this year’s, or a previous Hall of Fame inductee, we will make the announcement for you to come up the stage at the conclusion of the Dick Hammer Award for them photo.

Sincerely,

Don Emde

Executive Director / President

Trailblazers Motorcycle Club, Inc.

UPDATE ON CELEBRATION OF LIFE & MEMORIALS FOR DARRYL BASSANI AND SAMMY TANNER

A Celebration of Life for Darryl Bassani is planned for April 28th at the Carson Center (same location as the Trailblazers banquet). Those in the motorcycle sport and industry who submit an RSVP in advance are welcome to attend. Please don’t just show up. Do it right and get your name on the attendee list with an RSVP in advance to: events@bassani.com.

A Memorial and Celebration of Life for Sammy Tanner will be held on June 1st at Southern California Motorcycles. They are located at 515 W. Lambert Rd, Brea, CA 92821. More info online at: https://www.socalmotorcycles.com/index_home.asp. Following the Sammy Tanner Memorial, its opening night at Industry Hills Speedway.

More info at: https://industryhillsspeedway.com/#schedule