Freedom Ride is an unorganized annual event, the details of which including time and place are passed virally by those in the know -- local biking community, partiers of all faces, Facebookers.... This is a huge part of its appeal. Bend is overrun this time of year (even in a recession) by I-5 Oregon and boarder state license plates. In many ways, to come to Bend on a summer holiday is like visiting Rome in the Summer -- where are the locals? During the city sanctioned Pet Parade residents walk their pets, critters and children in front of a maddening "foreign" crowd, as if to say, hello, we are Bend. More and more visitors join the parade and the celebration. Bikers of the Freedom Ride are saying the same thing -- we are Bend -- but it is like a special surprise.
This year's ride started a couple of hours after the pet parade meeting in a river lined park in town. Who can say how many riders, but the park was packed. Perhaps 1,000 folks? The unofficial leader rode out first ceremoniously with horns and flying a large American flag. Into the street the parade began.
No cars could advance as the parade moved on its merry way with no direction by police, no authority beyond the general will of bikers heading into downtown Bend, its two one-way main drags, through lights regardless of color, past dumbfounded spectators, past idling cars. A long continuous line of bikers from curb to curb, shouting "Freedom!" with seductive smiles and laughter. Freedom, we have it join us! Freedom for winners and losers, for the cool kids and the want-to-bes, for all those motivated by the ride. Freedom, to ride en masse on bikes thru town wearing as little as red-white-blue speedos, or as much make-up as not to melt on a hot summer's day. Freedom to sing freedom regardless of the meaning. Freedom under the banner of American independence, freedom with its freak flag raised high.
Riding in the stream of bikers, being part of the bikers I felt compelled to shout as well, shout and laugh, and swerve and photograph. This felt right. It felt like being part of the universe of bikers, one compelled by gravity and a higher law, at peace with all. It just felt good.
I did stop to watch the parade myself, to photograph from the curbs and banks and periphery. I heard mostly good comments, like, "killer, Bend is so cool" "so many bikes" "now those guys know how to party!" But also, "where are the police? this is nonsense." "Freedom to ruin other peoples' holiday." "This is anarchy, get out of the way!"
No, it's not anarchy, but it is suggestive of a leaderless general will. In many ways, it's symbolic of democracy in its purest sense. The ride itself lasts an hour or so, lapping town, and back to the park. Traffic is stopped, people are inconvenienced by the massive stream of bikers, and it is an uninvited display of human color. But it happens on a day where traffic is stopped for official parades anyway, are inconvenienced anyway to celebrate the national colors. It's a perfect time to symbolize freedom with all of its possible chaotic will.
Unlike other more traditional parades, which end and then dissolve, the Freedom Ride is like a pan-piping invitation to evermore. Follow the stream to know more, join the ride don't just watch it, come with us! Get out of your cars and your order, and ride, dance, hug, drink, laugh, flirt. Back to the park, biking revelers continue the merriment. Lion of Zion music plays on portable iPod speakers, hoola-hoops spin, all sorts of consumables imbibed. A loud display of freedom open to participants.
July 4th is a celebration of independence and freedom. The Freedom Ride is perhaps the greatest attempt to embrace that meaning by an unorganized crowd of party crazed bikers. Hopefully in Tehran there will one day be such a Freedom Ride.
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