More than 200 antique and vintage motorcycles gathered in St. Augustine’s World Golf Village May 21 for the 17th annual Riding Into History.
The event began May 20 with a sold out fundraising dinner benefitting K9s For Warriors, a charity for which Riding Into History has raised more than $80,000 during the last three years. Guests had an opportunity to trek through the history of motorcycling on the Walk of Fame prior to attending the awards ceremony for the motorcycles showcased.
More than 90 winning motorcycles were chosen based on tallied scores. Among the winners was Ponte Vedra resident Luis Etchenique, who was awarded Best in Class of European Specials for the second year in a row for his 1976 BMW R75/6 “Café Racer restoration-modification.”
“In my view, a Café Racer is the essence of form follows function,” said Etchenique, who was involved with motorcycles growing up in Spain. “Everything you see is indispensable and it’s there for a reason – conferring these machines with a raw, industrial and brutally honest look.”
Best in Show went to Joel Edward Green, of Cairo, Ga. for his 1967 Velocette Thruxton, while Best Featured Marque went to Jimmy Sabino of Marco Island, Fla. for his 1954 Victoria Bergmeister V35S. Kathy Sillar of Mount Dora, Fla. took home the Don Bradley Award for a 1949 BSA B34 Champion.
The Preservation Award for best original motorcycle went to Mark Hampton of Port Orange, Fla. for his 1958 Harley Davidson FLH Duo-Glide. The Grand Marshal Award, meanwhile, was awarded to Jim Sabo of Cocoa, Fla. for his 1979 Suzuki GS1000S Wes Cooley Replica.
A nonprofit organization, Riding Into History has raised nearly $500,000 for charities. The 18th annual event is scheduled for May 20, 2017.
