Moto Beach Classic 2021

“There are so many amazing people here!” Roland Sands shouted as he greeted me, his smile beaming from below a straw cowboy hat. As the founder of the Moto Beach Classic, Sands designed this beach party to have everything that he wants: surfing, custom bikes, live music, racing, and good people. After a bit of a hiatus, motorcycle fans once again flocked to Huntington Beach on October 23 for this awesome one-day event. The Moto Beach Classic is back, and just like always, it’s one of the best two-wheeled events in SoCal.

Turning off the Pacific Coast Highway, I pulled through the Bolsa Chica State Beach gates alongside Go Takamine on his red and white Panhead chopper. I parked just steps from the sand and saw a few friends before I was even out of the parking lot. Vendors lined the entrance area to both peddle and pedal their ebikes, and hawk communication systems, clothing, and more. Just past that was the custom bike section, where Alex Earle had one of his custom Ducatis on display next to Kott’s custom Triumph cafe racer, Croig’s second build, and plenty of others. Beyond that was the Sea Legs stage, where local bands played throughout the day and Badd Wolf performed in the evening. Finally, at the far end of the lot, were the Super Hooligan races and pits.

The racing, as it always is with this crew, was wildly entertaining. After a two-year hiatus due to injury, Nathon Verdugo made his triumphant return, taking first in the Hooligan class. And, as one may expect, lining up more than a dozen Super Hooligan racers on a tiny pavement track led to a bit of carnage; the main event had to restart five times before it was able to get fully underway. In the end, Scooter Vernon came away victorious.

All in all, the event was scaled down a bit from 2019. But it was also all completely free for the first time, aside from the $9 beer. There were no drag races, and the headliners may not have had the star power of Social Distortion or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. But the whole scene was open for the general public to walk around and enjoy the entire event. The vibe was fun and relaxed, and as Sands said, these amazing people were just happy to be out seeing their amazing friends.

For more information on upcoming Moto Classic events, check out motoclassicevents.com.