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-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
BOTH: Welcome to Sturgis, baby!
NARRATOR: It's the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally...
It's kind of like the motorcycle Woodstock.
NARRATOR: ...the biggest biker party in the world.
ALL: Sturgis!
NARRATOR: On this episode of "Sturgis Raw,"
bike builders compete to be on the cover
of some of the biggest motorcycle magazines around.
The quality of the machines here,
it's gonna be real hard to pick a winner.
Body painting gets taken to an all-new level.
That's awesome. I can't wait to see the finished product.
It's make-or-break at One-Eyed Jack's.
SHAWN: If this was to go down, we would be losing
thousands of dollars a day.
NARRATOR: And the Sturgis police continue
to keep the rally under control.
You go back in there again, you're going to jail.
I see a baggie full of white powder.
Yeah, I mean, that's -- that's enough
to get you across the country without sleeping.
NARRATOR: From the campgrounds to the rally's biggest events,
it's Sturgis like you've never seen it.
[ Siren wails ]
It's "Sturgis Raw."
It's the crack of dawn in Sturgis,
and while most bikers
are still sleeping off last night's revelry...
the police are gearing up at home base
in preparation for another day of mayhem.
Officers Clint and Aaron of the Foot Patrol
are prepping one of the most valuable assets
needed to do their job.
During the rally, I start out the day with brand-new socks,
plenty of Gold Bond in the bottom of the boot.
CLINT: Yeah, we probably put on
anywhere from 10 to 12 miles a day walking.
I prefer to have a boot with a good, heavy sole
'cause if I got to kick somebody, I'd much rather
that they broke versus my foot.
[ Laughs ]
NARRATOR: Clint and Aaron are laced up and ready
for another day of patrolling Main Street,
where the Biker Bash never ends.
Sturgis is one of the greatest biker parties in the world.
It's just below organized chaos.
The camaraderie of, you know, being different.
Everybody wants to be a little different,
so they come here.
It's a gas. It's a kick. I love it.
NARRATOR: This small town of roughly 6,000 people
is now party central for half a million bikers,
and the party has been raging for days.
BOTH: Party time! Party time! Party time!
Whoo!
NARRATOR: As thousands of bikers pack into the streets,
Clint and Aaron begin their day
with a routine search of cars for open containers.
AARON: Well, we're gonna set up about a block away
from the stop light on each side.
When the light turns red, then we'll walk,
see if we can't pick something up this week.
NARRATOR: Rally goers feel like they can party while driving,
but they can't, and sometimes,
the police find things other than just alcohol.
AARON: We used to pull dope out of cars like crazy doing this.
What you got in the can there, buddy?
Pepsi.
Pepsi? All right. Thanks.
NARRATOR: They'll continue to search cars throughout the day
to make sure everyone is obeying the law.
It's important that no one is cruising and boozing,
'cause that's a recipe for disaster.
Every rally, there are dozens of accidents.
With hundreds of thousands of bikers on the road,
Sturgis police and emergency services
are prepared to handle the worst.
A level of readiness well beyond most small towns,
if the injuries are life-threatening,
both swing into high gear.
And Car Patrol Unit Nate and Ryan
are on such a call right now.
A biker is being airlifted.
NATE: We're getting ready to block traffic
at the intersection of Junction and Harmon.
LifeFlight should be landing here in a few minutes
to pick up a patient
with a severe injury from a motorcycle crash.
NARRATOR: The Car Patrol Units block traffic
for the helicopter's landing.
RYAN: A person having a heart attack.
Took a little while to get him stabilized.
They got to have him fully stabilized
before they can put him in the helicopter and transport him,
so get everything stabilized,
and get him in the chopper, and down to Rapid.
NARRATOR: Back on Main Street,
bikers are still arriving at Sturgis.
On this five-block stretch,
some of the most amazing motorcycles on the planet
can be seen,
and Jack Gonzalez's chopper
is a real eye-catcher.
JACK: When I come down the Main Street here in Sturgis,
all the eyes focus on this bike.
Nobody knows who's riding the bike,
but the eye is focused.
This is a 2012 Bourget Fat Daddy chopper.
I love the springer front end on it.
It's got a 23-inch front tire.
That makes the front end not push so much on the turns.
The only things I've done to the bike,
it come with the mirrors, they're all diamond cut.
The cylinder heads are diamond cut.
You'll notice, there's not an oil tank on the bike.
The oil tank is actually the frame.
It holds three quarts of oil.
I love the bike.
Probably one of the best things I ever done.
It's a real showpiece.
NARRATOR: Jack is one of thousands of bikers
riding down Main Street, showing off their bikes.
And after the bikers are done cruising the strip,
many of them end up at the biggest bar in town.
One-Eyed Jack's.
One-Eyed Jack's!
Whoo!
[ Whistling ]
One-Eyed Jack's is my favorite bar.
This bar is awesome!
Awesome service!
NARRATOR: And the man behind the party
is One-Eyed Jack's owner, Pete Gold.
One-Eyed Jack's isn't necessarily
just a big biker bar.
It's more of can entertainment complex.
We have food. We have vendors.
We have dancing girls.
We want to know if you have a defibrillator.
'Cause he's gonna need one.
He's gonna need one pretty quick here.
[ Cheering ]
NARRATOR: One-Eyed Jack's is staffed
with over 100 bartenders who entertain
and keep the drinks flowing.
Whoo!
NARRATOR: They come here with one goal --
make some dough.
But it's not just the *** the brings in the Benjamins.
They have a full kitchen.
We serve the best food in the whole city of Sturgis.
NARRATOR: And there is only one person
who Pete depends on to satisfy his customers' appetites --
general manager Shawn Bogart.
I am in charge. Everybody listens to me.
I say, "Make a hole,"
it's like Moses parting the Red Sea.
WOMAN: Shawn, I need a runner up here.
Runner! Casey!
[ Whistles ] Now. Up here, please.
Find what Myka needs.
I definitely like the fast pace.
All right, all right, I got to go back down here now.
NARRATOR: Serving drinks makes the bar a lot of cash,
but One-Eyed Jack's won't survive
if they don't sell a lot of food,
and the front grill has the potential
to be a gold mine for Pete.
It's lunch time.
The grill is empty, and that's a problem.
This is a huge part of my money-making deal here.
We're talking a good $6,000, $7,000, $8,000,
$9,000 a day on my grill.
We can't miss a trick, or we could slip
and go backwards a couple grand.
These guys are slacking.
They're not putting enough on at the same time.
If we don't start pre-cooking burgers and stuff,
we're gonna be in the weeds.
Listen, I've been doing this for you for a long time now, Pete --
a long time -- and you know that.
Pete might be a little upset right now.
Sales or whatever are not where he wants 'em to be.
Things will smooth out.
I'm not really worried about it at all.
You know what?
I'm gonna get into it 10 times.
Let's just do it, and do it right.
That's right.
I got this.
My crew is stellar this year.
We've got no problem.
The bottom line is, at the end of the rally,
my sales are gonna be exactly where they want to be.
I want this grill to break 10 grand a day.
Load it up with chicken right now!
Thank you.
NARRATOR: As Shawn stokes the fires
on the grill at One-Eyed Jack's,
out at the Broken Spoke, the party is just heating up.
[ Cheering ]
The campground sits 11 miles out of town
beneath the local landmark, Bear Butte.
Best campsite I have ever been to.
There's sexy people everywhere, and I am totally excited,
so I'm having a great time.
NARRATOR: The Spoke is the only biker campground
with a drive-in bar for the rider
who's just too thirsty to get off his bike.
[ Engine revs ]
[ Bell dings ]
But it isn't just about beer and babes
at this 30,000 square foot, ride-through saloon.
Today, the bar is the backdrop
for the Editor's Choice Bike Competition.
You have everybody
from every major national motorcycle magazine
all on one property.
Today, we're here for the second ever Editor's Choice Awards.
Each magazine are gonna pick one bike
to feature in their publications.
NARRATOR: Editors from three of the top motorcycle magazines
will look over 30 custom bikes
and choose which is worthy of making it
into the pages of their publications.
You're a national builder, regular guy with a cool bike,
this is gonna give you the opportunity to get a chance
at getting your bike in a magazine.
Anyone can come here to enter.
NARRATOR: The editors are looking for bikes
that have unique custom work,
but they also need to be roadworthy.
It's not going to be easy
because the bikes in this competition
are some of the best in Sturgis.
My name is Jesse Sirpan. I'm 23 years old.
I've been doing this since I was 13.
NARRATOR: Jesse's bike is named the Salvage Diver
for its blue-speckled paint job
and its deep sea themed custom parts.
JESSE: This bike is a 1950 panhead.
I rebuilt the motor.
The chassis is original, 1950,
but we raked the front end out to about 42 degrees.
So, it's a lot of things that keep the antique feel,
but also brings in the new-age technology.
To win the Editors Choice, it's an epic event
because they picked your stuff,
and they consider that the best for this show.
What's better than that?
NARRATOR: Jesse's Salvage Diver
has a good chance of sinking a hook in one of the Editors,
but Jason Grimes' bike, the Evil XL,
is also drawing attention.
It's a 1972 Sportster Harley-Davidson.
It's all hand beaten with a hammer,
so it gives it a little bit of flavor,
a little bit of character.
It's not just a part that you buy off a shelf.
That's, to me, what really makes a custom bike custom.
NARRATOR: Getting featured on the cover of a magazine
could launch the career of any of these bike builders,
so the pressure is on to get the editors' attention.
The Editors Choice is the best show in Sturgis
simply because it encompasses
the whole spectrum of custom motorcycles,
and that's what you want to compete against.
JASON: When you're competing against anybody,
there's always some tension.
If you walk away with a win, it's just a big plus.
NARRATOR: Coming up, the judging begins at the bike show,
and the tension is high.
If I lose, I'm gonna kick down all the bikes.
NARRATOR: And a body paint artist
turns a woman into the perfect motorcycle accessory.
Put your hand a little bit more up on you.
Right there.
Don't move.
NARRATOR: It's more than halfway through
the 73rd Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally,
and the population of bikers is at an all-time high.
This sure feels a lot more than the last two years.
A lot more people, a lot more bikes in this year.
You can tell, people are starting to travel again
and wanting to come out, enjoy the rides.
NARRATOR: This small town of around 6,000
has been invaded by over half a million bikers
from all over the world,
and one of the main reasons they come here
is for the ride.
There's nothing like this trip.
When you come here, the riding is terrific.
The scenery is unbelievable.
MAN #1: The best thing about this is the wide open spaces,
the riding.
We'll do 2,000 miles while we're here.
MAN #2: The ride out here is beautiful.
You couldn't ask for better place
to go riding and see the country.
NARRATOR: A custom bike out on the road
is like art in motion.
Builders are always coming up with a unique design
to create a bike that is one of a kind.
But no matter how abstract the style,
it also needs to be roadworthy.
This balance of form and function
is just one of the many details the judges are looking for
at the Broken Spoke's Editors Choice Bike Show.
You have everybody
from every major national motorcycle magazine
all on one property.
You have this opportunity to get in magazines,
get all this media attention.
You have the top editors of every magazine
in the national and international world,
and what's better
than being here with your motorcycles and your work,
for those people to see it firsthand?
NARRATOR: One of the top editors picking a bike for his publication
is Chris Maida of American Iron.
We're down here to check out some real nice machinery,
as always happens at the Spoke,
and I'm anxious to get down, take a peek.
Taking his shot at biker prestige
is 28-year-old Brett Oland from Prior Lake, Minnesota.
BRETT: This bike is a 1976 Yamaha XS650.
I built it, basically, from the ground up.
I did the whole thing in a month
from paint, bodywork, rebuilt the motor, so...
I've always wanted, you know,
to bring something out for Sturgis,
especially to a big event like this
and see how I can do against,
you know, all the best in the industry.
NARRATOR: Another bike in the competition
is a modified 1999 Harley-Davidson XLC Sportster.
That tarnished look is just part of its style.
I'm Dan, known as Asian Dan.
I just like to put my bike in the show
when I come to Sturgis.
It would be cool to win something.
I did all the engravings myself.
I practiced on the bike.
I messed up, actually, in certain spots,
but you know,
it's my own little signature,
I guess you could say.
I like the lane splitter style bars.
Tailpipes, they actually were --
two years ago, they were two feet taller,
but they did that back in the '60s,
and I just like it.
It's not normal.
NARRATOR: The editors begin looking over each bike.
Only 3 out of the 30 builders
will be chosen to be in a magazine.
I love this one.
Even painted the headlight, which is pretty cool.
Really nice. Really well done.
The quality of the machines here,
it's gonna be real hard to pick a winner.
I like this bike.
NARRATOR: All the contestants can do now
is wait for the editors to make their decisions.
So, I want to thank you all for coming out today.
We're tallying our [bleep] together.
This is something that's never been done before,
and we're so proud to have you guys here.
We're so proud to host inside the Broken Spoke.
[ Cheers and applause ]
To win this, I mean, it's an epic event.
JASON: If I did win,
it would be a great, great thing for me.
If I lose, I'm gonna kick down all the bikes.
No, I'm not gonna do that. [ Laughs ]
NARRATOR: While there were a lot of custom bikes
at the Editors Choice competition,
at Sturgis, amazing custom rides aren't only found at bike shows.
They can be seen all up and down Main Street.
One of the unique features on a custom motorcycle
is its paint job.
Intricate details and eye-catching colors
give each its own style.
Whoo!
But the bikes aren't the only things
that are given an artistic touch with a brush.
Like one of the more popular female fashions --
body painting.
You are naked, but you don't feel naked,
so after a while, you et used to it.
Whether it's a bartender attracting customers
or a fashionable way of feeling free on Main Street,
body paint attracts a lot of attention,
and artist Mark Reid
is taking body painting to a new level.
He specializes in painting a woman's body
to match a bike's custom paint job.
I've been an artist since I was about 5 years old.
I had to find a way to supplement my income.
About 2003, I started body painting.
Started out real slow, and just went crazy after that.
NARRATOR: This year at Sturgis,
Mark is going to help bike builder John Shope
draw more attention to his custom Bagger motorcycles
by painting a woman to look just like one of his bikes.
I'm John.
Mark Reid. Nice to meet you. Julie.
Julie.
Get on there, honey.
I'm going to blend this model into this motorcycle.
We use a lot of the same artwork on the motorcycle,
transfer it onto her body,
and then we will pose her with the motorcycle
so they both become one.
There we go. There you go.
Something like that.
Yeah, that's it right there.
NARRATOR: John Shope,
founder of Dirty Bird Concepts,
is a bike builder who specializes
in custom Bagger-style motorcycles
with some of the most cutting-edge parts
and unique paint jobs.
The bike he wants Mark to use to match Julie, the model,
is one of the bikes he's hoping to sell at the rally.
So, every year, we do a crazy bike for Sturgis.
It takes us all year.
The whole bike's hand-engraved.
We made all the body parts, recessed the gas cap,
stretched the tank.
We basically airbrushed 100 hours worth of airbrushing,
all Japanese tattoo style art.
It came out great.
NARRATOR: Now it's Mark's job to make his model, Julie,
and John's custom Bagger look like one.
Every time I paint with Mark Reid, it's perfection.
He's an amazing artist, so it's gonna be fun.
MARK: We want part of the design to flow right into her body,
so that it looks like she is part of the motorcycle.
NARRATOR: Mark's masterpiece is under way.
In just a few hours,
her entire body will be covered in paint,
and she'll blend right into the bike.
Beautiful.
Octopus is nice. I like that. Purple octopus.
And we have koi fish, too.
That's awesome.
Yeah, it's gonna be neat.
I can't wait to see the finished product.
All right, we're on our way.
NARRATOR: Coming up, security at One-Eyed Jack's
deals with gang members.
And the winners of the Editors Choice Bike Show are announced.
Every category that wins its class here
gets a feature in a national magazine.
NARRATOR: For one week every year,
South Dakota's Broken Spoke campground and resort
is transformed from an almost-empty plot of land
to a teeming virtual city
overflowing with beer, babes, and bikes.
The beating heart of this bustling biker metropolis
is the campground saloon
where 30 custom bike builders from across the country
have brought their latest creations
to one of the best competitions in Sturgis --
the Editors Choice Bike Show.
It's a really prestigious show.
You got all the editors
of some of the best magazines that are out there here today
judging and choosing their favorite bikes.
And the great thing about it is,
the winner gets a bike featured in their magazine.
NARRATOR: The judges have been inspecting the bikes all day.
There will only be three winners.
The builders are eager to hear the results.
A lot of the bike builders here are really good at what they do,
and I'm kind of humbled to be around 'em.
Winning is probably the most coolest part
because they pick your stuff,
and they consider that the best for this show.
NARRATOR: After looking over 30 amazing bikes,
the editors have made their decisions.
Every category that wins its class here
gets a feature in a national magazine.
NARRATOR: The first editor to make his choice
is Jordan Mastagni from Street Chopper Magazine,
and the bike he picked is...
Jay Grimes built a sick bike.
Come on up, Jay.
[ Crowd cheering ]
Jay and his Evil XL will be featured
in Street Chopper Magazine.
Next, it's editor Chris Maida from American Iron Magazine.
He chose Brett Oland and his 1978 Yamaha XS650.
The last builder to be chosen by the editors is Asian Dan.
His 1999 XLC Sportster
will be featured on bikernet.com.
DAN: I've always wanted it to happen,
and I'm really, really excited.
BRETT: I didn't know what to expect coming here.
You know, there's all kinds of competition at Sturgis,
so it's pretty cool.
To be involved with such a prestigious show
with some of the greatest builders
really makes it special for me to have won today.
NARRATOR: The Editors Choice Bike Show
is finished at the Broken Spoke,
and as bikers are still coming in
to party at the campgrounds,
across town, Car Patrol officers Wade and Logan
are responding to a disturbance call.
A biker at a hotel is in trouble.
LOGAN: There's somebody that's trying to leave a room.
The current resident supposedly has a revolver.
What's going on?
NARRATOR: The man claims his roommate has a gun
and won't let him in to get his belongings.
Okay.
It's a 9mm auto, or --
Okay, not a revolver?
No, it's not a revolver.
Like a Glock pistol, so he's --
Well, I'm thinking the number of rounds is what I'm thinking.
I know if he sees you guys, he's gonna [bleep] flip, so...
[ Knock on door ]
NARRATOR: The police proceed with extreme caution.
WADE: It could be anything from, "Get out of my room,"
to gunfire, so...
Let's see the key.
Just got to be prepared for it.
We have to assume the worst.
[ Door slams ]
Clear.
Clear.
[ Police radio chatter ]
NARRATOR: The man is no longer in the room.
His bags are gone,
and it appears that he left town.
The man who called the police
was able to collect his things and leave.
Had the roommate had been in the room,
there may have been a little bit of confrontation.
NARRATOR: Thankfully, the situation ended peacefully,
and the police can get back to patrolling the roads.
Back on Main Street,
the bike population is continuing to grow,
and among the hundreds of thousands of bikers
who have rolled in
are the nationally known gangs.
The Hells Angels and several other bike clubs are in town.
Mostly prospects and hang-arounds out there.
And the police keep a close watch.
See if they're gonna continue going with a smooth rally
or they're gonna pop into one of the bars here tonight
or one of these nights and assault somebody.
NARRATOR: Most of the bars at the rally
have a very strict policy on gangs...
especially One-Eyed Jack's.
Any motorcycle-related club is not allowed
to wear their colors here at One-Eyed Jack's.
Some of the other clubs
might not get along with different guys,
and it creates friction.
NARRATOR: Colors are the insignias and badges
gang members have on their jackets.
It's the job of One-Eyed Jack's security team
to enforce the no-colors rule.
Tony, head of security, needs to make sure
his team is ready for any situation.
If you need to take somebody out,
the best thing to do is to side step them,
you *** them around the neck,
bend 'em over your hip, and immobilize them.
And I've always found
that if someone can't breathe, they cannot fight.
It's got to be quick, no hesitation. Just do it.
In the middle of their training, they get a call from upstairs.
Yeah, go ahead, Tom.
All right. We're on our way.
NARRATOR: Someone spotted a gang member in the bar.
Can I grab these and go?
Not yet.
Put 'em back.
How you doing?
NARRATOR: Security was able
to escort the gang member out
before it could escalate to anything worse.
Have a good day.
As you can see,
there's our first episode right there.
And that will continue all night, unfortunately.
NARRATOR: Meanwhile, Shawn, the general manager,
is checking in on the grill.
Everything's okay? You're good?
His goal is to make $10,000 a day.
Last night, we missed it by, like, this much,
so tonight's the night that this is gonna happen.
NARRATOR: But he can't worry about that now
because there's a bigger problem.
Copy that. I'm on my way.
NARRATOR: A freezer they depend on
to keep all the saloon's food cold is failing.
The freezer, it's at 45 degrees, which is right at the cusp
of being able to have to throw food away.
If this was to go down,
we would be losing thousands of dollars a day.
There would definitely be no recovery
if this freezer was to fail.
NARRATOR: He calls the in-house mechanic,
but nobody knows if the issue can be solved
soon enough to save the food.
As of right now, this is gonna be an issue the rest of the rally?
It -- it might be.
If the freezer doesn't get fixed today,
all the food for the rest of the rally will spoil.
Oh, man.
Coming up, John Shope's vision
of making a beautiful woman look like his bike is revealed.
This is incredible.
I think I could stand here all day.
NARRATOR: The Sturgis motorcycle rally
is in full swing.
Thousands of bikers swarm around Main Street
to take in the scene.
It's the place to be, you know?
There's nowhere else to be but Sturgis Bike Rally 2013.
You come here for the babes, the bikes.
This is what I love.
NARRATOR: With so many bike lovers in one place,
custom bike builder John Shope has decided to show off
one of his latest custom Baggers in a new way.
To draw attention to his motorcycle,
he's teamed up with body-paint artist Mark Reid,
who's painting Julie, the model, to be an accessory to the bike,
hoping to get more prospective buyers.
We want part of the design to flow right into her body
so that it looks like she is part of the motorcycle.
Put your hand a little bit more up on you.
Right there.
Don't move.
NARRATOR: To get the full effect
of her body matching the curves of the bike,
Julie has to bare as much of her body as possible.
And because it's illegal
to be completely naked in Sturgis,
she's wearing pasties and a flesh-colored thong.
Gonna make this look almost three-dimensional,
little symbols in here.
So, we'll soften this edge of this black,
and we'll round everything a little bit.
See that?
Looks like John's plan to draw attention to his bike
is working.
Rally goers love everything they're seeing.
It's bad ***.
This is incredible.
I think I could stand here all day,
if she's okay with it.
NARRATOR: This crowd is only gonna get bigger
because John's grand plan
is to move this whole show to Main Street.
It looks like she melts right into the bike.
I can't wait to see it out in the sun.
Mark is finished.
Woman and bike are one.
It's beautiful.
Absolutely.
I like that it's head-to-toe.
I've never seen that.
It's time to hit Main Street.
It's a biker's dream.
Half motorcycle, half woman, all beauty.
When we got out in the street, there's just so much energy.
And then the light reflecting off the metallic colors on her,
just off the charts.
I couldn't be any happier with this.
NARRATOR: The street has become crowded with people
coming to get a look at the body paint model, Julie,
and her matching bike.
John's marketing plan was a success.
Actually, too much of a success.
Folks, come on. We got to move.
Clear out, guys.
Shane, an officer of the Foot Patrol,
steps in to stop the spectacle
before the crowds of people cause an accident.
This is where the motorcycle flip U-ies
to go back down to Main Street,
so you can't have pedestrians in the lane of traffic.
Try to use the other side of the barricade, guys.
I will.
She had a whole lot of nothing on.
NARRATOR: Even though Shane is hard at work controlling traffic,
he takes a moment to admire the scenery.
That is completely legal
to dress like that here in Sturgis.
She had her body paint on.
Yeah. It's not a bad job.
[ Laughs ]
NARRATOR: John and Mark successfully created
a spectacle on Main Street,
but Sturgis is known for having things
that can't be seen anywhere else.
A painted girl and an amazing bike is one thing,
but seeing a man completely covered in tattoos...
Sturgis!
NARRATOR: ...is just another day at the rally.
My name is Crazy Face.
My tattoo is an homage to a clown.
So far, it's taken me 150 hours to get done down to my rib cage.
NARRATOR: Crazy Face has
the most outrageous tattoos on Main Street,
possibly even the planet.
CRAZY FACE: My eyes are actually tattooed.
NARRATOR: Crazy Face has taken body ink to an extreme,
but for many rally goers,
getting a tattoo is just another part of the Sturgis experience.
MAN: Well, I guess tattoos are just kind of
part of the lifestyle of motorcycles.
Every feather is each time I've been to Sturgis.
She goes shopping, and I go get a tattoo.
[ Laughs ]
NARRATOR: The demand for tattoos is so high,
shops are up and down Main Street,
slinging ink all day,
and one of the biggest studios is Asylum.
For six years, Asylum has been a fixture at Sturgis,
providing over 10,000 tattoos to rally goers.
Bror Wensjoe is one of their most popular custom artists.
Today, I'm doing a nice, colorful tattoo
on this girl that has come in every year
to get tattooed here in Asylum.
She has amazing work on her, too.
NARRATOR: Like thousands of other rally goers,
Christina White gets a tattoo every time she comes to Sturgis,
and Asylum Tattoo is the only place in town she'll get inked.
The tattoo I want to get today is gonna be an owl,
real cartoony, colorful.
Just something that's really eye-catching and bright.
NARRATOR: With the drawing complete, everything's set to go.
But even this tattoo vet
gets edgy before facing the needle.
Does this spot hurt?
Nah, it doesn't.
I'm always nervous it's gonna hurt.
I'm scared of shots, too. [ Laughs ]
[ Needle buzzing ]
I'm ready.
I love the tattoo.
It's exactly what I wanted.
NARRATOR: After just a few hours, the end is in sight,
and for Christina, it was well worth
all the time and pain.
That's it. Want to see it in the mirror?
Yeah.
Oh, my God. It came out awesome.
It came out amazing.
You survived.
Sturgis 2013. There's my souvenir.
[ Chuckles ]
NARRATOR: Coming up,
the police might have a major bust on their hands.
Hey. [ Whistles ]
I see a baggie full of white powder.
NARRATOR: It's been a wild day
at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally,
especially for Shawn,
who's in charge of the saloon's restaurants
and food at One-Eyed Jack's.
One of the freezers he depends on is having issues.
If this was to go down, we would be losing
thousands of dollars a day.
NARRATOR: If it breaks down,
all of the food for the bar will be ruined.
The mechanic has been working on the freezer for hours.
SHAWN: Okay, so how's it looking?
Got the box down to 28 degrees.
Okay.
Well, sounds good.
The air is definitely working a lot better than the water?
Finally, it's fixed.
Sweet. Everything's working. Nice.
With the freezer problem solved,
Shawn turns his attention back to the front grill.
It hasn't been selling enough burgers.
He's way behind.
SHAWN: This needs to make money,
so 10-grand nights are really, really important.
If this grill fails,
then this kitchen ain't making no money.
This has to be successful. This has to work.
NARRATOR: As Shawn motivates his crew
to get the grill sales up...
Sell, sell, sell.
...out on Main Street, Clint and Aaron are back
walking the beat with their eyes peeled
for open containers.
What do you got behind the seat there?
That's --
Yeah.
AARON: Being the fun police,
we can see an open bottle on one side
and two open cans of beer on the other side.
NARRATOR: At least one passenger in the truck
has started the party early.
Just have you step around to the front, sir, if you would.
AARON: He gave us permission to look,
and we wound up pulling, what, 8 or 10 cans of beer
out of the car that were opened
or that were not quite drank.
One of 'em was just about full.
They tried to stuff it between two bags of Doritos
trying to hide it from us.
NARRATOR: The passengers were drinking heavily,
but the driver is stone-cold sober.
They're not gonna bust him,
but they are gonna end the party in the back seat.
You guys have been good to us.
We're gonna be good to you.
Dump 'em out, throw 'em in the trash.
Go do that, and we'll have a good night.
AARON: It's 8:30, almost 9:00 at night,
and this is the first thing we've really found.
Maybe people are getting the hint
that, when you come to the rally,
the rules don't change.
NARRATOR: But busting up beer cans
was just the beginning of their night.
[ Police radio chatter ]
They do a routine checking of cars in parking lots
for anything suspicious.
Hey. [ Whistles ]
[ Police radio chatter ]
I see a baggie full of white powder.
It's a New Hampshire plate.
Yeah, I mean, that's -- that's enough
to get you across the country without sleeping.
CLINT: Want to meet me
over in the west parking lot of the Catholic church real quick?
We got a question for you.
NARRATOR: Due to the large quantity
of the questionable substance,
Aaron decides to call it in.
It can't be.
No. It can't be that easy.
No, well...
This is Sturgis.
It could be that easy. [ Laughs ]
We'd make the daily briefing if that's coke.
[ Both laugh ]
We'd make a little bit more than daily briefing, I think.
We'd be on the news.
Go look at the white bag
in the console in front of the shifter in this car
and tell me what you think it is.
[ Laughs ]
That was the reaction we had.
The street value of that would be, like, almost $60,000.
Nah, that could be it.
NARRATOR: With a potential bust of this size on the line,
the team wants to go strictly by the book,
so they wait for a drug unit to arrive
before investigating further.
If that dog hits on that car,
it's gonna rock your world.
Coming up...
Lightning is about the flex.
Whi-chow!
NARRATOR: The cops have their hands full
with rally goers out on Main Street.
Yes, I do.
No, I won't.
NARRATOR: While inspecting cars in a parking lot
just off Main Street,
the Sturgis police found
a bag of white powder in one of the vehicles.
Hey. [ Whistles ]
A K-9 unit was called in,
but our cameras were not allowed to video the search.
Had the highway patrol come over with a K-9 unit.
They walked the dog around the vehicle.
The dog didn't indicate on the vehicle.
The verdict is no dope?
The verdict is no dope.
CLINT: I don't know, unless it's powdered sugar or something,
and they like really sweet tea, or who knows,
but it's not drugs, so...
Yeah, if you're coming to Sturgis,
and you don't want to have
any kind of attention brought upon you by the police,
don't leave a big bag of white powder
laying on your front console.
[ Thunder cracks ]
NARRATOR: As the Foot Patrol
heads back to Main Street,
the sky opens up and starts pouring.
This time of year, the weather can change instantly.
CLINT: Many inexperienced riders have a hard enough time
in the hills the way it is,
and then you add a little bit of ***
and some pea-sized hail,
and it's a pretty big recipe for disaster.
NARRATOR: This can wreak havoc for bikers on the streets.
But it's a good thing for the bars
because people pile in to take cover.
[ Crowd cheering ]
One-Eyed Jack's is packed with bikers drinking.
Hey, how we doing?
The storm couldn't have come
at a better time for Shawn.
He checks the numbers,
and they reached today's grill goal.
Hey!
We got it.
We did it. We did it.
We did it. We finally broke goal.
10 grand, 2 shifts.
Congratulations, man. Really good job.
Rain tonight definitely helped.
I think it's a combination of both.
You know, I'm just really happy.
Pete's definitely gonna be really happy in the morning
when he punches the numbers, that's for sure.
NARRATOR: It's nearing the end of the night.
The storm has passed,
and the partiers are back out on the street,
coming and going from the bars.
Hey, chuck your beer trash.
Policing at Sturgis
can sometimes be as much about baby-sitting
as it is making arrests.
Yes, I do.
No, I won't.
I'm sorry.
There you go, you're cuffed.
Oh, geez.
NARRATOR: One partygoer was asked to leave the bar.
CLINT: He's determined to figure out how to get back in the bar.
NARRATOR: But he just can't do what he was told.
CLINT: Got to give the kid credit, though.
At least he's determined.
NARRATOR: Aaron decides to step in
and lend a gentle, but firm hand.
If you go back in there again,
you're going to jail, you understand me?
Aaron's patience is wearing thin.
There he goes.
This is the last time. I told you twice now.
Go across the street
and wait for your friend, and stay there.
Next trip in is jail, okay?
I don't know if that guy knew him or not,
but he probably saved him a night in the pokey.
NARRATOR: The guy finally gave up
trying to get in the bar...
Whoo!
...and decided to put on a street show for the police.
Yeah, I'd say he probably should have quit drinking
about four or five hours ago.
He'd have been in better shape.
Lightning is about the flex.
Whi-chow.
Yi-yi-yi-yi!
AARON: I don't know.
I think the lightning's doing something to people.
It's causing their brain to act funny or something.
This is gonna flash upon your belly...
And destroy your abilities.
NARRATOR: As the lightning still surrounds Sturgis,
another day comes to a a close,
and it's time for the police to call it a day.
And cut!
As the "Sturgis Raw" series continues,
the stunts just don't stop.
MAN: I've never really seen anything like that.
Insanity.
Bikers push their limits in a legendary
hill-climb competition.
The excitement is to see somebody make it.
But in the meantime, there's all kinds of mayhem.
NARRATOR: And the Sturgis police keep the peace
as the rally rages on.
MAN: Two males fighting,
and I had my taser drawn out, so I shot him with a taser.
Right here?
Oh, he had a gun
on the right-hand side of his waist.