Mentors

by John Reblin

Growing up, how many kids dreamed of being that “Juke Box Hero”? You know, getting your money for nothing and the chicks are free. Strutting around the stage like the next Alice Cooper or playing that cool guitar riff while duck walking across the stage like Angus or Bo. How many kids got a garage band together of 3, 4, or 5 kids dreaming to be the next band lit up on the marquee? I am guessing just about everyone had that dream growing up.

Like baseball and football camps nowadays, you can get also get involved in a rock camp. The ones that I have heard about take place at a resort location or on a cruise ship. They gather some band members from successful groups, some play guitar, others play the drums, singers etc. and they are able to create that rock star experience. Musicians mentor these people on how to create the image and the musical skills to be the next rock star. Does it give them that path to stardom? Probably not, but it is an experience they will never forget.

Looking around YouTube one day for some background music while doing some work on the laptop, I came across Tommy Shaw of STYX doing some solo work. One of his projects was playing with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra. Working and practicing together, they did a concert that was televised and created a CD for sale to raise funds for the school program. How cool is that, for a young musician with some skill and talent to work together with a genuine “rock star”? Watching the videos of the young adults playing iconic songs, you could see the pride and the joy on all of their faces. These kids had some definite skills and working with a successful musician gives them a push down a path. Tommy Shaw himself, was also having a great time working with these kids.

The people that paid for the vacation, along with the young people of the youth orchestra, looked at those that were showing them the ropes as mentors. The definition of mentor is anyone who is a positive, guiding influence in another (usually younger) person’s life.

As we look for growing the sport of motorcycling, along with working on and creating custom bikes, we need to encourage the next generation of rider, whoever it is, to get involved. They might have the interest, but they need that little nudge to take it further. They need that mentor to show them the way. Well, the opportunity for that is here. That mentor can show them the skills to ride safely, to build or fix a bike to their tastes, or even to race that bike successfully.

From the group’s website, founded by The Iron Horse Hotel, “BUILD” is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to pairing teams of high school students with bike-building mentors in a collective effort to learn valuable life and interpersonal skills while working on motorcycles.” I mean, this is really cool stuff.

If you were recently at the Brewtown Rumble, you could see that the teams that were involved in the program were there with their bikes. The bikes they built for this year and in the past, were smaller metric bikes that they styled in a racer-type chassis. The Brewtown Rumble event, besides being a kick ass place to be, is a large street venue with a bike show, vendors, food and music. A very fun event to say the least. It is also a fundraiser for the Build program. This year they raised over $12,000 for the program. Also, at the event, the “Build” teams were there displaying the bikes that they put together. These are high school aged kids creating these race-style bikes from step one to actually getting them on the track to race. People were stopping to talk to them, asking questions about how they did things to their bikes. While I was talking to one “mentor” at the booth they were testing the students by having them do some rear axle work. These kids were totally into what they were doing. The Brewtown event is just one of a handful of stops the program makes over the summer that shows the hard work these students have invested into these bikes. At the end, these kids actually had the opportunity to take the bikes out and race them against each other on a flat track. Next year, the program has partnered with Royal Enfield Motorcycle Company to provide the bikes to be customized and raced. Of course, they are always looking for support and mentors for these hard-working kids.

ABATE of Wisconsin is joining with the Build program by promoting their events right now and helping to gather support for the project. We do not offer financial support at this time but in the future that could change. It is a good feeling to know we are part of helping to educate this fine crew of future riders while at the same time being able to explain the purpose of ABATE of Wisconsin to people attending these events.

On August 20th we are again having our “Peer Exchange” as part of the Motorcycle Safety Advisory Council the afternoon before the Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Highway Safety. The event is being held in Wisconsin Dells at Wilderness Resort, Glacier Canyon Conference Center, 45 Hillman Rd, Wisconsin Dells, WI. 53965. The Peer Exchange is scheduled from 3pm-5pm. If you have an idea, thought, or criticism, this would be the place to share it.

Free tickets for the Peer Exchange are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pre-conference-45th-governors-conference-on-highway-safety-tickets-59854795304.

John