— Little by little Thursday, Thunder in the Valley came to life downtown as vendors put out their foodstuffs and wares, bands took to the stage and tens of thousands of visitors began to roll in.

The annual motorcycle rally promised plenty of entertainment, people-watching galore and beautiful, sunny weather. But not before a heavy thunderstorm stalled out over the city late Wednesday.

“Early on today (Thursday), I was nervous that we’d have to delay the start,” said Lisa Rager, executive director of the Greater Johnstown-Cambria County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which sponsors the event.

The areas hardest hit were the Biker Mall and the Train Station.

The heavy storm overturned tents and trash cans.

“It was a smooth set-up day until the rains came, but we had so many people coming down wanting to help clean up,” Rager said. “Things were taken care of quickly, and I was glad it was on set-up night and not Friday or Saturday when the huge crowds are here.

“We were able get the tent company in and we got everything back up and running.”

It wasn’t an idle scare.

Andrew Brogden, owner of Brogies Bikewear, 923 Bedford St., Johnstown, said he was setting up his merchandise Wednesday evening in the Biker Mall when the storm blew through and everything was destroyed.

“I’d say I have an estimated $10,000 in damage,” Brogden said. “What’s sad is that the storm did so much destruction in just 20 minutes.”

Helmets, racks of leather wear and travel bags all had to be replaced.

“The good news for me is that I can go to my warehouse just up the street and get more merchandise. But I don’t know what I would do if I was one of these vendors who are from out of town,” Brogden said.

Brogden added that he expected to reopen his store by mid-Thursday afternoon.

Brogies has had a presence at the Thunder for 12 years and top sellers are helmets and jackets.

“I love it here,” Brogden said.

“It’s like Christmas in June because where else are you going to get this big of a target audience at one time?”

From the Train Station to Central Park and the Biker Mall, though, folks quickly got in the groove. Strains of popular rock songs – such as “Keep Your Hands to Yourself,” “The Ballad of John and Yoko” and “Very Superstitious” – wafted through the city.

Strollers A.J. Strick, a physical therapy worker from Johns-

town, and his girlfriend, computer programmer Laura Whysong of Hollidaysburg, were taking it all in Thursday.

Though they planned to see Mini Kiss later in the evening, their main goal was to map out a strategy for the days ahead: Where the vendors, music and the like would be. “You gotta plan,” said Strick, a biker, with enthusiasm in his voice.

Asked what he thought of the festival, he replied with a question himself: As a biker or as a resident?

As a biker, he said, the rally fosters camaraderie, a chance to check out the latest motorcycle gear and apparel and the opportunity to go on runs.

As a Johnstowner, he found it gratifying to see thousands of visitors coming to town, who can also see what else the region has to offer – including whitewater and skiing opportunities.

Whysong, a Thunder first-timer, joked that her boyfriend left little for her to mention, except that she was “ready to jump in and party and get moving.”

Phil and Shirley Moyer of Davidsville have been visiting the motorcycle rally since its first year – most of those years they have worked as volunteers.

The two sat on a park bench – sipping root beer from commemorative mugs purchased from Wild Bill’s Olde Fashion Soda Pop Co.

“It’s the best drink in town,” Shirley Moyer said.

The couple said their favorite part of the rally is watching people.

They love seeing the streets of Johnstown crowded with visitors.

“I’m glad to see it growing,” Shirley Moyer said. “It’s awesome for Johnstown.”

Edward Rinkovsky from Lake County, Indiana, was in the city for his first rally.

He drives an ’03 Harley-Davidson Road King and made the trip with three friends.

The four comrades, each sporting well-worn leather vests with colorful patches advertising where they have been, make two trips a year.

They decided to visit Thunder after reading about the rally in a motorcycle magazine.

The guys are staying in a motel in Greensburg. “It’s as close as we could get,” Rinkovsky said.

The bikers plan to take the ABATE motorcycle trip and visit Shanksville.

Across the street at the Mega Mall, Julio Rodriguez of Daytona Beach, Fla., was busy hawking official Thunder in the Valley apparel. He is manager of America’s Bikes Inc., which sells Thunder merchandise at 13 locations.

He said Thursday that sales in Johnstown are always good and that he’s already profitable by the end of the first day. He expects to sell well above 10,000 individual pieces of clothing.

“We’re like excited to get here,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a good show.

“It’s kind of laid back, not as crazy as Sturgis (S.D.) and Myrtle Beach (S.C.),” he said, which also host large-scale motorcycle rallies.

He talked about fashion trends while working at the Mega Mall on Main Street.

“It’s changed over the past few years for women,” he said, noting that they’re wearing thinner, more body-fitted tops.

For the guys, denim sleeveless shirts are the way to go.

And to blend in with the crowd, he said you can’t go wrong with motifs featuring skulls and wings.

Not all the tents were about the merchandising, though.

Members of the Wounded Warrior Project were telling passersby about their organization, which raises money on behalf of injured veterans, Al Pulice III of Murrysville – assistant director of the Pennsylvania Hero Walk – was hanging out at the Biker Mall booth to drum up interest in a fundraising walk to benefit the WWP.

The hero walk has two days to go to complete its Philadelphia-to-Pittsburgh journey. As of Thursday afternoon, the 45 walkers had raised $65,000 of their $100,000 goal.

The money goes toward supporting servicemen injured in various wars who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injuries and the like.

To contribute, go to paherowalk.org.

Meanwhile, Rager said interest in Thunder continues to grow each year.

“We’ve gotten a lot of inquiries from people who are coming to Thunder for the first time, so it’s nice to see people are coming to town and that the locals keep coming back,” she said.

She believes what makes Thunder in the Valley unique is that it not only attracts biker enthusiasts, it also attracts locals.

“You get a nice mix of people and we like to keep the downtown area a family-friendly atmosphere so people will keep coming back,” Rager said.

The event wraps up Sunday.



Staff writer Arlene Johns contributed to this report.