We all go to Sturgis for different reasons, but of course the primary reason is motorcycles. And as anyone who has ever been to Sturgis knows, there are some great bike shows that go on throughout the week; however, only one offers the crown of "World Champion," the American Motorcycle Dealer (AMD) World Championships of Custom Bike Building (WCCBB). This August 2-5 during the 69th annual Sturgis rally marks the 6th WCCBB event, and once again the worlds best custom bikes can all be found under the big tent at Champions Park on Lazelle Street.
Yet again the question remains: Will an American builder finally ride away with the crown in the prestigious Freestyle Class? Last year, Canadian builder Roger Goldammer was basking in the golden glow of victory for the third time with his curvaceous custom dubbed "Goldmember." Rolling in a close Second place was Keiji Kawakita's battleship inspired "StG Nautilus." In Fouth place, Dave Cook of Cooks Customs was the highest placing American with his amazing interpretation of a boardtrack style bike, "The Nickle Bike."
The WCCBB is open to any builder who wants to participate with a variety of classes to choose from. However, the Freestyle Class is the premiere category with the chance to win the World Championship title. Judging is mixed between participants and a select group of VIP judges. With the World Title at stake on American soil, it's very expensive for international builders to foot the money to transport their bikes to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Therefore AMD started the European Championships of Custom Bike Building (ECCBB), held at the Custom Chrome Europe (CCE) Dealer Show in Mainz, Germany. The ECCBB provides the top three builders in the freestyle category with travel expenses to Sturgis. The ECCBB was such a success that AMD started its Affiliate Events, which provide major events across the globe the chance to become a part of the program, awarding the top contestant in the Freestyle Class with travel expenses to the World Champs. The assistance of providing travel expenses for international builders truly does make this a global event and the title of World Champion that much more prestigious. No matter if you're a bike builder or just an admirer of beautiful handcrafted machinery, a day at Champions Park and a several hours perusing the eclectic display of iron at the AMD World Champs is a must on your Sturgis to-do list.