No Helmut law, Great roads, on the way to Sturgis, the biggest of its kind in the Intermountain West, biker friendly and an event that’s in its 13th year. What the heck are we talking about????

The POW*MIA Awareness Rally in Pocatello, Idaho!!!!!!!!!!!! If you’re tired of the same old style of Rally’s this one is one you need to go see. The folks that run this event are all volunteers, there are NO paid employees. The volunteers are Veterans and Patriots dedicated to the mission of Bringing Them Home. Did you know that there are still 83,355 Americans still unaccounted for? One of them is Idaho’s own SGT Bowe Bergdahl from Hailey, Idaho. Leave No Soldier Behind! That is the battle cry and motivation this bunch of great people live and breathe 24/7. The passion that this group has for Americanism is demonstrated at the event at every turn, especially during the Tribute Ceremony on Saturday.

The Saturday ceremony features a vintage P51 Mustang fly by, bikes with flags formally making an entrance, Missing Man ceremony, Missing Man ride by, and a guest of honor that makes the whole event worth attending: LTC David Gray Jr. from Florida. Colonel Gray is one of the 480 prisoners released because of the Paris Peace Accords 40 years ago. The Tribute ceremony has many memorable parts to it; you really have to attend one to feel the emotion and passion which passes on the proud to be American feeling.

After the Tribute ceremony is the Bike Rodeo. There is $2,000 in prize money. This flagship event is a crowd favorite and always a lot of fun. During halftime there is the loudest pipe contest with a digital meter the crowd can see.

Bike Drags, a separate event, is scheduled right after the Bike Rodeo. There is $1000 of store credit from Harley Davidson on the line for the top three to split in the amounts of: $500.00, $300.00 and $200.00. The Drags feature laser timing with racers setting times with two runs on the 300 foot course to set their high time for bracketing. After that it’s double elimination.

When the bike drags start, so do the Mud Drags! This is modified trucks and mud buggies racing for time in a mud drenched lane for $3000 in prize money. We expect over 80 entrants.

Sound good so far? A bit different is our line-up of entertainment. One thing that you won’t see at this event is anything like “Wet T-shirt” contests. This event is family friendly and even features a kid’s area. That’s not to say that when the sun goes down it is not adult rated. There are 8 bands scheduled to play on the main stage where you can go barefoot in nice green grass. The two featured bands, Snake Bones and American Hitmen, are extreme rock bands that are sure to get the crowds fired up. American Hitmen has 4 members, 3 of which are former Marines who served in Iraq. They will ride their Harleys up from Utah to ride with the local guys from Pocatello before the show. Yepper, they all ride and love the USA!

Starting to sound fun, huh! There are also tattoo artists and arm wrestling contests. Lots of local tattoo artists will be present and a few from Las Vegas and California. If you want a Tat, book it early. Only the very best artists are allowed to be at this event.

So what’s it cost to get in to this? Ten Bucks covers the whole weekend for ages 18 and above. Veterans are Free. All any Vet has to say is, “I am a vet”, and they are in. Under 18 is free. Once inside, if you want to drink, you must have an I.D. to get a wristband that marks you as 21 or over. If you want to enter an event, there is a modest entry fee.

OK, now the interest is there right? If not then maybe checking out “Bike Palooza” will be what really sets this event off and runnin’. There will be new product on display with the dealers and factory reps present. The brands to be there are: Harley Davidson, Victory, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, KTM, Yamaha and CanAm. Suzuki will have the factory team there from Laguna Seca, California. They are bringing up 15 new Suzuki’s for guided test rides.

Need more? Get you bike in the Dyno truck from DoBeck Performance. Mark DoBeck and his crew will be doing on site Dyno tests and be able to hook you up with the latest in bike performance technology.

OK, there will be some of the same tried and true stuff. We have a ton of food and merchandise vendors. We try to have the stuff you usually see and stuff that you may only see at our event.

What else? JPAC will be there. These are the guys from Hickham Field, Hawaii that do the search team recovery efforts to get the DNA verification needed to bring closure to families of those that are still missing.

The environment is very home town America where you will find people that are glad you are there and quick with a smile. With 93 RV hook ups right across the street and plenty of tent spots, you never have to leave the fun. There is a new building with hot showers and clean restrooms.

Check out the site at www.powmiarodeo.org for more info and a complete Bio on Colonel Gray.

This is an event you will be happy you attended and talk about for the rest of the year. All are welcome to attend and enjoy the camaraderie of other proud Americans. Hey, it is not just for Americans! The 3rd C.A.V. from Canada will be there as well. This is the Canadian Army Vets MC, an awesome group of brothers and sisters that know how to ride and have a good time. HOOOOOOAH!