42 J u s t o u t » february 7. 2003
eatingout
eatingout
eatingout
eatingout
B om to be wild:
Bill Bender and the
Border Riders
M otorcycle Club
celebrate 33 years
of hard ridin’
Feb. 14 to 16
Get your
motor runnin'
UITR CHFE
Serving fresh
panini sandwiches.
Delicious homemade soups
& bold salads.
Local hormone
free beef burgers
Many specialty &
breakfast items too!
Using local
& organic ingrediants.
Local organic beer, wine,
& fresh juices.
Spacious booths for groups
and always quick service.
Yummy kids menu!
Now Open 10-5 Weekdays
& 8-5 Sat. - Sun.
Expanded breakfast menu
3024 NE Alberta + 503-335-8233
Hours: Lunch - M-F 11-5
Supper - Tue-Sat 5-2 Sun & Mon 5-10
Breakfast - Sat & Sun 8-3
FOR A GREAT STEAK, LOOK FOR
THE REVOLVING STEAK SIGN
EXCEPT IN BEAVERTON,
W HERE THE CITY
W O U L D N ’T LET US
HAVE ONE
1ds °ffan ,u ies
s">ce ! 946 .. s
■ SdAfUnA
Our revolving steak sign has become a landmark in Portland.
A sign o f quality. Where you know you can get a great steak
dinner at a fair price. Unfortunately, h v couldn I get that same
sign in Beaverton. But honestly, we re not that hard to find
OLD COUNTRY KITCHEN
home o f the 72 oz. steak
105th & SE Stark • 503-252-417/ - Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy at Griffith Dr. - 503-644-1492
he sun and wind tighten the skin on your
face as you fly down the landscape.
Beneath you, a growling beast of metal
and rubber moves you down the road with
smooth and simple ease.
Around you— the Cascades, the Pacific, the
interior valleys, Douglas fir and Sitka spruce, a
happy tavem ed evening, a midnight camp
ground with the fiery faces of your mates and
the laughter and banter of a long, jovial ride.
Sound a bit like heaven? Maybe you belong
in Border Riders.
Formed in 1969— the year Easy Ruler was
released— the Border Riders Motorcycle Club
is the longest-running queer activity group in
Portland. Founded by a dozen or so gay m otor
cycle lovers from all over the Pacific Northwest
and British Columbia, its purpose is to “provide
a social fraternity for gay men and their friends
interested in recreational motorcycle touring in
the Pacific Northwest.”
But those parameters don’t stop others
beyond those borders from traveling here to
ride. “We have members in Palm Springs, Aus
tralia— all over,” says retired parole officer Bill
Bender. He’s been a member and a motorcycle
lover for two years.
“1 came out late in life," he explains. “Met
some leather folks, which led to camping out
with the Border Riders and eventually....”
Bender’s smile is infectious. He pronounces
“motorcycle” like “motor-sickle"— the preroga
tive of a seasoned rider. He rubs his close-
cropped hair; his leather jacket squeaks.
“It t<x)k me about six months, Uxtking at
motor-sickles,” he continues. “I don’t know if
it’s a male ego thing or what, but I decided 1
i
Border Riders
Motorcycle Club's
33rd Anniversary Party _
• Meet & G reet: 8 to 10 p.m.
Feb. 14 at the Eagle PDX, 1300 W. Bum- I w r i
side St. For anyone interested in motor-
cycling or leatherwear. Munchies provided.
v
• A nniversary Banquet: Feb. 15 at Port
lander Inn, 10350 N. Vancouver Way. Meeting
and announcem ents at 6 p.m.; dinner at 7 p.m.
is $35. Slide show and reminiscence of last
year’s rides starts at 8 p.m.
• A nniversary B runch: 10 a.m. Feb. 16 at
Delta Park Elmer’s, 9848 N. W hitaker Road.
Register as soon as possible by calling Jeff at
503-283-4903.
Head out on the highway
with Border Riders
by
G lenn W
il l ia m s
wanted a Harley. I’ve been on it every day for
the last two years.”
In Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, British
Columbia, Border Riders meet on weekends in
the summer months and have monthly runs to
the mountains, the coast and other places. The
club emphasizes safety consciousness: “We
don’t condone drinking or drugging and rid
ing,” Bender asserts.
A lthough essentially a gay m en’s organiza
tion, members insist the rides are open to
everyone. They often include lesbian friends,
straight bikers and companions. “You don’t
really even have to have a motorcycle,” Bender
admits. “Folks come in a camper or anything.
It’s pretty much about the ride.”
Deb Odenrider, the handsome, dimple-faced,
handlebar-mustached president of Border Riders,
agrees. “It’s about...sitting, talking by the fire,
telling stories or joking with one another. O r
talking about the day’s ride and where we ate!”
Odenrider’s face crinkles into a deep grin.
“It’s amazing how many gay men ride bikes
from around the country,” he continues. “I’ve
met up with a group that goes to Sturgis every
year [a huge motorcycle rally in South Dakota],
where all walks of life show up.” T he grin gets
wider. “This is one big adult party.” But, he
adds, “th a t’s another story.”
T he Seattle man and owner of a 1974
Harley Sporty XLF1 1000 has been riding for
11 years. “T he community that binds us is the
love of motorcycling and the enjoyment that
comes from touring some of the best roads for
biking in C anada and the U .S.A .”
Most people join by taking a weekend ride
and getting a current member’s sponsorship.
T hen it’s just $45 a year, which comes with a
well-put-together newsletter. “If you like
motorcycles, you should ride with us," Bender
encourages. “See if you like it."
.
And, wouldn’t you know it, you can do just
that at the Border Riders 33rd Anniversary
« « Party, which comes to Portland from Feb. 14
to 16. Members will shcx)t the breeze with
you alxxjt the club, the rides and the bikes.
“I just have fun," Bender smiles. “It’s that
freedom you feel when you’re on that bike,
going down that road. T h a t’s what got me
going in the first place.” J H
Visit the B order R iders M otorcycle C lub at
www. hordemders. com.
G lenn W illiams writes poetry, prose, plays,
peritxlica and pom from Portland.