10th Anniversary The One Show Highlights

Hundreds of meticulous, relentlessly fussed-over one-offs. Dozens of obsessively restored classics. Vintage two-strokes, a bunch of scooters, and a smattering of rat bikes, sidecars, and hybrids. In the background? A dozen electric minikes banging bars in the Dodgy Derby, a “dishonest, unreliable electric minibike competition” according to the banner strung above the plywood-reinforced(?) finish line. All this set in a perfectly patinaed former pickle factory straight out of central casting. Oh, and a rolling espresso coffee stand built into a Ural sidecar just inside the front door. Insanity? It must be The One Show.

You couldn't dream up this kind of creative juxtaposition unless you were someone like Thor Drake, ringmaster of The One Show and owner of See See Motor Coffee Co. And after 10 years of epic custom bike extravaganzas, Drake has somehow managed to keep the combination of bikes and caffeine front and center, all without taking himself—and the scene—too seriously.

The idea started with a bunch of buddies a few bikes and a couple of kegs scattered in a ratty, abandoned old warehouse, but over the years interest increased and the industry took notice. BMW co-sponsored the show several times, and Harley had a crack at it too. Local boys-done-good Icon has been in See See’s corner from the get-go and the partnership has served both parties well.

These days the PA system is better and the beer is craft, while the warehouse is massive and packed with international builders, thousands of attendees over three days, free parking shuttles, and a major, deep-pocketed sponsor, Indian Motorcycle. As part of the pre-party, there was a premiere of Oil in the Blood, the new film about the custom bike scene and the people who ride them. Of the little we've seen, it looks and sounds absolutely addictive. (Check out the trailer here), and it fits The One Show's aesthetic just about perfectly. In fact, Drake as well as several builders in the show have a cameo in it.

Then there were the big-boy races—the first round of the Super Hooligan National Championship (SHNC) kicked off at The One Pro Race at the Salem Indoor Speedway clay oval in conjunction with The One Show, along with separate classes for the Pro, Women’s, Pull-start Minibikes, Kids, and more. Rubber was burned, bikes were slid, and the house was packed. All in all a pretty good Saturday night, am I right?

There may be a good half-dozen “important” custom bike shows on the calendar nowadays, but for format, content, and sheer originality and sense of place, arguably The One Show came first. And the 10th Anniversary edition kept its mission simple: Have fun and ride bikes. A big thanks to Thor and the whole See See crew for seeing this thing through 10 amazing years.

Some of our favorite bits from this year’s show:

RELATED:
Previewing The One Show With See See's Thor Drake
See See Turns A Ural Into A Rolling Coffee Kiosk