Atlantic Beach biker rally reports mixed results for Myrtle Beach area businesses

ATLANTIC BEACH -- Many of the bikers in town for the Atlantic Beach Bikefest had loaded their rides on trailers by midmorning Monday and were at least thinking of heading out of town, if not already on the road.

In the final few hours of the annual biker rally Monday, fewer than a handful of people cruised the festival's main street as some vendors packed to leave and others groused about the money they spent and didn't make in sales of T-shirts, CDs, shoes and handbags.

"We lost money, about $4,000," said T-shirt vendor Abdou Diop of Clinton, N.C.

Meanwhile, an investigation continued into a shooting that occurred at a traffic stop Saturday night near Barefoot Landing. Police said there was no arrest in that incident by Monday evening.

An S.C. Highway Patrol trooper fired three shots at a car that had pulled away from the stop while the trooper was hanging onto the vehicle. The shots hit the driver's side door and rear panel on the vehicle, which was later found abandoned, police said.

The trooper involved is on administrative leave while the case is being investigated.

Jennifer Timmons, spokeswoman for the State Law Enforcement Division, would only say Monday that no one has been arrested.

Town Manager William Booker said he wasn't sure how many vendors had bought the $950 license to sell at the festival, but insisted the ones he talked with reported good crowds and good sales.

Booker said he thought the success of a booth might have depended on what merchandise was being peddled.

"It depends on what you're selling," he said. "If you were selling T-shirts, you might not have done too well. There were a lot of people selling T-shirts."

Sales at booths hawking motorcycle repairs and equipment did especially well, Booker said.

Brenda Rowell Bromell, who manages several businesses on the main street strip, including Toby's Souvenirs and Bar, said vendors have to be patient and wait for the business to come to them, as she predicted it would as bikers picked up last-minute mementos to take home.

"You've got to sit there and wait," she said. "Just like a chicken hatching an egg."

Mickey James, president of the Myrtle Beach Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said his organizations had gotten some complaints of price gouging at North Myrtle Beach area hotels and said his organization will investigate. He said that overall, this year was a good one for the rally that in the past saw complaints of racial discrimination against area businesses.

There were no official counts of how many bikers were at this year's Bikefest, but James said attendance was definitely down.

"The economy had a lot to do with it," he said, echoing an opinion shared by some vendors. "A lot of people didn't show up because of the economy."

Booker said he's not good at making crowd estimates, but vendors told him the crowds were actually larger. Biker Sammie Langley of Georgetown said he thought there were more people at the Bikefest than last year. And unlike others, Langley said he spent more money at the rally this year.

Booker said he and other town staff will sit down in the next week or so to review what was good about this year's event and where the town may have opportunities to improve. He said handling vendors and traffic are two areas he thinks may need work, but he didn't want to give any details of his ideas.

Booker said he thought some T-shirt and CD vendors reported smaller sales this year because of the competition along the street, not the economy.

"People seem to have had a very enjoyable time," Booker said.