Origins
In 1971 when George Simons gave his son a Rupp minibike, he never dreamt he would be instilling a life-long passion in his son Chris. Chris Simons has since owned several dozen bikes. He knows bikes inside-out and top to bottom. Chris also had a well-known bike shop in Port Dover called ‘Biker’s Delight’.
The Friday the 13th tradition started in 1981. It was the same year that a group of head-banging teenagers had come together in Los Angeles to form Metallica. Despite a recent assassination attempt, the president of the United States was still Ronald Reagan. Pierre Trudeau was prime minister of Canada, while Bill Davis was premier of Ontario. The Rolling Stones were singing “Start Me Up” and “An American Werewolf in London” was playing in theatres.
Against the backdrop, Chris Simons and approximately 25 friends, through word of mouth, got together at the Commerical Hotel {The Zoo}, now known as Angelos of Dover. It was in November and it was Friday the 13th. They had such a good time they decided they should do it every Friday the 13th. And so the tradition was born.
Every Friday the 13th thereafter, the number of people coming to the event has increased. Chris has a suitcase full of newspaper and magazine clippings regarding Friday the 13th and he has become somewhat of a celebrity because of it. Everywhere he goes, people have heard of Friday the 13th in Port Dover.
~Courtesy of the Port Dover Maple Leaf
