Biker
Bear
To commemorate
CancerCare Manitoba’s 75th anniversary they embarked on a very unique
fundraising and awareness campaign. Polar bears sculptures uniquely
Manitoban to be displayed along Broadway in the summer of 2005. The
bear maquette, a small sculpture used as a draft for a much larger
piece, was designed and made by Richard Osen. Based on the maquette
photos artists across Manitoba were asked to submit their ideas. Over
one hundred and fifty submissions were received. When Sarah and Charles
Johnston’s Biker Bears sketch was reviewed the Breast Cancer Pledge
Ride immediately came to mind. By mid January 2005 the Pledge Ride
committee had accepted the sponsorship for Biker Bear.
Sarah Johnston
came up with the original preliminary design of Biker Bear. Her kids
watched the Discovery Channel motorcycle shows. They loved watching
Orange County Choppers. It was her kids that suggested that it would
be cool to have a bear ride a chopper. With the help of some toy choppers,
Sarah sketched the original rendering. She watched more chopper shows
so she could come up with an attitude and wardrobe for the bear. She
drew long flowing hair, sunglasses, a fish bone tattoo, neck chain,
earring, dear skin leather vest with fringes, face stubble, and headband.
Top
Secret
The “Bears on Broadway” were born at the LaFarge Canada plant in St.
Boniface. 62 seven-foot-tall polar bears were crafted from concrete,
each casting weighed 8000 pounds or 3600 kilograms. The “Bears” spent
the winter grooming their new coats at the Kapyong Barracks. 51 Manitoba
artists and over 70 corporations and citizens joined together to make
the bears come to life. In the spring, May 2005, during one single
night the migration began. Sixteen flatbeds trucks, two cranes, the
artists, civil personal and volunteers moved the bears to their summer
hunting grounds, Broadway and Memorial.
Best
In Show
The wildest and coolest bear; Biker Bear took over Broadway and Hargrave.
Biker Bear, sponsored by the Breast Cancer Pledge Ride, quickly became
the crowd favourite winning “People’s Choice” in a Winnipeg Free Press
contest. Artists Charles and Sarah Johnston and fabricator, Inderaj
Jhass collaborated to produce the bruin that was “Born to Fish”.
It all looks simple
on paper. But seriously, how do you take a seven-foot bear in a specific
pose look like it’s riding a bike? Inderaj Jhass scavenged the parts
for the larger than life chopper from his father-in-law’s farm. The
back wheel was from an International Scout 4x4, the classic eight
spoke rally rim with the biggest off road tire found in the used tire
hill. The back fender was a utility trailer fender, completed with
a sissy bar, a passenger seat and a personalized licence plate, BEAR.
The Springer front end was made up of conduit pipe, donated by Forest
Park Electric. The old harrow bar springs made the Springer front
forks look like they actually worked. The pick-up truck shock absorber
gave the Springer its primitive mechanical action. “Bear” needed good
light. So a trip to Value Village for a non-stick pot made an excellent
nostalgic Tri-Light. “The bike should look like the bear scrounged
around for the parts himself,” said Jhass. Charles Johnston gave the
bike big horsepower with the painted six cylinders all with its six
header pipes connecting to straight pipes. With all this performance
the bike needed good stopping power, so some old Chevy grain truck
brake rotors fitted nice on the back wheel. The only authentic motorcycle
part was the Sportster front wheel.
During the build
at the barracks, Biker Bear became a conversation piece. Every time
a piece was added other artist would come over and admire the idea.
Coffee breaks around Biker Bear were not uncommon. When the backend
was being fabricated and the swing arm and wheel were anchored to
the concrete. The bike, just like Orange County Choppers was just
taking shape. Hubert Theroux, creator of the Blue Bomber bear “Big
Blue”, jumped on the back wheel and said, “ Wouldn’t be neat if people
could sit here and ride with the bear?” Right there and then the idea
of having a passenger seat and a sissy bar was born. Biker Bear became
the first and only interactive bear where the public could sit, climb
and ride on for pictures.
If
You Love Something Set it Free
The Breast Cancer Pledge Ride committee decided to auction Biker Bear
off. Dan Roche of N C Machine & Tool Company was the successful
bidder. Biker Bear did not go to his new home right away. He made
an appearance that winter in the “Parade of Lights” in downtown Winnipeg
and wintered back in the Kaypong Barracks. In the spring of 2006 Biker
Bear made his final migration to his new home. Over 20 motorcycles
escorted him to his new home on Hutchings Street in Inkster Industrial
Park. PJ (Biker Bear) loves visitors, so if you are in the area please
drop by.
