Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally rolls into Panama City Beach.
An estimated 50,000 motorcyclists have rolled into town for the spring Thunder Beach motorcycle rally. Those thousands of extra wheels on the road pose a higher risk for accidents.
“We don’t really have that many. Unfortunately, what would just be a fender bender in a car or truck could be fatal on a motorcycle. And riders understand that,” Thunder Beach Productions President Joe Biggs said.
The rally is spread across three venues: the main one at Frank Brown Park, the Harley-Davidson dealership, and the crossroads across from Sharky’s Restaurant on Front Beach Road.
Drivers are urged to be extra cautious while driving on U.S. 98, Back Beach Road, and State Road 390, towards the main venue at Frank Brown Park.
“Sometimes you’re blind spot may not be able to see a motorcycle rider. There will be a lot of them out there. So we do ask people to be patient with each other on the roadways. Make sure you’re just taking that extra step to make sure that you’re staying safe and keeping those around you safe as well,” Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson Ian Satter said.
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FDOT expects to see an increase in traffic in the area, especially through active work zones.
“Throughout this weekend, you’ll see an uptick in traffic. We do ask people to, you know, take a little bit of extra time out there. And we do have a lot of active construction zones through those areas. So take particular care and attention as you’re driving through those work zones,” Satter said.
Thunder Beach President Joe Biggs says motorcyclists ride in groups to make themselves more visible to drivers.
“Very often you’ll see two, four, six bikes riding together. But they’re creating more of a presence. They’re not being idiots. They’re just trying to be more visible so that people in cars and trucks are clearly aware that there’s a motorcycle around,” Biggs added.
Biggs says Thunder Beach appeals to a certain segment of bikers.
“This is not a sport bike event, this is a cruiser event. Because of it, it’s an older audience who are a lot more responsible,” Satter said.
With more than 100 vendors, he says you don’t have to be a rider to enjoy Thunder Beach.
One of the weekend’s highlights is a “Back the Blue” parade on Saturday, held in memory of Panama City Beach Police Sergeant Kevin Kight and Walton County Deputy Will May. It takes place at 11 a.m. from the Beef O’ Brady’s parking lot.
