OK...So who is going to brave the hurricane and meet us in Daytona???
DAYTONA BEACH -- George Deffenbaugh and Mike Sayer were keeping one eye on the leather-clad women strolling along Main Street and another eye on Hurricane Wilma updates on TV. "I'm trying to figure out when to run," Deffenbaugh said Wednesday from his comfortable perch on the bench in front of Dirty Harry's Bar.
A Biketoberfest regular, Deffenbaugh found a positive aspect to what he assumes will be a storm-shortened weekend.
"This will probably be the first Biketoberfest that I've gone home with money still in my pocket," the Gainesville man said.
"We've sat through rain before, but a hurricane is something different."
Anxiety about a Category 5 hurricane making a beeline toward Florida was forcing bikers on Daytona Beach's Main Street to rethink their plans about the annual event.
Michelle Vancil, who co-owns a biker shop in Lakeland, came to Biketoberfest with her husband for a quick visit Tuesday. "We know we have to be home to board up," she said.
Tourism officials tried to reassure the skittish, in spite of the uncertainty of the storm path.
"We are in a wait-and-see mode," said Georgia Turner of the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We don't have plans to cancel or postpone (Biketoberfest.)"
Officials at Daytona Speedway Corp., site of many scheduled festival events, also were monitoring the storm. "We're still on for everything this weekend," said David Talley, a spokesman.
State emergency-management officials talked with local agencies about how Hurricane Wilma could affect the thousands of people expected to converge on the Daytona Beach area for Biketoberfest.
Craig Fugate, director of the state Division of Emergency Management, said it was unclear Wednesday how far north the hurricane would go as it crosses Florida. He said officials have until today to determine whether the hurricane will affect the event.
"It's too early to say that it's going to be directly impacted," Fugate said. "But we're watching it."
Ocean Resorts, which operates 14 beachfront hotels, got a few biker guest cancellations Wednesday, but they were quickly replaced by new reservations from people fleeing from South Florida, said Doug Kosarek, the senior vice president.
Kosarek said he got the feeling that South Florida residents were trying to make the best of a bad situation. If they had to flee their homes, they were going to Biketoberfest.
"It's a different kind of day-tripper," he said.
Ocean Resorts, which owns hotels as varied as the Plaza Resort & Spa and the Mayan Inn, still has about 10 percent of its rooms vacant. Evacuees who arrive Sunday won't have to pay Biketoberfest rates, Kosarek said.
He said many people probably won't decide what to do until the last minute.
Bobby Honeycutt, general manager of Froggy's Saloon on Main Street, was worried for his staff. The bar hires about 100 extra employees for Biketoberfest, and their livelihoods depend on the event.
In a worst-case scenario, Honeycutt said, "They will get a regular paycheck, but it won't compare to how much customers will tip."
Sandra Manglani, owner of T-Shirt Paradise on Main Street, said she was praying for good weather. "We leave it to God," she said.
Liz Swaine, a biker from Louisiana, found Hurricane Wilma to be ironic.
As an executive assistant to the mayor of Shreveport, La., Swaine has been putting in 60-hour work weeks since Hurricane Katrina sent a "tidal wave of evacuees" to her city.
Biketoberfest seemed like a perfect opportunity to get away from Katrina-related troubles. That was before she found out about Hurricane Wilma.
"It makes no sense to come to Florida to escape hurricanes," Swaine said with a laugh.
With rain in the forecast, Swaine and her husband, Steve Culp, plan to make an early exit .
"It's hard (to have fun) when you're all wet," she said.
DAYTONA BEACH -- George Deffenbaugh and Mike Sayer were keeping one eye on the leather-clad women strolling along Main Street and another eye on Hurricane Wilma updates on TV. "I'm trying to figure out when to run," Deffenbaugh said Wednesday from his comfortable perch on the bench in front of Dirty Harry's Bar.
A Biketoberfest regular, Deffenbaugh found a positive aspect to what he assumes will be a storm-shortened weekend.
"This will probably be the first Biketoberfest that I've gone home with money still in my pocket," the Gainesville man said.
"We've sat through rain before, but a hurricane is something different."
Anxiety about a Category 5 hurricane making a beeline toward Florida was forcing bikers on Daytona Beach's Main Street to rethink their plans about the annual event.
Michelle Vancil, who co-owns a biker shop in Lakeland, came to Biketoberfest with her husband for a quick visit Tuesday. "We know we have to be home to board up," she said.
Tourism officials tried to reassure the skittish, in spite of the uncertainty of the storm path.
"We are in a wait-and-see mode," said Georgia Turner of the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We don't have plans to cancel or postpone (Biketoberfest.)"
Officials at Daytona Speedway Corp., site of many scheduled festival events, also were monitoring the storm. "We're still on for everything this weekend," said David Talley, a spokesman.
State emergency-management officials talked with local agencies about how Hurricane Wilma could affect the thousands of people expected to converge on the Daytona Beach area for Biketoberfest.
Craig Fugate, director of the state Division of Emergency Management, said it was unclear Wednesday how far north the hurricane would go as it crosses Florida. He said officials have until today to determine whether the hurricane will affect the event.
"It's too early to say that it's going to be directly impacted," Fugate said. "But we're watching it."
Ocean Resorts, which operates 14 beachfront hotels, got a few biker guest cancellations Wednesday, but they were quickly replaced by new reservations from people fleeing from South Florida, said Doug Kosarek, the senior vice president.
Kosarek said he got the feeling that South Florida residents were trying to make the best of a bad situation. If they had to flee their homes, they were going to Biketoberfest.
"It's a different kind of day-tripper," he said.
Ocean Resorts, which owns hotels as varied as the Plaza Resort & Spa and the Mayan Inn, still has about 10 percent of its rooms vacant. Evacuees who arrive Sunday won't have to pay Biketoberfest rates, Kosarek said.
He said many people probably won't decide what to do until the last minute.
Bobby Honeycutt, general manager of Froggy's Saloon on Main Street, was worried for his staff. The bar hires about 100 extra employees for Biketoberfest, and their livelihoods depend on the event.
In a worst-case scenario, Honeycutt said, "They will get a regular paycheck, but it won't compare to how much customers will tip."
Sandra Manglani, owner of T-Shirt Paradise on Main Street, said she was praying for good weather. "We leave it to God," she said.
Liz Swaine, a biker from Louisiana, found Hurricane Wilma to be ironic.
As an executive assistant to the mayor of Shreveport, La., Swaine has been putting in 60-hour work weeks since Hurricane Katrina sent a "tidal wave of evacuees" to her city.
Biketoberfest seemed like a perfect opportunity to get away from Katrina-related troubles. That was before she found out about Hurricane Wilma.
"It makes no sense to come to Florida to escape hurricanes," Swaine said with a laugh.
With rain in the forecast, Swaine and her husband, Steve Culp, plan to make an early exit .
"It's hard (to have fun) when you're all wet," she said.
so is anyone planning on going to daytona, me and a group of friends have plan to go but we are on stand by due to the weather
