Story & photos by Greg Drevenstedt
David Mann was an artist whose name is synonymous with biker culture. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, he moved to Southern California after high school and immersed himself in the custom scene. After seeing Mann’s 1963 painting “Hollywood Run,” artist and car customizer Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, who was the publisher of Choppers magazine, commissioned a series of original posters. Mann is best known for his work in Easyriders magazine. From 1973 until 2003, his paintings of choppers and biker culture were published as centerfolds in nearly every issue.
Felicia Morgan, a longtime contributor to American Rider when it was known as Thunder Press, knew David Mann. Reporting on the 8th annual David Mann Chopper Fest in 2012, she wrote that the artist “was known as a typical Kansas City boy; warm, laid back, and relaxed…Just as his logo depicts, David was always smiling and was considered ‘easy to amuse’ since laughter came often for him. When he wasn’t laboring over his easel…he was riding his ’57 Pan/Shovel and partying with his best gal Jacquie, his sidekick for 24 years, and his posse of riding pals.”
David and Jacquie were married in 1997 at a swap meet held at Seaside Park in Ventura, California. Mann passed away in 2004 at age 64, and that same year he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the National Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame.
“It was in his spirit that the Chopper Fest was started,” wrote Morgan, “giving everyone an opportunity to remember and celebrate the special Mann they knew and loved.”
The event was run by founder Dave “Huggy Beahr” Hansen and his son, Tory DuVarney, for 20 years. After Hansen died in 2023, the torch was passed to Cary Brobeck, current publisher of Choppers magazine.
“I’m forever grateful for Tory and Huggy and what they built, and I’m deeply honored.” said Brobeck in Mann Made, a documentary about Chopper Fest available on YouTube. “Having Tory come to me at the end of the show and give me a big hug and tell me, ‘My dad would have been proud,’ it made the whole thing worth it.”
The 22nd annual David Mann Chopper Fest was held on February 7 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, right on the Pacific coast and surrounded by towering palm trees and views of mountains rising above downtown Ventura. It was a perfect Saturday: sunny and warm, with a cool onshore breeze.
Bikers come from all over the map to attend Chopper Fest. It’s an hour’s ride north of Los Angeles, and hundreds of riders on custom bikes, including some with steel spines who ride hardtail, raked-out choppers, make the pilgrimage.
The biggest draw is the ride-in bike show, which is open to the public as well as invited builders. Fifty bucks gets you an admission ticket, a T-shirt, an event poster, and entry into one of 16 judged classes.
“Chopper Fest was always a show you rode to,” said Brobeck in Mann Made. “It wasn’t a show where a lot of people backed up a truck, unloaded bikes, and put them in the show. It was a ride-in bike show…there were no trailer queens.”
This year’s Best in Show was Ryan Grossman’s 1946 Knucklehead known as “Two Timer,” a stunner that was the 1st Place Invited Builders pick at Born Free last June. Like a true phoenix from the ashes, Grossman built “Two Timer” from the charred remains of a bike damaged in the Camp Fire that devastated Paradise, California, in 2018, causing 85 fatalities and destroying over 18,000 structures.
The David Mann Award is given to the bike that best captures Mann’s vision of chopper culture, not just craftsmanship but vibe, storytelling, and authenticity. Like Mann’s paintings, it should represent freedom, rebellion, camaraderie, and individuality. This year, that bike was Justin Haynie’s 1950 Panhead, “Killin’ Time.” It’s eye-catching without being too flashy, and it gets ridden, just like one of the choppers in Mann’s “Hollywood Run” painting.
Chopper Fest, which is sponsored by Harley-Davidson, 805 Beer, Thrashin Supply, Choppers Magazine, and Law Tigers, includes an art show, live music, games, swap meet, tattoo artists, and lots of cool vendors. One lucky attendee with the winning raffle ticket won a 1978 Shovelhead built by Krispy Co. Raconteur Danger Dan kept the crowd riled up during the kickstart contest, and the Ives Brothers’ Wall of Death provided old-school entertainment.
If you missed Chopper Fest this year, plan to attend the 2nd annual Chopper Fest Kansas City in September or the 23rd annual event in Ventura next February, which will expand to two days. For more info, check out ChopperFest.com.