28 | JUNE 2026 SPECIAL SECTION
There were cool details wherever you looked. Gas tanks have always been used as canvases for creativity, from homages to Black Sabbath or an Incan warrior, to an oldschool coffin-shaped tank and detailed metalwork.
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.