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Southern Independent Riders: Non-profit motorcycle club looking forward to fun year

The Southern Independent Riders (SIR) are a non-profit organization that gets together a few times a year to raise money for good causes, enjoy each other’s company, and have a little fun on the open road. Their biggest event is the annual St. Victor Boogie
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the Southern Independent Riders

The Southern Independent Riders (SIR) are a non-profit organization that gets together a few times a year to raise money for good causes, enjoy each other’s company, and have a little fun on the open road.

Their biggest event is the annual St. Victor Boogie. The St. Victor is held at Sylvan Valley Regional Park and has been ongoing since about 1980.

This year’s Boogie is June 16 to 18 and it will be the 44th.

“The St. Victor Boogie is definitely the longest-running motorcycle event in Western Canada. For sure,” said Randy Padfield. A long-time member of SIR, Padfield has been attending the Boogie for over 40 years and is a past president of the club.

“Basically, the first one was 1980, and it’s grown from a few local individuals going down to St. Victor to camp and get together. We told our friends and it just passed on. We never really advertised for many years, it was all just done word-of-mouth. And we’ve had some really huge years.”

The St. Victor Boogie is now a legendary weekend of camping and fun, with two live bands, motorcycle games, a burnout pit, and various fundraising opportunities, including a yearly raffle of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. 

And what are motorcycle games?

“It’s all part of the fun,” Padfield laughed. “It’s just whatever kind of crazy games we can come up with to keep people active.

“There’s a balloon toss where a passenger on a motorcycle rides through a gate with an elevated bar, and the balloon has to go over the bar and they have to catch it without dropping or breaking it. … We have a wiener bike, where a hotdog is hanging under a suspended bar — it’s covered in mustard, by the way — and the winner is whoever takes the biggest bite without stopping.”

Padfield noted there is a fresh wiener for each contestant, and added it’s a personal choice just how fast riders take their approach.

For safety reasons, no minors, pets, or glass containers are allowed at the Boogie, with one exception — if they are carefully supervised, children can attend the Saturday afternoon rodeo to watch the motorcycle games. Other conditions are that the weekend is cash-only, and bad attitudes should also be left at home.

Other club events include the SIR Poker Runs, which take club members and guests on a ride through the south country — from Assiniboia to Moose Jaw to Ogema and beyond.

The next Poker Run is May 27th. Participants must buy into an initial ‘hand’ for $10, which entitles payees to the ride and to the BBQ at the end. Additional hands are $5 at each stop, and there’s a chance to win half the pot when riders reach the clubhouse. The rest goes to charity.

The ‘Toyker’ Run on August 19th is the same idea, but with a twist — members also collect toys along the way to donate to the Salvation Army.

Over the years, the SIR has donated hundreds of thousands to charities like STARS, the Orange Benevolent Society, fire departments, hospital units, scholarships, food banks, and more.

The club is not exclusive of what kind of motorcycle you’re riding — if you can keep up on the highway, share in the club’s causes, and enjoy riding with others, you’re welcome.

“We don’t care if it’s a small Japanese bike or the biggest Harley,” Padfield said. “Men, women, whatever, as long as you’re willing to promote the same things we are, that’s what we’re looking for.

“We do it all for fun and enjoyment. It’s a close group.”

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