Port Dover goes for record

From CNW Group

PORT DOVER, ON - Friday, June 13 is the day PD13 in Port Dover will be making Guinness World Record history.

PD13 (Friday the 13th) in Port Dover has grown to be Canada's largest motorcycle event, with an estimated 150,000 attending last July in this fishing port on Lake Erie (pop. 6,000). This year, Friday the 13th falls only once - in June.

"With attendance expected to soar, we see this as an opportunity to set a world record in the category of Largest Parade of Motorcycles," said Norfolk County's Promotions Coordinator, Cindy Vanderstar.

This will be the first record attempt, according to Guinness World Records. Places such as Daytona Beach, Sturgis and Harley-Davidson's head office in Milwaukee have never made the attempt.

PD13 began in 1981 when Chris Simon and 25 of his biker friends, through word-of-mouth, met in a bar now known as Angelo's. It was a Friday, Nov. 13. Every Friday the 13th thereafter, no matter what time of year, they met again with more and more joining them each time.

This "phenomenon" draws motorcycle enthusiasts from all over North America and has grown to become what is believed to be an important economic driver for Port Dover and Norfolk County.

To count the number of bikes in accordance with Guinness' criteria, each motorcycle will receive a numbered tag when entering Port Dover or they can visit Norfolk County's South Coast Van to receive their tag. The target is 10,000 or greater.