Chico man in the lead to win dream chopper
He wants it to be ‘Butte Strong’
50-year-old bike enthusiast entered the Dream Chopper competition; custom motorcycle is on the line.
CHICO » His love of choppers began when he was a wee 5-year-old on the back of his dad’s bike.
“As soon as I was old enough to get on the back and reach the pegs, we’d go on rides,” Rick Hyde said.
Bike culture runs deep in his veins. He’s 50 now and still loves the thrill of riding. When some scrolls through social media presented the Dream Chopper competition, he entered without hesitation.
If he wins, Paul Teutul Sr. of the television show “American Chopper” will give him a custom bike built entirely from scratch by Orange County Choppers. Hyde will also get to join the star on the show and be featured on the cover of “Cycle Source Magazine.”
The competition began Oct. 26. It’s a simple one. All Hyde needs is to get more votes than anyone else. After he entered, he announced it on social media. The post garnered more attention than he ever thought it would. Votes
have been flooding his way. To this day, he maintains the No. 1 spot in the competition.
“It just has gone berserk.” he said. “This little county
in Northern California has been smoking everyone. It’s just unreal.”
Even folks he has no mutual friends with are casting votes in his favor. When
he can catch them, he sends them a thank you message.
“It’s been incredible,” Hyde said. “I’m completely touched that so much people have followed me on this
thing for so long.”
He wants his chopper to be designed in a way that honors the 86 lives lost to the Camp Fire, two of whom he knew since he was born.
Gordon Dise and Gerald Rodrugiez were friends of his dad. He wants the chopper to have markers that represent each lost life.
“It will be like a graveyard going down a hill, a foggy setting,” he said.
During the first stages of the competition, there were several groups with 100 competitors each. Hyde’s group was cut down to 15, then 10, then five, then one. He’s found himself in the quarter finals of the competition. There are just over 500 competitors left. The quarter finals end at 8 p.m. tonight.
Participants get one free vote a day, but also have the choice to pay $1 to cast two votes. All proceeds benefit the New York-based Hudson Valley SPCA Foundation, a no-kill animal shelter that aims to lead the fight against animal abuse by providing care services for each animal while actively finding homes for them.
To vote, visit dreamchopper.com/2020/rick-hyde.
Assuming the pandemic lets up, Hyde hopes to take his dream chopper to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally next year. It’s a 10- day motorcycle event in South Dakota with participants from all around the world.