The Buzzard Butt Buster began in 1987 by Dick and JoAnn Buzzard. Dick had retired from West Coast Savings and Loan in 1980 and started to ride motorcycles. He started hanging out at Power Sports Northwest in Centralia selling bikes and promoting riding. Many of the bikes that Dick sold are still in use today and some of them are probably on the ride this year! He was such a great salesman that Jo Ann tells the story of the day he called her at work and said, “…bring me some shoes, I just sold my boots.” He loved to get groups together for rides. In August 1987 he gathered eight bikes, ordered shirts, and the first BBB ride was born. This began a tradition that has been carried on to this day. Dick’s health began to fail and in 1993 he and Jo Ann began doing the rides in their truck or car. He turned over the planning of the rides to what was then Washington Chapter 4 of the Venture Touring Society, affectionately known as the “Buzzard’s Buzzlings.” In August 1997 Dick accompanied us on his last ride; he passed away in September 1997. He endeared himself to everyone and those that were fortunate enough to have known him will never forget him. For 20 years this group of volunteers organized and planned the annual ride. From 2007 to 2016 a group in the Portland, OR area took over the ride responsibilities and carried on the tradition of the annual Buzzard Butt Buster. Because the Portland volunteers decided to retire, planning for the 2017 ride was turned over to volunteers in Shelton, WA.
