/a>[/caption]
Dan & Jan with the Hog... out in front of the Stan Dishong museum in Port Orford, Oregon.
[/caption]
In Idaho, after the museum closed, she loved to ride - often with her dad.
Jeanette (Dishong) Howard: Jan 28, 1956 to May 17, 2011
[/caption]
Posted in Events and News
Leave a comment
Stan’s Son and Grandson hit the road
August 2 – 14, 2010
We covered four states in a two week period - two generations of Dishongs traveling more than 2,000 miles to talk to Stan’s oldest friends and associates. Stops in California included Carmel, Vallejo, Hayward and Walnut Creek, where pictures of Stan, back-in-the-day prompted a lot of discussion, which made for great video. We used video to document the interviews and discussions, not only to ensure accuracy when the writing begins, but also to allow full participation in the dialogue.
Continue reading
Hog Legend Goal #1… Getting Stan inducted into the American Motorcycle Association’s Hall of Fame.
In October, 2005 an application was submitted to the American Motorcycle Association (AMA), nominating Stan for induction into the Hall of Fame, as part of the 2006 ballot. He was not inducted that year… the AMA concluded that his contributions were ‘Regional’ and did not qualify for national recognition. My father knew he was nominated (thrilled, actually – to learn that my sister, Jeanette, assembled and submitted the application – as a surprise for him). Sadly, he learned the AMA’s findings before he passed away. We do not agree that Stan’s contributions were only regional and, the good news is, the nomination process did not end in 2006. According to the AMA nomination rules, “Individuals will remain on the ballot for up to five years.” That means we have until November 30, 2010 to provide additional justification for the 2011 ballot.
We will use what we learn about Stan’s accomplishments, through Hog Legend, to establish that his contributions were more than regional. What we need is the documentation to prove his impact. We need to confirm that he was the inventor of the slick. We need to confirm he was the first to use overhead cams in a motorcycle. We need to confirm he manufactured and distributed chopper parts throughout the U.S. We need to discover and document the other national contributions he made… and you can help. Let us know what you know… who to talk to and where to find the proof.
November of this year does not give us much time… but that’s OK. We’re in this for the long haul and we won’t give up until Stan gets in. If it takes us longer than November, 2010 to get the proof we need, then we’ll keep working and submit a new application when we are, finally, able to document Stan’s importance to American Motorcycling. We know the proof is out there and, with your help, we’ll find it.
Hog Legend Goal #2… Honoring and Sharing the Legacy of Stan’s Life – Dedicated to the Exhilaration of American Motorcycling
Stan passed away in January 2008. Later that year, we created a corporation called “Inspirations THD.” The THD means, “To Honor Dad.” Hog Legend is the part of Inspirations THD we will use to develop and bestow that honor - for all the things that Stan accomplished. Eventually, we will write a book to honor Stan’s life (possibly three books!). To begin the process, Trevor and I will hit the road this summer to start talking to the people who knew Stan the best. We’ll document those conversations and you will be able to follow our progress here, in our blog. That way you will be able see where we are at and what amazing things we are learning. You’re also welcome to add your own comments, thoughts and memories of Stan. He spent the majority of his life sharing his love of American Motorcycling with many, many people… and we want to hear from everyone who shared that same love with him.
Hog Legend Goal #3… Reopening a Museum that will sustain Stan’s Story for many years into the future
This web site is just a start. One day, we would love to have a brick-and-mortar location you could visit to see some of Stan’s most important bikes and creations… to touch and see and smell some of his greatest innovations (Dad once told me the first thing that attracted him to motorcycles was their smell). We want to continue the Harley and Indian conversation he began on the abandoned WWII air fields that were converted into the first drag strips. There is a whole history of speed and excitement that filled America between the end of WWII and the start of the “Happy Days” of the 1950’s. Stan wrote much of that history himself… and we intend to make it our business to explore that exciting time. Between the creation of this web site and the realization of that brick-and-motor dream of reopening a museum, there will be miles of travel to the Smithsonian, to the Headquarters of Harley Davidson, to Hamburg, Iowa (where Stan was born), to Sturgis, South Dakota, to the Bonneville Salt Flats (where he set a land speed record, albeit for a day) and to the many active & abandoned Drag Strips throughout the western United States where he raced. We will need to video-interview a lot of people. We’ll need to catch the eye of the Speed Channel or Discovery. We’ll need to locate and reacquire some of Stan’s most important bikes and creations. We’ll need to write and publish a book (or three). All of this will succeed with your help – to build a Stan Dishong community that shares the same goals we do– and we eagerly look forward to your partnership.
