2024 Wing Fling

Written by Retha Roos

Planning for this year’s “Dam Jam” began many months ago. Bikes were polished, extra chrome was ordered and fitted and, of course, some pretty lights were added for that extra flair.

Then came the trip planning – when were we going to leave for our annual visit with our other Wing “chommas”? Trains or buses, also known as groups, also known as friends, were formed, each with their own agenda of arriving safely and without mishap at the Gariep Dam.

For most, the fun started the moment we began planning outfits for the themed evening and, of course, packing something for the gala evening. Space had to be made for the much-needed bike wash and polish kits too. Next was the agonising decision of what was going to fit in the bike and what was not, thus what gets packed and what not. Amongst all this, planning had to be made for the Potjiekos competition, where you were placed in a group without any input on your choice, thus a “lekker mengelmoes”, forcing us to make contact with other members for planning the pots, ingredients and themes. Of course, this also had to fit into bikes, and if you were lucky, you had a 4-wheel vehicle to help carry the load.

And then, at last – the key turned in the bike, and the shining bike rolled down the road, on its way to the long-awaited 2024 Wing Fling.

If you take a map of Southern Africa and draw lines from every direction where these bikes come from, it creates a beautiful star (although some lines are still missing, such as from the Eastern Cape and Natal.) Our friends from neighbouring countries, Eswatini and Namibia, and even Nigeria (although not driving from there), made up for some of the missing lines. It makes us hopeful of the potential to bring many more fans into this Wing family.

On Friday, Johan, Hans, and Retha2 were the first to book into the resort, but were not allowed to enter the chalets as the staff were still getting everything ready for the Wingers, as well as other fellow South Africans visiting to enjoy a break from everyday life in our beloved country.

On exploration, the four came across a hotel on the koppie, just above the resort. When the first group was about to arrive, with tyres screeching, the four rushed out of the resort and up the hill to video and capture some photos of the arrival of the first Wing Riders. (The video can be viewed here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wingriders/54080589793/in/album-72177720321352570.)

Saturday was all about getting ready for the spoiling of everyone for the week – the packing of Wing Fling shirts and welcome packs, with gorgeous cold welcoming towels and drinks planned. Thanks to the superb organising skills of Joekie who led the team, everything was done according to plan, leaving everything ready for the family to arrive on Sunday.

By Sunday evening, everyone had arrived safely at the resort. Smiles, hugs, and joyful greetings filled the air as we reunited with many we only see once a year, trying to catch up in a short time while making sure not to miss anyone during this week.

Travel-weary Wingers were eagerly awaiting a much-needed supper and drink, with plans to sneak off to bed early. But then, JollyDolla Joekie burst in with a cleavage many ladies could only dream of (as with most of us, what was once up, is now down, and you have to force the pair to resemble a cleavage). She stunned us with resounding bursts from her cleavage, followed by demanding the rules for the week: No negativity, no chapter referrals, and the most fun must be had. A shot list was put down and offenders had to be penalised every evening should they dare break the JollyDolla’s rules. Needless to say, we had quite a few daredevils breaking the rules to get a shot, with some guardsmen ensuring the maximum number of shots could be handed out, both willingly and unwillingly (thanks to a horrible mampoer that ruined the beautiful taste of a Milk Tart shooter).

The Wing Song was sung by all, the Wing Fling key was handed over, and the final rule was shared: Don’t dare sit with the same people for dinner the next night, or any other night. This rule helped everyone mingle with as many Wing Riders family members as possible throughout the week – an excellent rule indeed.

Monday started with breakfast in the hall and the mass ride through the town of Colesberg. For many who always pass by on the highway, it was a chance to see the inside of this special little town. The decision to follow a backroad instead of the highway was great, and with very little traffic, we rode into town and back, lining up for group photos at the dam wall. We even took part in a Mexican wave, although Adriaan’s focus was so disrupted that our wave fell short of expectations – LOL!

Some lucky folks also spotted a road sign that, as far as I know, doesn’t appear anywhere else in South Africa. Maybe some of you well-travelled folks will disagree.

A short and sweet AGM followed, allowing the cowboys and gals to gear up for line dancing lessons with Jane and Barbara. Conquering the Grapevine Steps took some effort, resulting in twisted toes, knees, and ankles. The end result looked like we were stomping grapes rather than grapevining! Star of the show was Elf (nie 10), who kicked, stomped, and rocked out to even the faster dances, like Mendoza’s infamous Nkalakatha.

Tuesday was bike-washing day, priming and prepping for the Concours d’Elegance. Some wives proved that modern-day “slave labour” still exists, and a dust cloth was noticed in a female hand cleaning up where the main (or is it male) cleaner was just too caught up in shining his chrome to notice a missed spot.

Later, the Potjiekos competition began, and my oh my, showcased the Wing Riders’ creativity and culinary skills. Different “tribes” emerged, ranging from the Indian-flavoured potjie and well-dressed Indian team, the colourful Hippie crowd, the ethnic Eswatini tribe, to the Namakwa Weskus Klonge, to name but a few. The flavours of these potjies mingled beautifully, with drinks ranging from Kazakhstan herbal tea to shooters, beer, or just Coke Zero. Daar was goed gekuier deur die familie die hele middag deur.

Inside the hall, there was a hustle and bustle to set tables according to the themes, with the always-present mischief-maker of the family, sneaking bokkoms onto plates. The judges, in true MasterChef style, sampled each potjie, accompanied by an odd “palate cleanser”, namely Castle Lite. Me thinks this was not the best of “both” worlds to be a judge – choosing a winner from the wonderful flavours and creative presentations was no easy task! ‘n Lekker bederfie daar uit die Hexriviervallei, was Gerdus en Cynthia se bottels wat op elke tafel hul opwagting gemaak het – spesiale deluxe bederf!!

A decision was made to let the next day’s outride stand over until Thursday, to the delight of many a bone-weary body.

Thus, Wednesday was the Concours d’Elegance – a day starting with a promise of rain. Shining Wings were parked according to class outside the main gate, ready for the adoring admiration of many a spectator. Despite some bikes refusing to start due to battery issues, everything got sorted, and the family gathered on the lawn, chatting away. Two judges, imported from Bloemfontein, had the tough job of picking the best iron horse.

Boeries for lunch in the lapa, was a prelude to a spitbraai by Master Marius later that evening to feed the Wing Riders. Table games were played by some, whilst chats around the fire covered a range of topics – from solutions to world political problems to recipe ideas and sharing of stories.  This made for a relaxing afternoon with some sneaking off to their chalets for an afternoon nap.

Poena and Annelize entertained and challenged us with their trademark Helmet by Helmet show, with music ranging from the early 60s to 2024, leaving us all screaming like teenage girls at a Bruce Springsteen concert! Meanwhile, non-players dissected a lamb carcass outside, nibbling at ribs. Inside, we tried to remember song lyrics, tunes and artists’ names. The winners earned diaries to remind them that next year is just around the corner.

Thursday, we set off early for the outride to Aliwal North. Auntie Google gave Adriaan some trouble, proving that Google doesn’t always know best. A moment’s panic and Google-betrayal was felt by Adriaan, but Wing Riders love the road and, without missing two beats, the road was taken leading to Smithfield – a first visit for many – before taking the last stretch to Aliwal North. A lovely lunch was enjoined on the banks of the Orange River which gave us the opportunity for a quick visit to the Eastern Cape. A decision was made to return via Burgersdorp to Gariep, with a nasty side wind keeping riders on their toes, and their pillions awake. Johan Nagel, our new Namibian member, had to decide whether to contribute to the Burgersdorp economy at Dunlop, but despite a little flatness, everyone made it back to Gariep safely.

Now it was time to dress up for the gala evening and let me tell you – this family cleans up very well! Beautiful dames were hanging out with some respectful-looking gents as the much sought-after trophies, rewards for months of preparation, were handed out. Congratulations to all the winners – both gents and ladies – on your stunning machines and the time you take to care for these beautiful pieces of metal.

Some members departed on Friday already. Those who remained took an outride to Bethulie where another delicious lunch was enjoyed. For the rest, it was a day of relaxation, fishing at the dam and a last opportunity to visit with old friends and make new ones.

On Friday night, we had the Light Parade, showcasing beautifully lit bikes through the resort.

The Wing Fling officially ended with a sad farewell that evening. Of course, the night had its share of typical laughter and lovable chats, but there was a feeling of sadness as the event came to an end too soon.

To the organising committee – well done on an incredible job. We know it was no easy feat arranging outrides, gifts, potjies for the competition, food for everybody including the special needs of some, the spitbraai, the ingredients for the potjies and much, much more. Even something as simple as getting shirts for each of our various body shapes must have been a huge challenge. You accomplished all of this while still taking time to enjoy the Wing Fling yourselves, we hope.

To Marius, Johnno, Joekie, Adriaan, Johan and Cecile – congratulations on a well-planned, thoroughly enjoyable 2024 Wing Fling.

To the WC committee arranging the 2025 Wing Fling – good luck in finding a venue and in all your planning. We look forward to visiting with the family again next year.

To each and every member of the Wing Riders family – I wish you all Psalm 121, verses 7 and 8: May God guard you from every evil, may He guard your very life. He guards you when you leave and He guards you when you return, He guards you now, He guards you always.

Keep your rubber on the tar, and your bike upright … until we see one another in 2025.

Lots of love

Retha Roos