Wheels of fortune

Legend has it we should expect bad things on Friday the 13th.

That was the way many in Norfolk were looking at the fateful day this year, especially those who have managed to turn Friday the 13th into a tidy little sideline.

But as luck would have it, the event has defied expectations.

Since 1981, Friday the 13th has served as an occasion for motorcycle riders from across Ontario and beyond to converge on Port Dover. This year is exceptional because there are three Fridays the 13th, none of which occur in a month associated with riding. As it happens, none of this has mattered.

Friday the 13th in February was sunny and pleasant. By midafternoon that day, the most anyone needed for additional warmth was a heavy sweater. The story was the same last Friday. Both events attracted hundreds of motorcycles and thousands of visitors. It was a sure-fire cure for cabin fever.

Not long ago, there was an energetic debate in Port Dover about the costs and benefits of Friday the 13th. Such a discussion was possible because the economy was good, the event was growing in leaps and bounds, and it was not clear that Norfolk County could handle the huge crowds. The event last June shattered all expectations, with more than 100,000 people plus an estimated 15,000 motorcycles in town.

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