Charles Michelson remembers his first time trying a drive up a steep hill on a motorbike, back when he was just a few feet tall and about the same age as his 8-year-old son is now.

He continued the thrill of challenging gravity well into adulthood, but decided it was best to cool it for a while when Charles Michelson Jr. was born.

Four years ago, he picked hillclimbing up again, hoping to pass it down to the next generation. Since then, going to the Gunstock climb and riding around during Laconia Motorcycle Week has become a yearly tradition for the father-son duo and their family from Bow.

“Doing hills, watching others. It’s not just holding the throttle, dude. That doesn’t equate to speed. There’s a lot more technique to it,” Charles Michelson said. “It’s still very homegrown; people are building their own rigs. They’re willing to share a part and give advice.”

In the Mini Junior category, young Charles Michelson Jr. ran his Kawasaki 65cc bike nearly to the top. He ascended carefully, holding the throttle firmly and choosing his path through the slippery and rocky terrain.

He was cool as a pickle after the climb; he cleaned up after being covered in dirt, and from the comfort of his trailer, he nonchalantly said, “I just like riding in general.”

Michelson Jr. is one of the top riders in the sport for his age and class in the New England Hillclimbers Association. He scarfs down Cheetos and Gatorade to refuel after riding and said he’s made lots of friends.

While most of the Motorcycle Week action happens down at Weirs Beach in Laconia, the hillclimb in Gilford offers a different slice of bike week.

On Wednesday, hillclimb enthusiasts and motorcycle riders flocked from around the region to watch riders of all ages and bike sizes attempt to conquer the Gunstock Hillclimb at the 70-meter Torger Tokle Memorial Ski Jump hill.

The revving of motorcycles energized the large crowd of spectators and muddied riders. The smell of gasoline, rubber, fried dough and engine smoke filled “The Pit” at one of Laconia Motorcycle Week’s biggest events.

Michelson Jr. is sponsored by the Jake DeWare Kindness Project, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting kindness and helping young bike riders.

DeWare, a motorcycle enthusiast himself, passed away in 2020. He coached at the Highland Mountain Bike Park in Northfield and was a member of the New England Hill Climbers, just like Michelson Jr.

Father and son each got up the hill through the mud and avoided the rocks that littered each side of the tricky course. Both wore jackets with fluorescent pink accents and grilled lunch next to their trailer.

“I like being with my friends before the hill climb, and after I get to play around and ride my bike,” Michelson Jr. said.

Hillclimbing is not the safest sport, he acknowledged, and that it takes guts to go up the hill, but Michelson said the most important lesson he can teach his son is how to be aware and skillful in getting out of dangerous situations.

Michelson is especially grateful for the Jake DeWare Kindness Project Sponsorship; without it he could not have put together everything he needed to teach his son how to ride the hillclimb right. The trailer he brought was filled to the brim with tools and gear, all so that Michelson Jr. could have the smoothest ride possible, still very bumpy and muddy.

The hillclimb event is one of the most family-oriented events, with plenty of excitement for all ages. Classic rock tunes of all eras played over the loudspeakers as the crowd would roar for climbers in between hanging out and enjoying good food and beer with friends they had made from years past. Many food trucks with fried foods, crepes, boba tea and beer lined the edges of the lawn.

Old-timers rocked leather jackets and handlebar mustaches, tattooed millennials and Gen-Zers with graphic tees enjoyed the burnouts on the pavement and kids rode around on all sorts of small bikes – biding their time to ride a big one.

The 102nd edition

The weather has cooperated for the most part, and Jenn Anderson, deputy director of Laconia Motorcycle Week, explained that they try to offer something for everyone throughout the seven days of festivities.

“It has that legacy coming out of the gate, and so people want to be a part of that. So, I would say that’s the big umbrella of the reason is, the vast majority of the people that I talk to, they say it’s for the riding, it’s for the welcoming atmosphere and the riding with the close proximity to the White Mountains and the seacoast,” she explained.

The nine-day affair is one of the biggest economic tourism boosts to kick off the summer season in New Hampshire and the Lakes region. Estimates are that bike week generates around $100 million in revenue for the state, with around 300,000 bikers coming in and out.

People buy and wear their 102nd edition Laconia Motorcycle Week shirts or represent their area in Harley-Davidson merch from groups as far as Wisconsin and South Carolina or as close as Hampton Beach. Hoping to honor a multi-generational family tradition, people flock from all over to take part in the oldest Motorcycle Rally in the country.

“We have noticed and we’ve heard some feedback from lodging facilities that – and we’ve noticed it anecdotally as well – our Canadian visitors seem to be down pretty significantly for the first four days,” Anderson added.

At Weirs Beach

As the weather improves this weekened, Weirs Beach, the iconic central location of the week’s festivities, will fill with motorcycles and riders eating food, connecting with strangers from across the nation and showcasing their chrome.

Adam McCoy from Brewster, Massachusetts, came up for the first time last year. His family and friends had recommended it for years, and when he visited himself, he instantly fell in love with the camaraderie, the rides, the fun and the cruising. He returned this year, expanding what was only a day-trip last year into a four-day stay for the 102nd edition.

He hung out by the water among the sea of motorcycles as he and his friends admired the rides that passed by.

“We came here, we didn’t expect it at all. We showed up a little late, and the nightlife was insane,” he said as he turned toward his friends. “The amount of people, the amount of bikes, what was going on was a lot of entertainment.”

Alexander Rapp can be reached at arapp@cmonitor.com