Bakersfield to Bakersfield
A Motorcycle Journey Through Bakersfield:
California to Vermont

The Riders

• Though, born and raised in Bakersfield, Jorge’s life really started when he was accepted to Juliard. Only it was a huge mistake as the acceptance letter was sent to the wrong person. While attending Juliard, Jorge grew fond of, and manicured his love of sewing. He truly enjoys creating from his hands and mind, which he expresses by sewing sock puppets and writing plays. However, on occasion he takes time to wash his collection of stuffed squirrels and miscellaneous roadkill that he is gathering for his upcoming Broadway debut, "The Critters Who Dance and Talk to Me, a retrospective, by Jorge" (It’s a one man play). Jorge also enjoys travel spoon collectibles, and a coffee table book on Nylon pantyhose of the 1950's.
• Born to a family of traveling contortionist, Jose grew up in the Punjab region of Northern India. After a devastating fire that claimed the lives of the traveling circus, Jose joined the French Foreign Legion and began studying astrology under lieutenant Girard. Eventually, Jose met and married his first of nine wives, Alaque. Together, the two followed the rodeo circuit working as rodeo clowns until Alaque's unfortunate miscalculation and subsequent death. Little is known about Jose's life in between Alaque's death and now but some say he went down to wrestle alligator's in Florida, while others speculate that he traveled across the United States following the Grateful Dead. In fact, no one can agree on exactly when he showed up in Bakersfield and some say he simply appeared out of thin air.
• Born Sophia "gigi" De La Torre to a family of 8 boys, Ryan couldn’t help but feel out of place with his sibling and under went a sex change at the age of 5. During the height of the rap wars and working under the alias ‘Ryan Smith,’ his family escaped Guatemala during the street wars of the ruthless "Art Stenciling" scene. In 1983 he moved to Berlin...Vermont to fulfill his dreams of becoming a famous break dancer. At the height of his career, ‘Ryan’ decided to pull off the most incredible break move ever, "The Flying-Deer Monkey.” Consisting of a head-spin to a half knuckle foot grab, down to a left side pinky toe freeze; Ryan took the winning. He eventually opened a candy engraving shop in Arvin, CA which did not last. He sold everything he had, except his prized 1958 Honda Cub and moved far north to Bakersfield, CA in hopes of becoming the first Ruff Rider with a 50cc engine.
• Julio's parents were Thelma and Cody Jones, although he often questioned the validity of this. Living in the desolate ghost town of Bakersfield, TX, Julio spent most of time helping his mother cross-stitch pictures of scenic hillsides and adorable cats. One night as the family sat down for their weekly American Idol family night, Julio emptied the remainder of his mother's muscle relaxers onto the counter and crushed them, sprinkling the dust into his parents lemon aide. As his parents dozed off, Julio grabbed his bag and headed out to discover the truth about his real parents. He doesn't remember much of his childhood except occasional flash backs of shaving his mother's back and clipping his father's toe nails. Julio's journey took him California where he found a job at a local cash advance company. One day Julio got a paper cut from a crisp new $100 bill and sued the company. He won the case with the help of the friendly lawyers at 1-800-SUE-THEM. With his settlement, Julio acquired many friends, one of them being Jorge. Jorge managed to convince Julio that he was his real brother and Julio was given away at birth. Julio now ecstatic to have a brother offered up his settlement which is now funding the trip; the trip that will take him back through his hometown. He is ready to confront his demons and return to Bakersfield, TX one last time to close the book on that part of his life.