H 6 N N Sunday, June 29, 2008 Born to ride, but made to write
BY MIKE AVERILL World Scene Writer You know those people your parents warned you about? Edward Winterhalder was one of them. A high-ranking member of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, Winterhalder was an outlaw biker, a “1-percenter” — bikers known for being outside of the 99 percent of law-abiding motorcyclists. At 52, “Connecticut Ed” has since left the club and lifestyle behind and now lives in Owasso, where he writes and serves as an authority on motorcycles and motorcycle clubs. His latest book, “Assimila- tion: Rock Machine Become Bandidos — Bikers United Against the Hells Angels,” focuses on his role in estab- lishing a Bandidos chapter in Canada when the Hells Angels and Rock Machine motorcycle gangs were in a bloody turf war that would lead to more than 160 deaths. The Bandidos, Hells An- gels, Outlaws and Pagans are the “Big Four” in the outlaw biker world, a world Winter- halder said he entered in 1976, drawn to the brotherhood and camaraderie of the clubs. Edward Winterhalder, a former ranking member of the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle club, recently released his third book focusing on the assimilation of the Rock Ma- And, of course, the Harleys chine into the Bandidos club in Canada and the bloodshed with the Hells Angels. Photos by SHANE BEVEL/Tulsa World they rode. “You’re born to ride, espe- I expected to be doing,” he Small Press and then Seven Winterhalder cially for us in the old days,” said. “I thought I’d spend the Locks Press. wrote a book he said. “These days, people rest of my days running con- His next work was part about his biking wear a Harley like a girl struction companies.” of a compilation titled “The life because he wears a purse. But for us, it His writing started as sim- Mammoth Book of Bikers,” had all these was just in our blood.” ple means of recording his- which was published world- words he needed Winterhalder said he held tory. wide in 2007. to do something the rank of El Secretario in “I knew I’d been involved in After that, he didn’t have with. “I use to the Bandidos national chap- a lot of world-changing events much trouble getting rep- build multi million ter. In 2000, he went to Can- in the biker world. I wanted to resentation and is already dollar buildings,” ada to initiate Rock Machine write everything down while working on his next book, he said. “I didn’t bikers into the Bandidos club I still remembered it,” he said. as well as speaking with TV think building a in a process called a patcho- “At the time it was more or companies about producing book would be “ASSIMILATION: ROCK MACHINE that hard.” ver — where one club takes BECOME BANDIDOS — BIKERS less therapy. I never intended a movie based on his life. on the name, logo and patch UNITED AGAINST THE HELLS for it to be a book.” “Nobody wants to push- colors of another. Because of ANGELS” But 180,000 words later, start a train, but everyone Rock Machine’s trouble with he knew something needed wants to get on the train after the Hells Angels, the bikers Edward Winterhalder, Wil De Clercq to be done with it. it’s going down the tracks,” wanted to become part of Published by ECW Press. “I use to build multi mil- he said. the Bandidos, because they lion dollar buildings. I didn’t were big and strong enough Plus, traveling 20,000 think building a book would Mike Averill 581-8489 to stand up against the Hell’s to 30,000 miles a year was be that hard,” he said. [email protected] Angels. wearing on him — one of the With little interest from The book details that com- largest components of being mainstream publishing com- plicated process and how in a motorcycle club is the re- panies, he published his first Winterhalder ended up in quired attendance at several book himself, titled “Out In jail in Canada. rallies and events each year. Bad Standings: Inside The “My original trip was only “I’d work all week and be Bandidos Motorcycle Club; planned for two days. They on the road all weekend. I The Making Of A Worldwide kept me a month,” he said. wanted to relax and enjoy Dynasty,” an autobiography In the end, he was able to life a little more,” he said. “It about his time in the motor- get back to his daughter and was getting hard to keep up cycle club. business in Oklahoma. with the younger guys.” He put it on Amazon.com “It was sheer lunacy,” he “Assimilation” is the third and to his surprise, it started said. book for Winterhalder, who selling and eventually made The book also focuses on started writing accidentally its way into the top 5,000 Winterhalder’s life, and the and admitted it wasn’t any- selling books for a spell. di1culties of being a rank- thing he thought he’d ever do. That lead to distribution ing o1cer in the national “In fact, it’s the last thing deals with Barnes and Noble chapter, business owner and single father. “The loyalty I had with my MURDER MYSTERY WEEKENDS daughter conflicted with my Now booking Murder Mystery Parties. Spend the night in our elegant, haunted allegiance to the club,” he mansion or just join us for the mystery dinner party. Don’t do another boring said. office party! Book a murder, that will get them talking! We can also come to you. Mysteries for all occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, even weddings. Winterhalder, who grew Don’t Forget Gift Certificates. up in Connecticut, moved to Come alone or bring a group. Group rates. Tulsa in 1975 and soon joined Murder Mysteries every Fri. and Sat. the Rogues Motorcycle Club. Call for Reservations 405-282-0012 A couple years later, after THE HAUNTED STONE LION INN meeting several members HISTORIC GUTHRIE, OK of the Bandidos, he decided For details & pictures to try and start a Bandidos Visit our website chapter in Oklahoma, which www.stonelioninn.com %% took nearly 16 years. *# ,- ,& . *# & ,- ,& But by that time, he had ) . / #! 01# !2 3 4 full custody of his daughter Vacation in your own ) and no idea how to be a dad. ) , ) * #$ “It’s not like she came with in-ground quality * /0 &" an owner’s manual,” he said. ) $ / #! 01# !2 3 4 “I didn’t want her to turn out gunite pool. ! ) like I did. I wanted her to Many sizes & designs. ! " ) , have a good childhood.” #!$ ) * 5! 6 That meant he couldn’t Free Estimates! %& ''( ) * #$ * &" hang out at night with club " $& ( ) * 5! 6 members around town. ) * # ! + ) * #$ He did, however, find an- ) #$ ) 8922 S. Memorial 294-9009 ) 7 swers to his parenting ques- ) #! 121st & Hwy 75 ) / #! 3 , tions at the Parent Child 299-8228 ) * #$ Center of Tulsa, where he *# 1" &" ) , ) * 5! 6 and his daughter went for ) - ) * #$ seven years. Wanted: Your Family! ) 7 3 “I always tried to put her ) 898 1: $ $ 2 first. It was a juggling act be- For an Oklahoma Ranch Party! ) / #! 3 , tween her, the club and my National Home of * &,/ &" * 2 & &" 3 Nationall HomeHome ofof / /4/& 5 && 3& 6&4 & // 4&& ,$& business,” he said. “I look RodgersRodger ands and HammeHammerstein’s rstein’s back now and have no idea * + how I did it all.” In 2003, Winterhalder left the club because of his con- #!$ )%(; %& ''()<(< = ('): 5>
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