The Rebels: a brotherhood of outlaws bikers

391 Pages·1995·18.363 MB·English

by  Wolf, Daniel R

THE REBELS:
A BROTHERHOOD OF
OUTLAW BIKERS
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Daniel R. Wolf
THE REBELS:
A Brotherhood of
Outlaw Bikers
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS
Toronto Buffalo London
© University of Toronto Press 1991
Toronto Buffalo London
Printed in Canada
Reprinted 1991
Reprinted in paperback 1992, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2008, 2012
ISBN 0-8020-2724-5 (cloth)
ISBN 0-8020-7363-8 (paper)
Printed on acid-free paper
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Wolf, Daniel R., 1948-1999
The Rebels: a brotherhood of outlaw bikers
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8020-2724-5 (bound)
ISBN 0-8020-7363^8 (pbk.)
1. Rebels Motorcycle Club. 2. Motorcycle gangs - Alberta.
3. Motorcycle gangs - Canada. 4. Subculture.
5. Deviant behaviour. I. Title.
HV6491.C3W64 1991 302.3'4 C90-095849-9
The research funding for this book was provided by the following awards:
Canada Council Doctoral Fellowship;
Izaak Walton KJllam Memorial Scholarship;
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Graduate Fellowship;
and Province of Alberta Dissertation Fellowship.
This book has been published with the help of a grant
from the Social Science Federation of Canada,
using funds provided by the Social Sciences and
Humanities Research Council of Canada,
and with assistance from the Canada Council
and the Ontario Arts Council under their block grant programs.
Photo on front cover: courtesy Edmonton Journal
To those Rebels who, like myself,
are a little older now,
but are still riding,
still riding in the wind
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Part One / Freedom and Protest:
The Seductive World of Biking
1 Introduction: Entering the World of the Outlaw 3
2 Biker: Building an Identity 30
Part Two / Becoming an Outlaw:
The Group-Socialization Process
3 Friend of the Club: Forming Bonds of Brotherhood 65
4 Striker: Earning One's Colours 88
5 Initiate: Becoming a Patch Holder 110
Part Three / The Dynamics of Outlaw Sex and Gender
6 Women and the Outlaws 131
Part Four / Living in an Outlaw Biker's World
7 The Clubhouse: Patch-Holder Haven 165
8 The Club Bar: Booze, Borders, and Brawls 180
9 The Club Run: Brothers in the Wind 210
Part Five / Making It All Work:
Economic and Political Realities
10 Outlaw Economics: Financing a Subculture 247
11 Political Organization: The Structure and
Distribution of Power 271
12 Territoriality: Alliance, Invasion, Warfare 306
13 Conclusion: Retrospect and Prospect 339
Appendices
A Motorcycle Club Constitutions 351
B Summary Guide and Activity Chart for Group Participation 361
Bibliography 365
Index 367
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Dr David E. Young as my mentor in psycho-
logical anthropology, a fine and respected man who was always there
as both a friend and scholar. A number of colleagues have read the
manuscript at various stages and offered helpful comments and
criticisms. Among them I would especially like to mention Dr Robert
Stebbins, Dr David Smith, Dr Desmond Ellis, Dr Robert Prus, Dr Ruth
Gruhn, Dr Regna Darnell, Dr Tony Fisher, Dr David Bai, Dr Thomas
Fleming, Dr Richard Wills, Dr Louis Watson, Dr Augustine Brannigan,
Dr William Shaffir, Dr Richard Brymer, and the whiz-kid of biotelem-
etry, Dean Charles. There were many law-enforcement officers who
recognized that my mandate was neither to condemn nor to glorify
bikers, but to explain the world of outlaw bikerdom from an insider's
perspective. Among those who both accepted and helped were
Detective Andy D. Van Dusen (Intelligence unit, Calgary city police),
Corporal Randy Marchand (Motorcycle coordinator, RCMP), Staff
Sergeant Paul J. Shrive (Chief Instructor, Ontario Provincial Police),
Detective Harvey Empter (Intelligence, Edmonton city police),
Detective Brendan A. Kapuscinski (Special Strike Force, Calgary city
police), and long-time buddy of mine Constable Phillip Haggart
(Calgary city police). Deep and special thanks are due to Dr Patricia
A. McCormack, who contributed hours of her superb editorial skills
along with countless ideas and suggestions while we sat on the
couch with her Alaskan Malamutes and munched on her unsurpassed
blueberry pancakes. Finally, there is Iris, companion, who shared
that which only she and I will ever know about, and without whom ...
as an old saying goes.