Mostly mask-free bikers amass in Sturgis

STURGIS, S.D. — Thousands of bikers congregated for the massive annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis in the Black Hills of western South Dakota, few mindful of widely recommended precautions against the coronavirus pandemic. Virtually everyone was maskless as bikers roamed crowded byways connecting Sturgis, Deadwood and Lead. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, always eager visitors and their money. has taken a mostly hands-off approach to the pandemic, espousing personal responsibility but avoiding mask and social distancing mandates. The rally, which traces its origins back 80 years, runs through August 16. Crowd counts are impossible, but the rally typically the draws 250,000 bikers.