Where did the idea come from? Simple. While in Thailand, we were holed up in Wat Bang Phra waiting to meet up with local Riders, when the annual tattoo festival kicked off.

Although the monks perform tattoo ceremonies every day, this is the big event of the year when thousands show up for protective Khemer Buddhist prayers and tattoo designs. Not wanting to miss the spectacle of spirit possessions, which some designs are famous for invoking, we went along for the ride.

Chaos is the only way to describe it. Under the baking sun, Thailand's faithful sweated, were inked and went insane. We saw several men taken by animal spirits, hurling themselves at friends and foes alike - one, tattooed from the neck down, bellowed and roared like a dragon.

Maybe it was the man, or just a mutual dare, but we all decided to get a prayer. We found an elderly monk who kept a clean shop. He was working on a young woman, repeatedly tapping away with the traditional foot long stick and its pin-like tip. But there was no ink.

An onlooker explained in pidgin English that the most potent charms were invisible, hidden from your foes and etched on your skin in oil; they can even stop bullets.

We went for it; the monk hammered away, smoking as he worked.

Three days later, I was bucked and thrown backwards by a staller. My clothes, the skin on my back, scale cut, everywhere except for where the monk had tattooed the charm.

Back in Wat Bang Phra, we all got tattooed again, this time in ink and with dragon designs. Now, it's become kind of a tradition, whenever we ride. Some of our friends have come up with their own designs, and they're the ones we now use; different emblems representing various achievements.

Tribal is the best way to describe these designs, although this hides a range of influences from Khemer Buddhism and Mayan patterns to Maori designs and Celtic reinventions. Bands represent successful trips through different regions, while the more elaborate pieces cover everything from a first encounter to freestyling, even claw-hooking and tail-whipping. After each ride, we get inked.

But, whenever in Thailand, I look for that old monk.



By Matt