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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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The Spokesman-Review

Dan Ertz, ‘Scooter Tramp’

Meet Dan Ertz, your friendly, neighborhood biker. Roaring into the Old European parking lot on his Harley, in full leathers, the next thing one notice’s is his twinkling eyes. He’s 47 years old, married, father of a 15-year-old daughter.

He’s been in sales with AFLAC, a supplemental insurance company (and the largest corporate donor to the American Cancer Society), since 1988. He’s a Christian and a staunch conservative. Dan was raised in South Dakota, was an English major in college and did some graduate work in Missoula.

He’s an avid hunter and skier and a voracious reader. He watches as little TV as possible, has narrowed his viewing down to “Jeopardy” and the “Antiques Road Show,” but would easily give up these shows to ride his Harley. Pe puts an average of 14,000 miles on his bike annually.

Ertz considers himself “old school,” in that he grew up with motorcycles. He joined A.B.A.T.E., American Bikers Aiming Toward Education, in 1979. Dan organizes Ride for Life, an annual motorcycle run that benefits the American Cancer Society. The run is in its sixth year, and he expects 350 bikers to participate next July. (For more information, go to www.rideforlife.net.)

Ertz is verbose and articulate. Asked why he rides, he says, “If I have to explain it to you, you wouldn’t understand.

“There’s a code of personal ethics that’s important to me,” he said. “Biking is not a lifestyle; it’s life. Going through the curves is what riding’s all about. There’s an adrenaline rush in controlling the vehicle. You have to pay attention. This skull patch on my jacket symbolizes living on the edge, close to mortality. There’s nothing that would make me quit. I’m gonna ride come hell or high water.”