The bronze statue stolen from Helmet House in 2003 has been returned by Los Angeles Sheriff detectives, the company said recently.
“The Ride” was among the first projects of the "Art in Public Places" program in the city of Calabasas, Calif. The statue was the work of noted sculptor Steve Posson and art director Liselotte Bjorck-Posson.
Posson is well-known to motorcyclists as the creator of “Glory Days”, the highly regarded theme sculpture that is the center piece of the Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Museum at AMA headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio.
Stolen in October 2003 at Helmet House headquarters, “The Ride” was replaced with a duplicate statue in early 2006. The original statue was returned in damaged condition, having been cut off its original granite base at the Helmet House headquarters during the theft. Additionally, the original statue was also missing several pieces upon its return, including the rider’s head.
“We are thrilled to welcome back the original statue to Helmet House,” said Phil Bellomy, vice president and co-founder of Helmet House. “’The Ride’ commemorated not just a love of motorcycles, which many of us at Helmet House share and from which we all make our living, but the statue also commemorates the successful journey since our founding in 1969. This statue is also a great example of how art can improve the quality of the community where it is placed,” added Bellomy. “Lastly we’d like to thank Steve Posson for his quick action in helping us get it returned.”
As the criminal investigation behind the theft is ongoing, Los Angeles Sheriff’s detectives are chasing down a whole new set of leads, in hopes of bringing the thieves to light. Helmet House, having replaced the statue several years ago, has not yet made plans for the remains of the original statue, but they say it is good the have “The Ride” back home.
