Rat's Hole
Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2023 12:11 pm
- Rat's Hole T-Shirt Tag Las Vegas Daytona Beach
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These photos were kindly donated by rabbitsfoot.scratch on IG.
Karl Smith "Big Daddy Rat"
Oct. 23, 1928 -- March 4, 2002 Since 1937, thousands of bikers from around the world come to Daytona Beach, Florida to experience Bike Week. For the past 30 years (1972-2002) Karl Smith produced the most prestigious motorcycle shows in the world. His shows were known as: "Big Daddy Rat's" Rat's Hole Custom Chopper Show and were featured annually, not only in Daytona Beach, but also; Sturgis, South Dakota; Essen, Germany and other sites in Europe.
Karl's History
Karl Smith Jr. said when his dad first visited Bike Week in 1963, he "fell in love with Daytona." He started in business on Main Street in a 12-by-16-foot shop aptly named The Rat's Hole. Later, Big Daddy Rat's businesses grew to include seven shops in Daytona Beach, a gift shop in Las Vegas, and bike shows. His son, Karl Jr. said, "My dad was one of the very first to airbrush designs on T-shirts." A man of contradictions, he projected the image of a burly biker, but he was also a graduate with a degree in fine arts from Ohio's Wittenburg College.