During the early part of the 20th Century, British mountaineer George Mallory was asked why he wanted so badly to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak that mankind had yet to conquer. Mallory’s reply was straightforward: “Because it’s there.”
About that same time, and elsewhere on our planet, a group of Southern California motorcyclists collectively known as the Orange County Motorcycle Club (OCMC) — a pioneer riders club established in 1905 in Orange County, California — began paying close attention to a rather intimidating hillside at the southern edge of the sleepy beachside community of San Juan Capistrano. The township was also home to what is considered the most picturesque Spanish Mission along California’s scenic coastline. The Mission, founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1776, was also the site of the annual “Return of the Swallows,” a small bird that migrates every spring from Goya, Mexico, to the Mission itself, where the birds nest for the summer. The annual celebration attracts thousands of people every year.
Yet it was the 500-foot hill, nicknamed “Gibraltar” after the Rock of Gibraltar in the Mediterranean Sea, that grabbed the bikers’ attention; in their world, “Gibraltar” slowly assumed the name “Motorcycle Hill” because many OCMC members wondered if a motorcycle could make it to the top without stopping. So, OCMC scheduled a competition to find out who could be and would be King of the Hill. The morning of April 16, 1916, saw a couple dozen bikes staged at the bottom of the hill to see who would be crowned King of the Hill. Ultimately, nobody made it to the top, although Myron Warner, representing Herald Motorcycle Shop in nearby Santa Ana, was deemed the winner by riding the farthest, even though he and others failed to reach infinity and beyond. Satisfied, the city and OCMC promoted the hillclimb as an annual event. Eventually, “Gibraltar” was conquered on March 18, 1917, to be precise, when local Santa Ana resident Calvin Lambert rode his Excelsior up and over the peak, and at that moment, Motorcycle Hill truly became “Motorcycle Hill.”
The hillclimb became a rather popular annual event, often coinciding with the “Return of the Swallows” celebration in town. Soon, Motorcycle Hill drew entries from across the nation, including National Hillclimb Champions Orie Steele and Ed Ryan. Elapsed climb times dropped below 15 seconds, and the competition included various classes according to engine displacement and modifications for improved performance.
One local newspaper described the hillclimb, stating: “Spectators estimated at 40,000 lined the course on both sides [of the ascending path], and jammed the infield, the outfield, the highway, and the walnut grove nearby.” That’s a lot of spectators.
Truly, the annual hillclimb became quite an event, but eventually Orange County’s rapid growth consumed the intimidating hill itself; today, the staging area below serves as the intersection of two San Juan Capistrano roads — Doheny Park Road and Camino Capistrano Road. Meanwhile, bulldozers and other earth movers have taken big bites out of the 500-foot-high hill to make way for this stretch of Interstate 5 that parallels the coastline. No doubt, Motorcycle Hill/Gibraltar is a shell of its former self that separates Interstate travelers from mixing with local traffic. Meanwhile, the swallows continue their migratory nesting at the most beautiful Spanish Mission that Father Serra inspired so long ago.
