John Edwards hails from Westminster, California. A city deep within the county of Orange in Southern California. I am sure you’ve never heard of it unless you lived there or near there. It’s shadowed by its better known and coastal neighbor of Huntington Beach. John spent many of his days at the beach surfing the infamous HB Pier. He was always a standout surfer, never a professional, but the type of guy that was respected for his ability by those who were.
The trek to the beach was always an adventure, or as he puts it, “a mission” and that was part of the allure. Getting there was half the Fun. That’s where cars and motorcycles enter John’s World. His dad, an avid surfer and custom car guy, it was only natural that John would follow suit. Skills were born out of necessity. Buy an old car, that likely did not run well, and looked even worse. Strip it down, fix it up, paint it in the driveway, and drive it down to the beach. Pacific Coast Highway, the visceral proving ground, a place to showcase your handy work. Also a great place to check the waves.
As time passed and his skills increased, the old beater cars and motorcycles evolved into his incredible show cars and motorcycles. Motorcycles that have graced the covers of numerous motorcycle magazines.
John won the inaugural Born Free invited builders event. An event that has become one of the most highly regarded and anticipated custom motorcycle shows of the year in California. People come from all over the country, not to mention from across the globe. One part motorcycle show, one part festival. It’s a beautiful mixture of choppers, classic triumph desert sleds and more than a few machinations in between. After a long hiatus from building motorcycles for this particular show. The crew over at Born Free have talked John into coming back this year.
The event will be August 28-29, 2021 in Santiago Canyon, CA. If you are in the area, we suggest you take some time to head down to see John’s finished masterpiece. You’ll be glad you did.
Directed by Forrest Minchinton
Shot and Edited by Jacob Johnson
Photography by Will Luna and Kelly Hammond