There are only a handful of elite, cult-worthy stretches of highway in the world. These ribbons of unforgiving black asphalt are spoken of in hushed, reverent tones.
These roads are so technically challenging, so adrenaline-pumping they are elevated to once-in-a-lifetime, bucket-list status. The Tail of the Dragon is, for many, at the top of the list.
The reason you’ve even heard about this stretch of U.S. 129 is, in large part, because of one man, Ron Johnson.
In the 1990s, bikers slowly began discovering this stretch of road. Articles in Rider and other motorcycle magazines helped to fuel some initial interest. It wasn’t until Ron Johnson and his wife Nancy launched the extensive Tail of the Dragon website in 2000 that this 11-mile stretch of U.S. 129 began to receive the respect it rightfully deserves.
Once Johnsons acquired the “Tail of the Dragon” trademark, the notoriety of the road began to take off. Motorcycle and sportscar magazines wrote articles and more riders became evangelists of the experience.
Their original t-shirt popup tent on the side of the road evolved into one of the most iconic locations in the motoring world.
On To The Show
We caught up with Ron after our recent pilgrimage to this American sports car and motorcycle mecca. What follows is an adaptation of our interview with Ron for our new “Vettes of Atlanta” podcast.
Our questions ran the range from his early beginnings to his experiences on this stretch of road, his famous metal Dragon, and what he sees as the future of the Tail of the Dragon.
This is the first in a series of three articles that cover that interview. In this first installment, we find out about the early years and how Ron has become the keeper of the Dragon.
Enjoy!
The Love Of The Dragon
ROD WORLEY, EDITOR – All right, so welcome back from the break. Today, we’ve got an exceptional guest. We’ve got Ron Johnson.
Ron is probably the most experienced person to talk about the Tail of the Dragon. He’s the owner of the Tail the Dragon Store in Deal’s Gap and is credited by many as a major contributor to the rise of the Dragon to worldwide status.
We’re so excited to have the chance to talk with him today. So Ron, welcome to the show!
RON JOHNSON – OWNER OF THE TAIL OF THE DRAGON – Hey, I’m glad I can be here with you, Rod.
ROD WORLEY, EDITOR – Well, Ron, when you first came up to Deal’s Gap, it wasn’t named Tail the Dragon; it was just a mountainous section of U.S. 129.
When did you first drive it, and what were your impressions of it?
RON JOHNSON – OWNER OF THE TAIL OF THE DRAGON – Well, originally, we just knew it as Deals Gap. It was just a pass through the mountains.
I first drove the Dragon in 1975. My parents built a vacation house in Robbinsville. Back in those days, there was very little hardware or building materials to be found in Robbinsville.
We had to drive to Maryville in the family station wagon to get paint and building materials. To get to Maryville, we’d go over the Dragon.
The first time I did it, I just loved it. I kept telling my parents, “I can go today if you need anything else.” Back then, it was known as Deals Gap.
The locals called it “That damn crooked road to Tennessee.” After the first crossing, I couldn’t wait for the next trip.
Over the fifteen years, I’ve made hundreds of trips. For several years, I owned a 1976 Corvette, and that made it fun. It was a lot better than the family station wagon.
In 1990, I remarried, and my new wife and I were on a trip to Kentucky. We were returning to Robbinsville, and it was the first time she’d been on the Dragon.
We drove the Dragon at about midnight. It was foggy, and we had the t-tops off on the Corvette and stereo blasting.
I didn’t know if she’d like it or not. But she fell in love with the road that night.
ROD WORLEY – EDITOR – I can’t believe you took her up there at midnight in the fog with the t-tops out!
RON JOHNSON – OWNER OF THE TAIL OF THE DRAGON – Yeah, Rod, my first wife would have panicked and died. She hated the mountain roads, but Nancy just fell in love with it.
In 1990, I retired from the West Palm Beach Fire Department. Nancy and I moved to Robbinsville. And we made many trips over the Dragon to Knoxville and Maryville. We saw very little traffic back then.
As a matter of fact, you could drive it at night and probably not even see another vehicle. A lot has changed since those days.
How It All Started
ROD WORLEY _ EDITOR – So what gave you the confidence to move up there and open the Tail of the Dragon store? I mean, that was a huge leap of faith back then.
RON JOHNSON – OWNER – TAIL OF THE DRAGON – Well, you don’t know the half of it. When Nancy and I moved up here, we had every intention of having a garden, getting some animals, and enjoying life.
Well, one day, I decided it would be fun to draw the Dragon Highway. Back when I was with the West Palm Beach Fire Department, I used to draw maps that showed the locations of the streets and fire hydrants.
So, using a video camera, I made passes over the Dragon and compared the mile markers with the footage. Using that and USGS maps, I drew the road in Adobe Illustrator. I also named a couple of corners.
It was just kind of a hobby, you know, kind of a fun thing to do. The first thing I know, Nancy says, “Why don’t we make some T-shirts and sell them with your map on it?” I thought she was a little crazy. I didn’t see it myself.
Our first Dragon logo was in 2000, and it was quite a bargain for a hundred dollars. After that, we decided to make a go of it.
So, we copyrighted The Tail of the Dragon. We named it that because we always saw it as the whipping tail of a dragon. We found a place in Ashville, N.C., to get some T-shirts made. The printer thought we were crazy making a T-shirt of a road.
They said they had some strange requests, but this was the most unusual. So we got five thousand dollars worth of T-shirts made. We had already talked to Deals Gap motorcycle resort, and they had agreed to sell some of our shirts.
We went over there with the shirts, and suddenly, they said, “No, we don’t want to sell them.” So we’re sitting there with a truckload of T-shirts and no place to sell them. What are we going to do?
Back then, Rod, we had just started our Web site, Tail of the Dragon.com. We were getting maybe ten hits a month.
One day, Nancy says, “Hey, let’s take some shirts up to the Dragon and sell them. So, as we pulled into the Overlook, we found there was already a guy up there selling T-shirts.
Come to find out, this guy had been selling T-shirts to Deals Gap Motorcycle Resorts, and they threw him out, too. To make a long story short, we kind of joined forces.
From that point on, we went up to the Overlook on the weekends and sold T-shirts. At the same time, we wanted to increase our website traffic. I had a little Mavika digital camera and would take pictures of everybody who stopped by.
They could check out our website and see their photo, which we could send by email. It took our website about two or three years to start to take off.
We didn’t have a store or anything during this time, so we were sitting up there in a tent. Finally, one day, the police came and threw us off. I think somebody complained about us being on the side of the road selling T-shirts.
We went about three years where we didn’t have any place to sell them besides the Internet and a few stores here in town. It was a long, dry spell with very little income from the T-shirt.
** The articles that follow tell of how the Tail of the Dragon grew to become a mecca for enthusiasts and celebrities alike. Stay tuned!
As Mythical As The Dragon That Guards it’s Entrance
With each passing year, the legend and mythology surrounding the Tail of the Dragon grows. Once only known to locals, this 11-mile stretch of U.S. 129 now sees over 1,289 visitors a day from every corner of the planet. The Dragon is a mecca, a rite of passage for elite motorcyclists and serious car drivers.
It is ground zero for those who hunger to experience the connection between the road, their machine, and themselves. When you roll into the Tail of the Dragon’s parking lot, take a few moments to gaze at the mythical metal dragon staring down at you.
Remember to walk into the store and thank Ron Johnson for spreading the word on this unique 318-turn stretch of banked highway. Thank him for being the keeper of the Dragon.
Articles We Recommend:
The Tail of the Dragon – A Voice That Drives My Heel,
Ron Johnson – Keeper Of The Dragon,
Ron Johnson – Keeper Of The Dragon Part 2,
Ron Johnson – Keeper Of The Dragon Part 3,
Darryl “Killboy” Cannon – The Eyes Of The Dragon,
Darryl “Killboy” Cannon – The Eyes Of The Dragon Part 2
Darryl “Killboy” Cannon – The Eyes Of The Dragon Part 3
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Drive the Tail of the Dragon | The List #0318 with Jessie Combs
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