It was a visit from Mother Nature that could have gone either way for a Canadian motorcycle rally as Hurricane Earl cruised up the east coast of the United States.

But fortunately for organizers and attendees of the Wharf Rat Rally, taking place in Digby, Nova Scotia the storm only left behind tall tales to be told by bikers for years to come.

On Thursday as Hurricane Earl continued on its northbound path many were worried about the rally and its camping attendees. Even governmental officials such as Canada’s minister in charge of the Emergency Management Office were concerned.

Organizers were expecting anywhere from 80,000 to 100,000 bikers to attend the motorcycle event which started last week and ran through the weekend. The path of Hurricane Earl had Mother Nature barreling towards with landfall expected Saturday morning bringing winds of 140kmh.

In preparation many riders stored their motorcycles in local garages and prepared to ride out the storms in tents and hotels. Losing some steam as it approached the Canadian shores, the triple digit winds and storms didn’t happen.

“The sun’s breaking through right now,” Glen Dunn, head of the, a motorcycle rally in, told a newspaper shortly after the storm had passed. Dunn could rest on the knowledge he was right when refusing to cancel the six-day long event.

He said he witnessed strong winds and rain Saturday but saw none of the threatened tide surges or massive waves.

“It was the storm that didn’t happen,” he continued. “The rain has stopped. It’s clear and will be clear for days.”