Women who bike bond in the mountains
More than 850 females gather at Keystone for a ladies-only motorcycle conference
ENLARGEDiva Amy Skaling of Park City, Utah and her customized 2007 Road Glide Harley Davidson were part of the International Women & Motorcycling Conference taking place at the Keystone Conference Center Thursday. More than 850 women have registered this week with close to 950 expected by Saturday. The conference also features exhibits, vendors, demonstrations and lots of riding.
What's going on at the conference?
Speakers include Karen Davidson (the creative director of Harley-Davidson's general merchandise department) and Ashley Fiolek (a profoundly deaf professional women's motocross racer). Seminars cover lessons such as street strategies, adventure riding, gaining confidence, accident-scene
management and inspirational teachings.
For more information, visit
www.womenandmotorcycling.com.
management and inspirational teachings.
For more information, visit
www.womenandmotorcycling.com.
Motorcycles line the front of the Keystone Conference Center Thursday during the International Women and Motorcycling Conference, which continues through Saturday. |
KEYSTONE — Motorcycle engines purr, then roar, as lady bikers zoom toward Dillon, handlebar fringe blowing in the wind. Meanwhile, women wearing black leather chaps chat on foot and check out each other's bikes. And motorcycles are everywhere — they're glistening red, ensconced in black leather or even decorated with stuffed animals. One bike was adorned with a Canadian flag, and everywhere you look, there's a sea of sparkly silver helmets.
More than 850 women from 43 states, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Switzerland and Australia arrived at the Keystone Conference Center for the fifth biannual International Women and Motorcycling Conference: Riding to New Heights scheduled through Saturday. Many of them rode their motorcycles long distances to reach the High Country, and they'll stay to bond, have fun, learn and, most importantly, ride.
Jan Fields from Georgia and Carol Freshour of Ohio met for the first time only a few days ago when they arrived in Saint Louis, Mo., to caravan to the conference. According to Fields, they connected through a website geared toward introducing women who were going to the event.
Besides being a social outlet, the ladies-only conference asks its participants to follow their passions, always reaching for the horizon. And this mantra is clearly painted by the variety of riders in attendance. Women who are profoundly deaf, paralyzed, missing limbs or just plain scared to ride long distances hopped on their bikes and made it to Keystone, overcoming fears and making friends on the way. Even mothers and daughters arrived together to share their love for the sport.
“It's very empowering to be around so many women,” said conference spokeswoman Alexandra Terhorst, noting a bond between motorcyclists that crosses all lines. “We give each other support and confidence.”
While some people wouldn't dare to ride a motorcycle, let alone own one, ladies across the board said they loved riding bikes and the camaraderie between friends on the road.
“I love the simplicity of motorcycles,” Fields said. “It's just you and the bike. It brings you out there with all the sites and smells. It's freedom, being out on the road, going somewhere.”
More than 850 women from 43 states, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Switzerland and Australia arrived at the Keystone Conference Center for the fifth biannual International Women and Motorcycling Conference: Riding to New Heights scheduled through Saturday. Many of them rode their motorcycles long distances to reach the High Country, and they'll stay to bond, have fun, learn and, most importantly, ride.
Jan Fields from Georgia and Carol Freshour of Ohio met for the first time only a few days ago when they arrived in Saint Louis, Mo., to caravan to the conference. According to Fields, they connected through a website geared toward introducing women who were going to the event.
Besides being a social outlet, the ladies-only conference asks its participants to follow their passions, always reaching for the horizon. And this mantra is clearly painted by the variety of riders in attendance. Women who are profoundly deaf, paralyzed, missing limbs or just plain scared to ride long distances hopped on their bikes and made it to Keystone, overcoming fears and making friends on the way. Even mothers and daughters arrived together to share their love for the sport.
“It's very empowering to be around so many women,” said conference spokeswoman Alexandra Terhorst, noting a bond between motorcyclists that crosses all lines. “We give each other support and confidence.”
While some people wouldn't dare to ride a motorcycle, let alone own one, ladies across the board said they loved riding bikes and the camaraderie between friends on the road.
“I love the simplicity of motorcycles,” Fields said. “It's just you and the bike. It brings you out there with all the sites and smells. It's freedom, being out on the road, going somewhere.”
Women who bike — a growing demographic
In 2008, that percentage of women owning bikes was estimated to be 12.4 percent, up from 10 percent only a few years before. Despite women making up a fast-growing demographic of motorcycle owners, being a lady on a bike still garners lots of attention, Fields said. And Freshour agreed, but acknowledged the recent spurt of female riders: “Eight years ago it caused more of an uproar at a gas station.”When AMA special events manager Tigra Tsujikawa started riding 24 years ago, she rarely saw another female rider and dealt with ill-fitting gear.
“You were forced to wear men's gear and do the best you could with the big neck and long arms,” Tsujikawa said. “It was more of an oddity. You'd get a shocked look. Now it's wonderful. It's not surprising to see another woman out there.”
Karen Davidson — the great-grand daughter of Harley-Davidson cofounder William A. Davidson — helped attract ladies to the industry by playing a role in introducing gear designed for women's bodies, Terhorst said as she pointed out all the colorful, bedazzled clothing options available for purchase in Keystone's conference hall.
Tsujikawa credits this change to women encouraging other women to go with their passions and beliefs — “It's important to have conferences like this to really grow the community.”
And, according to Tsujikawa, she expects to see the number of conference attendees expand even more as the week progresses. An influx of local riders will arrive Saturday due to day-pass sales at local dealerships.
“To see 900 women on motorcycles — it's just so cool,” Tsujikawa said.
Drop-ins are still welcome at the International Women and Motorcycling Conference in Keystone, which runs through Saturday. Interested women should visit www.womenandmotorcycling.com.
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