Female motorcycle riders move mountains

Enthusiasts gather in Rockies for women and bikes conference

Sep 12, 2009

Special to the Star

As with anything, but especially with motorcycling, every moment of the journey is one to be savoured. And experiencing nature's gifts by motorcycle is something that can't be surpassed.

In this case, the journey was a prelude to an equally uplifting destination: a conference focusing on female motorcyclists in a majestic setting in the Rocky Mountains.

Last month, 1,000 of us, mostly women, gathered in Keystone, about an hour west of Denver, at the American Motorcyclist Association's International Women and Motorcycling Conference to hear inspirational stories, improve our riding skills, hobnob with industry insiders, reconnect with friends and check out the latest apparel and accessories.

Attendees arrived from five countries, six provinces and 43 states, with many taking on the challenge of riding across half the continent.

My own indirect, 6,700-km route began in Orangeville with two days of solo riding before joining up with a friend for the rest of the trip: the Appalachians, rolling farmland through Ohio and Indiana with roads that seem like tunnels through cornfields, the vast prairies with the endless blue sky where you can see for miles and let your mind dream – and then the spectacular Rockies.

We dealt with extreme heat, torrential downpours in Missouri, strong prairie crosswinds, a tornado in Kansas and a hailstorm in the Rockies – all of it exhilarating. Although the conference was geared for women, it was more about power, courage and adventure: qualities that aren't gender-specific.

As chair of the Women Riders' Council of the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the American Motorcyclist Association to highlight the conference's international aspect, Canada and Canadian riders (mainly through hosting and organizing the International Street Party).

The 63 Canadians at the Colorado conference more than doubled the attendance figure of 28 at the previous event in 2006 in Athens, Ga.

Perhaps the most fulfilling aspect of this event was being able to showcase six prominent Canadian women and the contributions they've made to our sport and the community: Audrey Alexandre, Lesley Gering, Sgt. Lise Grenier, Deborah Grey, Toni Sharpless and Meg Thorburn.

Examples also abounded of women who showed they can do anything they set their minds to. One woman rode from California with a rack mounted on the back of her trike to hold the collapsible wheelchair she otherwise sat in. A woman with two artificial legs offered to shuttle our sponsor banners over to the venue in the sidecar she had rigged to her bike.

Women have been riding for a long time, beginning with the pioneers in the early 1900s. Now we're celebrating third and fourth generations of female riders, sometimes in the same family.

Women have made credible contributions in all facets of the sport and are continuing to grow with it, through touring, adventure travel, road racing, motocross and dual sport riding. This diversity, cross-demographic and multi-generational participation was exemplified by the coincidental choice of the three keynote speakers:

Ashey Fiolek, 19, American, Honda-sponsored motocross champ who just won gold at the X Games.

Lois Pryce, 36, British, solo adventurer who rode with no support vehicles from Alaska to Argentina and then London to Capetown, South Africa.

Deborah Grey, Canadian, 57, former federal politician and touring enthusiast.

This conference celebrated where we've been, where we are and the momentum propelling us to meet new challenges. I believe female motorcyclists, in particular, have a special skill set that helps us overcome challenges. As we each make our unique contributions, we will continue to drive positive change and make a difference in the communities and countries we live in.

Liz Jansen owns and operates Trillium Motorcycle Tours, consults to the motorcycling and tourism industries, and instructs at Humber College in the rider training program. Liz represents Ontario on the Board of Directors for the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada and chairs its Women Riders' Council.

Toronto Star