Five-time land speed record holder, Valerie Thompson (left), with Go AZ Motorcycles General Manager, Gina Marra
BY CANDY PARKER
Lesbian.com
Ladies, start your engines! The 8th annual International Female Ride Day is set for Saturday, May 3.
International Female Ride Day, founded in 2007 by Vicki Gray of MOTORESS, is the world’s only synchronized women’s motorcycle event, a day on which women around the world are encouraged to “just ride.” Participants are urged to simply get on their bikes, get out and be visible. Women around the world will be riding in support of fellow female riders and encouraging those who have an interest in the lifestyle.
In an effort to encourage maximum participation around the globe, the event, typically held on the first Friday of May, has been moved to Saturday.
“Freedoms are still not as equal as for those of us in Westernized countries. It’s important that the initiatives of which International Ride Day was brought about facilitates the participation of women riders regardless of their country of origin,” said Gray. “Not one country wants to be excluded from joining in and representing on this unifying global day for women riders; the timing is right to move the event to Saturday and a perfect characteristic to further its expansion. I’m so grateful for the support women riders the world over demonstrated year after year, participating in force on those special Fridays.”
The day, which effectively serves to kick off Women Riders Month each May, is intended to highlight the camaraderie women share through the motorcycling and motorsport lifestyle. All makes and models of bikes are welcomed — two wheelers, three wheelers, scooters, on road, off-road and track — to take part.
Motorcycle dealerships and clubs across the country and around the world will be organizing ride events for International Female Ride Day.
Gina Marra of Go AZ Motorcycles
“Women love to ride,” Go AZ Motorcycles General Manager Gina Marra told Bikers Bullseye. “From stay-at-home moms to successful female business executives, we are seeing more and more women adopt the sport. They are finding community and freedom on two wheels … its escapism at its best.”
Scottsdale, Arizona-based Marra and Go AZ Motorcycles will be co-hosting a women’s ride event Saturday led by five-time land speed record holder, Valerie Thompson, and AMA Pro Daytona Sport Bike and Spanish CEV Championship racer, Melissa Paris.
“This will be my second year participating in International Female Ride Day, which is growing in popularity each year,” Thompson told Bikers Bullseye. “Go AZ Motorcycles has been a long-time sponsor of my land speed racing team, so it’s very gratifying to celebrate this worldwide event with them.”
Also as part of Women Riders Month dealerships will continue to focus on their female clientele throughout the month of May, offering safety, equipment, motorcycle maintenance and other classes especially for women. Contact your local dealership to see what they have in the works.
Here at Lesbian.com, we want to celebrate the motorcycling lifestyle, too. Please send us photos of you with your bike — either tweet it to us on Twitter or post on our Facebook wall — and we’ll be sure to include you in our May motorcycle mania slide show later this month.
Watch Marra, Thompson and dozens of female riders from the Phoenix area enjoy the 2013 International Female Ride Day event
