The first Saturday in May (May 1st this year) was a day for the record books. Drivers could see over 200 badass female motorcyclists roaring through Denver this past weekend. A girl from the Littleton area who had walked over with her mother to see what all the rumble of bikes was about said, “They look like superheroes.”
What’s cooler than cool helmets, ponytails, sunglasses, leather jackets, Harley-Davidsons and 200+ badass women crushing stereotypes as they soar through the streets of Denver on motorcycles? Yeah, I hear crickets too. Nothing is cooler.
The event was scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. in the parking lot of Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson in Littleton, but women riders and volunteers were so excited for this event that they started showing up at 7:30 a.m. All morning as the number’s increased, you could see how happy the women riders were to have a day of their own, a day to empower one another, to see girlfriends and to forget about this past year. It felt so great to be outside and to feel normal again, said Cathy, a new rider to Denver.
Audrey Paulas, co-founder of the event scheduled an amazing ride for the women, but her volunteers and team leaders executed the ride perfectly and safely. When the women returned to Rocky Mountain for the afternoon activities, everyone commented that it was just a great ride!
Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson hosted this year’s event and was chosen because Kathy Yevoli for over 40 years, has owned the Harley dealership and inspires women riders to go for your dreams and enjoy the ride. Women riding groups and club as well as women biker related businesses are growing in our motorcycle community every year.
“Being a female rider in 2021 is awesome, but there is still some prejudice and stereotypes towards women bikers and a lot of improvements which need to take place in the industry,” Laurie Montoya, who co-hosted this event, has experienced those types of challenges herself, but continued to say to herself during those low times, you might not want to deal with me now, but years down the road, you will know who I am.”
“These kinds of events are a perfect moment for us to make a statement and show that women riders are more than ever-present on the road.”
Montoya also said she is excited to “see a bunch of women from different worlds and different day jobs come together on a very special day.”
International Female Ride Day has been around 15 years, but this is just the 1st one of this size to come to Denver, and an event that Audrey, Kathy and Laurie said we will make it bigger and better next year!
Marina Yevoli, who oversees marketing for Rocky Mountain, said they would be happy to make it an annual event after seeing the success this year.
If there is something we need in 2021, it’s a reason to celebrate. This ride raised over $4,000.00 with the proceeds being split between the Jefferson County Food Bank and #2wheels4meals that feeds 1st responders and injured riders.
A special thank you to all of our sponsors who donated to this event, so we had no expenses and 100% of what was raised was distributed. Our event was sponsored by Rider Justice, Rocky Mountain Harley Davidson, Colorado Rider News, and Cool Biker Lunch and Rides.
See you ladies next year and remember…..JUST RIDE!
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