International Female Ride Day (IFRD) has its origin back in 2007. An initiative started by Motoress in the USA to honour females in motorsport. It has grown to a Global initiative supported by motorcyclists in more than 120 countries. The South African edition called on women riders to hop on their scoots, bring along their buddies or club members, and ride from one of the supporting dealerships to the Avianto Estate Clubhouse.
Enter Kerry Puzey and her team from Bikers Warehouse. What they did to make this day special and memorable was simply spectacular. Bjorn, Simon, and I went along to witness the festivities.
Kerry chose Lewis Carol’s Alice in Wonderland as a theme, inviting participants to “A Picnic with Alice in Wonderland”. One of the adventures Alice finds herself in is a Tea Party hosted by the Mad Hatter, one of the incredible figments of the fertile imagination of Lewis Carol. Kerry and the team took this theme and ran with it. The venue, with its enchanting garden, certainly lent itself to the story. Alice-themed elements were everywhere.
The Bikers Warehouse crew really bought into the theme and the costumes were superb. The Queen of Hearts and her Knave were in attendance, together with many other personalities from the wonderful children’s favourite. Beautifully painted playing cards and other Alice memorabilia festooned trees and nooks and crannies, all contributing to the festive atmosphere. To say that the event was well attended would be a gross understatement. There were hundreds of bikes all over the Avianto landscape.
There was even an off-road route organised for those intrepid riders needing a dirt fix to the venue. The South African biking industry bought into the event and put their collective weight behind a wide variety of stalls with bikes and related goods on display. On arrival, ladies who had registered were treated to a picnic box and a “goody bag”.
Pizzas were available for the peckish and a cash bar for those who wanted a “cup of tea”. The end result was a truly magical motorcycle-themed journey into a Wonderland of fun in an enchanted garden. I really enjoyed the quote from Alice, as it strikes a chord with us as bikers for being “crazy”. Alice, upon arriving in Wonderland asks, ” Have I gone mad?”, to which she gets the reply, “I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I will tell you a secret, all the best people are.”
Fact is, our bikes keep us a little sane in the bonkers world that we currently find ourselves in. What Kerry and her team achieved was to honour a worthy cause in a way that allowed us all to escape down the rabbit hole for a while and just chill. Good job!
