Who said it was supposed to SNOW…….NO!!! On the 19th of January four enthuastic Sisters In Spirit, from Macon, GA. roared toward the International Motorcycle Show In Atlanta. Needless to say, we didn’t know what to expect but were full of anticipation, not only to work the show but also for the outcome of the weather predictions for the day. As we sped up I-75, we had our eyes to the skies, which were somewhat menacing but of course, we knew that it wouldn’t DARE snow on the SIS show.
We arrived about 8:45 a.m. and were due at our station at 9:00. After locating the booth we needed to find coffee, priorities are priorities. Then we headed back to the 10’ by 10’ cubicle and began to familiarize ourselves with the Woman’s Motorcycle handouts. We had our SIS pamphlets ready and our SIS tees on, go gals. In a few minutes, Petra Lattmann (web creator of VTwin Mama) arrived and filled us in on what exactly we should be doing. We also met Marisol Coachman, a member of Woman’s International Motorcycling Association (WIMA) who races motorcycles. She is a dynamic 5’1” lady who gladly shared her adventures and invited us to her races. We also swapped our escapades while cheering each other on to continue what we loved best, riding motorcycles.
On display, was a Johnny Pag custom motorcycle which was to be raffled off sometime in the future. We cheerfully assisted with the sale of tickets as the money raised was to be donated for Cancer research.
We had time to inspect the many improvements provided through the advances of technology and the creativity of both foreign and domestic motorcycle manufacturers. What a “hoot” and inspiration it was to experience what we will be seeing on the roads of our nation in the near future.
In one corner of the hall, hung a huge sign which read, “She is HERE”. Under it was a large woman’s booth, which provided free coffee or tea and the unique opportunity to partake in the state of the art training simulator which has not as yet hit the market. It is fabulous BECAUSE many women, who didn’t think they could ride, found that they may, in the future, be one of us. Hooray!
The crowds were not as thick as they had been in the previous years as the snowy forecasts must have been the deciding factor of whether one would take a chance on the roads. However, we gave out many pamphlets and praised of our wonderful association to numerous ladies and gents, from Georgia and surrounding states.
Around 11:00 am, we were informed that it was snowing hard and beginning to stick to the ground. Immediately we began to plan our trip home. A group of Motor Maids relieved us at 1:00 pm and we didn’t waste any time hitting the highway. Atlanta was quite slippery and slushy but the main roads were clear. Upon arriving home, we were tired but thanked God for our safe return and first experience representing SIS in such a grand show.
On Sunday, we left Macon at 11:30 am and arrived back at the World Congress Center to “woman” the booth from 1 to 4 pm. The crowd was about the same as on Saturday so the afternoon passed quickly. We assisted Petra and Marty to pack up the booth and then off we went for a fine meal before returning to Macon. The total experience was exhilarating and we would gladly repeat it, especially meeting new ladies who love to ride their own, telling them…..
Submitted by:
Barbara A. Duff
Georgia State Director
February, 2008
