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Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 2021 Sees Fast-Growing Demographic at This Year’s Event

The latest numbers from the 2021 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally support one of the latest trends in the motorcycle community. That trend is that the number of women who ride is on the rise.

For those who don’t know, the 81st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally commenced over the weekend. It’s one of — if not the biggest — yearly events in the riding community. And it was a pleasant surprise to see so many women make their way out to Sturgis for the Rally. And we aren’t talking about the girlfriends and wives on the back of their man’s bike. We are talking about the amazing women who drove themselves. They are kicking butt, taking names, and breaking barriers all at the same time.

One female biker that was at the rally, Brittany Olsen, told the Sioux City Journal that she is happy she can be herself. Olsen races motorcycles and is the four-time Sturgis Half-Mile champion. She started riding back when she was just 10 years old.

“We’re really tight knit, a lot of the stuff we do is for charitable causes or for empowering other women,” Olsen said. “Back when my mentors were riding, they really had to prove themselves, and they had to be one of the guys, whereas now we’re really not. We can be ourselves, we can be there for one another. To have a group like that, to ride with them, it’s really fun.”

Other Female Bikers Speak Out at Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

Christian Stephens was another lady to speak to the Sioux City Journal. She explained how she got her license to ride back in 2008, partly to escape from a rough marriage situation.

“I knew my ex-husband didn’t have the guts to get his license, and it was a way to do something that was totally for me,” she explained. “Then I became hooked. Riding, pushing my skills, increasing my performance, and learning as much as I could became a passion.”

Like Stephens and many others have said, once you start riding and enjoy it. You’re hooked. All of you riders out there probably agree that you are in it for life.

“I decided I wanted to keep riding, but do it for myself. So I got my license and I got a motorcycle and the rest is history,” Morrow said. “Like Christina, once you try it, if you love it then you’re going to love it for the rest of your life. It just becomes a part of you. I dove in headfirst and haven’t looked back since.”

Stephens and her close friend, Brittany Morrows, are attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally this year for the first time. Morrow talked about the experience of getting to connect with the female biker community.

“We’re on two wheels and we all love it. We’re all the same in that aspect,” she said. “And we have the guts and the courage to do something that society tells us is unladylike and isn’t a normal girl thing to do. And we all just said, ‘Nope, this is something we want to do.’”