Women motorcyclists gather in Pärnu County from 25 countries

More than 300 women motorcyclists from 25 countries have gathered in Pärnu County for a week of touring, ERR reported. On Wednesday, they held a parade ride from their campsite in Valgerand to Pärnu.

“Motorcycles cannot cross the ocean, so we had to rent them from Latvia, in Riga,” said Cheryl Woodsom, a motorcyclist from the United States.

Woodsom is visiting Estonia for the first time and said local people had made a very positive impression on her within just a few days.

“When we rode today, I had tears in my eyes because everyone was waving and excited to see us coming. That made me very happy,” she said.

The gathering is organised by the Estonian branch of the Women’s International Motorcycle Association, or WIMA.

“Including Estonia, we are from 25 countries. From neighbouring countries, there are Lithuania, Finland, Sweden and Norway, and from farther away, the United States, Australia, Curaçao and Japan,” said Marju Uusküla, a member of WIMA Estonia.

Tuesday was Estonia Day at the gathering, featuring Estonian food, traditional clothing and folk dancing. Participants also visited Soomaa on an excursion, and a trip to Kihnu is planned for Thursday.

WIMA is now 76 years old and was founded in the United States. The association holds its gathering in a different country each year. This is the second time it has been held in Estonia, following the first gathering in 2017, said Sheonagh Ravensdale, a motorcyclist from the United Kingdom.

Ravensdale said motorcycling gives her a sense of freedom and independence.

“You feel the air, and it is completely different from being inside a box. We all love it. I have been riding for 50 years and I still ride. We simply love it,” she said.

The next gathering of women motorcyclists will take place in Italy.