MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — Two local women helped set a new world record earlier this month.
Sheila Slater and Crystal Young were part of a sea of female motorcycle riders who descended on Rockford, Illinois for the largest-ever ride. Organizers counted 1,433 participants, which easily cleared the previous mark.
Young boasts, “We closed down 31 miles of interstate with that many motorcycles consecutively.” Slater explained that they were in groups of two in a staggered formation. Young explained that she understood why the event could have been an inconvenience to drivers nearby, but she justified it by noting what a powerful message the event sent. “I would challenge those individuals to look outside their windshield and realize what just happened. There were 1,433 women on motorcycles that were united for one common cause, and it was just to do it and break records.”
Young began riding motorcycles only about 10 years ago but instantly fell in love. She describes it as the ultimate freedom, waxing poetic about how being exposed to the elements makes it easier to be present in the moment, without distractions, and take everything in.
Slater’s history with bikes dates back to childhood. She says, “It’s kind of in my genes. My grandmother rode in Germany in the [19]30s. My dad had the first Harley dealership in 1971 in Germany as an Army brat, and then we just hop on it and can’t let it go. It’s like wind therapy.”
To participate in the world record, the two women had to cruise across 1,300 miles of Midwestern terrain round trip. In the process, they dodged severe thunderstorms near Waterloo, Iowa, and wisely held up before heading into Rockford as the city was under a tornado warning on that Friday afternoon.
Neither woman is a stranger to long trips, Slater in particular. She talked with Mitchell Now about going from Mitchell to Santa Barbara, California, three years ago. When asked her favorite place in the U.S. to ride through, she recommends the Ozarks. She suggests taking a coat, though. Weathered down to around 2,600 feet and located in Arkansas, they still manage to retain a chill at the top year-round.
Plans for this summer include Sturgis. Young says she has a poker run this weekend. Even with a world record in their back pocket, both women are still full throttle into their hobby.