International Female Ride Day® (IFRD) is celebrated annually worldwide on the first Saturday of May. The day celebrates women motorcycle riders and is not country, group or organisationally specific – it is a globally synchronised “JUST RIDE!”© day, for women. Vicki Gray created IFRD for all women individually, in groups and collectively – everywhere!
Women make International Female Ride Day® their day to “JUST RIDE!”© doing what they can to promote and highlight women riders while making a positive difference for women in motorcycling and powersports everywhere.
Every woman riding on IFRD is a role model for the diverse, unique and common passion women share for motorcycling and powersports.
The day has occurred for well over a decade and a half, with the first IFRD actions in 2007. It is an all brands and all styles motorcycling happening, and extends across all borders and cultures the world over.
Marked annually on the first Saturday in May, International Female Ride Day (IFRD) is one of the most important ride days of the year to:
- Highlight the number of women who ride;
- Encourage other women to take up the activity;
- Raise awareness about women’s equality in motorsports;
- Celebrate women’s advancements in motorsports and powersports;
- Ride for accelerated gender parity.
What Is International Female Ride Day?
International Female Ride Day® (IFRD) occurring on the first Saturday in May, is a global day celebrating the cultural, social and active lifestyles of women who ride and enjoy motorcycling and powersports.
The day also marks a call to action for fast-tracking gender equality, awareness, and respect for women in motorcycling or motorsport.
IFRD is created and owned by Vicki Gray. It is exclusively driven by Gray through her business platform MOTORESS®, the woman rider and motorcycle enthusiast online magazine and resource. Gray is an avid motorcyclist currently residing in Canada where MOTORESS® relocated to from Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
IFRD is all about riding in celebration, unity, and support – whatever that looks like globally at a local level. But one thing is for sure, IFRD has been occurring for nearly two decades and continues to grow in strength and power, from ride to ride.
IFRD promotes all women (those who identify as a woman) in motorcycling and encourages other women to take up the activity. The numbers of women motorcycle riders steadily increases, and certainly more so in recent decades (women’s social values have changed, advanced, etc.) with the prominence of the IFRD occurrence. IFRD underlines this growth and the numbers.
IFRD provides a platform for women motorcycle riders to bond with other women, to meet and find like-minded women who ride and develop friendships with which to enjoy and advance motorcycling!
Who Can Support IFRD?
The simple answer is – everyone! IFRD is not country, group, nor organisationally specific. No one manufacturer, powersports brand, charity, corporation, government, NGO, school, women’s network or club is may claim ownership for IFRD . It is the creation and proprietorship of Vicki Gray with an action belonging to women motorsport enthusiasts collectively worldwide.
Many organisations/associations, manufacturers, and dealerships declare the IFRD theme of “JUST RIDE!”© lending their support.
United Day, Global Movement, Celebration of Women Who Ride
IFRD is a united day of global movement and celebration of women who ride motorcycles. It simultaneously brings a call for action for gender parity, acceptance and inclusion of women in motorcycling and powersports.
Yes! Make International Female Ride Day® your day and do what you can to represent and truly make a positive difference for women riders and powersports enthusiasts everywhere!
History: International Female Ride Day
International Female Ride Day® (IFRD) has been observed since 2007. It is the sole brain child of motorcyclist Vicki Gray, globally recognised motorcycling instructor, road racer, motorcycling advocate and owner of MOTORESS® the motorcycling lifestyle online magazine. The idea had been in the works since 2006 but came to reality on Friday 4 May, 2007 – the very first “JUST RIDE!”© day launched in Toronto, Ontario Canada!
IFRD initially began as a national event and took its leap in May, 2007. It was launched fully intending to be International, and so it did! IFRD instantly became participated globally right from its inaugural year. Vicki’s “JUST RIDE!©” theme, the action of IFRD, caught fire and went across the border. Women motorcycle riders in Canada, across the United States, The Netherlands and Australia joined in. Embraced by thousands of women riders, IFRD made its introduction and international success. Its achievements continue to drive it forward today, now over a decade and a half later is permanently etched into every woman rider’s agenda – the first Saturday in May.
IFRD was born with the purpose of highlighting the fact that women ride motorcycles, enjoy motorcycling – and have done so since the motorcycle was invented. My call to action – inviting women to join in on one globally synchronised day to ‘just ride’ – seemed the best method to highlight the diverse numbers of women riders. Similarly, every woman riding and participating [on IFRD] would be a spotlighted role-model in her particular area – the representative of IFRD and its mission, encouraging others.
In 2008 International Female Ride Day observed women riders and activities in Australia, Greece; the further reaches of North America, England and The Netherlands, France and 12 other countries including locations in Russia. Within one year IFRD became embraced, decidedly by women riders themselves – its momentum continues to this day.
Each year “the movement” continues to expand and grow to such an extent that has truly given it a unique global status. It is the largest all inclusive, borderless campaign for female motorcyclists of its kind, and in the world.
IFRD PHOTO CONTEST & SWEEPSTAKES
Since the very first IFRD, photo sharing on IFRD has been a key and fun part of the day. Originally, a free official IFRD souvenir or memento of the day was sent to the first 100 women riders who sent in a picture of themselves by email. This had to include their motorcycle and further depicting their “JUST RIDE!” aspect of the day. The response was overwhelming!
Within the years which followed, this eventually became too costly for Vicki to afford so she designed a photo contest where sponsors and partners donate valuable items to each winner of the photo contest.
In 2018 the number of global entries caused the MOTORESS®, where the photo contest is hosted, website to crash with over 17,000 photo entries within a few hours.
The photo submissions, shares and posts on social media including the use of #IFRD hashtags, have evolved to become a treasured component of the day, photo contest or not. IFRD has accumulated an extensive image archive of women riders though the years sharing their “JUST RIDE!©” day happenings!
IFRD PIVOT POINTS
2007
- International Female Ride Day® was introduced by Vicki Gray and the first ever “JUST RIDE!©” day occurred on Friday, 4 May, 2007.
2011
- International Female Ride Day® official photo contest implemented. For years 2007 – 2010 women received free IFRD souvenirs when they submitted a photo. As the numbers in 2010 reached over 110 countries, this became no longer affordable by Vicki Gray.
2014
- International Female Ride Day® switches from Friday to Saturday and will make its first historic weekend and Saturday occurrence – 3 May, 2014.
2018
- In 2018 the MOTORESS site crashed due to the number of photo contest entries. There were over 17,000 photo entries within a few hours of the contest start time.
2020
- The Corona Virus pandemic causes an official rescheduling of IFRD to 22, August. However, nothing could stop dedicated women riders from taking part on the traditional date, Saturday 4 May. The hashtag #IFRDTRIBUTE was created for those wishing to celebrate without bike or solo.
- 22 August, 2020 sees the second IFRD running in 2020!
