“International Female Ride Day 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,” explains founder Vicki Gray. “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.”
It has also attracted support from around the globe from dealers to OEMs; MV Agusta and Ducati to BRP and Polaris. May 4, 2024, marks the 4th time Polaris has participated with its Indian and Slingshot brands. "The sense of community that comes with riding is special, and we've been bolstering our efforts to showcase and support the wide spectrum of riders that make up that community, inclusive of our many women riders. IFRD is just one of the ways we do that," said Polaris Chief Customer Growth Officer Pam Kermisch. Polaris is focused on helping more people experience powersports, including strategic initiatives to introduce more women to the sport. Since 2018, nearly 40% of customers new to Polaris are younger, women, or multicultural.
"We're the global leader in powersports, and we've achieved that by actively listening to our customers and gaining the insights to understand their experience and what would make it better," said Kermisch. "As we look at our customer research, we seek out the voices and perspectives of all our riders and look to further champion the inclusion of women riders to help advance the design of our products and experiences."
IFRD has been on the BRP/Can-Am radar since 2020. Only 20% of all riders on the road are women, according to BRP/Can-Am. "We’re on a mission to change that and help grow the Women of On-Road community through inclusivity and education."
"I am thrilled that companies like BRP and Polaris are partnering with International Female Ride Day again," says Gray. “Their support has been and continues to be invaluable in propelling International Female Ride Day to even great heights. I'm grateful for the synergies we share and their absolute support of our vision – highlighting and supporting women riders while expanding equity in powersports."
