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Women's Participation in Endurance Motorcycle Challenges WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN ENDURANCE MOTORCYCLE CHALLENGES Abagail L. Van Vlerah A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2013 Committee: Vikki Krane, Committee Chair Rebecca J. Mancuso, Graduate Faculty Representative Ellen Berry Sarah Rainey © 2013 Abagail L. Van Vlerah All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Dr. Vikki Krane, Committee Chair This work examines women’s participation in endurance motorcycle challenges, specifically the Hoka Hey motorcycle challenge, a multi-thousand mile turn-by-turn endurance event and lifestyle sport to raise awareness for the Lakota Sioux of Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Using ethnographic methods and creative non-fiction, the experiences of women challengers are folded between postmodern theoretical concepts. Building on work of sport, motorcycle, and feminist scholars, this work takes an interdisciplinary approach to viewing lifestyle sport. Using a feminist cultural studies lens the Hoka Hey emerges as a meaningful event, which not only empowers women but also supports gender non-conformity, builds community, creates instances of transgression, and breaks down binaries. By living a feminist ethic of care and participating in a heavily masculinized environment, women riders of the Hoka Hey challenge gender norms and stereotypes of motorcyclists. Using the Hoka Hey as a basis for understanding both motorcycling and sporting cultures, there is potential for reimagining sport in a rhizomatic model to effectively break down the hegemonic center of the sporting world. iv Mitakuye Oyasin v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work was not done in isolation; it came to fruition for and because of so many people. I sought and gained help at each impasse, each interaction launching me toward the next goal. Family, friends, supporters, my Hoka Hey sisters and brothers, faculty, colleagues, and mentors guided me through this process. For your help I am ever grateful. My gratitude toward all who helped with this project far exceeds the words on this page. I would not be where (and who) I am today or have completed this project without the assistance, love, guidance, and time my parents put into this journey. Although you may not have understood the reason for each step, your unending support enabled me to rise to the challenge. You know who I am and believe in me when I don’t. Thanks to my dad for sharing the ride and to my mom for being my biggest fan. I thank you for being who you are, true FPs in every way. I thank my friends who saw me to this point through laughs, tears, and beers. I would especially like to thank Wonda Baugh and Marne Austin for their selfless actions, editing help, and the many late nights or early morning runs. My endless thanks also to Amy Drees, who put the polish on the pig and to Diana DePasquale whose friendship fed my stomach and my soul. In Wonda’s brilliant words, I am only here because of and for the love of my friends. I thank my Hoka Hey supporters for assisting my research. Particularly, I am grateful for the generosity of Jim and Sandy Baugh, Larry Chan and his wife, Jeff and Salina Hill, the St. Pete crew – a Sandy, Cynthia, and Alison and the folks at Signature and Toledo Harley Davidson. Last but certainly not least, thanks to my family who gave funds and support for the trip especially Cathy and Jim Leonard, Jim and Penny Van Vlerah, Donna Van Vlerah, and Norma Jean Reiser without whom I would not have been able to undertake this journey. Thanks for taking a chance on me. vi I thank my outstanding committee for trudging through drafts, proposals, edits, and eventually making it to the final copy. This work would not be what it is without the gratuitous support of Dr. Vikki Krane, Dr. Ellen Berry, Dr. Sarah Rainey, and Dr. Rebecca Mancuso. You are wise beyond your multitude of years in academia. I hope to be as supportive to my own students someday. You’ve given me an excellent model for how to mentor students through difficult work. Finally, I would like to thank my Hoka Hey family. My brothers and sisters of the road who picked up my bike when I dropped it, participated in interviews, gave opinions, dried my tears, and made me believe in something bigger than myself. Thanks to Junie, Wendy, Jane, Schatzi, Kelly, and Carla whom I had the esteemed honor to ride beside. Thanks also to Debby, Sheila, Sherie, Bryana, Tristica, Eden, Debra and Jersey Pearl for your thoughts, voice, and wisdom. You inspire me. Your collective power has the potential to move mountains. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my Hoka Hey brothers, Bill and Blackie, who I look forward to seeing again down the road. I would also like to thank Jim Red Cloud and Beth Durham for inviting me into their family, showing me the Lakota Way, and giving me the opportunity to tackle the most difficult challenge of my life. Hoka Hey! vii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE ......................................... 1 Review of Literature ........................................................................................................... 3 The Center of Sport and Hegemonic Masculinities/Femininities ........................... 3 Lifestyle Sport ......................................................................................................... 6 Gender in Lifestyle Sport ...................................................................................... 8 Transgression through Lifestyle Sport .................................................................. 10 Marginalization of Women in Sport Cultures ....................................................... 11 Socialization of Female Athletes and Negotiations of Masculine Environments. 14 Identity .................................................................................................................. 18 Empowerment ....................................................................................................... 20 Transgression Through Sport ................................................................................ 22 Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................... 23 Standpoint Theory ................................................................................................. 23 Postmodern Theory ............................................................................................... 24 Queer Theory ........................................................................................................ 28 Feminist Cultural Studies ...................................................................................... 30 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 33 CHAPTER 2: METHODS ............................................................................................................ 35 Methodologies................................................................................................................... 35 Reflexivity............................................................................................................. 38 viii Method .............................................................................................................................. 43 Access To Community .......................................................................................... 43 Participants And Procedure................................................................................... 44 Participant Observation and Informal Interviews ................................................. 47 Autoethnography................................................................................................... 49 Formal Interviews ................................................................................................. 50 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 51 CHAPTER 3: CONTEXTUALIZING THE HOKA HEY ........................................................... 53 The Hoka Hey Cultural Ties to Native Americans ........................................................... 54 The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge .............................................................................. 61 Motorcycle Culture ........................................................................................................... 80 A Brief History of Women in Motorcycling......................................................... 81 Motorcycling and Masculinity .............................................................................. 86 Motorcycling and Class ........................................................................................ 94 Motorcycling and Whiteness ................................................................................ 96 Layered Masculinities ..................................................................................................... 99 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 102 CHAPTER 4: FEMINIST ETHICS OF CARE AND EMPOWERMENT ................................ 104 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 149 CHAPTER 5: THE HOKA HEY EXPERIENCE: PAIN, FEAR, AND ACCOMPLISHMENT ....................................................................................................................................................
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