‘Such huge changes have happened here, which we wanted to show to the other WIMAs. For this year, no place seemed more suitable to us than this city,’ the eleven Berlin organisers explained in their invitation.
The venue was House Sunland, a leisure home providing rooms and camping space on an island on the River Spree.
Despite reservations by others about a city-based rally, roughly 170 participants gathered from Germany (100+), England (18), Switzerland (12), Netherlands (12), Sweden (7) and one each from France, Czechoslovakia, Norway, Austria and even USA.
Annette Johann from WIMA Germany wrote about the rally for Das Motorrad. Partially reproduced here.
Petrol & Cromwell Helmets
Once a year they do it. For decades and always in the last week of July. WIMA women from all over Europe come together and celebrate their rally.
The woman in her mid-thirties looks attentively into the rear- view mirror of her 1100cc Suzuki. Concentrating, she follows the line of her lips, while she follows the discussion of the other motorcyclists, ‘Ride to Werder and bring a specialty from there,’ co-pilot Gina quotes the rally questionnaire for the third time under a mountain of Brandenburg maps, thoughtfully looking around the marketplace of the small town. A passer-by, who curiously watches the lady with the theatre prop helmet doing her make-up, gives a clue: fruit wine. Christa puts away the lipstick and makes for the next supermarket. At last, a practical rally question.
Even on the festive last evening, WIMA remains what it is. A meeting where the Olympic idea of being there counts, the programme is pleasant variety, the skill competition exciting pleasure, the rally a laugh a minute and the rewards beautiful memories.
‘For me, WIMA is the guarantee that I can get off for a week and enjoy myself without limits,’ says Floh Petit, summing up her 19 years of WIMA.
Shortly after the announcement of tenth place, the whole competition scenario retreats into the background. You bury yourself in the telling of old and new stories, plans are made, appointments are made. For skiing in Meribel, for a short trip to New York, for a joint seasonal trip to Alsace. Because WIMA is not just once a year. For many, it is on their calendars all year round.
The rally had a full programme of events:
- Monday – Gymkhana and evening welcome dinner.
- Tuesday – Treasure hunt through the outskirts of Berlin.
- Wednesday – Quiz and motorcycle sidecar riding. A choice of small group tours to: Sanssouci Castle, Potsdam, the concentration camp memorial at Sachsenhausen, the Museum of Transport and Technology, and Marlene Dietrich’s grave. In the evening, around three dozen night owls went on a late-night parade into the city and to the bars of Charlottenburg. ‘While they rock until dawn with cool hip-hop rhythms, the rest enjoy themselves in the pub on the campground.
- Thursday – Berlin sightseeing tour by bus and a disco and night show in the evening.
- Friday – a lie in and free day. Evening canal boat trip, farewell dinner and award ceremony. Ulrike Buschmann came first in the competitions and won the WIMA Woman of the Year award.
The rest of the original article from Das Motorrad: “Benzin & Cromwell“
