Switzerland told the story to Moto Sport Schweiz.
Women’s Week
Around 160 women from eight European countries and one Japanese woman (a journalist for Lady’s Bike Magazine in Japan) met for this year’s international WIMA meeting in Kärnten.
Rainy Sunday – on arrival at the campsite, I pitched my tent and looked around. To my left and right was Bavaria, opposite Holland, Berlin and England were in the middle, Hamburg and the Czech Republic on the far left, Stuttgart and Bielefeld on the far right, near Switzerland. My kind of geography!
Mystery Monday – rain! We set off with a sheet of questions to find answers to on our route. The visit to Europe’s first baby- village was quite funny, with a hotel designed for babies and all the paraphernalia. The destination was the Almhütte where we had to piece together a puzzle in the best possible time, and then we were served Bretteljause, a dish a bit like Rösti. In the evening, to officially open WIMA week, there was a traditional folk band and speeches by local VIPs.
Racy Tuesday – on Tuesday in beautiful weather, we rode through the Malta Valley on the panoramic road up to the reservoir. At the toll booth, waiting for the traffic light on the one-way stretch, there was something of a racing atmosphere. 19 minutes, cigarette lit, 10, take a photo, 5, slow stroll to the motorcycle, 2, helmet and gloves on, 1, start, full throttle, yeah! And then suddenly into the unlit tunnels. It was pitch dark in there – I almost got lost. That evening there was a campfire until the small hours.
Sporty Wednesday – on offer was small calibre shooting, asphalt stick shooting (a bit like curling without running after the stone), mountain biking and rafting.
Oily Thursday – a 200 km trip to Stockenboi and Weissensee was on the programme, but as my engine was losing oil, I stayed behind to fix it. The moment I got a spanner out, helpful WIMA women came to my aid with advice and action. We couldn’t completely plug the leak, but the fact that there were so many women here who were unafraid of mechanics maybe inspired my machine to hang on to its oily lifeblood. Meanwhile, my Töff (bike) has learnt to read, as I always put newspaper underneath for protection.
Tricky Friday – today was a time trial obstacle course on your own bike which looked easier than it really was. I had to admire the Goldwing riders who rode the course without any major problems. Respect, ladies!
In the evening was the prize giving of around 70 awards and closing dinner. Martine Fricke from Berlin received the huge Madame WIMA trophy to thunderous applause. Moni-Lena Trüstedt was awarded the ‘unlucky bird’ trophy for falling and breaking her arm at the start of the week. There was even a male recipient, nine-year-old Jan from the north, who has become a kind of WIMA mascot.
Back at camp, there was the last campfire. Under the starry sky we sang our songs, told stories and we all really didn’t want to go home. WIMA fever takes hold and once you’re infected, nurture the virus and pass it on to nice women.
So then to next year in South Wales! Servus, see you, ciao and tschüss.
