© theotherpress ¢ Mews August 2003 “ @ @ i ? er ey i i l Bikers Protest Molson Indy In Their Underwear Sara James News Editor The Fourth Annual Wholesome Undie took place on July 20. Participants in various states of undress protested against the Vancouver Molson Indy, which occurred the following Sunday, and espoused the benefits of riding bikes. Approximately 100 cyclists, ranging in age from young children to the retired, turned out for the event. Attention was called to the escalation in damages caused by green- house gas emissions and climate change, and the role cars play in the destruction. With tongue-in-cheek, some of the Undie racers said the only gas they'd be emitting would be natural gas. Humour was a com- mon thread with the majority of the riders. When asked what moti- vated her participation, one racer responded, “I like to ride around in my underwear, and ride bikes.” Many participants expressed frustration with the ongoing promo- tion of traffic, speeding, and pollution through the Molson Indy. As one said, “Bike traffic is traffic. Why do we need another event here [Vancouver] that promotes cars spewing garbage into the atmos- phere, when we can self-propel ourselves in our underwear through- out the city? The Molson Indy is loud, it stinks.” Tom, a teacher and first time Undie rider living in the area where the Indy occurs, is annoyed that a section of bike path is blocked for a week because of the race. Several others echoed his frustration. Several racers addressed the lack of bike lanes in and around Vancouver, expressing their belief that there should be streets blocked from all vehicle traffic. Elise, long-time bicycle activist and first-time participant, feels the Molson Indy is, “loud and noisy, and it’s about beer and cars. We shouldn't be having love-fests glorifying cars. Bikes are the things we should be celebrating. They're human-powered, they're beautiful.” Regarding bike routes in and around the city, she felt that there weren't many that were, “accessible or symbolized as a bike route” and they should include green belts and rest areas. She was “pissed off” that the Molson Indy blocked off part of the bike route she regularly uses. Grinning tourists mingled among the racers, many completely unaware of the purpose of the protest. Four pharmaceutical sales rep- resentatives on an awards trip from Washington, DC were intrigued when they saw the cyclists in their underwear. Ed Grigalus asked if it was, “some kind of event in support of gay marriage in Canada.” When asked what prompted his question, he responded, “There's been a lot of publicity in some of our states, such as Massachusetts, because of the Canadian Same-Sex Marriage rulings.” He believed the protestors were unemployed professional activists who travelled North America participating in similar events, and felt that, “they wouldn't be taken as seriously as someone who works and earns a liv- ing and pays taxes as well.” Dave Donley, a Vancouver resident, was disturbed by the protest. He claimed that the majority of the participants had no idea what they were protesting about, and then vocalized his support for the 2010 Olympics, the war in Iraq, and the Canadian troops in Afghanistan, and when asked if he knew what was being protested, admitted he didn’t. When told it was the Wholesome Undie race, Donley was still unaware of the cause. Once he was informed, he said the Undie was, “telling people who live in this province and drive in that race [Molson Indie] to stay out of my city, so that some other city like Victoria may get it [the race].” Prior to their ride, several cyclists decorated themselves with body paint and sang the “Wholesome Undie” hymn. Instructions to “stick together and not block traffic” were delivered as the riders circled the Vancouver Art Gallery’s fountain for photographers. The event started at 1:00pm at the Gallery. Riders made their way to the site of the Molson Indy, where they concluded their race with bicycle ballet and friendly competition around the Indy track. The ‘ winner of the competition received the Wholesome Undie D-Cup. Page 6 e http://www.otherpress.ca