Oct 1st, 2008
All I needed was a little momentum
Elizabeth modeling in the Interbike 2008 Urban Legend Fashion & Art Show
When I volunteered last-minute to model urban cycling wear during the Interbike 2008 Urban Legend Fashion & Art Show, I didn’t realize how much Momentum Magazine had reinvented the fashion show wheel.
The show was completely fresh from its format to its philosophy. Models wearing fashionable and bike-able outfits toured a circular, ramped runway with hip bikes ranging from electric to stone-age inspired, from foldable to recumbent. This show was about having fun and being confident, unlike most modeling gigs that demand you adapt the personality of a hanger. The congeniality of the predominantly Canadian modeling and styling team made this show as much fun backstage as it was on the runway. Ron, along with several other super-friendly bike technicians, stayed backstage before and during the show to make sure the models’ bikes fit their heights, accommodated their outfits and were poised for riding.
The models were to showcase the fun and simplicity of cycling life. However, I was one of the few in this production who hadn’t made cycling part of my lifestyle. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I could maintain momentum enough to get around the runway in my athletic look let alone my opera get-up with stiletto heels. For me, walking a runway feels much more like “riding a bike” than does actually riding a bike. As impossible as the notion seemed to a girl who was reared in urban sprawl, I admired those around me who had consciously decided to make cycling their way of life.
After spending the better part of an hour whirling around in sweet clothes on cool bikes and maneuvering kickstands, I realized that I could make the cycling lifestyle part of my own. A few minor adjustments would allow me to express my inner cyclist without making it impossible to navigate Utah Valley. Momentum pushed participants like me to make cycling a way of life, even if we need start off with training wheels.
[UPDATE: This post was re-purposed in Momentum Magazine, "Momentum Rocks the Runway at Interbike."]
Way hot! Oh, and you look good too!
Writing, riding, and rocking the runway, too! You’re amazing!! -
A little background on Liz. Liz is our newest hire here at SOAR Communications. She recently graduated cum laude from Scripps College in Claremont, CA with a self-designed major in Journalism. She’s a hard worker and has jumped in head first. As a skier, sailor, hiker, yoga practitioner and a great writer, she’s a perfect addition to the SOAR Team. Welcome aboard Liz!