Tuscola woman breaks world record for motorcycle event
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By Jacob Hamm
TUSCOLA- Sharilyn Kibler-Russell has been riding motorcycles for nearly 40 years. This past weekend, she and the Champaign chapter of the organization “Stilettos on Steel,” in collaboration with the “Midwest Women Riders,” set two world records for motorcycle events. The event broke the records for the largest group in attendance at one motorcycle event and the most motorcycle riders at one time, with over 2,500 attendees and 1,433 motorcycle riders.
The world record was previously held by a group in Australia for the past nine years, with the previous record sitting at just over 1,000 riders, according to Atlas World Records. Kibler said the event had a great turnout from women all over the United States and Canada. According to Kibler-Russell, there were people that traveled from every state in the country. The event drew high-profile motorcycle enthusiasts, such as Karen Davidson, Harley Davidson’s granddaughter.
“Stilettos on Steel” was founded in 2010 in Madison, Wis., after founder Anne Zube rented a motorcycle for a weekend for her birthday and found her passion for riding motorcycles. She still serves as CEO of the organization. The organization has dozens of chapters across the country, mostly concentrated in the Midwest, the South, and East Coast states. Along with the Champaign chapter, there are two other chapters in Central Illinois, in Clinton and Springfield.
The event was held at the Hard Rock Cafe in Rockford on Saturday. Their ride began at the cafe with the group going on Interstate 90 with a police escort for approximately two miles. The interstate was shut down for the event. While the “Midwest Women Riders” have a big event every year, this one was for the record books.