Some Classic Pretty Pics of Racing Chicks

I hate to break it to you, but we’re not the first girl motorcycle racers to ever put rubber to the road.

Sure, the numbers of female racers have been increasing so substantially over the years that it finally inspired a forward-thinking Michelin and Evelyne Clark, owner of WERA, to add WERA’s first women’s racing class in 2009, but apparently there were girls rippin’ it up in southern California as early as 1949. These photos were taken by acclaimed Life Magazine photographer Loomis Dean.

Powder Puff race, Los Angeles, 1949

Racing with bare legs and no helmet – now that’s scary! Racing with full leathers and the world’s most technologically advanced helmets feels almost safe in comparison.

Girls back then also enjoyed street riding. I like to call this photo “Curve Unit: The Early Years:”

An all girl ride in the mountains above Los Angeles

I miss Life Magazine; it still exists, but its glory years are long gone. In high school I used to spend many solitary hours in the library leafing through old copies, admiring the beautiful photography. I guess now everyone collectively contributes to a modern day version of Life Magazine in the form of reality shows, Facebook photos, and blogs like this one.