PETROLETTES Vol 2. 2015/2016

PHOTOS | HELEANA GENAUS & KATE DISHER-QUILL

From left: Nina Hoglund, Erica Valenti, Kristen Lassen, Cass Moeller, Kate Peck, Yvette Kinkade

If 2015 was the year of the Petrolette motorcyclist, 2016 we’ll be searching for more drivers and pilots! As we get closer to the one year anniversary of In Venus Veritas and the emergence of the Petrolette, here are some of the incredible women we’ll be featuring to close out this year and roll into the next.

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Kate Peck

PHOTO: HELEANA GENAUS

When Kate and I met earlier this year she was just starting to merge her worlds between the music and fashion as a model and MTV VJ with her passion for motorcycling. An avid rider who spends most summer holidays with her Dad and step-mother touring different continents on their motorcycles (she recounted some incredible experiences in Africa & South America) she lives to ride, completely down-to-earth, and does everything she can to be involved in motorcycling events. 

Cass Moeller

PHOTO: HELEANA GENAUS

No frills, no fuss but all thrills. Cass is a champion aerobatics pilot who also co-founded and runs the Australian Aerobatics Academy with her husband (and total legend) Peter at Bankstown Airport. She (proudly) is responsible for making me almost hurl on an epic joy flight and taught me a lot about what it takes to get involved in aerobatics, what it takes to run a school, and the mechanics of a plane. Her passion for aviation is infectious, while hard to keep it all running, and holding down a day job, she clearly yearns for her time in the air.

Yvette Kinkade

PHOTO: HELEANA GENAUS

SUPERCHARGED! Yvette is the co-founder of Track Day Club, an all-inclusive track day that aims to give drivers an outlet for speed, to test their cars and their driving skill and give every day people a chance to take it more seriously if they want to. A family affair and total joy to witness. Yvette has two Holden Monaros - one for track (called Brutus) and the other for road. I got to go out with Yvette and her supercharged V8 Brutus on the track and had a blast! A true example that one can be feminine and strong at the same time, which in turn has made an often intimidating experience really approachable.

Jacqueline Graeme Taylor

PHOTO: HELEANA GENAUS

I met Jacqui at Track Day Club and couldn’t not photograph her to tell her story. Wife to experienced racer her nimble FTO owned the track as she clipped in and got serious on her corners. I loved seeing her back in the pits getting advice from her husband with her daughters in situ in full support and clearly proud of their mum.

Erica Valenti

PHOTO: HELEANA GENAUS

The Throttle Dolls have been featured here and are friends of IVV from when it was just a twinkle in my eye. When I got to learn their individual reasons for riding I couldn’t ignore it. Erica stopped driving after a traumatic car accident that spun her car and set it alight while she was still in it. Luckily she escaped with burns but a trauma that took her five years (and a 1980’s convertible BMW she nicknamed “Brenda”) before she could return to driving again. The Throttle Dolls, aka her besties Nina and Maria, supported her yearning to ride (a serious case of fear-of-missing-out the catalyst) which, I believe, is a story about conquering fears to live a full life, with the support of some great friends.

Nina Hoglund

PHOTO: KATE DISHER-QUILL

Helluu! Swedish… I need to mention her mother-country because I think it has a lot to with her goofy nature and super positive attitude. This woman is a ray of sunlight who I feel very fortunate to have in my life. Sweden is really forward thinking in its approach to women rights, hence Nina never felt she had any reason to believe she couldn’t do what her older brother could. With that she actually beat him at trying most things and motorcycling was one of them. She makes everything look like a heap of fun and thus inspired her family and friends to follow her lead. For Nina, riding… life... is all about who she can share it with adding to the story of life and the adventures she can catalogue. 

Kristen Lassen

PHOTO: KATE DISHER-QUILL

Kristen is an incredible person who I've come to admire and adore. Observant of life, incredibly intelligent and an experienced rider at just 23 years of age. At the time of writing this, Kristen had just given up a degree and career in engineering to become a Harley-Davidson technician, perfectly aligning with her want to learn how things work and using the experience to understand life. A regular contributor to IVV her insights are always profound, beautifully told and demonstrate a wisdom that suggest she's possibly been here before. She also got our dynamite photographer,Kate Disher-Quill, totally hooked on riding whilst visiting Orlando earlier in 2015... Kristen is the real deal and an inspiration.

The Lost Latitudes

PHOTO: KATE DISHER-QUILL

Leticia Cline and Kristen Lassen will be hitting the road next spring (northern hemisphere) on their H-D Ironheads to rediscover and ignite some of the lost towns and roads in the US that have been surpassed by highways and "progress". Kate got to spend some time with the ladies in Orlando and brought back a beautiful photographic series to accompany their thoughts on what the trip will mean for them.