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OREGON VS. WASHINGTON ST.
1:00 P.M. AUTZEN STADIUM
SAT, OCT. 30
HOMECOMING
Admission $2.00 with airrtni l O I I)
OREGON
BLOCK
PARTY
UO VS. ARIZONA
UO VS. ARIZONA ST.
7:00 P.M. MAC
7:00 P.M. COURT
Admission FREE with current UO I.D.
with Women’s Sports
IN TOUCH
111 - NORMAN MF SMANflor «N» t m#raid
A group of women ride their bikes past Foi Hollow to Ridgeline with the WOMBATS.
WOMBATS teach women in town
j WOMBATS are
teaching women
how to have fun
while getting
exercise on hikes
roups such as
YWC A. NOW .uul
WOMBATS ill
have something in
common they are made up of
women and cash have coherent
interests.
The YWCA works with
women in the community,
NOW is concerned with
improving and equalizing the
rights of women, and WOM
BATS Women's Mountain
Bike and Tea Society is
devoted to getting more women
on their mountain hikes.
I he mission ol WOMBAT S
at first may not appear to be
helping women in any great
way, until one takes a quick
look at history and realizes that
it was the bicycle that helped
liberate women.
When horses were the main
mode ot transportation, women
would either mi "lady like" hy
side straddling their steed, or
they would he pulled in a eat
rtage Once women started
catching on to the idea that
they could pedal across town
carriage, they then realized that
functional clothing and breath
ing easier. t >nce they were able
to breath, they were ihic to
speak, ansi thus came voting
privileges.
This may he a crude history
lesson ol whv hikes are synonv
E33B
NORMAN Mi ‘.(AAN1.X th« Fr"*>alfl
Jacquie Phelan, founder of the WOMBATS, talks to a group of women
interested In learning more about bicycling.
WOMBAT S is a community
of women who help and teach
mountain hike techniques to
each other and have tea pat
ties.
I he group was started by
mountain hike guru Jacquie
Phelan. It the name is unfamil
iar, it is because she has been
cheated oj much deserved
recognition. Phelan is the pio
neer of women mountain hik
ers, winning every race she
entered fresin 19M -1 l,*t> Not
even Julie hurtado has come
close to this.
Although she trained with
|sjs4 she loincd with RAAM
first women-only mountain
bike Camp. In PPM, WOM
BAT S was horn.
Phelan made her long await
ed Oregon visit to Eugene earli
er this month and made some
lustorv More than to women
showed up. the largest group of
Phelan led them through the
street?- ot Hugene up to the
Ridgeltne trail There she gave
pointers on maneuvering hikes
through switchbacks and get
ting started on a steep hill.
Although there were women
stretching from one end ot the
trail to the other, Phelan led
trom the hack and helped any
one who was struggling.
Alter the ride, the hikers
grouped at Amazon park and
had tea and scones. I hose who
were part ot this event realized
that she need not he a hard
sore rider to belong to \\ l)M
BATS Phelan's objective was
tun among themselves
It was refreshing to see
women who weren’t competing
against one another, hut
encouraging each other. Moun*
tain hiking isn’t as rugged as it is
made out to he in the media,
and may he the women ot
WOMBATS who will help oth
ers realize this. After all, the
point of ihe sport is no have tun
Tamara Jones