Redmond odd couple: Monster trucks, Women's Expo

Friday, November 09, 2007
KT VZ


Genders can bend a bit at Redmond fairgrounds, with men at Women's Expo and a female monster truck driver

But events aren't as mutually exclusive as it seems

By Deanne Goodman, KTVZ.COM

Not much pink on the monster truck side of the Deschutes County Fairgrounds, a very different atmosphere than the Women's Expo also this weekend in Redmond.

"Seems like a strange combination at first, but last year we had families men and women coming to the expo, then the gun show, then the monster truck show," an event coordinator for the Women's Expo said Friday.

But you can find some men at the Women's Expo "manning" the booths, iIncluding Jim Swindle whose wife talked him into helping at the Expo. He's hoping more men show up. Wives tend to have a lot of pull over here.

Monster truck driver Kreg Christensen says he probably won't wander over to the Women's Expo: "If my wife was here, she'd drag me to it, but she's not here this weekend so I'll be able to skip that. "

Event coordinators for the Women's Expo believe some men will want to check out the show on their own. "With the hoards of women why wouldn't they come?!" exclaimed one.

So you can find men at the Women's Expo and women behind the wheel of monster trucks, including monster truck driver Madusa. She got her start in the business because of other women, who pioneered the way for her. Now she hopes to open the door for other women.

There are only three or four woman monster truck drivers. Says Christensen, "We need more women, they bring a whole different light to the sport. "

But more and more women are attending the shows. "We have all demographics," said Madusa, "from men to women, from newborns to 90 year olds that come. It's a great family event. "

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