 A beautiful new face has debuted on the motorcycle racing scene. Choi Yoon-rye, 26, is a contestant in a big race to be held in Taebaek, Gangwon province, Aug. 16-17. The road race is the Super Newbie Competition for the KT&G Korea Road Racing Championships.
Choi was first in the bike racing spotlight last July in the third round of the championship, when she appeared as the first woman to ride a "liter" bike, a large motorcycle with an engine displacement larger than 1000cc.
Even through the grounds were wet from rain, she sped on a straight course at 270 kilometers per hour, took a turn at 170 and drew shouts of encouragement from the onlookers. But on her fourth lap, she went down in a scary accident.
Amazingly, though, Choi got right back up and dusted off her riding gear. "I was not hurt because of the protective equipment," she said. The onlookers were stunned by her calmness and self-confidence.
A multifaceted sportswoman, Choi waterskis and snowboards and has a colorful resume. With her good looks and slender figure - she 176 centimeters tall and weighs 52 kilograms - she has worked as a model and until recently ran a store in a shopping center.
She has also performed in movies as a stuntwoman on her bike. Since her first racing appearance last July, she has become famous with offers to appear in television commercials.
Choi got into bikes after riding on the back of one by chance and being charmed by the speed. After graduating from high school in Bucheon, west of Seoul, she started part-time jobs to earn money. Eventually she earned enough to buy her own bike.
"My father was fiercely against the idea," she said. "One time, I woke up and I found that he had smashed up my bike with a hammer."
However, Choi continued riding as she went to Seoul and started living on her own. Since then, she has owned a Honda VF, a Kawasaki Vulcan 750, a Honda Ninja 600 and a Honda CBR 400. Last year, she bought herself a Yamaha R1, which is worth over W100 million ($85,000).
Choi has become a celebrity among the riding community with her smooth skills and techniques, and has become especially adept at wheelies - riding with the front wheel up in the air. She entered the Jjang Racing Team early this year and began her career as an athlete with a firm determination to succeed.
(Cho Jeong-hun, donjuan@chosun.com )
|
