13th INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOTORCYCLE STUDIES CONFERENCE:
Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, Washington
16–19 July, 2026
IJMS in Washington State, 2026!
For the first time the IJMS conference will be held in Washington State at The Ridge Motorsports Park. IJMS will venture to Shelton, Washington which is 40 miles southwest of Seattle and 20 miles northwest of Olympia, Washington’s state capitol. Shelton is known as the “Gateway to the Olympics” and “Christmastown USA” because of the large Christmas tree farming industry. The current population is 10,430.
About IJMS:
The International Journal of Motorcycle Studies (IJMS) is dedicated to the study and discussion of motorcycling culture in all its forms—from the experience of riding and racing to the history of the machine, the riders and design to the images of motorcycling and motorcyclists in film, advertising and literature. We welcome submissions on all areas related to the cultural phenomenon of motorcycling. We invite contributions from all members of the motorcycling community.
About the Conference:
Tómas Ingi Jónsson, keynote at the 2025 IJMS Conference, Akureyri, Iceland
IJMS has been organizing an annual conference for over a decade with last year’s return to University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (USA), after several years hiatus due to Covid 19. Originally, the founding editors of the journal spear-headed panels on motorcycle culture as part of the PCA/ACA annual conference. As the discourse of motorcycle studies expanded, it was clear that a conference dedicated solely to motorcycle studies was in order. In 2010 the inaugural IJMS conference at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs brought together journal contributors, IJMS staff, academics and members of the local motorcycle community. Subsequent conferences have been held in Birmingham, Alabama; Rancho Cucamonga, California; London, Forest Grove, Oregon, and at the University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK. Last year’s conference was held in Akureyri Iceland- the “Northern capital” of Iceland at the . We encountered the magic of fire and ice with live volcanoes, stunning glaciers, and epic geysers. The conference was held at the magnificent Motorhjolasafn- The Motorcycle Museum of Iceland in Akureyri. Attendees and Presenters came from Cyprus, Germany, The Czech Republic, Great Britain, Iceland, and the United States. Every year seems to highlight the far-reaching impact of motorcycle studies. More images in our Flickr album.
2026 Conference:
About Ridge Motorsports Park
Ridge Motorsports Park, designed by Steve Crawford, the road course is 40 feet wide, 2.47 miles in length, with 16 turns plus a chicane, and has over 300 feet of elevation gain and loss per lap, including the 50 foot plunge down the Ridge Complex.
Widely regarded as one of the most challenging and technical tracks in North America, the Ridge course hosts a MotoAmerica round as well as OMMRA (Oregon Motorcycle Road Race Association) and WMRRA(Washington Motorcycle Road Race Association) club racing, and IRDC and Lucky Dog Racing auto racing.
Ridge Motorsports Park is set in a rural area only minutes from the Olympic National Park and the Hood Canal fjord, with stunning views of Mt. Rainier in the distance. Surrounded by majestic Douglas fir and colorful maple trees, the track is bordered by natural grasses, wildflowers, and is home to birds, including ravens, killdeer, and eagles, as well as other wildlife, such as deer, coyotes, and bear.
Mount Hood, Washington
Submit an Abstract or Presentation Proposal:
We welcome you to submit a paper, presentation, or creative project and be part of this important milestone in motorcycle studies.
Suggested topics include:
- The motorcycle and intersectional identities (race, class, ethnicity, orientation, sexuality, and or gender)
- The motorcycle as a tool for social change
- The motorcycle or riding in film, photography, literature, art and music
Mat Humphrey at the 2023 IJMS Conference, U. of Colorado, Colorado Springs
- The motorcycle as a design object or explored through art
Motorcycle clothing/fashion/textiles and materials
- Advertising/marketing of motorcycles, gear and motorcycle culture
Media representations of motorcycling
- Motorcycle technology/design/engineering
Motorcycling and sustainability
- Motorcycling, craftsmanship, collection and customization
Motorcycle racing
- Motorcycle history in relation to design and visual culture
Njáll Gunnlaugsson, keynote at the 2025 IJMS Conference, Akureyri Iceland.
The role of place/environment in motorcycling
- Motorcycling and issues of safety and risk
- The psychology of the motorcycle, the motorcyclist and the ride
- Motorcycle travel/tourism
- Motorcycle rights and politics
- The commodification of motorcycles, motorcycling and/or motorcyclists
- Other philosophical, literary, anthropological, geographical, historical, sociological, political, economic/business or psychological perspectives of motorcycling culture
In addition to traditional academic paper presentations, we encourage submissions using alternate forms, such as photographic works, film, or multimedia presentations.
We will also accept a small number of virtual/remote submissions that are either pre-recorded or live through our conference interface. More information will be provided if your proposal is accepted.
Please fill out the following information on our “submission page”:
1) an abstract or presentation proposal of 150 words
2) a biographical statement of 75 words by April 30, 2026.
Information about IJMS and previous conferences can be found at: www.motorcyclestudies.org
Sarah Hoiland presenting at the 12th Annual IJMS Conference, Akureyri, Iceland (2025)
About the area :
Hood Canal, Skokomish Twana Salishan People, Shelton, and Ridge Motorsports Park
Hood Canal is a natural fjord, not a canal, that sits between the Kitsap Peninsula in southwest Puget Sound in the Salish Sea, and the Olympic Mountains and Peninsula. The area offers a wide range of outdoor activities including paddling, sailing, hiking, climbing, SCUBA, on and off road motorcycle touring, bicycle touring, mountain biking, motorsports racing, and skydiving. All in a magnificent setting with constantly varying mountain, water, and forest views.
The Skokomish Tribe, who are Twana Salishan, are the indigenous people of the area, and whose unceded land and aboriginal territory encompasses the Hood Canal drainage basin in western Washington State.
More information on attending the Conference will be published soon:
Image Attributions
Jason Wragg at 2024 IJMS Conference, U. of Nottingham, Wendy Pojmann at 2023 IJMS Conference, U. of Colorado, Colorado Springs.