1, EETNESS Aish, Vntical Hats & Foes oo a ’ a ’ i . ’ : ' * : ' Clockwise left- right: Instructor Alex Connolly does a back bend after teaching the Femme Fit class; Roberta Hayes poses on the pole after teaching aclass; Hayes demonstrating a move to the beginners class at AVA Fitness. LAURA BROUGHAM PHOTOS Pole dancing revolution Views about pole dancing are shifting, says dance instructor By LAURA BROUGHAM ntering a room with one wall covered in a black sheet and fairy lights, with multiple poles throughout the room, might be unusual, but not at AVA Fit- ness. The fitness centre offers several pole and aerial dancing classes, capturing a growing market in Vancouver. Alex Connolly, a pole dancing instructor at the New Westminster studio and co-owner at the second, soon-to-open AVA Fitness location, said the pole dancing community is an accepting and welcoming place for women. “T was just really inspired by the com- munity and how it encourages women to root for each other’s rise, and their physical, actual, literal rise up the pole,” the 90s from Canadian-born Fawnia Mondey and have grown in popularity. Connolly said. There are now provincial and national She said the pole dancing commu- pole dancing competitions and the next nity supports a . . . national com- and motivates We live ina society petition will women, rather take place June than focusing on the negatives. “We live in a society where women are con- stantly told to judge each other and bring each other down,” Connolly said. “In the pole community, it’s completely oppo- site.” Pole fitness classes originated in where women are constantly told to judge each other and bring each other down.” — ALEX CONNOLLY, POLE DANCE INSTRUCTOR 10 in Vancou- ver. Roberta Hayes, a fitness instructor at AVA _ Fitness, said the stigma around the sport has shifted due to the change in the public perception of women. “There’s been a cultural shift in general, with the growth in awareness of sexism and exotic dance and femi- said Hayes. “There’s a general consciousness shift that’s gone on and also we're getting better and better with women being sexual over time.” Cyanne Nisbett, a student at AVA Fitness, said that even within her own family there is stigma against it. She often faces criticism when she posts things online, she said, and she’s had family members ask her what will happen when she tries to find work in the future. definitely the stigma and it blows my mind,” Nisbett said. AVA Fitness is opening a second stu- dio on Oak and Broadway this Satur- day, April 1. . ” nism, “T’ve encountered Thrift shopping for motorcyclists Motorcycle riders and fashionistas seek used gear By CHRISTOPHER THOROSKI iders are not only saving money R= they are enhancing their wardrobe as well, thanks to a motorcycle shop that sells second-hand gear. East Side Re-Rides, located just off Main Street and 16th, is the only sec- ond-hand motorcycle gear store in the Lower Mainland. Nearly everything sold at the store is on consignment and it has been this way for the last eight years. Elaine Miller, owner of the store, was introduced to motorcycles at the age of 14. She bought East Side Re-Rides six years ago. Elaine Miller, owner of East Side Re-Rides, with biker boots. : SUBMITTED PHOTO Miller believes that it is an exciting time because many people are search- ing for vintage one-of-a-kind pieces all while trying to stay safe on the road. “Many people are trying to spike that balance between feeling free and being safe,” Miller said. Additionally, different riders come to the store for different reasons. Some experienced riders shop for style. Those who are just beginning to ride shop for safety. However, according to ICBC, motor- cycle crashes are on the rise in B.C. In 2011 there was a recorded 2,000 incidents but in 2015 that number jumped up to 2,600. Over the course of that five-year period, the average num- ber of fatal crashes was 32. Doreen Walmsley, the owner of Ducati Richmond and a motorcycle en- thusiast, said people choose not to wear proper gear, not because of cost, but due to personal preference. “Gear is actually quite reasonably priced especially compared to medi- cal costs if you crash,” Walmsley said. “There’s no reason not to wear gear.” Spencer Johnston, an employee at East Side Re-Rides, said that it’s be- coming a lot more popular for people to buy used gear because the price point is much better than regular retail. “There is an economic trend lately of retail shops making less and less money as people buy online,” Johnston said. “It’s a community and a lifestyle pro- moted here . . . it’s something that an online presence can’t recreate.” Electric cars in the spotlight Autoshow highlights green technology, drawing bigger crowds each year to test drive By KURTIS GREGORY he 2017 Vancouver Interna- tional Autoshow is expecting a growing interest in green ve- hicles this year and is trying to help nor- malize electric vehicles by highlighting green technology improvements within the industry. Blair Qualey, president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of British Columbia who hosts the auto show, said that displaying and allow- ing for test drives is an effective way of addressing the anxiety consumers have regarding vehicle range. “Range anxiety has always been a big issue for people and we thought this is a great way to answer some of those ques- tions, give people a chance to get in one, try it out and see that it’s just like any car,” Qualey said. Every year the number of people who test-drive electric and green vehicles doubles, according to Qualey, and he expects that trend will continue into the future. According to Green Car Reports, plug-in vehicles have been growing as percentage share of the Canadian car market from just .03 per cent in 2011 to as high as .48 per cent in 2016. The Canadian Green Car of the Year was announced on Tuesday, just hours before the first day of the show. The award went to the Toyota Prius outfitted with the Technology Package, a hybrid that gets 100 kilometres to the litre. Last years winner, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, is a fully electric vehicle that gets 85 kilometres on a charge. The NCDA has been working with the provincial government to make ac- cess to price deductibles easier through the Clean Energy Vehicles for British Columbia program. The program offers up to a $5,000 discount on eligible plug in and hybrid vehicles under $77,000 and $6,000 off of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. While these deductibles are available for most electric cars, the Tesla Model S, the second most popular EV in Canada, was dropped from the list when the price limit was imposed on March 2, 2016. Increase in electric vehicle sales year-to-year in Vancouver since 2011. Electric vehicles owned by the City of Vancouver, the largest fleet in Canada. Charging stations across the city, from parking lots to shopping malls and other locations. SOURCE: CITY OF VANCOUVER