I originally met Katee and her friend Tricia Helfer while taking a spin on the beautiful new Indian Chiefs at the Grand opening of California Indian Motorcycles in Harbor City.   Katee, a tomboy from Portland Oregon and Tricia, a Canadian raised on a farm (Battlestar Galactia, Burn Notice, Dark Blue) are both avid riders who love to get in the wind. We exchanged road stories but what really struck a chord for me was their desire to retrace the historic Easy Rider and Van Buren multi-thousand mile motorcycle road trips…these women are defiantly on a roll.

Katee takes on life’s twists and turns without hesitation. With no formal training her acting career began at 17, she was in the right place at the right time and for the past 13 years embraced each new role with fervor. Katee befriended actress Tricia Helfer on the set of acclaimed TV series Battlestar Galactica but it was motorcycling that fueled a friendship.  Katee described her first day at MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation riding course); she flipped the bike and crashed while practicing high-speed controlled stops on day one.  Battered and bruised she attended the Emmys that evening but thanks to makeup and wardrobe prevailed. Nobody at MSF expected her to return.  She did, she finished and immediately bought her Harley Fat Boy.  Engaged and attentive locally and globally we discuss the motorcycle officer downed on the 405 and her greenish/golden eyes reflect a genuine empathy but suddenly shimmer with fire as we discuss the current status in the gulf. Born and raised on the ocean in she is furious about the disaster and its long-term ramifications.  Adamant that BP should never be off the hook for this and it’s a global wake up call for the inhabitants of planet earth.  Ditching her SUV for green vehicles and riding motorcycles is miniscule in the grand scale but feels personal responsibility must be taken. As consumers ultimately we drive industry by what we decide to purchase. Her Tattoo roughly translates in Latin to Public Property and as an actress in the public eye Katee feels a social responsibility to make intelligent, informed decisions

Still In the planning stages, Katee and Tricia goal is to spearhead the Easy Rider Charity ride from L.A to Louisiana retracing the route taken by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in the seminal 1969 movie.  Tricia worked with Dennis on an Independent film a couple years ago called Memory (or Mem(o)re as it was actually spelled).  It also starred Billy Zane and Ann Margaret .  The independent film she was suppose to work with Dennis in last fall is called “The Beginner’s Guide to Endings”.  Harvey Keitel took over for Dennis when he had to back out at the last minute due to his illness.  Dennis Hopper was very active in Oceana, the largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation.  http://na.oceana.org .  They  know that  Dennis, who never failed to defy authority or take a  public stand would be out front on this issue. They plan to raise money for  those impacted by the Gulf  coast disaster in Louisiana. The tentative dates for the Charity ride are to leave Los Angeles October 22^nd and arrive in Louisiana on the 28^th and be part of the Voodoo Music Festival, which begins the 29^th.  Tricia’s husband and Katee s boyfriend, both long time riders, will accompany them and anyone who wants to ride the entire trip or just jump in along the way is invited. The ultimate goal is for participants to make a donation to the Acting Outlaws Foundation www.actingoutlaws.org Both  actresses are adamant about this and will make time  in their busy  schedules  because something  must be done. If it requires riding 1500 miles on a motorcycle… all the better.

Next year Katee and Tricia plan on retracing the epic ride of the Van Buren sisters.  In 1916 Augusta and Adeline Van Buren were the first women to ride motorcycles coast-to-coast across America. Living in a society where women didn’t even have the right to vote they completed the long arduous ride from New York to San Francisco in 67 days, and then they rode to Mexico. Today those dirt roads are paved  but Katee & Tricia will trace a route that will take them through the back roads of America, visiting small towns, exploring  renewable energy and raising money for homeless children and battered women.