Bear Lake teacher vying for chance to build motorcycle with former TV star

Courtesy Beth Tafoya
BEAR LAKE COUNTY — Beth Tafoya loves motorcycles and she’s participating in a competition that will give her the chance to build one with a former reality TV star.
The special education teacher from Bear Lake County made it to the semi-finals of a competition called Dream Chopper, where people go online and vote for their favorite competitor. If she gets enough votes, she’ll work with Paul Teutel Sr. and his team at Orange County Choppers, a motorcycle manufacturing company.
Teutel founded OCC in 1999 and rose to national prominence during the filming of “American Chopper,” a reality show that started in 2003 and ran for seven seasons.
Tafoya owns two motorcycles — a Honda Shadow and an Indian Chief Dark Horse — one of which is pink. She also has pink hair and is often recognized by people in the community when she takes her motorcycle for a spin.
The thrill of sitting on a motorcycle is deeply embedded in her upbringing. In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, she says it’s like “going back to your childhood and getting on your first two-wheel bike.”
A serious motorcycle accident in high school traumatized her for a while, but it couldn’t stop her from eventually getting right back on and “hitting the highway.”
“It’s a freedom you can’t even put into words. It’s like you literally connect with everything around you. The smells and the air change constantly, temperatures change continually. It’s such a freeing experience,” Tafoya said.
For as long as Tafoya can remember, she’s wanted a chopper — a custom motorcycle built with lower seating and longer suspension in the front. It’s an expensive, modified bike not many companies make anymore.
When Tafoya first heard about the competition, she had no expectation of making it past the first round, but decided to go for it, anyway. She went on to become the only woman in the quarter finals and she’s now in the semifinals. The grand prize winner will be declared on May 18.
She’s asking people in eastern Idaho to vote for her so she can build her dream chopper. People can cast a free daily vote or pay for a warrior vote, which provides support programs to service members, veterans and military families. One vote is cast for every dollar spent.
Semifinal voting ends on May 11. The final round of voting begins May 12. To cast a vote, click here.
The post Bear Lake teacher vying for chance to build motorcycle with former TV star appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com