Saturday, December 26, 2009

Sweet Video from SheShreds.net

A posse of NorCal riders put together this Dirt Divas video about their crew of friends. Check out SheShreds.net too!


CCCX #3

The third CCCX downhill race of the season was held November 29 at Toro Park, CA. Kelly Johnson posted the fastest women's time of the day! The next CCCX race will be held January 3, 2010 at Toro Park, CA.

Expert Women
1. Kelly Johnson
2. Rosie Bernhard
3. Annemarie Hennes
4. Ashley Hernandez
5. Cathy Chevron

Sport Women
1. Jill Henrich
2. Ayshe Tuncer
3. Natalie Morris

Beginner Women
1. Jessica Spray
2. Andrea Locke
3. Ruby Tidd
4. Lise McCarthy

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Australian National Series Round 1

The first round of the Australian Mountain Bike Series took place in Glenorchy, AUS on December 12-13. Leigh Douglas took the win in downhill and Sarsha Huntington won the mountaincross. The next race in the series is the Australian National Championships in Adelaide January 12-17, 2010.

Downhill
Elite
1. Leigh Douglas
2. Ema Lews
3. Sarah Booth
4. Leonie Picton
5. Sarsha Huntington
6. Joanne Fox
7. Shannon Chugg

Under 19 Women
1. Emily Hockey
2. Holly Baarspul
3. Christie Batt
4. Katelyn Humphris

Master Women
1. Jillian Brady

4X
1. Sarsha Huntington
2. Jayne Rutter

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

December's Featured Rider: Katie Hayes

Katie Hayes hit the Freeride Foundation radar with a promo video she released earlier this summer. I met her at the Slope Sistair event in Grand Junction, CO in August. The first thing I saw her do was tabletop a firepit gap jump at The Ranch, with the smooth style and confidence we don't see often enough from women freeriders. She went on to prove that she has the skill and the eye to put together a tough, but flowing slopestyle run that included drops, jumps, and wall-rides. Katie not only puts together sweet runs on her bike, but she literally builds the trails she trains on. The girl is young and smart, and we can't wait to see her progress over the next few years.--FF

Name: Katie Hayes
Home: Whitefish, Montana
Age: 22
Favorite type of riding: Fast with lots of airtime. Though I do enjoy going out and kicking my own ass riding tech, rooty stuff!
Why you ride: It is a great way to challenge myself, escape, or just have fun.
Sponsors: Twenty6 Products, Hammer Nutrition
Website: Vimeo videos

I grew up riding and racing cross country. Even then I was more stoked on flying down hills, dropping three feet off of the neighbor’s deck, and trying to launch myself off plywood ramps in the backyard. I’m positive my dad was too nervous to buy me a downhill bike. My fondest memory (and probably the one that solidified dad's decision) resulted in me clothes-lining myself on the side mirror of his truck, getting a fat lip, and losing a tooth. As I entered high school, my interests changed, and my parents decided I needed to prioritize my activities. Soccer became a year-round obligation, I had qualified for the Junior Olympics in Jackson Hole, WY for ski racing, and I decided not to get another mountain bike.

Then I started dating a boy that loves to ride. Three years ago, I got tired of shuttling him for rides and decided I needed a downhill bike. It was a huge skill and confidence booster having someone much more experienced to follow around and learn from. I started helping him build and maintain our local freeride trails. I quickly realized that building the features I would ride makes riding them much more comfortable.

Building is awesome, because it allows me to be creative and express myself artistically on the trail. It sometimes amazes me what we can do with dirt and logs. A couple months ago we had the chance to show the Ride Guide crew the two trails we have put the most work into this summer. It is a huge compliment to hear someone, that travels all over Canada and the US say, “Those were two of the most fun trails I have ridden!” You can watch the episode (#162) in January.

I love that riding provides me with a reason to travel! We started the summer off with a trip to Utah, riding in Moab and near Green River. Whistler became my second home for a week every month and I feel like riding there for so many days in a row improved my skills immensely. After closing weekend there, the trails felt more like my home trails than the ones actually at home. At the end of August I competed in Slope Sistair III. It was great meeting and getting to ride with such a fun and experienced group of girls.

Why do I ride? For many reasons, but mainly because it is fun! I love going out for a day, whether it be to ride or to build, and coming back to the car feeling happy and fulfilled. I enjoy feeling challenged and then succeeding. I have learned that with success also comes failure and of course cuts, bruises, and broken bones. To succeed in this sport you definitely have to decide if you're going to be the one that gets knocked down, gets back up and tries again, or just gives up. I want to help the women’s side of the sport grow and see more girls take an interest in our sport.

Monday, November 23, 2009

18th Annual Southridge Challenge Results

Maxine Irving crushed the Pro women's field at the 18th Annual Southridge Challenge downhill race this weekend. It's pretty nice to see a Pro women's field 8-deep during the off-season! Sadly, it doesn't look like there were any Sport or Expert women in attendance. For more information about the Southridge racing series, visit SouthridgeUSA.com.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Maxine Irving
2. Joy Martin
3. Jennifer Wolf
4. Gabriela Williams
5. Christine Hirst
6. Francine Johnson
7. Carol Gibbs
8. Leigh Donovan

Beginner Women 34 & Under
1. Koral King
2. Julia Zavala
3. Paige Handy
4. Amanda Salter

Beginner Women 35 & Over
1. Kim Finch
2. LaLa Mijares

Monday, November 16, 2009

CCCX Fall DH Series Fires Up

The 2009 racing season continues with the CCCX Fall Downhill Series. This 6-race series started Oct. 24 and runs through January 31. Two races are already in the books. The series is held outside of Salinas, CA at Toro Park. For more info about the CCCX races, visit CCCX.org.

#2, Nov. 15
Expert Women
1. Cathy Chevron
2. Annemarie Hennes
3. Kelly Johnson
4. Rosie Bernhard
5. Morgan Compton
6. Ashley Hernandez

Sport Women
1. Jill Henrich
2. Natalie Morris

Beginner Women
1. Jessica Spray
2. Andrea Locke
3. Ruby Tidd
4. Kim Krueger

#1, Oct. 24
Pro Women
1. Johauna Rathbun

Expert Women
1. Annemarie Hennes
2. Kelly Johnson
3. Kelley Damschen
4. Ashley Hernandez

Sport Women
1. Ayshe Tuncer
2. Jill Henrich

Beginner Women
1. Andrea Locke
2. Anika Kinkhabwala

Friday, November 13, 2009

More Bootleg Racing: Screamin Santa Downhill and Super D

The Bootleg Canyon, NV crew just added another race to the roster this winter. The Screamin Santa Double Down Super D and Downhill races will be held outside of Boulder City, NV on December 19-20. The downhill race is a 2-run event, with 2 different courses. The fastest combined time wins. There will also be a speed trap for riders to score prizes for pinning it through that section. For current updates, info and questions visit www.myspace.com/johnsonrockhard.

And don't forget that the Southridge Challenge is next weekend in Fontana, CA: SouthridgeUSA.com.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Awesome Land: Women of Dirt

The teasers are up for the new Bones Over Metal film, Awesome Land: Women of Dirt! There are 25-second clips of Lisa Myklak, Tammy Donahugh, Katrina Strand, Cierra Smith, Leana Gerrard, Kathy Pruitt, Darcy Turenne, Dawn Cashen, Jill Kintner, Stephanie Nychka, Emily Johnston, and more available for your viewing enjoyment!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Plattekill Gravity Series Finals

The final downhill race of the Plattekill, NY gravity series was held on Oct. 25. Rebecca Bagley posted the fastest women's time of the day. Rebecca also took the Cat. 2-3 series win by a narrow margin over Felicia Kearsley. Kristine Koch won the series for the Pro/Expert women. For more information about the downhill and dual slalom series at Plattekill, visit Plattekill.com.

Cat. 2-3 Women
1. Rebecca Bagley
2. Felicia Kearsley
3. Jennel Ortiz

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Greetings from Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park

Tamara Peloquin is a pro gravity ripper and Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park regular. She was lucky enough to play at Ray's over Halloween and was kind enough to share her exploits with us:

Usually when we feel the cold breeze across our face and see the bright orange and red leaves fall from the trees, it makes us sad inside as it signals the end of the riding season. But now that we have Ray’s Indoor MTB Park in Cleveland, OH, you can turn that frown upside-down! The weather is always nice inside, and the riding is always epic--no matter what your riding pleasure: from XC to BMX, downhill to dirt jumping. All riders are welcome at Ray’s, especially on Halloween, when riders appeared at the massive warehouse facility dressed up, dressed down, dressed like a lizard, and even a clown! (Editor's note: it is never acceptable to dress like a clown, I don't care what day of the year it is.)

It was great to see so many ladies riding the park over the weekend. Several local female riders were there, as well as some from as far away as Colorado. Well known Rays’ ripper Nadia Steinbrecher, flew out from Denver on Thursday night with her bike packed in a hockey bag. Within 24hrs Nadia went from blizzard to tricking off the GT box and hitting up the new Rhythm Room. What does she love most about riding at Ray's? "Ray's has always been such a great place for both beginners and seasoned pros, and with the new addition of the Rhythm Room, it only adds to the countless riding possibilities of the park. Where else can cross country riders improve their jumping skills, freeriders get a workout on the XC course, and BMXers ride see-saws?! This park is truly phenomenal, and I am so excited for the upcoming season, especially Women's Weekend."

I also caught up with one of Rays regular female BMX riders, Michele Chiesa."This year Ray has once again outdone himself offering riders a new challenge at every turn. The re-designed pump track gave me a new meaning for the phrase, 'Hang on and enjoy the ride!' It is also a great place to find new friends that share your same passion for bike riding."

This weekend (November 6-8) is Ray’s 2009 Opening Bash and he has an all-star lineup of riders in the house, including female gravity pro Darcy Turenne, an autograph session, and free food. Another weekend you won't to want to miss is the Ray’s Angels 2010 Ladies Weekend scheduled for February 19th. Save the date and set your travel plans now. This event just keeps getting better and better with the some of the best female riders and coaches in the sport, big time sponsors, loads schwag, and even a PBR after party! Keep an eye on www.raysmtb.com for event updates and make sure you sign up to be a Ray’s Angel at www.factoryriders.com. See you at Ray’s!

Tamara Peloquin
MMR Mountain Bike Instruction & Certification
www.madmarchracing.com
www.marinbikes.com

Monday, November 2, 2009

November's Featured Rider: Jacqueline Harmony

We couldn't have picked a better time to highlight Jacqueline Harmony's riding talent. The girl has been on a tear lately. She's an all-around solid racer who's as comfortable on tight and techy trails as she is boosting 40-foot gaps. And she's as strong at racing mountaincross and dual slalom as she is at downhill. She raced at the World Championships in 2006, and is always standing on the podium at the US National Championships and Mountain States Cup races (she's won too many MSC downhill races to list, and she won the 2009 MSC Gravity Series). This fall, she won the Fall Tilt in Telluride 12-Hour DH race, Red Bull Burner 12-Hour DH race, and both events at the Bittersweet gravity races in Bootleg Canyon.--FF

Name: Jacqueline Harmony
Home: Tucson, AZ
Age: 31
Favorite type of riding: Downhill, but I love all types of riding.
Why you ride: It is so much fun, it makes me relaxed after a hard days work, I learn something new every time I ride, I can experience all new trails and places with each ride.
Sponsors: Vixen Racing, Hayes, Loeka, All Mountain Cyclery, Manitou, Sun Ringle, Answer, MRP, Von Zipper, Schwalbe, Atomlab

As a kid, I always had a bike. My first bike was a blue Schwinn with an awesome sparkly blue banana seat. When I was a little older I got a mountain bike, but I did not ride it for long because I moved to Tucson and did not have anywhere to ride there. I grew up running cross country, so this was my sport and I did not have a need for a bike. It was not until I met my husband that I starting riding again. Dante and I borrowed his parents Magna mountain bikes and rode some off-road trail on Reddington Pass in Tucson. I was very scared and used a lot of brakes. I look back at this trail now and it is probably one of the easiest trails you could ever ride. After riding this trail I definitely wanted more.

Dante purchased a Specialized FSR which he rode for a short period of time before he upgraded to a Trek VRX. This gave me the opportunity to have my very own bike, his Specialized FSR. After riding a lot of cross country trails with this bike I wanted to start racing cross country and wanted a different bike. I moved on to a Jamis Dakar Comp and raced cross country for a year. I could not understand why I was not very good at the uphills, but seemed to pass all the girls on the downhills. I think I have always liked the downhill part of any ride more than the uphills. This pushed me into downhill racing, which also gave me an excuse to get another bike, a Giant DH Comp.

I have been racing downhill for about 8 years and have been able to travel all over the world, from Canada to Hawaii to France and New Zealand. I love to race, as part of me wants to compete and be the best, but it definitely gives me the excuse to ride my bike in new places all over the world. Bikes have made it possible for me to explore different terrain and end up in the middle of nowhere and sometimes get lost. Any mountain with chairlift access usually has some really cool downhill trails and lift-accessed trails are definitely my favorites.

Out of all the different things I have learned from riding, the skill that I'm most proud of conquering is jumping. Any gap jump used to scare the life out of me. I would always look at the gap and think that is where I was going to land or crash. Over years of trying to hit all sorts of jumps from doubles to step downs, I have managed to overcome my fear of them and see how to jump and land them. It is such a great feeling to be floating in the air, and I suppose that is the reason I enjoy it so much.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Bittersweet DH and Super D Results

Gravity racer Francine Johnson promoted the Bittersweet Downhill and Super D races at Bootleg Canyon, NV October 17-18. The race has gotten rave reviews, so we're excited to see more events from her! Jackie Harmony stole the show again, winning the pro women's Super D and downhill races. Special congrats to Nancy Harris for winning her downhill race on her birthday!

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Jackie Harmony
2. Jennifer Wolf

Advanced/Intermediate Women
1. Nancy Harris
2. Kathleen Kingman

Super D
Pro Women
1. Jackie Harmony

Advanced/Intermediate Women
1. Erica Dimitrov
2. Kathleen Kingman

Friday, October 23, 2009

Diablo Gravity Series Finals

The final race of the Diablo Gravity Series held at Diablo Freeride Park in NJ was held last weekend. We also missed the results from the September race, so they're listed below. Hillary Elgert won the final pro women's downhill race, and she took the series title too. Liz Scoville won the pro women's giant slalom and took that series title. For full results, visit DiabloFreeridePark.com.

October 17-18
Downhill
Pro Women
1. Hillary Elgert
2. Liz Scoville

Amateur Women
1. Becky Gardner
2. Kendra Wheeler

Intro Women
1. Jen Macari

Giant Slalom
Pro Women
1. Liz Scoville

Amateur Women
1. Becky Gardner
2. Kendra Wheeler
3. Bridget Kozma

September 12-13
Downhill
Pro Women
1. Hillary Elgert
2. Liz Scoville

Amateur Women
1. Becky Gardner
2. Kendra Wheeler

Giant Slalom
Pro Women
1. Liz Scoville

Amateur Women
1. Bridget Kozma

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Collegiate National Championship Results

I said it last year and I'll say it again. I love collegiate cycling. It's how I got my start, and it's such a great way for riders to start and continue their careers while improving their usefulness to society. I can't wait until I go back for my PhD when I'm 50 and get schooled by a bunch of whippersnappers on the racetrack.

Enough about me. What went down last weekend at Northstar, CA was that Sage Wilderman won the Women's Division I Omnium by winning the Division I downhill race, taking 3rd in short track, 9th in 4X, and 5th in cross country. Johanne Tuttle won the Division II Women's Omnium by winning the Division II 4X, taking 2nd in downhill, 5th in cross country, and 6th in short track. That's a lot of racing for a weekend. Christen Boyer finally got the downhill win she's been looking for in the Division II downhil race, and Emma Millar won the Division I 4X.

For more information about collegiate racing, visit USACycling.org.

Division I Women's Omnium
1. Sage Wilderman (Fort Lewis College)
2. Lizzy English (University of Nevada-Reno)
3. Carla Swart (Lees-McRae College)
4. Jill Behlen (University of Wyoming)
5. Deidre York (University of Colorado)

Division I Women’s Downhill
1. Sage Wilderman
2. Emma Millar (FLC)
3. Elizabeth English
4. Deidre York
5. Heather McFadden (CSU-Chico)
6. Sabina Kraushaar (FLC)
7. Neven Steinmetz (CU-Boulder)
8. Nicole Tunnell (CSU-Chico)
9. Jenna Kowalski (Cal Poly-SLO)
10. Chloe Jackson (Lees-McRae)
11. Hannah Trimble (Lees-McRae)
12. Jill Behlen
13. Chantel Coleman (FLC)
14. Rose Long (U of VT)
15. Andrea Kelchlin (Northeastern)
16. Erica Zaveta (Lees-McRae)
17. Jena Greaser (UConn)
18. Carla Swart
19. Catherine Cresalia (Cal Poly-SLO)
20. Sara Lukas (Lindsey Wilson)
21. Sally Hermansen (Cal Poly-SLO)
22. Brittany Engleking (CU-Boulder)
23. Sara Hanson (SDSU)
24. Jessica Baker (Lindsey Wilson)
25. Madison Pitts (Lindsey Wilson)
26. Kristin Jo Markham (Lees-McRae)

Division I Women's 4X
1. Emma Millar
2. Neven Steinmetz
3. Madison Pitts
4. Allie Dragoo (Lindsey Wilson)
5. Chantel Coleman
6. Jill Behlen
7. Jessica Baker
8. Nicole Tunnell
9. Sage Wilderman
10. Deidre York
11. Chloe Jackson
12. Hannah Trimble
13. Sabina Kraushaar
14. Heather McFadden
15. Jenna Kowalski
16. Sarah Lukas

Division I Team Omnium (guys and girls)
1. Fort Lewis College – 671 points
2. University of Colorado – 589
3. Lees-McRae College – 555
4. California Polytechnic – 446
5. Lindsey Wilson College – 409

Division II Women's Omnium
1. Johanne Tuttle (Brevard College)
2. Julia Tellman (Brevard College)
3. Rachel Millsop (Union College of Kentucky)
4. Courtney Steen (Colorado School of Mines)
5. Christen Boyer (Colorado School of Mines)

Division II Women's Downhill
1. Christen Boyer
2. Johanne Tuttle
3. Courtney Steen
4. Becca Parish (Warren Wilson)
5. Rachel Millsop
6. Julia Tellman
7. Ileana Anderson (Warren Wilson)
8. Nina Otter (Warren Wilson)
9. Elisa Otter (Warren Wilson)
10. Sarah Duncan (Brevard)
11. Caroline Decosimo (Brevard)
12. Tallulah Winquist (Warren Wilson)
13. Aubrey DeLone (Warren Wilson)
14. Maria Esswein (Union College)

Division II Women's 4X
1. Johanne Tuttle
2. Courtney Steen
3. Ileana Anderson
4. Christen Boyer
5. Julia Tellman
6. Becca Parish
7. Nina Otter
8. Rachel Millsop
9. Tallulah Winquist
10. Sarah Duncan
11. Elisa Otter
12. Caroline Decosimo
13. Aubrey DeLone

Division II Team Omnium (guys and girls)
1. Brevard College – 663 points
2. Union College of Kentucky – 533
3. Warren Wilson college – 501
4. Colorado School of Mines – 401
5.Montana State University - 284

Monday, October 19, 2009

Help Us Help You!

Now that it's getting chilly outside and there's a bit less daylight to spend out playing, we're working on revamping Freeride Foundation to make it more helpful to the gravity community. We're going to post a few different questionnaires, and the first is up on our Forum.

This first group of questions asks about what you do or would pay for as you ride your bike. You can answer the questions however you feel comfortable, since it is in the Forum format.

Click here to check out the list of questions.

Thanks for the feedback!

Paris Mountain Downhill Results

I have to thank Facebook for this one. I hadn't heard about the Paris Mountain Downhill Race in Greenville, SC, until a friend on Facebook posted his results and a link to the results page. Hooray for social networking! The race took place this weekend, and Anne Galyean took the win for the pro women. Based on the video below, the tight, wooded racecourse looks pretty fun--especially since it's all tacky and autumn-y! To find out more info about racing at Paris Mountain, click here!

Pro Women
1. Anne Galyean
2. Debbie Gillespie

Amateur Women
1. Kim Murrell
2. Jennifer Bauer


Sunday, October 18, 2009

2nd Annual Women's Downhill Camp with Gene Hamilton

While cruising around the internet on this fine Sunday, I happened upon Gene Hamilton's 2010 clinic schedule on BetterRide.net. The women's downhill camp is slated for February 26-28, 2010 in Boulder City, NV. I had the privilege of attending his first women's-only downhill camp in February of this year. Gene's coaching and skills progressions really are impressive, and everything is applicable to your everyday riding--whether you're training, racing, or just pedaling with your pals.

To see the full write-up from last spring's women's downhill clinic, click here. We had a solid crew of pro and amateur riders--some who are racers, and some who aren't, several racers who rode their first World Cup races this year, and one rider who's moved from an expert racer to a pro. If you're looking to take your riding to the next level--whether it's racing, or being able to ride tricky sections at your local trails, Gene's clinic is worth every penny.

Gravity East Series Finals

The last race of the 2009 Gravity East Series was held October 10-11 at Plattekill, NY. Dawn Bourque took the win for the pro women. Although I haven't seen any season-long tallies, based on the results history, it looks like Dawn has taken the series title, with Karen Eagan in 2nd. If you've seen the season totals, please let me know! For more information about the series, visit GravityEastSeries.com.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Dawn Bourque
2. Karen Eagan
3. Stephanie Gubernat
4. Lauren Petersen
5. Lauren Daney

Cat. 1 Women
1. Susan DelPino
2. Kristine Koch
3. Hannah Trimble
4. Katelyn Parhiala

Cat. 2/3 Women
1. Rebecca Bagley
2. Felicia Kearsley
3. Leslie Litton
4. Jennel Ortiz

Junior Women
1. Taylor Allison
2. Maddie Crowley
3. Olivia Allison

Friday, October 16, 2009

Red Bull Burner Results

Once again, I'm on the search for a full results list for an event. However, I'm going to post what I have for last weekend's Red Bull Burner 12-Hour downhill race at Angel Fire, NM. Jackie Harmony is proving to be an endurance downhill queen. She blew apart the competition at the race that allowed riders to choose from three different courses each lap. I can't tell which girls are won which teams for the duo and mixed teams. If you were there, let me know!

Pro Solo Female
1. Jacqueline Harmony
2. Linden Lane
3. Lisa Reinhard
4. Jennifer Whalen

Expert Solo Women
1. Amy Scherm
2. Kim Gilchrist
3. Lisa Barbour

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Green River Bike Park!

As gravity addicts, we often find ourselves driving down long stretches of deserted highway on our way from race to race and resort to resort. Now, we all have a sweet spot to stop while traveling I-80 from Boulder to Salt Lake, or from Tahoe to Ray's or wherever you're trying to go that requires you to motor through the corridor of boring that is southern Wyoming. And that sweet spot happens to be in one of the most unlikely places: Green River, WY.

Green River is a mining town on the southern end of the Flaming Gorge. The landscape is similar to that in northwestern Colorado and eastern Utah, being fairly flat, but with cool rock formations to break up the sea of sage. Now, it's also home to a brand new bike park, designed and built by Rachael and Nat Lopes of Hilride. They're the same crew who built the Fresno bike park, and have consulted on numerous other projects in California and beyond.

To check out the progress and location of the Green River park, click here!

Race for Tara 3 Results

I've been searching for more results from this weekend's race, and this is what I was able to find. If anyone has any more classes or details to add, please leave a comment!

Everyone's Facebook and Twitter posts are really positive and excited about the turnout to the race. It's great to see such an incredible group of girls out racing together in October! Tara even raced her 4-wheeler! Apparently the raffle was huge, as was the turnout on the men's side too. Congrats to everyone for making this event so successful!

Here's a little insight into the race from Joy Martin: "Emily's shifter was broken, she was a good sport and raced anyway. Lizzy is an XC and endurance racer. There was a lot of pedaling in the course, and all the ladies had DH bikes, so it was a bit rough pedaling the heavy bikes. Some of the technical sections I needed my DH bike for though and I think we all felt that way."

For more information, visit RaceforTara.com and check out this Decline magazine article.

Pro Women
1. Lizzy English
2. Joanna Petterson
3. Anka Martin
4. Tasa Herndon
5. Joy Martin
6. Lisa Myklak
7. Cierra Smith
8. Emily Johnson

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

More Racing at Bootleg Canyon!

I just learned about two more races at Bootleg Canyon, NV. The first is the Bittersweet Downhill and Super D this weekend (Oct. 17-18). All Mountain Cyclery is hosting the event, and you can find more information about the race at their website.

The second race, the Dam Cold Downhill, is being hosted by Crash Innovations on January 2-3, 2010. You can find more information about the race by clicking here.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Gravity East Series Recap

The final race of the Gravity East Series is happening right now. Here are the results from the last three events. For more information, visit GravityEastSeries.com.

October 3-4
Mount Snow, VT
Downhill
Pro Women
1. Dawn Bourque
2. Karen Eagan
3. Lauren Petersen

Cat. 1 Women
1. Susan DelPino
2. Becky Gardner
3. Charlene Smith
4. Kate Parhiala

Cat. 2/3 Women
1. Rebecca Bagley
2. Laura Drenen
3. Miranda Cox
4. Jennifer Tammam
5. Jennel Ortiz

Dual Slalom
Pro/Cat. 1 Women
1. Karen Eagan
2. Kate Parhiala

Cat. 2/3 Women
1. Amy Hermann
2. Jennel Ortiz

September 26-27
Blue Mountain Resort, PA
Downhill
Pro Women
1. Karen Eagan
2. Dawn Bourque
3. Hillary Elgert
4. Stephanie Gubernat

Cat. 1 Women 19-29
1. Kristine Koch
2. Kate Parhiala
3. Hannah Trimble

Cat. 1 Women 30-39
1. Susan DelPino

Cat. 2 Women 19-29
1. Leslie Litton

Cat. 2 Women 30-39
1. Karen Clymer

Cat. 3 Women 19-29
1. Becky Bagley
2. Rachael Baxter
3. Christy Allebach

Cat. 3. Women 30-39
1. Jennel Ortiz

Cat. 3 Women 40+
1. Christine Deihl

Dual Slalom
Pro/Cat. 1 Women
1. Dawn Bourque
2. Kate Parhiala
3. Karen Eagan
4. Hannah Trimble

Cat. 2/3 Women
1. Karen Clymer
2. Rachael Baxter
3. Christy Allebach

August 29-30
Whiteface 5K Dowhill, NY
Downhill
Pro Women
1. Dawn Bourque
2. Karen Eagan
3. Alexandra Lacroix
4. Jennifer Wolf
5. Stephanie Gubernat

Cat. 1 Women
1. Becky Gardner
2. Susan DelPino
3. Stacy Benenke
4. Kristine Koch

Cat. 2/3 Women
1. Candace Ellicott
2. Rebecca Bagley
3. Mel Frazier
4. Anne Minor
5. Jennel Ortiz

Dual Slalom
Pro/Cat. 1 Women
1. Karen Eagan

Cat. 2/3 Women
1. Nicky Frechette

Fall Tilt in Telluride 12-Hour Downhill Results

Telluride, Colorado's first 12-Hour endurance downhill race was held Oct. 3-4. Jackie Harmony took the win for the pro women, logging 31 laps. As far as I can tell, she was the only female rider at the race. The Duo categories don't list first names. If you were there and know there were more girls, let me know! You can check out the details at FallTiltinTelluride.com.

Pro Women
1. Jackie Harmony

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Plattekill Gravity Series Catch-Up

It turns out that we've missed a few results from the Plattekill, NY downhill and dual slalom series. So, here's a catch-up session. For more information, visit Plattekill.com.

September 19-20
Downhill
Open Women
1. Felicia Kearsley
2. Rebecca Bagley
3. Jennel Ortiz

Junior Women
1. Taylor Allison
2. Olivia Allison

September 5-6
Downhill

Open Women
1. Rebecca Bagley
2. Felicia Kearsley

Junior Women
1. Taylor Allison
2. Olivia Allison

Dual Slalom
Open Women
1. Taylor Allison
2. Olivia Allison
3. Brooke Wilson

July 25-26
Downhill

Open Women
1. Becky Gardner
2. Meredith Mansfield
3. Felicia Kearsley
4. Rebecca Bagley

Dual Slalom
Open Women
1. Olivia Allison
2. Taylor Allison

Snowshoe Powerade Race Series Finals

The third and final race of the Snowshoe Powerade Series was held Oct. 2-4 at Snowshoe, WV. By our calculations, Hillary Elgert won the series with two wins and a 3rd place. For more info, visit Ride.SnowshoeMtn.com.

Pro Women
1. Anne Galyean
2. Amanda Pilling
3. Hillary Elgert
4. Ellen Adams
5. Rae Gandolf
6. Tamara Peloquin

Amateur Women
1. Claire Oliver
2. Liz Scoville

Intro Women
1. Maggie Keller
2. Elaine Daniels

Friday, October 9, 2009

Northstar-at-Tahoe Downhill Series Finals

This weekend is the Race for Tara 3 at Northstar-at-Tahoe resort in California. Last weekend was the final race in the summer-long downhill series. For the first time in the series, Tasa Herndon did not race, making this the only race she didn't win. The honors went to Cierra Smith.

Pro Women
1. Cierra Smith
2. Elianne Furtney
3. Lily Kuehne
4. Adrienne Garbiel
5. Kelly Moore

Junior Women
1. Ruby Tidd
2. Sophie McGuiness

Women 29 & Under
1. Mollie Sitkin

Women 30-39
1. Regine Bertschinger

Women 40 +
1. Gale Derosa

Sunday, October 4, 2009

October's Featured Rider: Tammy Donahugh

Tammy Donahugh began racing during downhill's infancy, and continues to progress her own riding, while inspiring women riders of all abilities. Tammy's life is ruled by bikes. Even her house is surrounded by dirt jumps, which explains why she is such a ripping slopestyle rider. She won the Crankworx Colorado dual slalom this season, and she also stole the show at Slope Sistair in August. And when she's not riding her own bike, Tammy's helping to grow and maintain trail networks in your town--she works as IMBA's Operations Manager at the Boulder, CO headquarters. --FF

Name: Tammy Donahugh
Home:My hometown is Santa Cruz, CA and my current town is Berthoud, CO
Age: 32
Favorite type of riding: Anything that has flow mixed with some air time
Why you ride: To get my fix, challenge myself, or goof off. Depends on the day!
Sponsors: SuperCo Bikes, Spank Industries, Atomlab
Website: For now, watch this!

I started riding bikes when I was 16 years old. My boyfriend at the time and his buddies started getting into mountain biking and racing so I wanted to tag along. Soon I found myself not only really enjoying it, but getting faster than some of the boys.

I soon discovered that the downhill sections of the trail were my favorite parts. I started doing some racing, but back then things were quite different. The downhill trails were essentially fireroads and you raced them on a hardtail.

Another boyfriend along the way owned a trials magazine which exposed me to the world of trials riding and balance maneuvers. This in turn helped with my technical skills. Around this time I also moved up to the pro downhill class. It was crazy practicing and racing with factory team riders like Missy Giove, Marla Streb and Tara Llanes. I continually broke my body by never taking any optional “go-arounds” and by throwing myself off every DH course obstacle. It didn’t take long before I drained my bank account and maxed out my credit cards in order to travel the national circuit and pay my doctor bills.

I decided racing DH wasn’t for me right then. Meeting my husband was possibly the transition point out of the race scene. I found a great guy who enjoyed all of the same types of riding and at a similar level. From there on we spent our money and free time traveling to different types of bike riding destinations around the US together. I find it interesting that if you are an avid rider who enjoys anything gravity fed, yet don’t race on a regular basis, then you are considered a “freerider." It’s been cool to see how our sport has progressed and changed over the many years though, and I’m stoked to be living it!

Go pick-up the most recent Dirt Rag issue (#145)! They have a four-page spread covering our backyard playground. The condensed version would be this: Jimmy (my husband) and I both grew up in California and spent almost 30 years there. We moved to CO, bought a house that had enough room for some dirt jumps, and started digging! Currently we have two jump lines, a halfpipe, street spine, and a wall ride. It’s funny to think back to when the yard was empty and to wonder how we will be able to ever go back to “normal” living again one day.

Although I’m a mountain biker at heart, I really admire the 20” riders – especially the girls! Although these little bikes may be easier to throw around, you have to be much more precise and able to take a serious hit on a BMX bike. There are some rad females out there with amazing skills that blow my mind. Just a few names off the top of my head would be Nina Buitrago, Cory Coffey, and Joey Gough.

Early this season I took a mountain bike instructor’s course and began doing some teaching. It’s been a great experience so far and I plan to do much more instruction in 2010. My short term goal is to continue progressing my personal riding while learning new and better ways to explain and break down the skills I’ve acquired, so I can pass them on to other female riders. I want to help girls breach the intimidation barrier that keeps them from trying things like dirt jumping and downhilling. It’s just too much fun to be missed out on!

Fluidride Cup #6 and Overall Series Results

Jill Kintner won the last race of the 2009 Fluidride Cup on September 27th at Mt. Hood, OR. Katrina Strand took the overall series title. For the full series results, visit Fluidride.com.

#6
Pro Women
1. Jill Kintner
2. Dawn Fidler

Cat. 1 Women
1. Chelsey Stevens
2. Jaime Rees
3. Cassandra Stamm

Cat. 2 Women
1. Jennifer Tell
2. Hailey Sou
3. Kathy Malvern
4. Jen Schenk
5. Yvonne Gillette
6. Amy Torget
7. Samantha Carston
8. Amanda Bauer

Cat. 3 Women
1. Ann Davis
2. Rachel DeLateur

Cat. 3 Junior Women
1. Kim Westenhiser
2. Cheyenne Smith

Thursday, October 1, 2009

More Fall Racing!

If you haven't gotten your fill of racing yet this year, there are a slew of events still to come in October and November. We've already mentioned the final race in the Northstar downhill series this weekend, and the Race for Tara 3 at Northstar on Oct. 10-11th. Here are a few more you may not have heard about:

Fall Tilt 12-Hour Endurance Downhill Race
Telluride, CO
October 2-4
VisitTelluride.com

Snowshoe Downhill Series Finals
Snowshoe, WV
October 2-4
Ride.Snowshoemtn.com

Gravity East Series #10
Mount Snow, VT
October 3-4
GravityEastSeries.com

Red Bull Burner 12-Hour Downhill Race
Angel Fire, NM
October 10
RedBullBurner.com

Gravity East Series Finals
Plattekill, NY
October 10-11
GravityEastSeries.com

Diablo Gravity Series Finals
Vernon, NJ
October 17-18
DiabloFreeridePark.com

Lagrange Fall Classic Downhill
Weaverville, CA
October 17-18
TeamBigfoot.net

NY State Downhill Series Finals
Plattekill, NY
October 24-25
Plattekill.com

Diabloween
Vernon, NJ
October 31
DiabloFreeridePark.com

18th Annual Southridge Challenge
Fontana, CA
November 21-22
SoutridgeUSA.com

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Northstar DH Race Series Results

To get you ready for the final race in the Northstar-at-Tahoe summer downhill race series, which will be held on Livewire on Oct. 4, and to remind you once again about the Race for Tara 3 on Oct. 10-11, here are the results from this summer's races. Going into this weekend's race, Tasa Herndon remains undefeated in the series. For more information, visit NorthstaratTahoe.com.

Downhill #4
September 20, 2009
Open Women
1. Tasa Herndon
2. Robin Embrey
3. Karin Hanzi
4. Heather McFadden
5. Adrienne Garbiel

Women 29 & Under
1. Mollie Sitkin
2. Keri Albrecht

Women 30 +
1. Kathy Chevron
2. Jody Flood


Downhill #3
August 9, 2009
Open Women
1. Tasa Herndon
2. Danielle Griffo
3. Robin Embrey
4. Adrienne Garbiel

Junior Women
1. Ruby Tidd

Women 29 & Under
1. Mollie Sitkin
2. Keri Albrecht
3. Christina Telezinski

Women 30 +
1. Jody Flood
2. Ivy Lui

Downhill #2
July 26, 2009
Open Women
1. Tasa Herndon
2. Karin Hanzi
3. Cierra Smith
4. Danielle Griffo
5. Adrienne Garbiel
6. Kelly Moore
7. Christine Kelly

Junior Women
1. Sierra Perrella
2. Ruby Tidd

Women 29 & Under
1. Keri Albrecht
2. Mollie Sitkin

Women 30 +
1. Kelly Johnson
2. Ayshe Tuncer

Monday, September 28, 2009

Race for Tara 3: October 10-11

The third Race for Tara will be held October 10-11 at Northstar-at-Tahoe resort in Lake Tahoe, CA. This year's race is a true downhill race, and there's a $2500 pro prize purse.

Apparently the course for this race is no average Northstar race course. It's about 4 miles long and descends 1800 feet. There are separate courses for Pro/Expert, Sport/Beginner, and 4-wheels.

The race will raise money for the Tara Llanes Road to Recovery Fund and the Christopher Reeve Spinal Cord Research Center.

Come to Northstar for some awesome racing for an excellent cause! For more information, visit RaceforTara.com.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Jonnier Takes Series Title, Moseley Wins Final Race

Sabrina Jonnier had already clinched the 2009 Downhill World Cup Series title by winning six of the eight races during the season. However, she was looking for a win in Schladming as redemption for an awful race at the World Championships. She had to settle for 4th in the final World Cup race of the season, though, as Tracy Moseley took her second World Cup win of the season. For full Word Cup Series standings, visit UCI.ch.

Schladming Results
1. Tracy Moseley
2. Florian Pugin
3. Celine Gros
4. Sabrina Jonnier
5. Mio Suemasa
6. Petra Bernhard
7. Emmeline Ragot
8. Claire Buchar
9. Miriam Ruchti
10. Anita Ager-Wick
11. Anita Molcik
12. Anais Pajot
13. Katy Curd
14. Harriet Rucknagel
15. Jessica Stone
16. Caroline Sax
17. Helen Gaskell
18. Nicole Beege
19. Darian Harvey

Monday, September 21, 2009

Slope Sistair Video

Well, here I am slacking again. I didn't get the WC Final DH results up yet, and I'm in Vegas for Interbike. In case you haven't already read it, Tracy Moseley won the race, but Sabrina Jonnier took the series title. I'll post full results when there's a bit of downtime. In the meantime, check out this Slope Sistair III video courtesy of Katie Hayes and 406 Productions!

Slope Sistair 2009 from 406 Productions on Vimeo.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Beerten Takes World Cup Mountaincross Series Title

Anneke Beerten took the 4X win at Schladming, Austria yesterday, solidifying her title as 2009 World Cup Series Champion. And, Anneke has dominated the series for 3 years in a row! Jill Kintner crashed early on, and was not a threat to the win--she finished third in the overall standings.

Race Results
1. Anneke Beerten
2. Anita Molcik
3. Katy Curd
4. Mio Suemasa
5. Romana Labounkova
6. Emmeline Ragot
7. Rachel Seydoux
8. Lucia Oetjen
9. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
10. Eva Castro Fernandez
11. Tereza Votavova
12. Neven Steinmetz
13. Laura Brethauer
14. Stephanie Teltscher
15. Neza Knez
16. Jill Kintner

Final World Cup Standings
1. Anneke Beerten
2. Fionn Griffiths
3. Jill Kintner
4. Melissa Buhl
(more to come soon!)

Friday, September 18, 2009

DH and 4X Qualifying at the World Cup Finals

The last races of the 2009 World Cup season are this weekend. Qualifying was held today in Schladming, Austria.

Jill Kintner leads the 4X field going into tomorrow's finals. Current series leader Anneke Beerten needs to finish at least 5th tomorrow to take home the series title. Fionn Griffiths and Jill are her closest threats, and Fionn isn't racing 4X this weekend.

In downhill, the French Force is back on top, with Floriane Pugin clocking the fastest time in qualifying, followed by Sabrina Jonnier and the newly-crowned World Champion Emmeline Ragot. Sabrina will be looking to redeem herself after a crash and flat in Australia, but she has the series title in the bag, having one 6 out of 7 World Cup races this season. Emmeline and Tracy Moseley will be vying for 2nd place.

4X
1. Jill Kintner
2. Anita Molcik
3. Anneke Beerten
4. Mio Suemasa
5. Emmeline Ragot
6. Romana Labounkova
7. Lucia Oetjen
8. Katy Curd
9. Rachel Seydoux
10. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
11. Eva Castro Fernandez
12. Tereza Votavova
13. Laura Brethauer
14. Stephanie Teltscher
15. Neza Knez
16. Neven Steinmetz
17. Federica Perardi
18. Lea Schleifenbaum

Downhill
1. Florian Pugin
2. Sabrina Jonnier
3. Emmeline Ragot
4. Mio Suemasa
5. Celine Gros
6. Petra Bernhard
7. Tracy Moseley
8. Fionn Griffiths
9. Harriet Rucknagel
10. Anita Molcik
11. Claire Buchar
12. Miriam Rutchi
13. Anita Ager-Wick
14. Katy Curd
15. Anais Pajot
16. Helen Gaskell
17. Darian Harvey
18. Caroline Sax
19. Jessica Stone
20. Nicole Beege
21. Emily Horridge
22. Elisa Canepa
23. Alia Marcellini
24. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
25. Fanny Lombard
26. Sophie Borderes
27. Carina Cappellari
28. Sandra Rubesam
29. Sarah Newman
30. Leoni Caroline Dickerhoff
31. Federica Perardi
32. Kristina Kodrnja
33. Kerry Wrigglesworth

For more info, visit CyclingNews.com.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Darian Harvey Rules the First Pro GRT Series

The first-ever Pro Gravity Tour is officially over, and after the dust settled, Darian Harvey emerged the clear winner of the series in both downhill and 4X disciplines. Congrats, Darian!

Pro GRT Final Downhill Standings
1. Darian Harvey
2. Jennifer Wolf
3. Rachel Bauer
4. Dawn Bourque
5. Jacqueline Harmony
6. Addie Stewart
7. Katie Holden
8. Joanna Petterson
9. Karen Eagan
9. Kathy Pruitt
10. Lisa Reinhard
11. Katrina Strand
12. Alexis Wruble
13. Stephanie Gubernat
13. Abby Hippely
14. Martha Renn
15. Stephanie Leonard
15. Lauren Peterson
16. Hillary Elgert
16. Connie Misket
17. Sondra Williamson
18. Allegra Burch
18. Michelle Rivera
19. Leana Gerrard
20. joy Martin
21. Dawn Lambert
22. Julie Olsen
23. Joy Mutoli
24. Kimber Gabryszak
25. Rebecca McQueen

Pro GRT 4X Final Standings
1. Darian Harvey
2. Jacqueline Harmony
3. Rachel Bauer
3. Leana Gerrard
4. Joanna Petterson
5. Hillary Elgert
5. Martha Renn
6.Michelle Rivera
7. Stephanie Leonard
7. Neven Steinmetz
8. Joy Martin
8. Bobbi Kae Watt
9. Addie Stewart

See more results here!

Monday, September 14, 2009

California Golden State Mountain Bike Championships

Over the Labor Day weekend, Mammoth Mountain, CA hosted it's biggest mountain bike event since the Nationals in 2005. The final races of the Golden State Series included a downhill race, the Kamikaze, and mountaincross. Tasa Herndon took wins in both the Kamikaze and the Downhill, but Joy Martin was quicker in mountaincross. For more info, visit SouthridgeUSA.com.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Tasa Herndon
2. Christine Hirst
3. Robyn Embrey
4. Laura Noonan
5. Joy Martin
6. Jennifer Wolf

Open Women
1. Nancy Harris
2. Adrienne Garbiel

Sport Women 34 & Under
1. Rebecca Givens
2. Dani Wisnieski

Sport Women 35+
1. Lisa Tucker

Beginner Women 34 & Under
1. Julia Zavala
2. Kiera Sears

Beginner Women 35+
1. Gina McKee
2. Kim Finch
3. Traci Adams

Kamikaze
Pro Women
1. Tasa Herndon
2. Christine Hirst
3. Joy Martin

Open Women
1. Mandy Oliekan

Legends Women
1. Penny Davidson-Lungren

4X
Pro Women
1. Joy Martin
2. Tasa Herndon
3. Christine Hirst
4. Robyn Embrey

Open Women
1. Nancy Harris
2. Dani Wisnieski
3. Robin Vold

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Results Recap

Once again, I've been remiss in getting results posted in a timely fashion. My apologies. Better late than never, though, right? So, here is a smattering of results from around the world that should bring us at least close to being up to date. One interesting note, Berny Pizarro is back on the race scene! She took 2nd at the Copa Chile this weekend.

Copa Chile
Los Andes, Chile
September 13, 2009

1. Veronica Francisca Miranda Fuentes
2. Bernardita Pizarro
3. Vanessa Cecilia Vallerino Kneer
4. Pamela Morena Neira

iXS European Downhill Cup
Bishofsmais, Germany
September 13, 2009

1. Antje Kramer
2. Miriam Ruchti
3. Harriet Rucknagel
4. Nicole Beege
5. Sandra Rubesam
6. Leoni-Caroline Dickerhoff
7. Liz Schwemmer
8. Sylvie Rejfirova
9. Joanne Muoser
10.Caro Gehrig
11. Tanja Hendysiak

MSC Sol Survivor
Sol Vista, CO
September 4-7, 2009

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Jackie Harmony
2. Emma Millar
3. Julie Olsen
4. Neven Steinmetz
5. Stephanie Leonard

Cat. 1 Women
1. Alisha Gibson
2. Christen Boyer
3. Amber Price

Cat. 2 Women
1. Lauren Heitzman
2. Eden Sierra
3. Lana Lawson
4. Melissa O'Connell
5. Kristin Buell
6. Hillary Seminick

Cat. 3 Women
1. Laura Drenen
2. Courtney Papa

4x
Pro Women
1. Jackie Harmony
2. Catherine Cantway
3. Leslie Slagle
4. Neven Steinmetz

Cat. 1/2 Women
1. Alisha Gibson
2. Christen Boyer
3. Eden Sierra
4. Lauren Heitzman
5. Lana Lawson
6. Amber Price

Cat. 3/Junior Women
1. Danika Gillespie

iXS European Downhill Cup
Verbier, Switzerland
August 30, 2009

1. Martina Bruehlmann
2. Miriam Ruchti
3. Caroline Sax
4. Sidonie Jolidon
5. Harriet Rucknagel
6. Carina Cappellari
7. Joanne Muoser
8. Noemi Derron
9. Lauriane Darbre

Whiteface 5K Downhill
Lake Placid, NY
August 30, 2009

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Dawn Bourque
2. Karen Eagan
3. Alexandra Lacroix
4. Jennifer Wolf
5. Stephanie Gubernat

Cat. 1 Women
1. Becky Gardner
2. Susan DelPino
3. Stacy Beneke
4. Kristine Koch

Cat. 2-3 Women
1. Candace Ellicott
2. Mel Frazier
3. Anne Minor
4. Jennel Ortiz

Dual Slalom
Women Open
1. Karen Eagan

Cat. 2 Women
1. Nicky Frechette

Masters Mountain Bike World Championships
Praloup, FRA
August 29, 2009

Downhill
Women 30-34
1. Nathalie Dappen
2. Meave Baxter
3. Severine Delom
4. Cecile Romand
5. Michele McMullan
6. Pulpanova Bohdana
7. Nathalie Jedda
8. Aurelia Comte Marton

Women 35+
1. Lina Skoglund
2. Chantal Bonaglia
3. Gina Nixon
4. Mylene Kim Fortier
5. Gloria Salvatori
6. Marion Bast
7. Anna Ivana Sparano
8. Marylin Bisson

Fluidride Cup #5
Mt. Hood, OR
August 21-23, 2009

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Dawn Fidler
2. Leana Gerrard

Cat. 1 Women
1. Jaime Rees
2. Chelsey Stevens
3. Cassandra Stamm
4. Brooke Shore
5. Kat Sweet
6. Carolyn Hope

Cat. 2 Women
1. Jessica Serdowich
2. Lisa Hong
3. Jennifer Tell
4. Kathy Malvern
5. Karen O'Connell
6. Jen Schenk
7. Burke Okrasinski
8. April Graham
9. Amanda Markell

Cat. 3 Open Women
1. Ann Davis
2. Lindsay Harper
3. Corrinne Grere
4. Rachel Delateur
5. Diana Miller

Cat. 3 Women 18 & Under
1. Cheyenne Smith

Snowshoe Powerade Race Series #2
Snowshoe, West Virginia
July 24-26, 2009

Elite Women
1. Hillary Elgert
2. Ellen Adams
3. Toni Moss

Amateur Women
1. Anne Galyean
2. Kirstin Cousin
3. Liz Scoville

Women's Intro
1. Maggie Keller
2. Elaine Daniels
3. Elizabeth Flesher
4. Jordan Salman

Fluidride Cup #4
Mt. Hood, OR
July 10-11, 2009

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Sara Johnson
2. Amy Laird
3. Dawn Lambert
4. Britney White

Cat. 1 Women
1. Chelsey Stevens
2. Jaime Rees
3. Cassandra Stamm
4. Jennifer Jones
5. Shelby Reilly
6. Brooke Shore

Cat. 2 Women
1. Hailey Southkoth
2. Jen Schenk
3. Kathy Malvern
4. Ruth Klein
5. Amanda Markell
6. Amy Torget
7. Yvonne Gillette

Cat. 3 Women Open
1. Ann Davis
2. Diana Miller
3. Rachel Delateur

Cat. 3 Women 18 & Under
1. Adrianna Moroz
2. Cheyenne Smith

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

September's Featured Rider: Sondra Williamson

We've featured a lot of highly-talented riders who excel at many sports and have successful careers off the bike as well. But Sondra Williamson raises the bar several notches. In addition to riding mountain bikes, Sondra dirt bikes, snowboards, and used to have a car she raced on dirt tracks. After graduating from UCSB, she worked there as research assistant in molecular biology. Once she found bikes, she was able to carve out a career for herself in the industry, working at Specialized, Shift Racing, and Kali Protectives. She recently attained her personal trainer certificate. And now, she's returned to school again to take courses in anatomy and nutrition, and is pondering her future as a nurse or physician's assistant.--FF

Name: Sondra Williamson
Home: Morgan Hill, CA, but Carpinteria, CA is where I've spent most of my life
Age: 30! (But someone thought I was 21 the other day!)
Favorite type of riding: Techy, rooty, rocky singletrack--which I've grown to like even after it’s rained! And fast, flowy singletrack with jumps and tight corners. Oh, and pump tracks!
Why you ride: The feeling of freedom. I like to scare myself with new challenges on a trail.
Sponsors: Specialized

I always liked bikes when I was growing up, but it didn’t stick until I was 22. I love soccer and played for UC Santa Barbara until my fifth year. Then I switched my major to biology and joined the mountain bike team. At that point, the closest thing to a mountain bike ride I had ever been on was when my cousin Maria took me and my cruise-around-college-campus bike on a ride that included pavement with a little off-roading on the rocks next to the train tracks! I will never forget what I was wearing: Maria’s hand-me-down royal blue Lycra, a UCSB soccer t-shirt, running shoes and a kid's helmet with a gecko on it. Hey, it’s all about style!

At 25, I finally went on my first downhill run, on a Specialized Demo 9, with my friend Kim. We went down the super-rocky Tunnel Trail in Santa Barbara and I was hooked! Eventually I also got a moto and love to ride it as much as my bike. It helps a lot with the things I need to work on while riding my bike: getting stronger, looking ahead at a faster pace, cornering and learning the feeling of going bigger off of jumps.

I also do CrossFit at Train For Life in Morgan Hill, where I also work as a personal trainer. CrossFit has made me a lot stronger both physically and mentally. Traveling to Whistler has done wonders for my riding skills and confidence overall. And finally, I am lucky and thankful to have my boyfriend Brandon at my side. Its great to always have someone to play with, to make me a better rider, and to look up to.

Some days I still can’t believe I am at this level. It is inspiring and humbling to be surrounded by the most talented riders in the world. I met Anneke Beerten when I was working at Specialized and found out she is from Holland, as is my mom, and would practice my Dutch with her. At that time I was a sport-level racer, but after meeting her I put it in my head that I could be a Pro too! I am proud of winning the 2007 US Open as an amateur, placing 6th in the pro women’s 2009 Sea Otter dual slalom, and also placing 6th at the pro women’s 2009 Fluidride Cup downhill #2 in Port Angeles, WA. Now, I look forward to many more years in the pro class, eventually racing World Cups, traveling, and just having fun on my bike!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

World Championship Videos

Miss the action on Freecaster this weekend? Here are some recaps of this year's races!


4X


DH


Interviews

Monday, September 7, 2009

Emmeline Ragot Wins DH World Championship

Emmeline Ragot took her first downhill World Championship title this weekend. She bested Tracy Moseley by two seconds. Ragot's been having a banner year, and this win doesn't come as a surprise. Kathy Pruitt had a great race as well, earning the USA a podium position. What was surprising was a crash and subsequent flat tire from Sabrina Jonnier, which put her in last place.

1. Emmeline Ragot
2. Tracy Moseley
3. Kathy Pruitt
4. Fionn Griffiths
5. Floriane Pugin
6. Claire Buchar
7. Micayla Gatto
8. Mio Suemasa
9. Melissa Buhl
10. Joanna Petterson
11. Celine Gros
12. Anita Molcik
13. Miranda Miller
14. Emilie Siegenthaler
15. Claire Whiteman
16. Harriet Harper
17. Julia Boer
18. Gabrielle Molloy
19. Cara Smith
20. Amy Laird
21. Sarah Booth
22. Tomoko Iizuka
23. Anka Martin
24. Olivia Johnston
25. Sabrina Jonnier

Friday, September 4, 2009

Caroline Buchanan Wins World Championship 4X

Caroline Buchanan took the World Championship 4X win in Canberra, Australia last night with a solid gate start that surprised Jill Kintner. Jill couldn't close the gap, and Caroline snagged the world champ's jersey in her home country.

4X
1. Caroline Buchanan
2. Jill Kintner
3. Melissa Buhl
4. Anita Molcik
5. Anneke Beerten
6. Mio Suemasa
7. Sarsha Huntington
8. Julia Boer
9. Romana Labounkova
10. Joanna Petterson
11. Fionn Griffiths

Thursday, September 3, 2009

World Championships 4X Qualifying

The racing has begun at the 2009 Mountain Bike World Championships in Canberra, Australia. 4X qualifying was held today, and Jill Kintner snagged the top spot over Caroline Buchanan who's racing in her home country. Racing promises to be exciting with Anneke Beerten looking for the win as well. And don't count out Fionn Griffiths. She qualified low, but has been racing well all season. The finals are tomorrow!

Qualifying
1 Jill Kintner (United States Of America) 0:00:52.73
2 Caroline Buchanan (Australia) 0:00:00.35
3 Anneke Beerten (Netherlands) 0:00:00.50
4 Romana Labounkova (Czech Republic) 0:00:01.20
5 Anita Molcik (Austria) 0:00:02.16
6 Melissa Buhl (United States Of America) 0:00:03.08
7 Sarsha Huntington (Australia) 0:00:03.31
8 Mio Suemasa (Japan) 0:00:04.70
9 Diana Marggraff (Ecuador) 0:00:07.38
10 Joanna Petterson (South Africa) 0:00:07.56
11 Fionn Griffiths (Great Britain) 0:00:08.58
12 Julia Boer (Hungary)

Monday, August 31, 2009

Slope Sistair Rules The Ranch

If I was updating Freeride Foundation's Facebook status this weekend, the progression would have looked a bit like this:

Freeride Foundation is trying to avoid accidentally finding the peach pit (and possible piece of gum) that Gale failed to throw out of the passenger side window of her car last week.

Freeride Foundation is eating pizza at Pablo's in Grand Junction with the women of Slope Sistair.

Freeride Foundation is freaking out that I may have lost my phone in City Market...but I don't remember taking it into the store....why can't I hear it ring?

Freeride Foundation is at The Ranch! It's a freerider's paradise!

Freeride Foundation found my phone next to a dried out peach pit underneath an atlas, underneath the passenger seat. Ew and hooray!

Freeride Foundation is puckered up riding Pucker Up for the first time on my Trance. Hmmm, perhaps I need a 7in freeride bike after all.

Freeride Foundation is having dinner with the ladies of Slope Sistair and James from Grassroots. Lucky James!

Ok, you get the picture.

To fill in the gaps, The Ranch is quite literally a freerider's paradise located about 9 miles outside of Grand Junction, CO. It's a network of trails, jumps, man-made stunts, and a huge slopestyle course, all within a short push from a fairly civilized cabin (ie, running water, a 6-burner stove, huge fridge, and electricity).

Want to ride some of GJ's finest trails? A short jaunt down a dirt road will get you to The Ribbon, and a short shuttle ride puts you within access of Free Lunch, Pucker Up, Holy Cross, and more. Run by Grassroots Cyclery in Grand Junction, The Ranch was the site of the third installment of Slope Sistair.

Stephanie Nychka (left) founded Slope Sistair as a way to get as many ripping slopestyle girls together as possible for a weekend of riding, progressing, and inspiring. The weekend started with trail rides on The Ribbon and Pucker Up on Friday. On Saturday, pros like Tammy Donahugh and Gale Dahlager coached riders looking to improve their confidence on the dual slalom track and on jumps. There was plenty of time for everyone to session the slopestyle course, wall rides, and other jumps around The Ranch.

Sunday's slopestyle session started with a best trick contest off of a step-up that's separate from the slopestyle course. The slopestyle session was rider-judged, and it was no easy task, as Tammy and Darcy Turenne (below) put on a show that included tricks like no-handers and foot-buzzing x-ups.
After a lengthy jump session and a lunch break, everyone moved over to the slopestyle course. the course starts with a bridge to wood-ramp jump or two sets of doubles. Darcy got creative and tranferred fromt the bridge to the backside of the first double, while Tammy and Katie Hayes dropped the bridge to the wood ramp. After a few runs, those two were able to link up the bridge to the wall ride below. Tammy (below) took it even further by hitting doubles all the way down the course--and absolutely maching!

When it was all said and done, Tammy took home wins in both contests, and walked away with a new frame. She was so inspiring to watch, as she rode with the most confidence and style throughout the weekend. And Katie (right) is definitely one to watch. She couldn't get enough of the fire pit jump in front of the cabin, and she was the only other girl to hit the doubles on the slopestyle course. She has a calculated but aggressive style and a good eye for picking lines and judging her landings. We'll be seeing a lot of her in the future!

Best Trick
1. Tammy Donahugh
2. Darcy Turenne
3. Katie Hayes












Best Trick podium. How we do it at The Ranch.


Slopestyle

1. Tammy Donahugh
2. Katie Hayes
3. Darcy Turenne














Tammy slayed slopestyle.












Gale Dahlager has been to all 3 Slope Sistairs (along with Darcy and SS founder Stephanie).











Neven Steinmetz extends her World Cup 4X skills and busts a move on the wall ride.









Nadia Steinbrecher ramps it up.