Freeride Foundation

Fontana City National Results

2010-04-06T23:20:00.003-06:00

The first big US gravity event of the year is in the books. The Fontana City National took place March 26-28 in California. Melissa Buhl came out swinging, winning the downhill race by 17 seconds. For more information about the race, visit SouthridgeUSA.com.

Pro Women
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Joanna Petterson
3. Gabriela Williams
4. Jennifer Wolf
5. Joy Martin
6. Darian Harvey
7. Michelle Rivera

Open Women
1. Erica Phillips

Sport Women 34 & Under
1. Essence Barton
2. Stephanie Wolf
3. Valerie Vanderpool
4. Ashley Hernandez

Sport Women 35+
1. Nancy Harris
2. Kim Finch
3. Traci Adams

Beginner Women 34 & Under
1. Wendy Roller

Beginner Women 35+
1. Kim Krueger
2. Angela Mijares

March's Featured Rider: Kathy Pruitt

2010-03-26T22:18:00.009-06:00

Kathy Pruitt has been a racer for almost her entire life. And she's been a pro racer for nearly half of it. She's been a staple on the US national and World Cup circuits for ten years, and consistently stands on the podium domestically. Internationally, she's solid a top-ten finisher and is chasing a downhill win at a World Cup. Kathy is unquestionably talented--whether she's descending, dirt jumping, or raging on the cross country bike--and incredibly hilarious. We're rooting for her to make it to the top of the of a World Cup podium (or two) this season!--FF

Name: Kathy Pruitt
Home: Santa Cruz, California
Age: 27
Favorite type of riding: Everything!
Why you ride: It's challenging, rewarding and allows me to be creative.
Sponsors: Jamis Bikes, Giro, e-thirteen, Smith, Sombrio, Geax

Way back in 1988 I was racing and riding pee-wee motorcycles. I was 5 years old. That's when the two-wheeled obsession began. I continued with motorcycles and even turned pro at the age of 12. A few years later, after I had sustained a few major injuries, my parents decided to pull me out of the moto game. It didn't take long for me to figure out that I was pretty fast at going down a hill. The mountain bike my dad bought me to commute to track practice became my new outlet to relive my moto days. Soon, I convinced my dad to take me to a local downhill event in Truckee, California. I had a blast! More than 10 years later, I am still riding bikes and am just as competitive.

A lot of things have stayed the same in the bike world since I started racing World Cups in 1999. But,the biggest change is the talent level, it has gotten very close and is so competitive that the top five riders' times can be on the same tenth of a second. The sport's level of riding has progressed in both men's and women's riding. The bikes have become much easier to ride, and it's easy to see that the level of riding went up right next to the equipment progressing.

One of the things that has been hardest to learn in this sport is to be mentally strong, all the time. It doesn't matter if you are on a perfect bike and have all the best equipment, if your head and mind are not "there," you are not going to get over that scary jump or speed down the rutted and rooted track as fast as you could have. Becoming mentally strong and staying in that space is very difficult. If your mind is in the game, the rest will follow.

To combat becoming stale after 10+ years of competing and racing, I have learned to seek out other sports and activities that keep my mind fresh and challenged. I live near the ocean and luckily near many really good surf breaks. I have been learning to love the paddle out, how to read the swell, and figuring out the right place to be to catch that ride in. Surfing has become my reset button, you could say. It reminds me a lot of snowboarding, and I grew up doing that in Lake Tahoe, CA.

I've worked hard in this sport and have achieved almost all of the honors that you can achieve, except the ever-eluding Senior World Championships. In 2000, I was the Junior World Champion--the year before, I placed silver. I have been the 3-time National series overall champion in downhill and have won the National Championship event in downhill and dual slalom. I have also stepped on every spot of the World Cup podium except the top spot during my racing career. I've qualified 1st a few times, but never won.

My goals this year are pretty simple, I want to win races. I'll be spending more time at home in Santa Cruz to prepare for races and less time traveling, which will hopefully help me focus on my goals.

CCCX 2010 Downhill #1

2010-03-25T21:22:00.004-06:00

The first CCCX downhill race of the 2010 spring season was held at Toro Park, CA on March 20. Rosie Bernhard took her first pro win of her career, and was also the only girl to break four minutes on the course. The next CCCX race will be held April 11. For more information, visit CCCX.com.

Pro Women
1. Rosie Bernhard
2. Lia Lajoie

Expert Women
1. Cathy Chevron
2. Kelly Johnson
3. Mary Moncorge
4. Ayshe Tuncer
5. Jill Henrich
6. Ashley Hernandez

Sport Women
1. Jessica Spray
2. Shiloh Ballard
3. Courtney Rosiak

Beginner Women
1. Mary Pralinsky
2. Ruby Tidd
3. Katy Jossy

Jr. Girls
1. Faith Siebe

2010 Mob 'n Mojave Results

2010-03-12T20:12:00.002-07:00

The 2010 Mob 'n Mojave downhill race was held Feb. 13-14 at Bootleg Canyon, NV. Melissa Buhl took the win in the best-of-two-run race format. The next race at Bootleg is March 19-20, which is the St. Patty's Day Feast. For more information, visit AllMountainCyclery.com.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Jacqueline Harmony
3. Christine Hirst
4. Tasa Herndon
5. Linden Lane
6. Joy Martin
7. Ana Rodriguez
8. Margaret Gregory

Open Women
1. Amy Forwand
2. Megan Applegate

Open Women 40+
1. Carmen Bastek
2. Nancy Harris
3. Kathleen Kingma

Dual Slalom
1. Jacqueline Harmony

Southridge USA Winter Series #5 Results

2010-03-11T21:50:00.002-07:00

The 5th race of the Southridge Winter Series was held March 6 and 7. The talent ran deep in the pro women's downhill. Melissa Buhl emerged the decisive winner, finishing 9 seconds ahead of Anneke Beerten. The winter series is over, but racing resumes March 26-28 for the Fontana City National. For more info about racing at Fontana, visit SouthridgeUSA.com.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Anneke Beerten
3. Leigh Donovan
5. Gabriela Williams
6. Jennifer Wolf
7. Margaret Gregory
8. Sondra Williamson
9. Christine Hirst

Open Women
1. Rebecca Gardner
2. Mandy Oliekan
3. Nancy Harris

Sport Women 34 & Under
1. Stephanie Wolf
2. Julia Zavala
3. Ashley Hernandez

Sport Women 35+
1. Kim Finch
2. Traci Adams
3. Lisa Gianni

Beginner Women 35+
1. Lala Mijares

4X
Pro Women
1. Kayla Meadows

Open Women
1. Robin Vold
2. Laura Drexler
3. Breanna Fellows

CCCX Update

2010-03-10T19:42:00.003-07:00

The final race of the CCCX winter downhill series took place January 31st. Kathy Pruitt took the win for the pro women at the race, and Karen Hanzi won the overall series. The spring series was supposed to start on March 7, but the race was postponed due to poor weather. The next race is scheduled for March 20, 2010 at Toro Park, CA. For more information about CCCX, visit CCCX.org.

CCCX #5
Pro Women
1. Kathy Pruitt
2. Karen Hanzi
3. Rosie Bernhard
4. Heather McFadden

Expert Women
1. Kelsey Anderson
2. Mollie Sitkin
3. Kelly Johnson
4. AnneMarie Hennes
5. Amy Forwand
6. Kelley Damschen
7. Ashley Hernandez

Sport Women
1. Mary Moncorge
2. Tina Wilson
3. Aysche Tuncer
4. Jill Henrich
5. Kirstie Douglass
6. Natalie Morris

Beginner Women
1. Jessica Spray
2. Melanie McGuire
3. Ruby Tidd
4. Andrea Locke

Series Winners
Pro Women: Karen Hanzi
Expert Women: Kelly Johnson
Sport Women: Jill Henrich
Beginner Women: Andrea Locke

2010 Ray's Women's Weekend a Huge Success!

2010-03-01T09:11:00.010-07:00

The 3rd annual Ray's Women's Weekend was held February 19-21. Once again, the weekend was an incredible gathering of women riders of all ability levels from across the country. Darcy Turenne came from B.C., Kathy Pruitt and Cory Coffey flew from CA, and several clinic goers even traveled from Austin, TX. All-in-all, about 150 women took advantage of the free day at Ray's. There were two clinic sessions on Friday--one in the morning, and one in the afternoon--led by 14 pro women riders with BMX, cross country, downhill, and dirt jumping backgrounds. Plus, breakfast and lunch were provided event sponsors. And there was a huge prize raffle and free cocktail party after the day of riding. Yeah, it was the best day ever.

And the weekend didn't end there. Girls paid half-price to ride on Saturday and Sunday, with an Awesome Land: Women of Dirt showing on Saturday night. Riders from the film including Lisa Myklak, Stephanie Nychka, Tammy Donahugh, were in attendance too.

Ray's employee and BMX ripper Nina Buitrago and Mad March Racing instructor Tamara Peloquin organized the whole shindig, and there are plans in the works for the 4th-annual event in 2011! Check out the Ray's Angels Facebook page for more photos and info!

Tamara!

Nina in an ironic tee!

Learning!

February's Featured Rider: Joy Martin

2010-02-15T14:35:00.017-07:00

Joy Martin is the first Freeride Foundation Featured Rider who juggles racing at a professional level with raising a family and working full time. Joy understands why bike wheels move the way they do because she's an engineer--she analyzes the rotating components in centrifugal gas compressors for a living. In addition to bringing up an adorable little dude with her supportive hubby, Kevin, Joy rides for the Vixen Racing Team and leads her own cylcing skills clinics in her "free" time. --FF

Name: Joy Martin
Home: Poway, CA
Age: 33
Favorite type of riding: Fast and flowy
Why you ride: To escape it all. When I am on my bike there is nothing else but me, the bike, and the trail. Any stress I had goes bye-bye!
Sponsors: Vixen Racing, which includes: Cove Bicycles, Kali Protectives, Troy Lee Designs, Scwalbe, Hayes, Atomlab, SGD, Smith Optics, Camelbak, Loeka, Sunline, ParkTool, HoneyStinger, Goo, and Sunline
Website: http://www.vixenracing.org/ and http://www.joyridemtb.com/

When I was 19, living in San Luis Obispo, California, I had a boyfriend with a really cool Specialized. He let me take it riding. The first downhill section of the dirt road I was on I flew down. The experience was so exhilarating I was hooked from then on. San Luis Obispo has some of the best terrain for mountain biking. The views are awe-inspiring and the riding is amazing. You could ride for two weeks straight everyday and still be on a different trails. The learning curve is really steep though--I was black and blue my first three years of mountain biking. There aren't any beginner trails in SLO, so I moved straight to intermediate and learned as I went. I love nature and getting outdoors, so riding satisfied that need. In high school I lived next to Yosemite, so I love getting away from it all, and my mountain bike took me there.

Since I live in Sunny SoCal year round I do most of my training all over San Diego County. East County is rugged with lots of climbing and long descents, so I can get the time on the bike. Near my house are some well-built trails that are good for skill building, the locals have built a really great jump area that puts me on cloud nine everytime I ride there. My all-time favorite place to ride after 2009 is Whistler Mountain Bike Park. The vibe in Whistler is amazing and the riding is better than anyone can tell you about. The place is just perfect. My gal friends and I decided Whistler is "crack" for mountain bikers.

My favorite thing to do when I'm not on the bike is to hang out with my little man Seamus, he is 3 1/2 now. When my husband and I left the hospital with him, Kevin said to me "when he is old enough, I promise you can race again." This comment was 100% spontaneous on his part, completely uncoaxed or influenced. Seamus loves coming to the races and seeing him grow and LOVE to ride his own bike is really exciting.

I think to have the most success, you have to mentally strong and be able to challenge yourself. You need to understand your weaknesses and strengths and work on both. I love talking with the ladies who have been in the sport for over 10 years. The experience they gained and the williness to share is amazing to me. All the women who I have had the pleasure of riding with and talking to have inspired me in so many ways. Racing downhill is more a mental than physical sport for me. One of the "joys" of the sport is conquering my mental challenges. Someone told me that racing downhill exposes your core as a person, and I have to agree. Racing downhill tests your mental, emotional and physical persona. As an individual with the one lifetime I am given I love being able to push through my own barriers, it is very satisfying.

Cornering is the most underrated skill, learn to corner well and it will take you far. (I'm still working on corners.) I think the cornering has been the hardest skill to put together. To do it right it takes the combination of so many things and since I am not the most coordinated person, I have to spend a lot of time working on it.

The Keyesville Classic Needs You!

2010-02-09T22:57:00.006-07:00

Several years ago, Allie and I went to the Keyesville Classic in Keyesville, CA. The race, which is now in its 22nd year, combines a 2-course downhill race, a short track race, and a cross country race. You can enter one or all of the races. We tied for the win in the downhill, but I suffered through the cross country race as well, while Allie fled the scene. Not that I'm bitter at all...

This year, the race will be held March 19-21. There will be a women's cycling clothing fashion show, there's a pro payback for men and women, and there will be an Awesome Land: Women of Dirt movie screening too!

The catch is that last year, no pro women attended the race, meaning no girls claimed the pro payback! That's money on the table, girls!

Onsite camping is free, and there will be food at the venue as well. In addition, the clothes from the fashion show will be raffled off afterward.

You can register right now at KeyesvilleRacing.com.

Southridge USA Winter Series Results

2010-02-07T22:38:00.003-07:00

There have been three Southridge USA Winter Series races in California so far this season. When it comes to points, in both downhill and 4X, the series title is still anyone's game! There are two more races left, and the final counts for double points. For more information about the series, the schedule, and results, visit SouthridgeUSA.com.

#3 Feb. 6-7
Downhill
Pro Women
1. Leigh Donovan
2. Joy Martin
3. Gabriela Williams
4. Margaret Gregory
5. Jennifer Wolf
6. Carol Gibbs

Open Women
1. Heather McFadden
2. Nancy Harris
3. Erica Phillips
4. Kelly Damschen
5. Mandy Oliekan

Sport Women 34 & Under
1. Stephanie Wolf
2. Koral Kina
3. Ashley Hernandez
4. Julia Zavala
5. Meaghan Vollebregt

Sport Women 35 +
1. Kim Finch
2. Traci Adams

Beginner Women Women 35 +
1. Wendy Villegas
2. Lala Mijares

4X
Open Women
1. Brittany Jackson
2. Robin Vold
3. Laura Drexler
4. Andrea Aracil

#2 Jan. 23/24
Downhill
Pro Women
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Leigh Donovan
3. Joy Martin
4. Jennifer Wolf
5. Christine Hirst
6. Margaret Gregory

Open Women
1. Mandy Oliekan
2. Nancy Harris
3. Kelley Damschen
4. Lisa Vanzuyen
5. Erica Phillips

Sport Women 34 & Under
1. Stephanie Wolf
2. Julia Zavala
3. Ashley Hernandez

Sport Women 35 +
1. Traci Adams

Beginner Women 34 & Under
1. Megan Applegate

Beginner Women 35 +
1. Wendy Villegas
2. Lala Mijares

4X
Open Women
1. Robin Vold
2. Laura Drexler
3. Andrea Aracil
4. Lala Mijares

#1 Jan. 9/10
Downhill
Pro Women
1. Jennifer Wolf
2. Christine Hirst
3. Gabriela Williams
4. Joy Martin
5. Margaret Gregory

Open Women
1. Nancy Harris

4X
Pro Women
1. Joy Martin

Open Women
1. Nancy Harris
2. Laura Drexler
3. Robin Vold
4. Lala Mijares

January's Featured Rider: Joanna Petterson

2010-01-12T17:58:00.012-07:00

Joanna Petterson is a South African-born rider who splits her time between winters in Hawaii, training sessions in CA, and racing the US and World Cup 4X and downhill circuits. Last season, Joanna found herself atop two World Cup podiums in Canada, and is looking to build on that success in 2010. In fact, Jo is one of the few riders who consistently races both disciplines at the World Cup level. As if that's not enough to set her apart from the crowd, she's as passionate about getting others involved in cycling as she is focused on her own professional career.--FF

Name: Joanna Petterson
Home: Kauai, Hawaii (born in South Africa)
Age: 30
Favorite type of riding: Bikes, of course! Downhill, 4x, jumping, road, XC, singlespeed, around town
Why you ride: I ride because it is a freeing experience. I love the wind on my skin, the speed, adrenaline, and the challenge. I love a good hillclimb on the road bike. I love to push myself and accomplish goals, and do things that I think are (near) impossible.
Sponsors: Fulcrum Wheels, Maxxis, Clif Bar, Smith Optics, ODI, Leatt, crankskins.com, Harlot
Website: (Coming soon!) JoannaPetterson.com

Are you a dreamer? I am. Every day I take myself from reality and attempt to reach my dream of being as great as I can be on a bike and then get even better. It is challenge to make the cycling life a reality. It is a full time job apart from the training needed to be elite. Racing is a lifestyle, from hotel, to plane, to car, to venue. I live my life out of a bag during the season and even in the off-season, making my various stops my home.

I left South Africa when I was 4, moved around a bit with my parents, and ended up on the amazing island of Kauai, HI. I returned to SA when I was 8 and then returned to Kauai when I was 13. I was a world-traveled child, and I guess that stuck with me. I haven't done much riding on Kauai because I'm usually trying to take a break and let my body heal when I am here. So, I spend my free time surfing. It is such an amazing sport that I don't even want to call it a sport, more like an amazing adventure every time I get in the ocean.

Recently, I surfed Hanalei Bay. We had some flooding this past week, the ocean is brown from the rivers and there are logs and sticks and even dead things that float into the ocean. On one hand it was terrifying to think what lurked beneath because there are sharks in the bay, crazy ones when the water is so murky, but on the other, the waves were so amazing! It was my best day of surfing since I got home.

The riding on Kauai is mysterious, wet most of the winter and hard to find. One of my favorite trails takes you through eucalyptus forests, down a red dirt smooth trail with drops and smooth natural berms, and around the rim of a canyon with the views of Niihau. That's when you stop and check the surf. If it's up, then you finish your ride and head to the waves. Kauai is an amazing place, and I'm hoping it returns somewhat to the agricultural roots it has. Move away from tourism a bit and start to be self-sustaining. I'm working on that with my family when I am home, and when I retire from racing it will be a huge part of my life. Providing a resource for food is such a valuable asset in the long run.

A little more relative to cycling, though, I aim to start a BMX track on the island, to provide a place for kids that's free of drugs and negative influence, that is healthy, and could one day lead them to the Olympics. I can't wait to start this project! In 2010 I am also producing a movie with a few other people. It is a hugely exciting project for me, one that I have wanted to do for a few years. It is going to be a women's race/ride film and we are going to highlight the best of women's riding.

My biggest riding accomplishments would have to be unaccomplished, so far! Winning the 2006 NORBA 4X Series Championship was a good time. This season, my 3rd in 4x at the Mont Ste Anne and 4th in Bromont World Cup races where both great. But, I'm not super happy with the season. I placed 10th at the World Championships in Canberra, which was a good show but not my best. I'm aiming for much more in 2010 as far as my racing goes.

Racing and competition in general have always been a part of me. It's a huge part of my personality that I can't deny. I just want to be the best I can be, and truthfully, I want to be better than every other racer out there. But so do they. So we just keep pushing each other and it's great. I love racing. I dedicated my life to it after my first race and have been pursuing this dream ever since for the last ten years.

I enjoy meeting new people to ride (or surf) with wherever I am so if anyone wants to ride don't hesitate to get in touch and we can go enjoy this amazing sport. The more the merrier!

CCCX #4 Results

2010-01-05T12:31:00.003-07:00

Karin Hanzi was the lone pro female competitor at the fourth CCCX downhill race of the series on January 3, 2010. She walked away with the fastest women's time as well. Despite the lack of pro women racers, there was a solid showing for girls in each of the Expert, Sport, and Beginner classes. Nice work, ladies! The next CCCX race will be held at Toro Park, CA on January 31. For more information, visit CCCX.org.

Pro Women
1. Karin Hanzi

Expert Women
1. Kelley Damschen
2. Rosie Bernhard
3. Amy Forwand
4. Kelly Johnson
5. Ashley Hernandez

Sport Women
1. Mollie Sitkin
2. Ayshe Tuncer
3. Mary Moncorge
4. Keri Albrecht
5. Jill Henrich

Beginner Women
1. Jessica Spray
2. Ruby Tidd
3. Sarah Skammel
4. Andrea Locke
5. Sue Roussel
6. Sofia Villafane

Ray's Women's Weekend 2010: Be There!

2010-01-02T20:25:00.003-07:00

The annual Ray's Women's Weekend is just around the corner. The indoor mountain bike park in Cleveland, OH is hosting the Ray's Angels Women's Weekend on February 19-21, 2010.

The weekend kicks off with a day of free riding on Friday (yes, as in you pay nothing!), in addition to the ability to take skills clinics from any of the 14 pro women coaches. It doesn't matter if you've never ridden a bike before, are a skilled racer, ride cross country, prefer dirt jumps, or pedal a BMX bike--there's terrain and a coach for you!

Riding on Saturday and Sunday is 1/2 price for women, and all the pros will be sessioning all weekend too! Click here to sign up for the clinics, and if you do it by February 1, you'll get a free T-shirt.

Sweet Video from SheShreds.net

2009-12-26T18:58:00.003-07:00

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

CCCX #3

2009-12-26T18:40:00.003-07:00

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

Australian National Series Round 1

2009-12-24T17:26:00.002-07:00

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

December's Featured Rider: Katie Hayes

2009-12-01T19:24:00.011-07:00

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.

18th Annual Southridge Challenge Results

2009-11-23T13:49:00.004-07:00

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

CCCX Fall DH Series Fires Up

2009-11-16T16:15:00.004-07:00

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

More Bootleg Racing: Screamin Santa Downhill and Super D

2009-11-13T12:02:00.004-07:00

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.

Awesome Land: Women of Dirt

2009-11-11T07:52:00.004-07:00

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!

Plattekill Gravity Series Finals

2009-11-10T07:12:00.002-07:00

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

Greetings from Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park

2009-11-05T08:48:00.007-07:00

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

November's Featured Rider: Jacqueline Harmony

2009-11-02T08:32:00.011-07:00

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.

Bittersweet DH and Super D Results

2009-10-27T08:44:00.003-06:00

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

Diablo Gravity Series Finals

2009-10-23T16:35:00.003-06:00

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

Rachel's Back on the Bike!

2009-10-22T09:49:00.001-06:00

The Atherton Project: Episode 11

Collegiate National Championship Results

2009-10-21T13:28:00.003-06:00

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

Help Us Help You!

2009-10-19T16:22:00.003-06:00

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

2009-10-19T08:18:00.004-06:00

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

2nd Annual Women's Downhill Camp with Gene Hamilton

2009-10-18T16:44:00.003-06:00

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

2009-10-18T15:52:00.005-06:00

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

Red Bull Burner Results

2009-10-16T07:16:00.003-06:00

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

Green River Bike Park!

2009-10-14T22:29:00.004-06:00

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

2009-10-14T09:01:00.003-06:00

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

More Racing at Bootleg Canyon!

2009-10-13T08:49:00.002-06:00

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.

Gravity East Series Recap

2009-10-11T10:24:00.006-06:00

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

2009-10-11T10:06:00.002-06:00

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

Plattekill Gravity Series Catch-Up

2009-10-10T20:41:00.003-06:00

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

2009-10-10T19:51:00.007-06:00

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

Northstar-at-Tahoe Downhill Series Finals

2009-10-09T21:17:00.003-06:00

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

October's Featured Rider: Tammy Donahugh

2009-10-04T21:12:00.014-06:00

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

2009-10-04T20:09:00.004-06:00

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

More Fall Racing!

2009-10-01T09:00:00.004-06:00

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

Northstar DH Race Series Results

2009-09-30T08:25:00.003-06:00

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

Race for Tara 3: October 10-11

2009-09-28T14:01:00.002-06:00

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.

Jonnier Takes Series Title, Moseley Wins Final Race

2009-09-22T08:44:00.003-06:00

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

Slope Sistair Video

2009-09-21T23:34:00.002-06:00

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.

Beerten Takes World Cup Mountaincross Series Title

2009-09-20T09:00:00.004-06:00

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!)

DH and 4X Qualifying at the World Cup Finals

2009-09-18T19:59:00.003-06:00

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.

Darian Harvey Rules the First Pro GRT Series

2009-09-17T21:20:00.003-06:00

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!

California Golden State Mountain Bike Championships

2009-09-14T20:36:00.002-06:00

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

Results Recap

2009-09-13T19:34:00.009-06:00

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

September's Featured Rider: Sondra Williamson

2009-09-09T09:23:00.012-06:00

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!

World Championship Videos

2009-09-08T17:47:00.002-06:00

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

4X

DH

Interviews

Emmeline Ragot Wins DH World Championship

2009-09-07T21:23:00.003-06:00

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

Caroline Buchanan Wins World Championship 4X

2009-09-04T10:34:00.003-06:00

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

World Championships 4X Qualifying

2009-09-03T18:14:00.004-06:00

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)

Slope Sistair Rules The Ranch

2009-08-31T11:32:00.019-06:00

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.

Diablo Gravity Series Results

2009-08-24T09:18:00.002-06:00

The third race of the Diablo Freeride Park Gravity Series took place this weekend in Vernon, NJ. We failed to post the results of the second race in July, so we'll include those too. Currently, Allie Burch leads the series for the Pro Women, and Becky Gardner is out front for the Amateur Women. The next race in the series is September 12-13. For more info, visit DiabloFreeridePark.com.

Round 3

Giant Slalom
Amateur Women
1. Bridget Kozma

Downhill
Open Women
1. Teal Stetson-Lee

Round 2

Giant Slalom
Amateur Women
1. Kristen Kastrinos

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Hannah Trimble

Amateur Women
1. Becky Gardner

Slope Sistair Is Next Weekend!

2009-08-22T17:49:00.006-06:00

In less than a week, Grand Junction, CO will play host to the women's freeride festival known as Slope Sistair. This is a 3-day weekend of trail rides, clinics, slalom duals, and a slopestyle contest.

There's super-cheap camping on site, and some of the world's most talented female freeriders will be in attendance (read Darcy Turenne, Stephanie Nycka--who's also Slope Sistair's founder and organizer, Nadia Steinbrecher, Gale Dahlager, Tammy Donahugh and more!).
For more information about the event, visit Slope Sistair's website.

Windham, NY Pro GRT Results

2009-08-20T18:27:00.005-06:00

The latest races in the Pro Gravity Tour took place last weekend at Windham, NY. Darian Harvey swept the weekend with wins in both downhill and mountaincross. Darian's on a winning streak, as she also won the Snowmass downhill the previous weekend. She maintains her ever-growing series lead going into the final Pro GRT race of the season at Whiteface, NY August 29.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Darian Harvey
2. Joanna Petterson
3. Dawn Bourque
4. Alexis Wruble
5. Jennifer Wolf
6. Lauren Petersen
7. Hillary Elgert
8. Allegra Burch

Cat 1 Women 30-34
1. Susan DelPino

Cat 2 Women 25-29
1. Elisabeth English
2. Christin McCurdy

Cat 2 Women 35-39
1. Karen Clymer

Cat 2 Women 45-49
1. Felicia Kearsley

Cat 3 Women 13-14
1. Maddie Crowley

Cat 3 Women 30-34
1. Jennel Ortiz

4X
Pro Women
1. Darian Harvey
2. Hilary Elgert
3. Joanna Petterson

Cat 2 Women
1. Maddie Crowley

August's Featured Rider: Britney White

2009-08-18T08:41:00.001-06:00

Britney White is an all-around gravity ripper who started her career in while growing up in Wyoming. Britney's a quick descender, an aggressive jumper, and she rides with style no matter what she's doing. Britney recently moved to Bellingham, WA to be closer to Whistler and increase her training program. She's also in the process of getting her personal training certification, so she can help others reach their goals as well.--FF

Name: Britney White
Home: Formerly Bozeman MT, currently Bellingham WA
Age: 26
Favorite type of riding: Downhill with lots of jumps, berms, and flow.
Why you ride: For everyone reading this who rides, this is a silly question! It's so much fun!
Sponsors: RaceFace, Twenty6 Products

I've been riding bikes my whole life, but when I was younger it was just for transportation: like traveling down deep gravel roads, crossing cattle guards and avoiding coyotes (that's Wyoming for ya!). I bought a hardtail cross country bike when I was 18 to ride to school and decided to try it out on a trail one day. Best decision ever! After I got the whole front/back brake thing figured out it was all downhill from there. I haven't put the bike down since.

There definitely are not a lot of girls that ride DH in Montana. But, luckily I have a great group of guys to ride with that push me to progress and keep up of course. We all got lucky a few years ago when my family bought about 1700 acres just outside of Bozeman. Within a few years we built 3 DH shuttle trails, and a really fun freeride jump/ berm track with a bobcat. This was where I spent most weekends in the spring and fall working on trails, and riding of course. In winter, I usually stick to my skis for at least a few months. It makes me appreciate getting back on by bike that much more!

I don't think there's any one skill that makes you great at riding/racing. It's a lot of pedaling, line selection, being comfortable in the air, smooth on the bike. All these skills take lots of practice, practice, practice! I've worked the hardest to learn how to conquer just staying on the bike and not crashing!

I was in gymnastics when I was little and a coach told me something that stuck. I applied to riding my bike and believe it helped me. She said, "Spot your landing and picture executing it perfectly in your head before you go for it." That's what I do with any obstacle put in front of me and, luckily, it usually works!

The feeling of being smooth over the ground on a bike is, for me, one of the best feelings in the world. When I get on my bike and start riding a trail, I leave every other thought or problem in my life behind me. There is nothing else that matters. Being smooth and free on a bike is so liberating and the learning curve happened fast for me, since I only rode with guys who were better than me. I hated seeing them having fun and going big and not doing it with them. So I started scaring the crap out of them and hitting the same drops and jumps, obviously with a lot less style!

I am and will always be progressing on my bike and that's why I love riding bikes. The satisfaction of getting a trick down, going faster, or conquering that big stunt feels so good that I never want to stop riding bikes.

Final Crankworx 2009 Results: Canadian Open DH

2009-08-17T09:26:00.003-06:00

Emmeline Ragot won the final event at Crankworx 2009, the Canadian Open Downhill. Emmeline's stood on the podium all week, but this was her first win in Whistler. For more information, visit Crankworx.com.

Pro Women
1. Emmeline Ragot
2. Micayla Gatto
3. Claire Buchar
4. Danice Uyesugi
5. Dawn Cashen
6. Manon Carpenter

Senior Women
1. Terri-Anne Howard

Junior Women
1. Lorena Drumundo
2. Loren Rosser

Crankworx Enduro DH Results

2009-08-16T08:13:00.001-06:00

The Crankworx Enduro DH consisted of a Super D-style course, a mass start (riding, not running), and loads of competition. Fionn Griffiths took her second win of the week (she also won the Air DH), besting Melissa Buhl by 10 seconds in this 24-minute race. The final race of Crankworx 2009 will be held today, and it's the Canadian Open DH. For more information, visit Crankworx.com.

Pro Women
1. Fionn Griffiths
2. Melissa Buhl
3. Emmeline Ragot
4. Katrina Strand
5. Kari Mancer
6. Anka Martin
7. Eve-Marie Marcotte

Senior Women
1. Amber Chorney Wilson

Crankworx Giant Slalom Results

2009-08-15T10:45:00.002-06:00

Jill Kintner cruised to victory in last night's Crankworx Giant Slalom. Emmeline Ragot easily rolled through her early heats, but couldn't snag Jill in the finals. Melissa Buhl crashed in the second run of her first round, allowing Manon Carpenter to advance, and Leigh Donovan returned to gravity racing with a solid 3rd-place showing.

Today is the Canadian Open Enduro downhill race. It's a mass-start Super D/Megavalanche-style race designed for all-mountain bikes. Sunday is the Canadian Open DH race. More info is available at Crankworx.com.

Pro Women
1. Jill Kintner
2. Emmeline Ragot
3. Leigh Donovan
4. Manon Carpenter

Senior Women
1. Anita Naidu
2. Stephanie Grassi

USA World Championship Team Selection

2009-08-14T17:12:00.003-06:00

The list is out. 3 American women will be headed to Canberra, Australia to compete in the Mountain Bike World Championships September 1-6. Melissa Buhl and Kathy Pruitt will wear the stars and bars for downhill, and Melissa and Jill Kintner will represent for 4X. Why just 3 women? I don't know, but we're rooting for all of them!

Crankworx Air DH Results

2009-08-13T08:36:00.003-06:00

The Crankworx Air DH race was held on A-Line at Whistler Bike Park yesterday. Fionn Griffiths snagged the win by exactly one second over Jill Kintner. Competition for the ladies resumes tomorrow with the Giant Slalom. Get more info at Crankworx.com.

Pro Women
1. Fionn Griffiths
2. Jill Kintner
3. Emmeline Ragot
4. Micayla Gatto
5. Melissa Buhl
6. Leana Gerrard
7. Katrina Strand
8. Sarah Leishman
9. Beth Parsons
10. Manon Carpenter
11. Dawn Cashen
12. Anne Laplante
13. Britney White
14. Lorena Dromundo
15. Stephanie Nychka

Senior Women
1. Jamie Hill
2. Lisa Mason
3. Carolyn Kavanagh
4. Veronika Voracek
5. Cami Falk
6. Simmone Lyons
7. Savannah Rogers
8. Johanna Weintrager
9. Terri-Anne Howard
10. Daniela Cezaretto
11. Chantal Felten
12. Catherine Cartwright

Junior Women
1. Lauren Rosser
2. Holly Feniak

Crankworx WomenzWorx Results

2009-08-12T10:16:00.003-06:00

The Crankworx WomenzWorx contest was held yesterday in Whistler, BC. There were two separate competitions at the WomenzWorx. There was an invite-only slopestyle contest, the Gala. In addition, there was a separate 4-run, 2-section judged component. Riders descended a technical section of trail, and they also rode a slopestyle-type jump run on Dirt Merchant. Stephanie Nychka and Claire Buchar shared the victory by tying in the Gala Slopestyle contest. Claire Buchar took the overall win for the two judged riding sections.

The Air DH is today! Visit Crankworx.com for more info!

Pro Women
1. Claire Buchar
2. Lorraine Blancher
3. Kathy Pruitt
4. Leigh Donovan
5. Anne Laplante
6. Stephanie Nychka
7. Manon Carpenter
8. Kristen Smart
9. Kathryn Hayes
10. Lynne Aitchison
11. Beth Parsons
12. Dawn Cashen

Open Women
1. Jamie Hill Pemberton
2. Lisa Mason
3. Rachelle Frazer
4. Johanna Weintrager
5. Savannah Rogers
6. Naomi Fife
7. Amalie Budgen
8. Fleirie Hunter W
9. Daniela Cezaretto
10. Jessica Vogt
11. Kerri-Ann Thibeau
12. Stephanie Grassi

Blast the Mass Results

2009-08-11T12:59:00.002-06:00

The fifth race in the Mountain States Cup series took place in Snowmass, CO this weekend. The Blast the Mass races included a 4X, downhill, and Super D. Darian Harvey took the downhill win by about 12 seconds, and Rachel Bauer won 4X. The next MSC with gravity events will be held in Sol Vista, CO on September 4-7. Find more info at RaceMSC.com.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Darian Harvey
2. Jacqueline Harmony
3. Addie Stewart
4. Rachel Bauer
5. Martha Renn
6. Lisa Reinhard

Cat 1
1. Alisha Gibson
2. Margaret Gregory
3. Christen Boyer
4. Katy Monger

Cat 2
1. Jessica Kirkpatrick
2. Amber Price
3. Kristin Buell
4. Kyra Alexander
5. Lana Lawson

Cat 3
1. Rachel Baxter

4X
Pro Women
1. Rachel Bauer
2. Jacqueline Harmony
3. Martha Renn
4. Darian Harvey
5. Neven Steinmetz
6. Bobbi Kae Watt

Cat 1/2 Women
1. Alisha Gibson
2. Chrisen Boyer
3. Lauren Heitzman
4. Christin McCurdy
5. Lana Lawson
6. Catharine Cantway

Cat 3/Junior Women
1. Lucy Stevens
2. Danika Gillespie

Super D
Open Women
1. Jessica Kirkpatrick
2. Kimber Gabryszak
3. Lynn Bush
4. Mary Hoyle
5. Sonya Bugbee

Women 19+
1. Aubrey Aragon
2. Sara Landis
3. Sarah Rawley
4. Lauren Sullivan

Junior Women
1. Lucy Stevens

Crankworx Results...so far!

2009-08-11T09:27:00.003-06:00

Crankworx is underway in Whistler, BC. So far, the Dual Slalom and Garbonzo Downhill are in the bag. WomenzWorx is today! Jill Kintner won the Dual Slalom and Miranda Miller scored the top spot in the Garbonzo Downhill. For more info about Crankworx, visit Crankworx.com.

Dual Slalom
Pro Women
1. Jill Kintner
2. Fionn Griffiths
3. Micayla Gatto
4. Melissa Buhl

Senior Women
1. Jessica Vogt
2. Anita Naidu

Garbonzo Downhill
Pro Women
1. Miranda Miller
2. Emmeline Ragot
3. Kathy Pruitt
4. Fionn Griffiths
5. Danice Uyesugi
6. Manon Carpenter
7. Katrina Strand
8. Kari Mancer
9. Dawn Cashen
10. Lina Skoglund
11. Kristen Smart
12. Beth Parsons
13. Dromundo Vargas Lorena
14. Anka Martin
15. Melissa Buhl

Senior Women
1. Celina Moore
2. Carolyn Kavanagh
3. Jamie Hill
4. Carrie Poole
5. Meghan Illingworth
6. Brittany Boyer
7. Liana Gregory
8. Kaz McGill
9. Jessica Vogt
10. Daniela Cezaretto

Junior Women
1. Lauren Rosser

Sugarbush Gravity East Series Results

2009-08-10T11:09:00.003-06:00

The Gravity East Downhill Series race at Sugarbush, VT took place August 1-2. Dawn Bourque continued her winning streak with a decisive victory here. The next Gravity East Series race will be held at Wilmington, NY August 29-30. The Whiteface 5K Downhill is the longest downhill race on the East Coast, and is known for being an epic weekend. For more information, visit GravityEast.com.

Pro Women
1. Dawn Bourque
2. Karen Eagan
3. Alexis Wruble
4. Susan DelPino

Cat 2/3
1. Rebecca Bagley
2. Meredith Mansfield

Mount Snow Mountain Bike Festival

2009-08-07T10:08:00.002-06:00

There are some fun goings on at Mount Snow, VT this weekend. There's a Kenda Cup Pro XC race, but what's really exciting is that there are also downhill and dual slalom races too! Jeff Lenosky's doing a Super Stunt Show. Also, there are mountaincross and mountain bike skills clinics, so if you've always wanted to try racing a different discipline, now's your chance to learn to do it right! Oh, and don't forget the Super D racing, short track, concert, and fireworks! For more information, visit http://mountsnow.com/bikefestival.html.

Bromont World Cup Results

2009-08-05T08:12:00.004-06:00

Now that we can all watch the World Cup action on Freecaster, it's much easier to make sense of the results we see online. You can tell who bobbled, who flatted, and who made up 5 seconds in the lower woods. But you still don't get a sense of what's really going on as a racer. One of the riders who's been sending out phenomenal race reports all year is Joanna Petterson. Last weekend at Mont Sainte Anne, she had one of her best World Cup finishes yet, taking 3rd in 4X. This weekend, she experienced some ups and downs, but we'll let her tell you all about it. You can learn more about Joanna from her blog: JoannaPetterson.blogspot.com:

Downhill is what we do. But from the get-go this weekend, I hadn’t expected it to go as far downhill as it did--and then make a complete u-turn.

I was having a great week at practice. At times I was feeling really good on the downhill track and pretty confident in my ability to qualify this week. The track was dry when we inspected it and by the morning of practice it had completely changed with the downpours that ensued. But
that’s racing… rain or shine I try to face the day with every intention of riding to the best of my abilities and beyond.

One spill in practice and I was feeling focused for qualifying. I had a pretty good run but after last weekend, I was definitely a little cautious, which I couldn’t afford when I hit a rock and my chain came off my chainring. Luckily I was able to spin it back on just in time and made it into finals.

Racing Saturday morning was met with sunny, beautiful skies. And the track was drying out again, except for a few sections that got so soaked they wouldn’t dry out soon. The Bromont course is a very rocky track, and the one particularly fast rocky section that I felt very confident in was my quite literally my downfall during my race run. I was seen by many on Freecaster.tv,
spinning and sliding out of control down the rocky face. I lost my goggles (which someone was kind enough to return) and managed to turn my bars so far sideways I had to stop and fix them after getting out of the rock section. I lost so much time in the process I finished last, much to my disappointment.

I couldn’t believe it.

I took my frustration and decided to let go of expectations and just ride my bike. Mountaincross remained for the day’s competition and I needed a little redemption. I was asked during practice what I wanted from the day and I answered honestly, "To have fun riding my bike." And that’s what followed. My first heat was challenging with Mio Suemasa, Anneke Beerten, and Neven Steinmetz in the gate along side me. I came across the line in second to Anneke and was into the round of eight. In a dramatic second heat, I battled for 2nd and came out on top. I was into the finals for the second time in 2 weeks.

I was up against the same three women in the final as I was last weekend in Mont Ste Anne. It was Jill Kinter, Anneke Beerten, Fionn Griffiths and myself lined up for the start.

I had a pretty good start from lane 4 and held my line, managed to get past Anneke and Fionn for a brief moment when Fionn shot in front on an inside line and took first. It was a great race and I finish 4th. I also walked away with the pride of knowing I was one of the only women to
attempt the pro line of challenging doubles. That was one of the highlights for me.

This week I am in Vermont for the Mount Snow Mountain Bike Festival. Looks like it’s going to be a busy weekend! Thanks again to everyone for the support and mostly, for believing in me.

--Jojo

Downhill
1. Sabrina Jonnier
2. Florian Pugin
3. Mio Suemasa
4. Tracy Moseley
5. Celine Gros
6. Micayla Gatto
7. Claire Buchar
8. Emmeline Ragot
9. Emilie Siegenthaler
10. Kathy Pruitt
11. Anita Molcik
12. Anais Pujot
13. Fionn Griffiths
14. Melissa Buhl
15. Danice Uyesugi
16. Petra Bernhard
17. Darian Harvey
18. Amy Laird
19. Gabrielle Malloy
20. Anne Laplante
21. Joanna Petterson

4X
1. Fionn Griffiths
2. Anneke Beerten
3. Jill Kintner
4. Joanna Petterson
5. Melissa Buhl
6. Sharsha Huntington
7. Eva Castro Fernandez
8. Lucia Oetjen
9. Mio Suemasa
10. Angelika Hohenwarter
11. Anita Molcik
12. Anne Laplante
13. Neven Steinmetz
14. Leanna Gerrard

Last Day To Shop!

2009-07-31T08:23:00.002-06:00

Today is the last day to shop Freeride Foundation! You'll find even deeper discounts on this last day of retail sales. Wait to shop until tomorrow and you'll miss out!

The Final Final Countdown

2009-07-30T11:57:00.003-06:00

We're pulling down the retail side of Freeride Foundation in the wee morning hours of August 1st. That means you have just under 48 hours to shop for screaming deals on the site! Get after it!

North American Racing Roundup

2009-07-29T11:03:00.003-06:00

Here we go. Results from the past month of US racing. There are quite a few. Don't forget, Friday is the last day you can purchase product from Freeride Foundation! If we missed any results, we'll get them up ASAP!

Gravity East Series
Attitash, NH
July 18, 2009

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Dawn Bourque
2. Karen Eagan
3. Stephanie Gubernat

Cat. 1 19-29
1. Kristine Koch
2. Hannah Trimble

Cat. 1 30-39
1. Susan DelPino

Cat. 1 40+
1. Vicki Koch

Cat. 3 19-29
1. Rebecca Bagley
2. Charlene Smith

Fluidride Cup #4
Mt. Hood, OR
July 12, 2009

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

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

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 Open
1. Ann Davis
2. Diana Miller
3. Rachel DeLateur

Cat. 3 Junior
1. Adrianna Moroz
2. Cheyenne Smith

Gravity East Series
Highland Mountain Bike Park, NH
July 12, 2009

Downhill
Pro/Cat. 1 Women
1. Dawn Bourque
2. Karen Eagan
3. Stephanie Gubernat
4. Alexis Wruble
5. Kate Parhiala
6. Kristine Koch
7. Susan DelPino
8. Vicki Koch

Cat. 2/3 Women
1. Rebecca Bagley
2. Cait Franciscovich
3. Jennifer Tammam
4. Meredith Mansfield
5. Jennifer Childress
6. Olivia Harkness

Cat. 2 Jr.
1. Taylor Allison
2. Maddie Crowley
3. Olivia Allison

Dual Slalom
Pro/Cat. 1
1. Dawn Bourque
2. Karen Eagan
3. Kate Parhiala

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

Golden State Downhill #3
Fontana, CA
July 12, 2009

Pro Women
1. Christine Hirst
2. Jennifer Wolf
3. Joy Martin
4. Francine Johnson

Sport Women 34 & Under
1. Michelle Allen

Beginner Women 34 & Under
1. Jessee Maule

Beginner Women 35 +
1. Kim Finch
2. Traci Adams
3. Lala Mijares

Quebec Cup Results

2009-07-27T09:32:00.002-06:00

We're still catching up on the results we've been missing lately. Here's another race from Mont Sainte Anne, Canada. The Quebec Cup downhill race was held July 22. Anne Laplante took a significant win in this lead-up to this weekend's World Cup.

We're gathering more US results and will have them posted this week. And don't forget that this is the last week to buy product from Freeride Foundation!

Elite Women
1. Anne Laplante
2. Claudia Paquin
3. Marie-Eve Marcotte
4. Caroline Milot
5. Alexandra Laacroix
6. Marie-Angelique Turpin
7. Veronique Desjardins

MSA Mountaincross Results

2009-07-26T20:36:00.003-06:00

The World Cup 4X race took place today at Mont Sainte Anne, Canada. Anneke Beerten held her lead from qualifying to take the win. Jill Kintner was plagued by crashes and finished 4th. Anneke's win today gives her the overall lead in the series. The next World Cup races will be held next weekend in Bromont, Canada.

4X
1. Anneke Beerten
2. Fionn Griffiths
3. Joanna Petterson
4. Jill Kintner
5. Melissa Buhl
6. Anita Molcik
7. Sarsha Huntington
8. Mio Suemasa
9. Lucia Oetjen
10. Eva Castro Fernandez
11. Neven Steinmetz
12. Anne Laplante

Mont Sainte Anne World Cup Results

2009-07-26T08:37:00.004-06:00

Sabrina Jonnier took another World Cup downhill win at Mont Sainte Anne, Canada this weekend, and furthered her overall lead in the series. This race is her fifth World Cup downhill win in a row. The 4X finals are today, and Jill Kintner will be chasing Anneke Beerten for the #1 spot.

Downhill
1. Sabrina Jonnier
2. Emmeline Ragot
3. Tracy Moseley
4. Celine Gros
5. Floriane Pugin
6. Mio Suemasa
7. Melissa Buhl
8. Emilie Siegenthaler
9. Anita Molcik
10. Fionn Griffiths
11. Micayla Gatto
12. Kathy Pruitt
13. Claire Buchar
14. Petra Bernhard
15. Danice Uyesugi
16. Anais Pajot
17. Rebecca McQueen
18. Jessica Stone
19. Darian Harvey
20. Gabrielle Molloy

Results Galore

2009-07-24T09:09:00.006-06:00

While we've been sorting out our Inventory Liquidation Sale, attending the US National Championships, and riding our bikes, we've been slacking on our results postings. So, in an effort to catch back up, I'd like to start with some European events. We'll do another post in a little while that rounds up some US happenings from the last few weeks.

French Mountain Bike National Championships
Oz en Oisans, FRA
July 19, 2009

Elite Women
1. Celine Gros
2. Sabrina Jonnier
3. Floriane Pugiin
4. Myriam Nicole
5. Anais Pajot
6. Fanny Lombard
7. Sophie Borderes
8. Caroline Sax
9. Sandra Reynier
10. Agnes Delest
11. Lea Fourton
12. Elodie Chesseret
13. Severine Cigana
14. Morgane Jonnier
15. Celine Tyssandier
16. Morgane Charre
17. Laura Guillaume
18. Chloe Gallean
19. Marjorie Cholez
20. Carole Armanet
21. Marlene Jugier
22. Alizee Arthus
23. Laura Lohner

British Mountain Bike National Championships
Peebles, UK
July 19, 2009

Elite Women
1. Tracy Moseley
2. Helen Gaskell
3. Jessica Stone
4. Aimee Dix
5. Sarah Newman
6. Haby-Blu Cann
7. Emma Wareham
8. Reanne Atherton

Junior Women
1. Monet Adams

Juvenile Women
1. Tahnee Seagrave

Master Women
1. Anne Langmaid

Swiss Downhill Cup #2
Wiriehorn, SUI
July 19, 2009

Elite Women
1. Miriam Ruchti
2. Martina Bruhlmann
3. Noemi Derron
4. Caro Gehrig

Junior Women
1. Carina Cappellari
2. Kim Schauff
3. Joanne Muoser
4. Lauriane Darbre

Open Women
1. Franziska Ebinger
2. Fabienne Kratzer
3. Nathalie Daeppen
4. Barbara Katz
5. Eveline Schutz
6. Claudia Von Kaenel
7. Sandra Von Allmen
8. Nicole Zuercher
9. Nadine Kaufmann
10. Caroline Fellay
11. Coraline Reber

IXS Downhill Cup
Leogang, AUS
July 12, 2009

Elite Women
1. Antia Molcik
2. Petra Bernhard
3. Emilie Siegenthaler
4. Miriam Ruchti
5. Martina Bruhlmann
6. Caroline Sax
7. Nicole Beege
8. Lene Fruhwirth

Open Women
1. Sandra von Allmen
2. Nathalie Dappen
3. Ana Raecke

Junior Women
1. Leoni Caroline Dickerhoff
2. Joanne Muoser
3. Tamara Ulrich

Megavalanche
Alpe d'Huez, FRA
July 11, 2009

1. Anne Caroline Chausson
2. Pauline Dieffenthaler
3. Birgit Braumann
4. Melanie Pugin
5. Estelle Vuillemin
6. Elisabeth Allione Barlet
7. Anka Martin
8. Angela Proctor
9. Claire Buchar
10. Amelie Berchoux
11. Caroline Millet
12. Claire Hassenfratz
13. Sandrine Francois
14. Antje Kramer
15. Leana Gerrard
16. Anne Adam
17. Stephanye Ethoin
18. Alison Campbell
19. Petra Wiltshire
20. Harriet Latchem
21. Lynda Davies
22. Caroline Mayer
23. Jeannette Muller
24. Kerry Wrigglesworth
25. Valerie Priem
26. Jo Cardwell
27. Vannina Chabaud
28. Nikki Grant
29. Caroline Terranova
30. Elodie Pradon
31. Catharine Noble
32. Barbara Bolognesi
33. Anna Walters
34. Marlen Mengeringhausen
35. Nicky Belton
36. Sandrine Charcelle
37. Sonja Granzow
38. Lara Smith Tadeusz
39. Isabelle Urner
40. Catrin Cameron
41. Coralie Rochette
42. Stacy Beneke
43. Susan Mahony
44. Lyndsey Carson
45. Katharina Lehmann
46. Gemma McHenry
47. Helen Ryan
48. Sara Burdon
49. Hannah Reynolds
50. Alison Woodham
51. Faye Stewart
52. Aurore Berruezo
53. Carlien Dawson
54. Llinos Brown
55. Christin Schubert
56. Elaine Barber

British 4X National Championships
Gloucestershire, GBR
July 5, 2009

Elite Women
1. Charlie Phillips
2. Teri Anne Busbridge
3. Katie Radcliffe
4. Suzanne Lacey

NPS #3
Fort William, Scotland
June 28, 2009

Elite Women
1. Aimee Dix
2. Haby-Blue Cann
3. Helen Gaskell
4. Emma Wareham
5. Harriet Latchem

Open Women
1. Manon Carpenter
2. Angela Coates
3. Bex Reilly

Airing Out Sol Vista

2009-07-22T11:53:00.001-06:00

Yeah, I know. You've already read about who won what, seen the photos, and read all about big jumps, dust, drop gates, and short courses. Over the past few days, I've been thinking about how to write this blog post, as there is actually a lot to say about what transpired at the US National Downhill Championships at Sol Vista, CO this weekend.

I think the best place to start is with a quote from Katie Holden: "We [pro female downhill racers] really progressed women's riding this weekend." While I was happy to progress my bum onto my downhill bike for three days of relaxing riding with my friends, a talented and inspiring group of pro women stepped up to the plate and rode impressively on a course that left plenty of pro men shaking their heads.

Here's the deal. The course was a short one--Melissa Buhl won the stars and bars in 2:41. The top 3/4 of the course consisted of newly-built loose sandy, rocky trail through the woods, followed by "The Three Amigos," which were three progressively larger gap jumps--the final one measuring nearly 50 feet from lip to landing, and concluding with a short woods section into a few high-speed berms with some jumps in between.

The word around the pits after the first day of practice was that anyone who didn't hit all Three Amigos would have no chance at besting someone who did, due to the nearly uphill trail required to go around the booters. Eventually, go-arounds were added so that riders could hit one or two of the jumps, even if they chose not to hit the grand finale.

To be honest, after seeing the course, I was pretty stoked to not be racing. It brought up so many interesting dilemmas that I was much more content to spectate for the weekend.

The first thing I thought of when I saw the jumps was that it was unfair to put these jumps on a National Championship course, when there are very few opportunities in the US to hit anything similar, and therefore little opportunity for someone to successfully progress onto these larger gaps. Putting them on the course with only one huge go-around seemed to be asking for riders to attempt to hit them whether they possessed the skill or not. After traveling to Colorado, spending cash on entry fees, lift tickets, housing, etc., why wouldn't you just go for it?

Then, there's the point that Littermag makes: You choose what to hit and what not to hit, and that's what makes you a skilled bike rider.

Lisa Myklak was the first girl to hit any of the jumps, and also the first to hit all three. She went for them before many of the guys did. She broke the ice, and Jackie Harmony was the only other girl to successfully hit all three. Jackie was also the only girl to hit them all in her race run (Lisa hit the first two). Most of the women's field hit at least the first jump in their qualifying and race runs.

Here's the interesting thing, though: earlier in the weekend, thoughts were that if a girl hit all three jumps, she'd have the win in the bag. The course was so short that everyone assumed there was no room to make up that time elsewhere. But Melissa and Kathy Pruitt proved that a racecourse starts at the top and ends at the finish line. Melissa came off the first jump and into the go-around unbelievably fast, and after also nailing the first jump, Kathy finished less than a second behind her. Lisa took 3rd after hitting two of the three, and Jackie took 4th after hitting them all.

The moral of the story is this: the current field of US racers is one that's full of talent. Melissa and Kathy are able to apply their World Cup experience and weed out the noise to put together blazing race runs. Lisa stole the show early in the weekend by proving that all three jumps were rideable, and made a race-day decision to go around the third. Jackie had the confidence to put all three jumps into her race run. Simply hitting or not hitting the jumps was not the deciding factor--it was putting together a fast and strategically sound race run. These girls and the rest of the women's field prove that we have some incredible riders here in 'Merica, and that we can expect women's riding here to continue to progress to meet the challenges of courses and conditions here and abroad.

Bravo, ladies, bravo!

Downhill Pro Women
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Kathy Pruitt
3. Lisa Myklak
4. Jacqueline Harmony
5. Katie Holden
6. Darian Harvey
7. Rachel Bauer
8. Jennifer Wolf
9. Jennifer Whalen
10. Stephanie Leonard
11. Julie Olsen
12. Connie Misket
13. Michelle Rivera

Cat. 1 Women 19-29
1. Alisha Gibson
2. Emma Millar
3. Johanne Tuttle
4. AnneMarie Hennes
5. Katy Monger
6. Liana Gregory
7. Christen Boyer

Cat. 1 Women 30+
1. Chelsey Stevens
2. Soraya Khalje
3. Rosie Bernhard

Cat. 2 Women 19-29
1. Melissa O'Connell
2. Jesse Kirkpatrick
3. Kyra Alexander
4. Lauren Heitzman
5. Kristin Buell
6. Christin McCurdy

Cat. 2 Women 30-39
1. Lana Lawson
2. Amber Price
3. Bonnie Miller

Cat. 3 Women 30+
1. Ann Davis
2. Rachel DeLateur
3. Jennel Ortiz

Junior Women
1. Cierra Smith
2. Maddie Crowley

Mountaincross
Pro Women
1. Jill Kintner
2. Melissa Buhl
3. Kathy Pruitt
4. Darian Harvey
5. Jacqueline Harmony
6. Rachel Bauer
7. Neven Steinmetz

Cat. 1/2/3 Women
1. Johanne Tuttle
2. Alisha Gibson
3. Catherine Cantway
4. Christen Boyer
5. Christin McCurdy
6. Brittany Jackson
7. Maddie Crowley
8. Soraya Khalje
9. Katy Monger

Free Shipping at $35

2009-07-21T19:42:00.002-06:00

In order to keep the Inventory Liquidation Sale moving along, we've reduced the free shipping amount to US orders totaling $35 and more. Picking's getting slim, but there are still some great deals at FreerideFoundation.com!

Inventory Liquidation Sale

2009-07-13T10:32:00.003-06:00

Many of you have heard the news already. We're shutting down the retail side of Freeride Foundation. It's not a decision we've taken lightly, and we appreciate all of the support we've received from our friends, fans, and customers.

We've reduced the prices of everything on the website, and the store will be offline by the end of the month. We WILL be maintaining the blog, forum, race calendar, and even more community goodies, so we're not leaving you entirely!

For the inventory sale, what's up right now is everything that we have. Once it's gone, it's gone for good! Discount coupons will no longer work on the site, but gift certificates will. Click here for more information and to shop one last time at Freeride Foundation!

Thanks again for your support!

European and Canadian 4X Championships

2009-07-11T15:06:00.003-06:00

The European 4X championships were held June 28 in Solvenia. Anita Molcik took the title. The Canadian 4x championships were held on July 4 in Bromont, but it doesn't look like any women raced. If we find results, we'll post them!

European 4X Championships
1. Anita Molcik
2. Rachel Seydoux
3. Lucia Oetjen
4. Anneke Beerten
5. Angelika Hohenwarter
6. Steffi Marth
7. Laura Brethauer
8. Eva Castro Fernandez
9. Stephanie Teltscher

Gravity East Series at Windham Mountain

2009-07-05T14:05:00.003-06:00

Last weekend the Gravity East Series continued with a downhill and dual slalom at Windham Resort, NY. Dawn Borque took the downhill win, and Karen Eagan won dual slalom. The next Gravity East Series race will be held July 11-12 at Highland Mountain Bike Park, NH. For more information, visit GravityEastSeries.com.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Dawn Borque
2. Karen Eagan
3. Alexis Wruble
4. Lauren Daney
5. Allegra Burch
6. Vicki Koch
7. Susan DelPino
8. Kristine Koch

Cat. 1 Jr. Women
1. Taylor Allison

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

Dual Slalom
Open Women
1. Karen Eagan
2. Lauren Daney
3. Kate Parhiala

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

Fluidride Cup #3 Results

2009-07-02T12:42:00.003-06:00

The third Fluidride Cup race of the season was held this weekend at Mt. Hood, OR. Lisa Myklak traveled north to take the downhill win by 10 seconds. The next Fluidride Cup race will be held at Mt. Hood on July 11-12. For more information, visit Fluidride.com.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Lisa Myklak
2. Katrina Strand
3. Joy Mutoli

Cat. 1 Women
1. Chelsey Stevens
2. Jaime Rees
3. Shelby Reilly
4. Cassandra Stamm
5. Kat Sweet

Cat. 2 Women
1. Jennifer Tell
2. Hailey Soukkoth
3. Kathy Malvern
4. Ruth Klein
5. Paige Norman
6. Jen Schenk
7. Ashley Smeltzer
8. Amy Torget
9. Yvonne Gillette

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

Cat. 3 Jr. Women
1. Burke Okrasinski
2. Adrianna Moroz
3. Cheyenne Smith

July's Featured Rider: Leana Gerrard

2009-06-30T22:11:00.009-06:00

Leana Gerrard is the face of Cannondale's Mona Vie racing team. While gated racing is her forte, Leana slays it on the downhill track too. She has a drive to excel and a passion to ride that's hard to match. Leana recently graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in marketing and business. After recovering from an ankle injury that cut her 2008 season a bit short, Leana is back to her hard-charging self!--FF

Name: Leana Gerrard
Home: Lake Tapps, WA
Age: 23
Favorite type of riding: I like a lot of different types of riding, but my favorite would have to be a flowy trail with berms and jumps.
Why you ride: I ride because bikes are my sanity. I find that the longer I stay off a bike, the more agitated and unpleasant I get. But after a ride, I am just stoked on life. Mountain bikes are my safe haven, so when I feel the world is spinning out of control around me, getting on a bike out in the woods is the only way for me to slow it all down again.
Sponsors: Mona Vie, Cannondale, Bell, E-Thirteen, KORE, Oakley, Azonic, Kenda and Fabel Headwear
Website: LeanaGerrard.com

I started riding bikes when my older brother was racing BMX at the local track. I had just quit ballet and was looking for something a little more exciting, so BMX looked awesome. I was seven at that point and my life has never been the same. But, as I grew older and got tired of BMX, I tried some cross country racing as cross training. One cross country race however, had a dual slalom event as well, and once I saw that, I knew I found my calling.

I think perseverance is key to being a successful rider. Everyone falls, everyone gets hurt at one point or another, but it's those that hop back on the bike that find success. The hardest thing for me to learn was that failure is imperative to reach success. You have to slide out in a corner to find the limit, never fun, but necessary.

Bikes and the people I have met through biking have shaped me into the person I am today. I look at my friends and paths that they are taking, and every day I am thankful that I'm not on the same track. The experiences I've had, the places I've gone and the people I've met have all been because I have the passion to ride a bicycle.

Ride for Free at Whiteface!

2009-06-30T17:11:00.003-06:00

That's right. Ladies' Day is back at Whiteface Mountain Bike Park in Lake Placid, NY. The first Saturday of each month is free for female riders. That means the the 4th of July will give you even more reason to celebrate this year!
Visit DownhillMike.com to get your coupon to ride free at Whiteface!

Slope Sistair 2009

2009-06-29T21:16:00.003-06:00

It's on! Visit Slopesistair.wordpress.com for more details!

Utah Downhill Series Wolf Creek Results

2009-06-29T08:30:00.002-06:00

The third race in the Utah Downhill Series took place June 20-21 at Wolf Creek Resort, UT. Addie Stewart represented for the Pro Women, winning both the downhill race and the trail bike category. Sarah Kaufmann won the Super D. The next race in the Utah Downhill Series will be held July 25-26 at White Pine Ski Resort, WY. For more information, visit Go-Ride.com.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Addie Stewart

Trail Bike
Pro Women
1. Addie Stewart
2. Connie Misket

Super D
Pro Women
1. Sarah Kaufmann
2. Addie Stewart

Dincus Tees and Jerseys in Stock

2009-06-27T11:22:00.004-06:00

We just received a few new tees and jerseys from Dincus clothing. Dincus is a Canadian company that makes eco-friendly, rider-friendly clothing. The tees are made from organic cotton and bamboo--making them super soft and easy to wear. The jerseys are lightweight and abrasion-resistant, so they're perfect for summer riding! Click here to check out our selection of Dincus tops.

CCCX #6 Results and Final Standings

2009-06-27T11:09:00.003-06:00

The last CCCX downhill race of the season was held a few weekends ago--June 6--at Toro Park, CA. Sharon Hill laid down the fastest women's time of day. Sharon also accumulated the most points of any girl in any class throughout this year's 6-race series. To check out all of the results and standings, visit CCCX.org.

Expert Women
1. Sharon Hill
2. Kelsey Anderson
3. Anne Marie Hennes
4. Kelly Moore

Sport Women
1. Kelly Johnson
2. Ashley Hernandez

Beginner Women
1. Amy Forward
2. Jill Henrich
3. Ayshe Tuncer
4. Kim Krueger

Snowshoe Powerade Race Series #1

2009-06-27T10:46:00.003-06:00

The first downhill and dual stunt races of the Snowshoe Powerade Race Series were held at Snowshoe, WV last weekend. Hillary Elgert took the downhill win, and Tamara Peloquin represented for the women in the dual stunt race. The next race in the series will be held July 24-26. For more information, visit Ride.Snowshoe.com.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Hillary Elgert
2. Ellen Adams
3. Rae Gandolf
4. Lauren Daney
5. Johanne Tuttle

Amateur Women
1. Kirstin Cousin
2. Liz Scoville

Intro Women
1. Anne Galyean
2. Leslie Litton
3. Elaine Daniels

Dual Stunt
1. Tamara Peloquin

Plattekill Results (June 13-14)

2009-06-27T10:35:00.004-06:00

We have some catching up to do. The second Plattekill, NY downhill race, and first dual slalom race, of the season were held on June 13 and 14. Junior rider Taylor Allison won the dual slalom, and she also posted the fastest women's downhill time by more than 30 seconds. The next race at Plattekill will be held on July 25-26. For more information, visit Plattekill.com.

Downhill
Cat. 2/3 Women
1. Rebecca Bagley
2. Felicia Kearsley

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

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

Northstar at Tahoe DH #1 Results

2009-06-26T08:32:00.002-06:00

Northstar's first downhill race of the season was held last weekend. Tasa Herdon took the decisive win for the pro women on a course that started on Karpiel and rand through Dogbone. The next race will be held July 26 on Gypsy. For more information, visit NorthstaratTahoe.com.

Pro Women
1. Tasa Herndon
2. Kelly Moore
3. Adrienne Garbiel

Junior Women
1. Cierra Smith

Women 29 and Under
1. Danielle Griffin
2. Christina Telezinski
3. Mollie Shkin
4. Keri Albrecht

Women 30+
1. Kathy Chevron
2. Kelly Johnson
3. Ayshe Tuncer
4. Jodie Flood

Spa Season

2009-06-25T09:54:00.005-06:00

The spring and summer 2009 have officially been declared “Spa Season”. From the West to the East, inches of rain have soaked the ground days upon weeks at a time, leaving the trails filled with a mix of sloppy goo.

During a recent event, I mashed the pedals navigating through the stewy sludge, and as gobs of mud splashed into my eyes, up my nose and covered my shorts, I pondered the advantages of being a mountain biking girl.

Women, and I realize I’m making a huge generalization here, love to be pampered. Go to any spa and you’ll see mud treatments because your skin’s too rough, seaweed treatments because you’re too fat, sugar treatments because you’re, oh, I don’t know, too sour from a mundane daily routine of driving the kids to hell and beyond for soccer practice, preparing a “home-nuked” sodium-laden pile of pseudo food from a bag for a bunch of gobbling ingrates, then collapsing on the sofa to be screamed at by any number of talking heads on TV who insist that you must know what they’re telling you, lest you be left out of the water cooler chatter at your job, which you hate. Then you get to do it all over again the next day! A girl really needs a break, and what better way to do that then have someone else cover you with mud, salt, and seaweed then hose it all off of you in “Shawshank Redemption” fashion.

This person looks positively miserable.

Well, I have already spent most of the season covered in mud. And no one has needed to back me up into a stall and spray me down. There has been plenty of rain to do that for me. The mud from the trail has left my legs smoother than ever, (mind you, I never said bruise or scratch-free) the bags under my eyes are nearly gone from all of the grinning and my teeth are glistening white! I get at least two very intense treatments a week, for free!

Exercise, exfoliation, aromatherapy, and teeth whitening treatments, along with communing with nature. What could be a more perfect way to wash away the stresses of life?

I’m planning on another treatment yet tonight and according to the weather it looks like I’ll be getting the deep cleaning session with a slight chance of electro-stim. In fact, I think I hear the “gongs of tranquility” rumbling overhead. Ahhhhhhh!

Wildflower Rush Results

2009-06-24T23:35:00.004-06:00

There were parallel podiums at the Wildflower Rush downhill and mountaincross races this weekend. Jackie Harmony threw down the winning run on a new downhill track at Crested Butte's Wildflower Rush this weekend. She had 7 seconds to spare over second place rider Rachel Bauer. This Mountain States Cup race was the third gravity event of the series. Also new to Crested Butte was a mountaincross event. Jackie took the win here too, over Rachel Bauer and Darian Harvey. For more information, visit RaceMSC.com.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Jacqueline Harmony
2. Rachel Bauer
3. Darian Harvey
4. Stephanie Leonard
5. Sarah Elworthy
6. Sage Wilderman
7. Michelle Rivera
8. Julie Olsen
9. Nadia Steinbrecher

Cat. 1 Women
1. Emma Millar
2. Alisha Gibson
3. Soraya Khalje
4. Sabina Kraushaar
5. Christen Boyer
6. Katy Monger
7. Aubrey Aragon

Cat. 2 Women
1. Jessica Kirkpatrick
2. Melissa O'Connell
3. Kyra Alexander
4. Bonnie Miller
5. Krisin Buell
6. Lauren Heitzman
7. Billie Mohrbach
8. Lana Lawson
9. Amy Patrick

4X
Pro Women
1. Jacqueline Harmony
2. Rachel Bauer
3. Darian Harvey

Cat. 1/2 Women
1. Christen Boyer
2. Katy Monger
3. Soraya Khalje
4. Lana Lawson

Cat. 3/Jr. Women
1. Lucy Stevens
2. Danika Gillespie
3. Jenna Haas

Maribor World Cup Results

2009-06-23T09:08:00.004-06:00

Sabrina Jonnier continues her mid-season reign of the World Cup downhill series. Tracy Moseley's stellar start to the season seems to have fizzled as the French ladies continue to dominate the podium. Sabrina barely bested fellow countrywoman Emmeline Ragot for the win in Maribor, Slovenia. In 4X, Caroline Buchanan took the second World Cup win of her career, and her first World Cup win of the season. She prevailed over one of the the toughest final rounds of the season, as it included Anneke Beerten, Melissa Buhl and Jill Kintner.

Downhill
1. Sabrina Jonnier
2. Emmeline Ragot
3. Floriane Pugin
4. Celine Gros
5. Mio Suemasa
6. Myriam Nicole
7. Emilie Siegenthaler
8. Fionn Griffiths
9. Tracy Moseley
10. Claire Buchar
10. Miriam Ruchti
12. Anita Molcik
13. Joanna Petterson
14. Petra Bernhard
15. Melissa Buhl
16. Caroline Sax
17. Fanny Lombard
18. Emma Atkinson
19. Sophie Borderes

4X
1. Caroline Buchanan
2. Melissa Buhl
3. Anneke Beerten
4. Jill Kintner
5. Emmeline Ragot
6. Jana Horakova
7. Mio Suemasa
8. Diana Marggraff
9. Anita Molcik
10. Fionn Griffiths
11. Joanna Petterson
12. Eva Castro Fernandez
13. Katy Curd
14. Lucia Oetjen
15. Rachel Seydoux
16. Tereza Votavova

Gravity East Series, Seven Springs

2009-06-16T16:21:00.003-06:00

The 3rd event in the Gravity East Series was held at Seven Springs, PA last weekend. Stephanie Gubernat took the win, though it looks like it's becoming a battle between her and Hillary Elgert for the series lead. The next race in the series will be run at Windham Mountain, NY June 27-28. For more info, visit GravityEastSeries.com.

Pro/Cat. 1 Women
1. Stephanie Gubernat
2. Rae Gandolf
3. Hillary Elgert
4. Lauren Daney
5. Kristin Cousin

Cat. 2/3 Women
1. Heather Cowell
2. Liz Scorille
3. Consuelo Bodie
4. Kristin Custer