Ladyfolks are just too damned cool...(buttload of pictures)

[catzilla]

This Saturday I held a MTB Skills Clinic for women. It was free and open to all skill levels, so we had quite a large turnout.

We had over 40 women ages 8 to over 60.

We started off with introductions. Leah was an adventure racer who wanted to get better at mountain biking. Amy's husband loves to mountain bike. She brought her two daughters in hopes of turning it into an activity the whole family could enjoy (Amy's husband sat invisibly on the sidelines during the clinic - his smile was ear to ear watching his wife and little girls on their bikes). Barbie wanted to learn wheelie drops. Roni explained that she learned to unicycle when she was 40, motorcycle when she was 50, and since she just turned 60, she decided to pick up a mountain bike.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_006.jpg

After teaching trackstands and ratcheting, they lined up for the famous "slow race". It almost took my breath away staring across the grounds with the women taking up the ENTIRE width of the field.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_011.jpg

And, They're Off!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_012.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_013.jpg

The novices got comfortable riding a 6" board before heading over to the long curb. This is our youngest rider kicking ass and taking names.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_016.jpg

The curb was the perfect next step. Six inches wide and about 30 feet long.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_019.jpg

Of course, it was also the source of some pretty sweet 50/50's.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_018.jpg

Once you can ride a balance beam, you can ride a teeter totter. Here's our youngest (8) and oldest (60+) riders learning to teeter. After explaining the "Oh Crap" moment (that's the inevitable moment when you swear that the teeter isn't going to totter), they both mastered the teeter totter.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_020.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_021.jpg

Then, you know it's time for wheelies!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_026.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_027.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_028.jpg

Stairs, Shmares!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_035.jpg

And the ladies take to the trails...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_031.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_032.jpg

<In the rythm of "Wheels on the Bus"> This is how we climb the hill, climb the hill...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_046.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_050.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_047.jpg

I organized a pot luck style lunch to feast on after the long day. Mmmmm...Bean Tortilla salad, Totellini casserole, COOKIES!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_053.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Clubmud/WomesClinic_Mar2005/skillsclinicMar05_004.jpg

[thanita]

That's awesome! Some nice shots, love the smiles. Do these often? From the sun and shorts, I can see you're not from around these parts ;)
T

[catzilla]

This is the second one, but I run a monthly women's ride that incorporates many of the same elements (on-the-trail-clinics, beer, etc.)

It's called the Feminine Flow Ride - it's the monthly cycle women actually look forward to! Get it? Get it?

Anyhoo, it's a great group of women. The core of women have been riding in this monthly ride for over a year. But, most importantly to the sport (and to every spandex clad man who is lookin' for a spandex clad wo-man), we're always seeing new faces at our rides. We generally see about 20+ women at the monthly rides, but skills clinics always give a surge in participation.

We'll probably try to do the women's clinics every 6 months. I'd love to do them more often, but I also organize night rides and group rides and trail maintenances and other random events - so, every 6 months it 'tis.

Shameless Plug - anyone interested in participating in any of these events can chiggity check out www.clubmud.com. ClubMud is a local trail maintenance, advocacy, and bacchanlia club of South Florida.

Yup - shorts and sun it is for us loley South Floridians. Don't worry, you may be jelous now, but wait 'til we're standing in line for plywood come summertime.

[bad_lil_kitty]

Nice! Unfortunately, not being from the Florida region, do you know of any clinics such as these in the DC metro area? I know I'd be interested as I don't know many women mtbikers in the area (climbing is foremost for me).

Great photos by the way - looks like loads fun.

blk

[OTBSkinloss]

Ever think about doing a singles clinic? ;)

[Divscotty]

That looks like soooooo much fun. I would like to participate in something similar. I don't believe I have ever seen anything like that locally.

Divscotty

[catzilla]

Nice! Unfortunately, not being from the Florida region, do you know of any clinics such as these in the DC metro area? I know I'd be interested as I don't know many women mtbikers in the area (climbing is foremost for me).

Sorry, unfortunately I'm don't really know much about events in the DC area.

However, most areas have some sort of a mountain biking club. And if your clubs are anything like ours, they are interested in putting on events like these, they just need people to step up with the leg work. Leg work usually means picking a day, finding an instructor, passing out flyers to bike shops and locals. If you don't have a local club, you could even approach a bike shop - just make sure they know you can do the legwork.

I guess that's part of my incentive behind posting the story of our lil' skills clinic on this newfangled internet. People see what we've done here and they wish they had something like it where they live.

But, the thing is, they can have it - they've just got to stop waiting for it to come around and make it happen instead.

You don't have to be Marla Streb to put on a skills clinic. You don't have to be a local IMBA rep to help organize it. So, start out small. Organize a womens ride - pass out flyers to women and bike shops. And definitely pass them out to the fellas, 'cause every one of them is either a) the spouse or friend of someone who wants to ride or b) looking for an excuse to talk to a woman about riding.

Make sure they know that novice riders will NOT be dropped. When everyone bottlenecks on the trail, stop for a few moments to explain how to manuever over the obstacle.

This is how we started a year ago. Now, the women that initially stopped on the trail to learn new skills are the ones helping to teach our clinics to the next generation of riders (even if that next generation is in their 60's).

Talk Hard! Wait, sorry, I think I had a bit of a Pump Up the Volume moment there. Anyway, you can make it happen, and when you do, you'll be making it happen for every other woman in your area too.

[bad_lil_kitty]

Thanks, Cat! The information provided is very helpful; much appreciated. I've done a quick search on Craig's List and will keep my eye out for postings at REI, HTO, and PATC just in case.

blk

[RhinoRiot]

awesome, i wish something like that was available for my wife here in central cali :cool:

[polly]

that looks fantastic...

do you do international packages, maybe i could pop over for the next one... ;)