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Girlz of the Kamikaze Bike Games By Heidi Volpe

10/8/2015

Mammoth Mountain has put it’s stamp on all disciplines of mountain biking in 2015. Home to USA Cycling’s National Championship this past summer and now in it’s 3rd Year of the Kamikaze Games, people took notice. The Kamikaze Bike Games sold out Enduro field climbed from 400 to 600 this year. The race attracted riders from far and wide. Some even traveled from Bogotá Columbia this year. Why? In Bogotá they have to pedal or arrange a series of shuttles for gravity; needless to say those riders were beyond psyched.

What’s cool is the Kamikaze Games are actually a fundraiser for Mammoth Mountain Community Foundation. All the proceeds get funneled into their program that supports academics and athletes here in town says Lindsay Barksdale, Executive Director of Mammoth Mountain Community Foundation.

This year’s events brought quite the range of shredders. In the Pro DH field we had Jill Kitner, Jacqueline Thomas and Lauren Green repping the ladies as well as some up and coming pro riders such as Amy Rambacher.

There was no shortage of smiles and blood spilled this weekend. Jacqueline took a nice digger but didn’t shake her spirit. Lauren Green tomahawked off a drop on Thursday but then nailed it after her 3rd time. The native, decomposed loose granite tested your high-speed bike handling skills while the drops tested your courage. Enduro here is no joke with most of the DH course included on one of the stages.

Aside from the Enduro and DH they included Dual Slalom which was staged out of Canyon Lodge making the venue spectator friendly. Saturday afternoon was the Cross Country race held on the same course at Nationals, as was the Enduro. I entered the XC race and had a great time chasing down Mammoth’s very own 30-39 CAT1 National Champ McKenzie Long and was lucky enough to take the win, thanks to the stellar Lynda Wallenfels of LWCoaching, and my team sponsor Helen’s Cycles. My thumbs were a little confused on gears as my last race was a very long one, riding single speed. Larissa Conners from Ridebike Alliance took the win for the pro ladies and passed a few pro men on her way to the podium finish. Nic Beecham from Bear Valley Bikes was flying around the course taking first with a solid win. During the awards ceremony for Saturday’s races they held a Kluncker Race, the worse the bike the better, and of course a full line up for kids races.

I caught up with a few of the ladies about the weekend. Here’s what they had to say:

Rider: Amy Rambacher
Home base: So Cal
Sponsors: Fly Racing, The Path Bike Shop, Industry Nine and Petal Power

Heidi: How long have you been riding for fun and racing?
Amy: I started riding in 2009 and raced at Over the Hump (XC race) for the first time in 2012. I raced my first Super D the following year and my first enduro shortly after that. This is now my third year racing enduro and it is my favorite racing format.

How many hours do you ride in a typical week?
10-20 hours, depending on whether or not I have a race going on that week. I have a feeling I may be doing more, as I have signed up with Carmichael Training Systems for the next year! ;D

How has mountain biking transcended into your daily life?
Since I moved up to the pro division this year, my life has literally almost become entirely about biking. Mostly training to get myself in shape for my races and trying to develop my coaching style (I currently coach high school kids in the NICA SoCal League).

What has it taught you about yourself?
Funny, I wrote an article about that! You can read about it here on the singletracks.com blog.

What are some words of advice for any woman wanting to get into the sport?
Remember this is about having fun. Whether or not you decide to race, clip in, buy a carbon bike, etc. doesn’t matter as long as you are having fun! Don’t be afraid to try new things. Get some coaching from someone other than your significant other.

What do you love about being part of a women’s riding group?
There is a kind of positive energy you can only find in a girls only riding group. It is amazing! Don’t take my word for it! Try it for yourself!

Favorite local trail? Best beauty tip for post riding?
San Juan!
Waterproof eye make up! It stays put when I sweat and looks nearly perfect after a ride! ;D

Rider: Jill Kinter
Home Base: Bellingham, Washington
Sponsors: @redbull, @rideshimano @fox@sombriocartel @ixssports@renthal_cycling @bellbikehelmets@maxxistires @industry_nine@crankbrothers @fiveten_official@stevenspass @e13_components@maximausa #cb4others

Heidi: You and Bryn shared the podium for Pro GRT this weekend. Is this a first in the history of gravity racing?
Jill: It is quite special to have both won the series together, but we won the national series in 2011 as well.

How did you two choose to celebrate?
Dunno yet, will wait till we get home.

You have a cool sprinter van, tell us about it and how does it make life on the road easier?
It was my dream forever to have a kitted out sprinter van that all our bikes and gear could fit into. When I was training for the Olympics, it was my goal that if I medaled I would get one. Luckily that dream came true, and I used the money to get a Sportsmobile dream van.

What are your top 3 tips for women getting into the DH?
Go to whistler and see for yourself how much fun it is. There are so many ladies riding up there, at all different levels, just enjoying free speed and maximum fun going downhill. I love it, and try to be the best I can be so I can hopefully have a positive impact and lead by example. The life that I have lived through bikes, makes me really grateful that I embraced my fears and took a chance on something that was scary and thrilling at the same time. Being patient and taking baby steps with it will help too. Skills take practice to get right, fundamentals are the best place to start.

I know you have interest in race organization. You and Bryn were the athlete representatives at the recent racing summit. What changes do you hope to see?
We hope to see Americans leading the charge at the world level, and having a really good competitive national series that will prepare the next generation for the challenges overseas.

Your helmet caught eye what’s the story behind that, the power critters and who did that super cool illustration on your site?
Art has been a part of my life for a long time, and red bull is such a forward thinking brand, that they have encouraged the mix of art with my helmet design. Sauce creative firm works on a lot of helmet designs for them, and we nerd out drawing stuff and coming up with ideas. There are a lot of things from my sketchbooks and also a lot of their ideas and sketches. It’s collaboration and I really enjoy the process. It turned out awesome with all my favorite woodland critters.

Rider: Jacqueline Thomas
Home Base: Winter Park

Sponsors: Last two years, I rode for Trestle Bike Park in Winter Park, Colorado. My community supports me the most I discovered after holding a fundraiser to raise money for travel and racing across the States. I'm currently seeking sponsorship for the 2016 season.

How long have you been racing pro DH?
Since July Nationals 2015 at Mammoth, CA.

How many hours do you ride in a typical week? Other than ride, how else do you train?
15 hours give or take. I’m in the gym 3-4 days a week training cardio 30-40 minutes. My routine is warm up; weights 45 minutes, swim a mile in the lap pool and finish in the steam room to breathe and stretch. I also enjoy hiking, playing softball, volleyball and horseback riding, anything that gets me outside and my heart pumping makes me happy.

How has mountain biking transcended into your daily life?
Mountain biking has transcended my social group of friends and confidence. The biking community is where I feel most alive. Everyone is always happy to help and share advice and support. This sport has changed my life in the most positive direction and I’m most excited about the rise of female participants, it’s a step towards equal media and acknowledgement exposure and I’m excited to be a part of it.

What has it taught you about yourself?
Biking has taught me to always look further ahead; through your turns and past the rough, just as in biking, life will always have a challenge, learn from mistakes, endure, keep trying and you will excel and have more self-confidence.

What are some words of advice for any woman wanting to get into the sport?
We are strong and smart! Go with your intuition. Get out and ride, build the skill, focus on one thing at a time, something simple. You don’t know if you can fall in love if you don’t try! I love biking because it’s my time to escape and focus on one thing. “You have to keep moving to stay balanced.” –anonymous

What was the coolest part of your race run?
Crossing the finish line! Overall, being at the top, seeing other women warming up, focusing before they drop. Having a good spectator/heckling to encourage you throughout your run is always a blast.

How was it riding that XL bike? I know you usually ride a small.
I was struggling to adapt to the large bike and find rhythm with only a few days practice before racing. Honestly, I was very frustrated and overwhelmed to say the least. I prefer a medium, because it gives me room to maneuver and correct. I’m humbled.

Did that spill on Friday get you fired up or give you some pause?
I was fired up! I crashed when I held back and knowing that speed is your friend even though sometimes you have to go slow to go fast. I wanted a clean run and ended up catching the girl who dropped before me (Tasha Thomas). Unfortunately, I washed out and didn’t have a chance to pass. It’s all part of racing. You win some, you lose some. Just the fact you show up and did your best is like winning to me.

What was the last thing you said to yourself once you left the gate at the top of the run?
I visualize the run and every section, rocks, drops, lines, trees and where I can pedal, then attack, be
aggressive and never give up!

Rider: Lauren Green
Home base: Reno, Nevada
Sponsors: Pivot, WTB, Fox

Heidi: How long have you been riding and racing?
Lauren: I have been racing bikes for 7 years now, heading into my 8th full season next year!

How many hours do you ride in a typical week?
I typically ride 5 days a week, around 10-15 hours. When I was racing XC, that number was closer to 20-25. Now, racing gravity, I split my training time between the bike and the gym.

How has mountain biking transcended into your daily life?
Mountain biking has really formed me into the person that I am today. I’ve learned so much about myself through my bike- learned to work hard, conquer fears, and never give up. I really owe my successes ad my outlook on life to racing mountain bikes.

What has it taught you about yourself?
It has taught me that I am much stronger than I ever thought I could be. I’ve connected with the greatest group of friends I could ever ask for through riding. Racing really connects you with people, and I’m always blown away by how genuine and helpful other riders on the circuit are. Mountain biking truly has transcended and transformed my life and I’m grateful for it everyday.

Do you always have a posse of guys helping nail some lines? I know you had a coaching squad at Mammoth.
Yes, I have a great posse of guys that help me push my limits and progress. There are some features that, when I look at them alone, I feel like I could never hit, but I have some amazingly supportive friends that really encourage me to get out of my comfort zone. Without their help (and teasing and heckling!) I would never have been able to progress to the level I’m at today.

What are some words of advice for any woman wanting to get into the sport?
Believing you can clean something is the only way you can possibly hit it confidently, and my coaching squad somehow convinces me that I can clear these big hits, and I do! My advice for women getting into the sport would be- DO IT! Don’t be intimidated, start slow but celebrate every step of progression. Find someone who will walk you through the basics, make sure you know about your equipment and basic maintenance like how to change a flat tire, and go out and get after it! Also, don’t let that first crash scare you away. Stop and think about it- that scraped knee or big bruise isn’t really that bad, is it? It’s badass! Keep riding!

What was the favorite part of your race run?
My favorite part of the race run was hitting the big Flow Drop. I’ve been looking at that big drop since I started riding 7 years ago and finally got up the confidence to hit it for the first time this weekend.

What’s was the last thing you said to yourself after leaving the gate at the top for your race run?
The last thing I say before I leave the gate is “Smooth is fast. Smooth is fast.”

Favorite local trail?
My favorite local trail is the Tylorean Downhill trail.

Best beauty tip post riding?
I always end up with tons of dirt all over my face, so I always have to remember to rinse my face off before people start taking pictures! HA! I would say my #1 tip is to exude how stoked you are after your ride- no one will care if you have helmet hair and a dirty face if you have a big smile and a great attitude!

Meanwhile back at the venue I talked with Candice, one of two female lift mechanics in a crew of 35 here at Mammoth Mountain. Her favorite job: haul rope line splicing. Each year the cables stretch and they need to take up the sag. It’s no small feat, as they have to unravel the metal lines and then weave them back together. Her favorite tool: Crescent wrench, and was proud to tell me she had the biggest wrench on the team. Why? More torque, work smarter not harder she said.

Legend: Leigh Donovan
Home Base: Orange County
Sponsors: Liv, Troy Lee Designs, Cliff, RoxShox, WD-40

Heidi: Clearly you’re a gravity legend and an iconic ambassador for women’s racing. What do you hope your legacy to be in a nutshell?
Leigh: Racing bikes saved my life, it gave me all the skills, opportunities, and confidence that has helped me navigate my adult life. During my racing days I learned that being a champion isn’t always about winning bike races, it’s about who you are, what you choose to do with that, and about being happy for others when they have a great day. If today was my last day on earth, I’d want my legacy to be one of a great human who showed her competitors, her clients, her sponsors, her family, her friends, and her fans that winning doesn’t always mean you’re standing on top of the podium, it’s about your integrity and your ability to strive for your best everyday your alive.

What’s the most rewarding part of doing your clinics?
The most rewarding parts of doing my clinics, is when a rider moves past the fear and begins to feel the pure excitement of doing something that seemed impossible...this moment changes the riders future on and off the bike. I like to think that I’m not just teaching people how to be a good bike rider, but I’m teaching them how to better navigate their lives.

What have the clinics taught you about yourself ( off the bike ) or how has riding/teaching transcended into your life?
I was not born with patience, which had affected my life in a negative way and those around me. Since I started my ichoosebikes skills clinics, I’ve found that I can be patient, which has helped me become a better person all around...and most importantly a better parent, which my daughter Grace really appreciates :-) After spending many years out of the bike industry and away from bikes, I realized this is where I am meant to be and where I am needed most. I’ve learned that I really love bikes and that when I’m around bikes and bike people, I am home.

By Guest Blogger
Heidi Volpe
heidivolpe.com

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