DIRT BIKE TRAILS - KINDRED SPIRITS

By Stephanie Yankovic Kawartha ATV Association katva.ca

If you happened to be perusing the stalls at the Kinmount Farmers Market or walking along the Victoria Rail Trail around 9 AM on Sat, Aug 13th, you might have been surprised to see over 30 dirt bikers gearing up and getting ready to ride in the neighbouring Victoria County Forest, commonly referred to as Somerville Forest. Perhaps even more surprising was that all 30 riders were women.

“Women bring a very different perspective to riding.”

Dirt biking and off-road riding is often misperceived by the public as a male dominated sport yet women and children are the future. By involving the whole family, we can slowly change the outdated optics and add legitimacy to our sport. This not only helps to diversify our riding community, but it also lends validity and credibility to our voice when we lobby for the preservation of our existing riding areas and the reclamation and development of our trail systems.

Women bring a very different perspective to riding and although we can be thrill-seekers and competitive just like the guys, female riders are typically very social. We foster an atmosphere of encouragement, comraderie and community, that goes beyond the actual activity of riding.

This was never more apparent than at the 2nd Annual KORMA Ladies Thrill & Chill Ride that was held on Aug 13 in Kinmount. Hosted by the Kawartha Off-Road Motorcycle Association, this is the second year for this all ladies, femaleguided event and we saw a 50% increase in attendance from last year. Over 30 intrepid dirt biking women gathered under blue skies for a funfilled day of riding. Somerville Forest is a multiuse forest known for its diverse trails typified by miles of fast, flowing singletrack, scenic lookouts and more challenging terrain. Steeper ascents and descents, water crossings, and the rooty and rocky ‘gnar’ of the Canadian Shield in the area draws dirt bikers like moths to a flame, and makes for some pretty epic action shots.

The diversity of the terrain was mirrored by the range of skill levels of the ladies in attendance and we broke off into several groups based on the aptitude of the riders and their appetite for a challenge. I’ve said this before but something almost magical happens when a group of female riders get together. Our enthusiasm and joy is infectious and although some of us often experience some pre-ride jitters and nerves, the anxiety quickly disappears and this amazing

synergy takes over when we realize that we’re in a judgement free environment and we all share the same love for dirt biking. Everyone bands together to help one another over the more challenging obstacles encountered on the trails.

The purpose of the Ladies Thrill & Chill ride is to create a safe, supportive environment where women can challenge themselves (the thrill part), hangout and connect with one another (the chill part), and grow the moto community, while enjoying the amenities offered in Kinmount and bringing some tourism and trade dollars to the local community. Being able to stage this event in the beautiful and bountiful Kawarthas area is the icing on the cupcake. After our morning ride, the ladies headed back along the Victoria Rail Trail to the pavilion for a delicious catered box lunch, before heading back out and hitting the trails for the final afternoon loop.

As the day drew to a close, everyone returned safely, bodies and bikes intact, tired but elated, wearing dirtstaches and grins. Strangers came back as friends. Contact information was exchanged. And just like that, our moto community got a little bit bigger and a little bit better, and the Somerville Sisterhood was born.