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
Date Published: Apr 06, 2010 - 11:20 pm
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.
Date Published: Mar 26, 2010 - 10:18 pm
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
Date Published: Mar 25, 2010 - 9:22 pm
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
Date Published: Mar 12, 2010 - 8:12 pm
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
Date Published: Mar 11, 2010 - 9:50 pm
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
Date Published: Mar 10, 2010 - 7:42 pm
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!
Date Published: Mar 01, 2010 - 9:11 am
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.
Date Published: Feb 15, 2010 - 2:35 pm
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.
Date Published: Feb 09, 2010 - 10:57 pm
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
Date Published: Feb 07, 2010 - 10:38 pm
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!
Date Published: Jan 12, 2010 - 5:58 pm
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
Date Published: Jan 05, 2010 - 12:31 pm
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.
Date Published: Jan 02, 2010 - 8:25 pm
A posse of NorCal riders put together this Dirt Divas video about
their crew of friends. Check out
SheShreds.net too!
Date Published: Dec 26, 2009 - 6:58 pm
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
Date Published: Dec 26, 2009 - 6:40 pm