Loeka's 2011 Grassroots Riders
Rider: Kimberly AllenHometown: Orange County, CA Bio: The summer of 2009, while vacationing in Silver Mountain, Colorado, USA, I fell in love with mountain biking. There, I rented a Specialized full suspension bike from a local bike shop, took it on the ski lifts to the top of the mountain, and descended a snaking single track among the tall fir trees, trickling brooks, and wildflowers tucked serenely in the shade. I was hooked. I quickly joined the mountain biking community in my hometown, which is centrally located in the coastal mountain range of sunny Southern California. Then, in May of 2010, I picked up my dream bike, a Specialized Myka FSR Comp, and joined the leagues of other regular riding addicts. Today, in addition to training for races, I lead beginner rides for a local female mountain biking group, and volunteer time and sweat to my favorite trails pulling invasive plants that crowd out native species and disrupt the local food web. I practically live on the trail, so I've got to be dressed accordingly. In Loeka, I know I won’t be mistaken for a man out there! This is my first racing season. I am racing in the Over the Hump series in Irvine, California, USA running through July and August 2011, and the 24 Hours of Adrenaline in September, in Idyllwild, California. Wish me luck! I will keep you all posted on the race results |
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Rider: Kassandra BourqueBio: Since I started downhill biking a few years ago I found a passion. I live in Bromont, Qc, and can enjoy my passion every day of the summer. I ride 6 months a year and ski for the winter to keep enjoying the mountain. Last summer I was a part of Loeka grassroots team and got a chance to promote the clothing brand to women at my local hill. I was very happy to see that ladies enjoyed the brand and were proud to wear it. The freeride shorts are waterproof, light, and durable, they can sustain pretty much every crash. The jerseys are very light and provide good ventilation which is very important on those hot summer days. I am studying to be a nurse, and am going to work as an intern this summer at a hospital near by. Even though I work full time and 1 weekend out of 2 in the summer, I still get to ride a lot. I hope this summer will be my summer to start racing. I've been wanting to start racing since last year but still did'nt have an opportunity. I can't wait for summer to come along so we can start having beautiful sunny days riding as well as muddy ones too. I am proud to be a part of the Loeka grassroots team again this summer. See you on the slopes in Bromont!! |
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Rider: Sarah Jane HewittHometown: Southhampton, Hants, UK Bio: I have had a passion for riding bikes for as long as I can remember. I started riding downhill six years ago, hitting up my local trails, travelling around the UK to uplifts and spending many summer weeks in the Alps getting my DH fix! I love all mountain biking, XC, 4X but mostly DH (I also ride road). Nothing can compare to a weekend pushing up local trails, catching up with friends and meeting new people, just getting outside and riding. I love riding with other girls and us encouraging each other to try things and push yourself, learning and improving all the time. I also love the adrenaline rush I get from racing and I am now in my fourth competitive year of racing downhill. In my first few years of racing, I raced 4X and DH, was ranked 2nd overall nationally in the 4X series (out of 10+ riders) and 5th nationally as a senior for DH, gaining numerous podiums, a few wins and massive sense of achievement! Now I've set my focus mainly on DH racing, wanting to improve my technique and speed and generally just enjoying DH more than anything else. This year I aim to race as many regional series races as I can with a view to racing the British Downhill Series in 2012 and also to become national number 1 in my category (now a master). I would also like to try out a few DH enduro races (a new thing in the UK) and I am also facing my biggest challenge yet - the Megavalanche in Alpe d'Huez! Previous Teams/Sponsors: I have ridden for a couple of bike racing teams in the last few years to include Bikeactive.com, P Yates Cycles and Minx-Girl.com. I feel that racing as a part of a team is a fantastic way of improving performance and building confidence and also learning from teammates and meeting new people. Race Results
Why I want to be involved with Loeka: I love riding my bike and I love the idea of encouraging other women to do the same. It's no secret that riding downhill is a male dominated sport, you can see it everywhere. On the trail, at races, in bike shops and in the kit we wear. Having a company solely dedicated to producing ladies riding kit is awesome. Having one that also understands the requirements of female riders is even better! I really want to be a part of a team that recognises female riders whilst promoting the sport to women and looking good at the same time! Loeka fits this bill and shares my values as a female rider and I would be really proud to be a part of the Loeka Grassroots Team. |
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Rider: Lindsey JamesBio: I am a bicycle mechanic based in Mid-Wales, UK. Cycling and bicycles are both my work and my fun, and I enjoy everything from hitting the trails to long road rides to cyclocross! I am always looking for ways in which I can give something back on a community level, and use my experience and enthusiasm to encourage others to cycle. The importance of bicycles as a tool for empowerment is something I passionately believe in, and I am particularly interested in encouraging and facilitating opportunities for more women to cycle. I entered a couple of cyclocross races last winter, and absolutely loved it! This year I will be racing XC for the first time, as well as taking part in a few enduro events, a 24 hour MTB race, and I'm planning a full season of cyclocross. I'm also really looking forward to being involved with Loeka this year! 2011 is gonna be fun! |
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Rider: Cheryl MooreBio: The last five years my life has basically revolved around riding bikes. It's my main form of exercise and I'm pretty sure it saves me a monthly therapy bill, it totally keeps me sane! Each year I have gotten more and more consumed with riding. I like a mix of downhill shuttles and xc, but I also like to play on the dirt jumps and pump tracks. The 2010 season was my first season with racing doing the BC Cup series. I figured I would just give racing a shot since I was spending time training with my friends and going to the races anyway. I learned so much, about riding and myself and met so many super cool people. I never thought I would be interested in racing as I'm not a super competitive person, but I loved it. I love training on one course till you get your lines dialled and each run trying to do better than the last. I'm super stoked on bikes and how it allows me to push myself, and spend time outside and meet all sorts of super cool like minded people. There's no other way I would rather be spending my free time. I'm super pumped about the 2011 race season! |
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Rider: Sara RennieHometown: Keith, Scotland Bio: My husband got me into mountain biking at the start of 2008 to help me train for a race called "Nairnshire Challenge" in May 2008 which I was doing with my sister. Prior to this event I hadn't ridden a bike since I was a little girl, and even then I never really rode a bike very often as I grew up on a farm and my childhood was consumed with my passion during that part of my life, which was show jumping and horse riding. Therefore I basically had to start from scratch with riding bikes in 2008. My husband, Paul, built up my confidence slowly, starting with easy xc trails and progressing to our local DH trails. I eventually felt confident enough to attempt my first race at Innerleithen Winter Series Round 2 at the start of 2010, however the track was like a sheet of ice and I was crashing all over the place so I pulled out of the race. I then entered the first SDA race of 2010 at Pitfichie and came 4th, and my other race results for 2010 are as follows: Innerleithen SDA Round 3 Result: 6th Ae Forest SDA Round 4 Result: 5th Fort William SDA Round 5 Result: 4th For most of the 2010 race season I rode an Orange 224, but then changed to a Cove Shocker at the end of the season and have found it helped my riding improve substantially. For 2011 so far: Innerleithen Winter Series Round 2 Result: 2nd in my category of Non Elite Women MacAvalanche, Glencoe Result: 83rd overall, 5th out of the women Diva Descent Result: 1st :-D Fort William SDA Round 2 Result: 3rd Throughout 2010 my husband and I partook in a movie made by Stefan Morrocco called "Gravitate" which was to promote mountain biking as a whole and try to encourage more people to race and also to make people more aware of what it is we do as DH mtb racers. We hope to do a promotional video at the end of this current season with Stefan to help with sponsors for the 2012 race season. My husband and I plan to try and get further afield in 2012 and enter some BDS races. The other races I have currently entered this year are as follows: Dunkeld SDA 11/12 June Kill The Bill 2 (Borderline Events) 2/3 July Fort William 6 hour endurance race (No Fuss Events) 23 July |
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Rider: Chelsey StevensBikes: Trek Session 88 DH, Diamondback Mission, Ironhorse MKIII, Norco 4hun hardtail, Intense BMX Motopro, Trek 1.5 WSD roadbike, Dave Mirra BMX, 1970 Schwinn Twin Deluxe (yeah for tandems!)... Favorite Biking Place: I still think Kamloops, BC wins, yeah for awesome trails and great people! Bio: I <3 bikes! I've been riding for just over a decade now and I'm still addicted to the challenge. Over the years my preferences on riding style have changed, but the need to be on a bike has not. I was drawn to biking when I saw a clip of someone XC'ing on TV (I'm pretty sure it was Tinker). That stuck and a few years later I finally had the resources to get my own bike. I've been through the full encyclopedia of biking disciplines, now I'm just all about being on a bike, no matter what kind. I currently race DH and any other races that catch my fancy. Through my racing I've been really lucky to work with some great folks like Loeka. I participate in women's outreach efforts whenever the opportunity arises. I also love to provide bicycle instruction. It's really fun to see someone approach something for the first time and overcome it, as an instructor you get to share in that feeling of accomplishment. I hope to get more involved in instruction over the next few years. I currently live in Spokane, WA with my wonderful fiance. I'm a processing engineer by trade, my work has given me the opportunity to work all over the world. I also like rock climbing, snow boarding, and rafting. The most important thing to me in life is to live it up! |
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