The Dirty Girls

Words by Rich Vigurs. Photos by Noel Hendrickson.

love my job! Everyone should be as lucky as me. I get to meet cool people, see cool stuff and meet cool people. I like the "meeting the cool people" part the best. I was fortunate enough to just be finishing a ride on Seymour a couple of weekends ago when I ran into a bunch of women who had also just finished their ride. I guess my interest was piqued when I saw the RM6, a pile of body armour and a couple of full faces being pulled off and underneath were GIRLS. Real women who were bruised and bloody from a similar ride I had just done (BoogieMan). I was able to sit down with the three girls; Lisa, Faye and Katrina the next weekend and ask them about riding and stuff. This is actually the inaugural BROS not PROS for women appropriately called CHIX not DICKS. I present to you the Dirty Girls. Enjoy!

1) How did you meet? Lisa: I first met Katrina when I was 17 years old. I borrowed her I.D. to go to the bars, we kind of look alike, and we've been friends ever since. I met Faye through mutual friend, we instantly hit it off. It's probably because we both have a lot of energy. Katrina: Through friends of friends of friends, basically having common interests and living in Whistler brought us together Faye: Well, I met Katrina in Victoria at a bar through some mutual friends; I think it was back in 97. I met Lisa around Whistler, I remember seeing her at the same parties and that type of thing. We just became friends. It turned out Lisa was really good friends with Katrina. Funny how these things work out, now they are two of my best friends.

 

2) The name! How did you get the name? Faye: Our name was originated about 2 summers ago one afternoon after a wet muddy day of down hilling on Whistler. Fashionably dressed head to toe in mud we decided to go have a beer on one of whistlers many patios, when Richie Schley appeared. He shook his head and gave a huge smile and said, " you are dirty girls" The name just stuck after that.

3) Where did you all grow up?
Lisa: I grew up in Tsawassen. I moved to Whistler, with my family after I graduated.
Katrina: Born and raised in False Creek, Vancouver.
Faye: I grew was born and grew up on a boony island off the North East side of Vancouver Island, called Read. We are talking no electricity, an outhouse and a bathtub in the back yard with a garden hose running into it and a fire underneath it. But for the past 6 years I have been living in Whistler. 4) How old are you and when did you first start riding?
Lisa: I'm twenty-two and I first started riding two years ago.
Katrina: I'm 24 and this will be my 3rd season
Faye: I am 22 and I started riding when I was 19

 

5) What was your first bike? Lisa: My first bike was a Bontrager. Katrina: A Rasta coloured Bontrager and I still have it. Even though I never ride it anymore, I'm having troubles parting with it Faye: My first bike was a Garry Fisher Paragon. I loved that bike.   6) What do you ride now? Lisa: Last year I rode a Rocky Mountain RM6. Although, it along with everything else I own got stolen. So now I ride a RM Reaper, while I save up enough money for my big bike. Katrina: I got a hard tail for the winter to fine-tune the skills, a Cove Stiffee freeride which kicks ass Faye: I ride a Rocky Mt. RM6 that I have modified.

7) Favorite riding area?
Lisa: I love to ride in Squamish. They have awesome stunts there. The North Shore is also really fun, and really challenging.
Katrina: I like it all. Squamish is fun for stunts and steeps, Pemberton guarantees a good time, I love the challenges on the North Shore, pretty much everywhere I've ridden is my favorite in some way.
Faye: It would have to be North Van. and Squamish with Whistler and Pemberton pulling a close 2nd 8) How is the jumping coming along?
Lisa: It is so fun. It's definitely a thrill. I think it's really going to improve our riding. I'm also really into getting better at the dirt jumps.
Katrina: I love it. It's definitely a little intimidating with the hard tail on drops but the dirt jumps, oh yeah!
Faye: It's definitely coming along.

9) I saw you guys at the Ride to the Hills premiere and to be honest you all "scrub up nice". Does the pressure to be "pretty" get in the way of your riding? Lisa: This question is hilarious. There's definitely no pressure to be pretty, but I must admit that it's pretty funny when someone doesn't recognize you; even though you've been on a couple of rides with them. Katrina: lol - it doesn't even cross my mind. Faye: Hell no!!!! Didn't you know that we look beautiful and smell like roses even after a bike ride. For real though, no¡­. Most of the people that we hang out with, we bike with, so they are more than used to seeing the "dirty" in the girls. We do look damn hot when we dress up though!!!

10) What motivated you to get on a mountain bike?
Lisa: I don't really think that any of us needed any motivation once we started getting into it. Although I do think that we were pretty lucky to have such a good group of friends to learn with.
Katrina: I like checking it all out. Lisa and I brought some rigid, slick tire "mountain bikes" up the Whistler mountain bike park one rainy, muddy afternoon and I couldn't get enough. The mellow styles also attracted me to the sport, there's no fight for fresh tracks.
Faye: I love the social aspect of biking and the fact that I am out side. And I love getting dirty!! 11) What does your families or significant other think of the "dangerous" sport of mountain biking that you enjoy so much?
Lisa: My mother thinks it's pretty dangerous. She's always telling me that I should slow down, my Dad on the other hand tells me to keep going faster. That's the only way you're going to win. Even though it freaks my Mom out; she still comes to watch my races. Actually I can't blame her, since I usually show off a new bruise on a weekly basis. She really wasn't happy when I put eighteen stitches in my leg, two days after I got released from jail down in Colorado. That's a whole other story.
Katrina: Mum is scared to watch my races; both parents think I'm crazy. My dog Maximus is a little jealous cause he's not big enough to go yet
Faye: My entire family is super supportive about my biking, in fact, some times I think my mom wants me to bike almost more then I do¡­. My Fianc¨¦e is super supportive too, but he gets frustrated at the amount of time I put into it, and that it holds such a priority in my life. This would not be as much a problem if he did not live in Oregon. I bike up here¡­ but like a good fianc¨¦e he tells me to do what ever it is that makes me happy.

 

12) When you go on a ride with a bunch of guys is that more or less intimated than riding with a group of women? Lisa: It's not intimidating at all. All the guys we ride with are really good friends of ours and they are completely supportive. To tell you the truth we are usually with a group of guys. I think it's really good for our riding as well, because it pushes us to try more challenging things. Katrina: Neither really intimidates me; the good riders motivate me, especially a rippin chica that can do it all. If anything, riding with the guys is a confidence booster, they are always very supportive and very encouraging. Faye: I am so used to riding with guys that I honestly don't know the difference. Women can be much more competitive with each other though.

13) Why the club? Are you looking for more women to ride with?
Lisa: I don't know why we decided to go with a club format. I guess it's probably because we always ride together and people are used to seeing us together anyways, so we decided to continue the trend. As for looking for more women, we are always trying to get more girls to ride with us. We are also constantly trying to get more girls to race, so then there might be more then three girls in each category.
Katrina: We hang out together, we ride together, and we race together. It seemed natural to pursue as a team rather than individually.
Faye: I think the team just started naturally¡­ Why not? We hang out together, we ride together, we travel together and we all go the same races¡­ I all comes down to "us" instead of " I " and that we support each other.

14) Are you guys sponsored by anybody? Lisa: people that want us to wear their stuff have approached us; but nothing has really seemed to happen yet. To tell you the truth that is probably the main reason why we've started this group. We're looking for some support with this expensive sport. Katrina: The Cove definitely lends me a hand¡­ but sponsors? not yet.

15) Does the bike industry cater to women?
Lisa: The bike industry caters to women in the same way that every other industry caters to women. Unfortunately most companies gear their product to a woman that has short legs, short torso and especially short arms. That's great if that describes your body type, but not every woman has little parts. In addition, companies need to realize that just because we're women doesn't mean that we like cheesy designs. We especially don't like the color pink.
Katrina: It does, but only to a particular girly style. Girl specific bikes are definitely not meant to rip down a racecourse and girl specific clothes are too pink and too tight. We need a happy medium.
Faye: No, not really. It does not really bother me¡­ come to think of it there are things that bother me. They need some women specific biking gear that does not look girly. If the biking industry is going to cater more to women, they are going to have to do it properly without making every thing look supper girly cheesy¡­. When we are on our bikes we are not trying to look pretty¡­. All we want to do is ride. Make us gear that is durable and functional, but actually fits us properly. 16) Where is the bike industry missing the boat when it comes to women?
Lisa: I think the bike industry should start to focus more on progressive women riders. There is a large potential for women to become much more involved in this male dominated industry, but we need to be encouraged. There are tons of girls out there these days that are pushing the limits, yet still there is very little coverage of these women. It's unfortunate, but I myself can see that changing a lot in the next couple of years.
Katrina: There is very little exposure of the women who are pushing the limits. Usually the exposure involves pretty scenery and spandex.
Faye: It needs to start realizing that women are pushing the limits of biking too. 90% of movies do not even cast women, basically it needs to marketed more toward women.

17) Do you think that more women will get involved in Flow riding? Lisa: Of course. As more women get more confident with their riding, they will be prone to trying more stunts and challenging lines. My suggestion to any woman that wants to push their selves is to go riding with a bunch of guys. Also go riding a lot, the only way your going to get better is by practicing and taking your falls. Don't worry it only hurts the first couple of times, then you learn how to hit the ground. Katrina: Women are definitely stepping it up but I think the free ride style may intimidate most women. I see a lot of women involved in the sport but it seems a large amount are attracted to the more conservative styles of riding. I rarely see girls on the North Shore. However, if this style gains exposure, more women might be more inclined to check it out. Faye: Of course. All they need is some confidence, a great group of people to show them the way and the right bike and you are good to go.

18) Why are there so few women in the sport?
Lisa: I don't really think that it's that there are few women in the sport; it's more that there are not many girls riding the new North Shore style of riding. I think that the reason that not many girls ride that type of stuff is easy; it's intimidating as hell. Although if you like to really challenge and push yourself, maybe even scare yourself, then it's perfect.
Faye: I don't know. Maybe it comes back to poor marketing. I also think that a lot of women lack the confidence. There are so many types of riding out there that you can choose what type of riding is right for you. 19) All time favorite movies?
Lisa: Definitely Pulp Fiction
Katrina: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Faye: Well I like a good romantic comedy, so you probably don't want to know¡­ Lisa and Katrina can back me up on this one.

20) What is your favorite bike video? Lisa: I really like the new Ride to the Hills video. It's all filmed on 16mm film and you can totally tell the difference in quality. Dave Watson rules in this video. Katrina: I was very impressed with Ride to the Hills-good style, good riding. However, I can't relate to leaping off a 30 ft cliff, there needs to be women riding for the girls to relate and look up too.

21) What do you drive?
Lisa: I drive a breeder wagon or Chrysler Caravan (I prefer the first)
Katrina: Toyota 4X4 pick up
Faye: I drive a 1991 Toyota 4x4 pick up. 22) Worst crash?
Lisa: Well there's definitely been quite a few. But I gave myself eighteen stitches in my leg last year while I was in Colorado. I tried to ride down this dried up waterfall and I crashed at the bottom when I didn't pick up my front end enough. Needless to say the guys at the local bike shop were impressed, and I was pretty stoked when they told me that I was only the second person to attempt it. I think they thought I was a "crazy Canadian girl" ed note: they were right!
Katrina: There has been plenty but the worst, probably the one on Hawaii in Pemberton, 5 seconds after Lisa gave herself a black eye, I ate it in the same spot and stumbled away with a concussion. It hurt.
Faye: God¡­ Well there have been so many that hurt so #@*@*#* much¡­ Ah¡­ I couldn't tell ya.

23) When women get together do they have tickle fights as Jerry explained in a Seinfeld episode? Lisa: Obviously, but I won't tell you what it is that we're tickling. (Just Joking) Faye: Of course¡­ Didn't you know that TV is always true? Katrina: no comment