Last week, while running some errands in the Hollywood area, I came across this pickup. Naturally I started taking some photos and a few minutes later, two ladies walked up. Turns out the truck (and trailer) was being driven by Candace Shadley and none other than former NORBA Downhill Champion Lisa Sher.
Candace and Lisa are on a West Coast tour of women’s-only mountain bike skills camps called the Sugoi Dirt Series. Sponsored by Sugoi and Rocky Mountain Bicycles, these camps teach ladies how to tackle singletrack, jumps, and obstacles with style and confidence.
On July 15-16 they’ll offer a camp here in Portland. The two-day camp will be based out of the Hollywood Bike Gallery and will make a trip up to Mt. Hood Ski Bowl.
To prepare for the Dirt Camps, Amy Wantulok from the Bike Gallery is running a series of mountain bike rides. Amy was an elite mountain bike racer back in the day and she attended Dirt Camp last year. She has a passion to help women improve their skills and to foster the mountain bike community:
Photo: Michael Cain]
“I attended the Whistler Camp last fall and fell in love with the freeriding and the North Shore of Vancouver. I travel to Canada to stay with my buddies- Lisa, and Candace as much as I can! I was super psyched to see all of the amazing riding some of girls were doing up in Vancouver, and wondered why we can’t do it here. So this is a little step in that direction.”
To sign up for the camp or to learn more about the pre-camp rides contact Amy at amy@bikegallery.com or (503) 281-9800.
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I can’t say enough great things about the dirt series camps. Not only did I learn how to huck it and hit drops, but after tire changing 101, I can change my bike tire and fix flats on my baby’s stroller!
This camp was one of the best things I did last year!! It boosted my confidence and taught me to safely take risks on the trails – after fine-tuning my skills with amazing coaches at my side. Never thought I could jump and drop so gracefully.