By Hillary Elgert:
What an amazing weekend at the inagural Dixie Trix slope style event! Held at the same venue and weekend as Ranchstyle, but thanks to Tammy Donaghue , Lisa Tharp, Kat Sweet and other IMIC womens coaches, with a women's course and coaching this year as well.
I have been somewhat stalking this event for a few years, but the only thing my self (and most other women aside from Tammy) could ride was the Dual slalom, and that with so few competitors. This year a number of ladyfreinds, who have become close through years of similar events and races, were in attendance both riding and coaching. The ranch, as it's know, is a small, private slope style park just outside of Grand Junction, CO. The jumps are not small though. The main line of double jumps consists mostly of 20' + vert faces. There is no water or electricity. A fact unknow to me and evidently every other first timer. Fortunately in true, thoughtful event management style, there was plenty of beer and Red Bull. Dixie Trix had a special restricted access camping area, with access for all, that was a perfect escape from the stunned dude masses accustomed to the usual sausage fest. The womens course, built specifically for this weekend, was a perfect combination of wooden bridges to roll-ins, a sweet wall ride, dirt tabletops (a double with dirt in the middle), and ending in the perfect beginner double with a 6' wooden vert face and a nice soft dirt lander.
The coaching and skills clinic took place on Friday, followed by the amateur competition. It was the ideal time to hone skills with proper coaching tequniqy ( as opposed to your buddies goin " just go faster!")
Saturday held the pro women's slope style comp, as well as the mens. These guys an galls can really throw down! The ladies are all super smooth , throwing no handers, no footers, and super stylish whips! I was hoping my buddy Gayle Dahlager would whip out her back filp, but no dice. The men's final was just insane. In the years since I have been attending these types of events , the amount of air and technical difficulty of the tricks has gone through the roof. There was a time when a backflip in 10' of air was enough to take the win. Sundays winner brought in his bag a tail whip backflip 40' off the ground.
As sick as all this this was, I ducked out of the mens finals for my own bit of sick riding. The infamous ribbon trail descends the bluff through gorgeous high desert slickrock, slot canios and single track. After roping in a willing ride partner and pickup at the bottom, i spent the remaining 3 hours of daylight in bike riding bliss as we raced the full moons' rise into town. As if the day wasn't perfect enough, we found out pickup spot to contain the community dirt jump park ! ( Colorado knows how to do it up right). We sessioned here till our friend came and took our smelly smiling faces to, where else, but the after party and video release of Strength in Numbers !
After that it was back to the refugee camp, where the morning held heartfelt goodbyes to friends new and old.
Many of the mentalities, wishes, and coaching technique of this weekend helped to strenghthen my own. I cannot wait to employ these in my own endeavors to bring mountain biking accessability, both mentaly and physically, to more women in my area.
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