Her newness to the sport shows in her unbridled enthusiasm to get others involved.

While many companies in the cycling industry are building internal programs to embrace diversity and inclusion in the workplace, the Westfjords scholarships provide actual financial support to BIPOC riders, recognizing the lack of equity in the sport and helping to broaden representation at the event in a very direct way.

Alyssa was introduced to the race by endurance athlete Lael Wilcox, who helped facilitate her being selected as a sponsored rider at the event. Alyssa is also honored with helping to select two candidates who will receive BIPOC scholarships to the race. Nearly 30 applications were submitted and it’s been challenging selecting just two. “It’s hard to say no to any of these athletes as they’re all so deserving of this opportunity to be at the starting line,” said Alyssa.

Professional mountain bikers are people too. Years of looking up to these athletes on social media and putting them on a pedestal makes it easy to forget that these role models are everyday people, and yes, they suffer the same nerves, doubts and insecurities we do too.

If I’m honest, I found it refreshing to learn this, as it gave me confidence to keep pushing. The best part is that these said Pro’s also want to help and see you be the best rider you can be!

Tipping Point (noun): “The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change.”

Take the Women’s Freeride Movement, we can comfortably say the industry has reached a tipping point, waves have been made and Women’s Freeride has been solidified in 2021.

On a personal level: As an athlete, I have felt my small series of changes, consistently turning up to races, persisting with my writing and media endeavors, and always pushing myself out of my comfort zone. This has gotten me to my tipping point, where I have established myself as a rider and industry personality within mountain biking.

Another example of key women athletes who have reached a tipping point in 2021; Robin Goomes, Harriet Burbidge-Smith, Alex Showerman.

Most terrifying event and why:

“Practice at the Vans BMX Pro Cup in Huntington Beach 2018 – I wanted to backflip the ramp to ramp box jump in the middle of the bowl. We only had a very short practice slot and lots of riders dropping in frantic to get their practice time too. I had never backflipped to concrete before, and I had to get it done before competition time if I wanted a chance at podium. I was scared to crash and not be able to ride the competition if it went wrong, but I was actually more scared of the disappointment I would have with myself if I didn’t do it.”

What do you define as scary? 

“For me, there are two types of scary. One being the un-enjoyable scary where you don’t want to ride a feature or jump and it’s just stupid so it’s scary. The main type of scary that affects me is when you know you can do something, but there’s a little voice in your head that doubts you, and the only way to break through that little voice telling you not to do something (like a new jump or trick) is to trust yourself, and that type of scary is the one that gives you the jitters.”

Brooke’s take on fear:

“Something dangerous or high risk that spikes my heart rate when you think about it. For me it’s big jumps but it is also what I want to be good at. I want to experience the feeling of hitting massive jumps and being in the air for so long. Thinking about it scares the sh*t outta me. Mentally being scared of something is such a push and pull feeling. Knowing you want to try something but almost every bone in your body wanting to stop you. Calming those thoughts with logic and giving whatever scary task it might be a red hot go”

Brooke’s thought process on tackling fear:

“I find it as a task that I have to get done. I literally just fake positive thoughts in my head. Because if I don’t, I’ll get too scared and have a full mental block. So if I’ve set out to tackle something so scary I just have to give it a go and trust my skill. This is also super interesting because I trust my friends so much and I know they won’t make me try something that I don’t have the skill for.”

Your bike is your tool to opening a whole realm of opportunity, gratitude and appreciation and it will always be there for you. There’s moments of utter bliss when you are climbing or descending and have thoughts of “There is no better feeling than this”, “Shivers I’m glad I actually dragged my butt out”, or for me lately – “I wish everyone could see and feel what I’m experiencing, right here, right now.”

The best way to get to the bottom of this expansive theme is to break it down to my top three reasons why I love mountain biking.

The need for speed and intense experiences is something that lives in most mountain bikers and an element that keeps pulling us back for more. Every pedal stroke gives you the power and freedom that other activities, such as golf (no offence, just a great example) lack.

The mental and physical challenge of completing a huge ride in the red zone, feeling the good kind of muscle ache at night, or putting away a technical feature with confidence, speed and flow are a few of the components that can be achieved through mountain biking. The internal satisfaction you feel can put you in such a good head space, leaving you feeling on top of the world and itching for more.

I took pride in being able to balance a professional career, competitive riding and a social life  – so I wore goggles to block out the signs of it. But it was there. Burnout manifested in my body in the form of a cold I couldn’t shake, loss of appetite and constant brain fog. I was giving everyone 50% and myself, even less.

For the first time, I had to learn to say NO. I am absolutely guilty of being a people pleaser and this went against the grain. I didn’t attend events, I let people down and had to turn off social media. I sat with myself and wallowed in the guilt that I was letting down sponsors, work colleagues and friends.

This lasted a few months until I could feel myself getting stronger, and I had a clear idea of what was really important to me and how I wanted to finish my biking season. It took a lot longer than I originally anticipated, but I can happily say I am now firing on full cylinders and am stronger for it.

When prepared and done right, you will become empowered and want more. There is no better time than now to get out of towns, cities and your day to day life and into nature to breathe some fresh air.

• Riding kit- 1x set (bottoms, top, socks, chamois). Reuse your previous days riding kit, air it out at the hut or around the campfire. I only ride in my Mons Royale merino wool clothing, as it doesn’t smell when I wear it two or three days in a row!
• Rain jacket (Goretex if possible) – compulsory!! I can’t stress this enough, even if the forecast looks good, it can be volatile and change in minutes.
• Tights/leggings. I bring my Mons skiing bottoms. It gets cold in the mountains, even in summer, and they keep you safe from mosquitoes.
• Extra pair of socks. Dry socks at the hut make you happy!
• Hut Crocs. Function over fashion.
• Small puffy jacket that reduces to nothing. Great to have for emergencies, or to wear in your sleeping bag if you are prone to the cold, like me.

“I grew up in Seattle, WA. I was a BMX kid, it’s basically how I learned how to ride a bike at 8 years old. BMX really consumed our lives,” Kialani said. “My older brother and I raced throughout the USA and Canada for about 10 years before I decided to change things up at the age of 18 and start mountain biking.” The Crankworx World Tour was Kialani’s gateway to the mountain bike world and in 2017 she raced Pump Track in Whistler, qualifying 3rd – however she was disqualified for missing a pole. After having a taste of near victory, Hines was completely hooked and motivated to pursue it further. This led her to dedicate herself fully to the Crankworx World Tour in 2018, and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Kialani’s Mom was also a huge influence of her mentality on and off the track. Hine’s describes her as a strong woman who has always taught her to stand up for herself and what is right. It’s because of her mom, Hines attributes to why she stays true to herself and always follow’s her gut to what makes her happy. “She’s given me the confidence to pursue a lifestyle like this and anything I want to do!

With the annual theme “Choose to Challenge,”  IWD 2021 speaks to our commitment to challenge gender bias in our sport, our workplace, and our riding communities.

Pivot Cycles deeply believes in elevating the experiences and voices of female-identifying mountain bikers, from our Marketing department with a 50/50 gender balance to our podium-winning professional female athletes to the young riders we mentor as the underwriting sponsor of both Arizona and Utah’s NICA leagues.

Several calls, emails, and gear orders later, the groundwork was set for a 4-day adventure that would take the quartet from Darby, Montana to Stanley, Idaho.

The meeting point was Rose’s hometown of Darby, Montana. Greeted with unusually cold and rainy weather, some last-minute gear and setup changes were required. “The first day was spent making sure we had enough cold and wet-weather clothes and setting up our bikes,” said Chloe. Kait looked over everyone’s setup and was often heard saying “you don’t need this, or that, or that.”  However, whiskey, chocolate, and anything to keep warm and dry was deemed essential.

made traversing the route’s several mountain passes tolerable and, dare say it, fun before returning to civilization along the banks of the Salmon River.

Within miles of their final destination in Stanley, dirty and smelly, the ladies book-ended their 4-day adventure with a dip in a roadside hot spring and take time to reflect on the impact this uniquely different trip had on each of them.