Words: Gaby Jones
The Shore Sirens Race team had a non-stop July, after a short lull through June, although the team members kept plenty busy with non-race team activities. Over the Summer Solstice weekend, the team travelled to Roberts Creek for a bike getaway. We relaxed, swam, biked, and laughed our little hearts out against a loamy and seaside backdrop!
July started strong and full-on for teammates Izzy, Jessie, and Gaby, as the trio travelled to Snoqualmie, WA to participate in the 10th Anniversary of the Sturdy Dirty Women’s Enduro at Raging River State Forest on July 6th. The 2024 event sold out in less than 5 minutes and saw 295 WTNB+ riders racing in six categories, including Adaptive. A highlight for Jessie was seeing “a really incredible example of a community bike festival, where men, kids and other women are out there supporting all of the women+ racers in a fun, respectful and big way. We had so much fun, and I will definitely be back”
Photo: Bree Tombs
Izzy thought “it had the best aid stations bar none. It was so easy to find yourself engrossed in the theme and different goodies each one has to offer, I had to remind myself I was still in a race”.
The Shore Sirens were joined by Indigenous Women Outdoors members Sandy Ward and Alli Shuparski, who Izzy says “really know how to send it and have a good time”.
Mechanicals and injuries did not keep the team down, and emphasized the power and encouragement that being on a team can bring. Izzy, Jessie, Alli, and Sandy raced the Sport Course (25.8 km distance, 963 m climb), with Jessie finishing in an impressive 2nd place out of 18 racers in the 40-49 age group. The podium finish gave her a “real boost in confidence and motivation, not gonna lie”. Gaby rode the Expert Course (32.3km distance, 1326 m climb) and had a top 10 finish with 8th out of 20 racers in the 20-29 age group.
The following weekend, most of the team travelled to Vernon to race in the highly anticipated Bombshell Women’s Enduro at Silverstar Bike Park on July 13th. The team was also joined by fellow Shore Sirens Paige Kato and Liane Inglis. As put by Cathleen, the Bombshell is a “great race for people looking to try their first enduro, and is still challenging for the seasoned pros”.
The course is 31.8 km long and consists of 1445m elevation gain (including two chairlift rides), which takes riders through a mix of fast flow, technical descents, and XC racing in the Silverstar Bike Park. The mix of terrain was a highlight for Izzy and Charlotte, as well as a solid support team for moral and mechanical assistance (shoutout Ben and Justin!).
Despite some mechanicals, including an impressively fast tire change for Cathleen (which she thanks to the mechanic workshops at Steed with Ash), the team held it together for some clean finishes. In the Open Category, Gaby finished in 5th place and Jessie finished in 11th place out of 84! The team would like to extend a special thanks to Cathleen's amazing parents for hosting us at their house for a lasagna carbo-load prior to the race.
Photo: Sam James
On July 21st, the team convoyed to Whistler to take part in the Liv A-Line Event. The annual event closes Whistler Bike Park’s A-Line jump trail to the public, giving women an opportunity to ride and learn the jumps and features in an intimidation-free zone. It is an incredible atmosphere to take part in, and we want to thank Vanessa Lebrun, a fellow Shore Siren, for organizing such a great event!
The team took to Whistler Bike Park once again on July 27th, this time riding with the Adidas Terrex crew. The race team had the opportunity to ride with Pro Freeskier and MTBer, 3x Olympian, 2x X-Games athlete Dominique Ohaca. We were joined by Steed’s very own Sam James, who took some great action shots of the crew.
As the race season winds down into September, stay tuned for updates on our team’s final events. Several racers are looking forward to taking part in the sold-out Revelstoke Women’s Enduro in September.
