Kristen, the cornering queen! This was her second private session with Women in the Mountains and her goal was to corner faster and more efficiently. We worked on a different set of corners than the last session to give her more "real world" corners. She is smokin' fast through them now!
Lisa
Changed up the scenery to work with Lisa today! We worked on her local trails so she could build confidence directly with the trails she rides from her front door. She learned bike/body separation and how to utilize her suspension. She got her front wheel off the ground for the first time, you should've heard the laughs! Moments like those are what I love sharing with women!
Cammie
Cammie took 2 private sessions from Erica in July and her progress was jaw dropping! She rocked the berms and jumps during our private sessions! This mother of 6 had no idea what she was capable of, the next hour she was riding the wooden berm so high it took my breath away! In the meantime she learned how useful her dropper is and now she is stoked to try even more features!
Cedar City High School Girls Clinic
The high school teams from St. George (Flying Monkeys) and Cedar City (Iron Giants) hired coach Erica to work with their girls in Cedar City. We met on a warm day and spent time working on skills in the dirt then riding a single track loop. Jamis Bikes, Kuat Racks, Crank Brothers, Verge Sport all contributed goodies for the girls. Huge thanks for those companies for supporting the development of these young athletes!
Magic Sandwiches
Kim (aka Magic Sandwiches) was such an incredible student! She bought her first mountain bike less than a year ago AFTER she had 6 children. She came to the desert clinic with Lynda and Erica in January. In the meantime she has been practicing her skills and was ready to take it to the next level. This girl ROCKED it! She nailed the corners and learned to roll a drop. Now she's going to explore more trails with confidence and ease!
Fiona and Kim
This fun duo came to Women in the Mountains for a semi-private session. Kim said "I have made a big jump forward in my riding skills...now I'm really excited to ride"! Seeing the spark rekindled for long time riders is such a pleasure! Fiona was working on clipping in and riding in the level pedal position. She delivered her second child a few months ago and is regaining her confidence in balance and riding!
NICA Leaders Summit
Erica was invited to the NICA Leaders Summit on July 15th at Solitude Mountain. She was asked to teach the student leaders how to teach their fellow students skills.
Here is a quick recap from the Utah High School Mountain Bike League:
Erica riding the lifts with Zach and Crew, 2 of the student leaders from Juan Diego and South Summit High Schools.
Jennifer
One on one session with Jennifer! She was an excellent student, really listening and grasping each step. So happy we have the PMBIA curriculum to teach each student and really meet them where their skills need work.
Tanya
Mid-way through the private skills clinic, we put Tanya on my Jamis Bikes Defcon with Vittoria Tires Gomas, Magura MT7s and everything clicked! She understood why and how you can seperate your bike from you body. Also, the front wheel lift made so much more sense with a bigger travel bike! You can learn skills on almost any bike, THEN when you get a super dialed in bike it makes it even easier and way more fun! The more skills you have, the more fun you have!
Lia the leaper
Erica had the honor or working with this naturally talented athlete! Lia was a collegiate road racer and is now getting into mountain biking. She progressed through the skills so quickly that she was hitting drops at the end of the session (hence Lia the Leaper!)
Ely clinic trail scouting
We are so excited about the clinic that Erica and Lisa are hosting in Ely on August 26th! Erica went to ride the trails and make sure everything is ready to go. Sportsworld in Ely is renting bikes for women that don't own one (yet!) and they are hosting part of the clinic for us in their shop. Thanks to them for their great support in getting more women on the trails in Ely! Also thanks to Nancy of the Ely Outdoor Enthusiasts for helping Women in the Mountains bring their clinic to Ely. We can't wait for August!
Coaching the coach (personal training coach)
Kristen is a personal trainer and was a competitive sailor. She really understands how to move her body and describe what she is feeling as she turns and works on skills. She really appreciated the feedback and responded quickly to every single cue. Excited to see where her riding takes her next!
Couples Clinic/Date Night in the Mountains!
These two couples had a date night with their skills instructor! Erica Tingey led them in a progression to learn to go over obstacles and corner more efficiently. Healthy and fun way to spend a night out with friends! Melissa attended one of the Women in the Mountains clinics last summer and told her friends how fun it is!
Belinda, Brad, Melissa, Troy, Erica
Belinda
Melissa
Troy
PMBIA Certification
The coaches of Women in the Mountains are all now PMBIA certified! Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association is an organization (the best one!) that teaches instructors HOW to teach mountain biking. We learned so much more than we could have ever expected. Our curriculum has been added to and in some cases it has changed to a different and better approach. We each have a quiver full of tools to meet any student where they are in their abilities.
Erica Tingey is also a USA Cycling Level 3 Coach and Lynda Wallenfels is a USA Cycling Level 1 Coach (the highest level).
Lisa, Lynda and Erica on the lift
Erica giving a sample lesson to the instructors
Erica giving a sample lesson to the instructors
Simon coaching Erica how to coach a roll down
Semi-private session with Ali and Cherell
Ali and Cherell are accomplished triathletes that were looking to increase their mountain bike skills. They spent a few hours working through the basics and quickly progressed to drops and jumps! They are some very talented athletes!
Contender Bicycles Women's Skills Clinic
We joined with Contender Bicycles in Salt Lake City to host an evening of mountain bike skills for women! We had a phenomenal turn out with nearly 50 participants!
June 2017 edition of Women in the Mountains
Women in the Mountains hosted a level 2 skills clinic in Park City, Utah last Saturday. The focus was on cornering and tight switchbacks. The women dialed in their body position and were cornering really efficiently and with confidence by the end of the clinic! We love watching these women gain confidence in their skills!
Coach Lynda, Emma, Lindsay, Kai, Dee, Jillian, Coach Erica, Amy, Jo, Susi, Nora
Erica, Nora, Jo, Susi, Julie, Amy, Dee, Kai
Emma and Coach Lynda
We have a JUMP!!!!!
Women in the Mountains now has a portable jump! This opens up where we can teach since the jump has different heights. Plus our fun factor has gone through the roof, everyone loves to fly!
High School Girl's Clinic
The future of mountain biking is bright! Coach Erica Tingey had the honor of working on skills with nearly 80 high school girls today. They are all so enthusiastic, hard working, respectful and kind. Our sport is being passed onto an amazing generation!
Mountain Bike Skills Clinic in Saint George, Utah for Women
Back row: Charity, Lynda, Laura, Mary, Nancy, Erica, Nicole, Kim, Julie, Shellee, Shawna, Lindsay
Front Row: Nicole, Tonya, Jillian, Lisa, Emma, Alice
Erica Tingey, Lynda Wallenfels and Lisa Leonard returned to St. George for the 4th Desert edition of Women in the Mountains! The clinic was sold out and had the biggest variety in rider skill levels yet. Everyone loved learning to ride the manual and almost half of the women learned the wheelie!
Kim: rocking the "ready position"
Lynda, Erica, Lisa
Back Row: Shellee, Nicole, Shawna, Tonya, Alice, Mary, Laura, Charity, Nancy
Front Row: Jillian, Julie, Kim, Lisa, Erica, Lynda, Nicole, Emma, Lindsay
