Singletrack fun for women racing the Beti Bike Bash(Image credit: Mark Woolcott Photography)
Lea Davison (Specialized) on her way to a win(Image credit: Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival)
The third annual Beti Bike Bash is ramping up for another full weekend of events in support of women's mountain biking. Similar to previous years, the highlight of the weekend's activities will be a full day of racing on Sunday, June 10 at Bear Creek Lake Park, in the Foothills west of Denver, Colorado.
"The group of women who began this event have exhibited a deep love for the sport by creating an ideal setting for women to participate in an inviting race, test their skills, and make new friends in a unique, all-women's environment. Gear up girls and come join the fun!" said Cindy Koziatek, Co-Owner of NoTubes, which is sponsoring the event.
The race has been building over the last two years as the premier women's mountain bike event in Colorado. "Each year we've managed to add something new to the race weekend that helps promote the sport," said Amy Thomas from team YetiBeti. "The all-women's format has proven to be a very successful niche and we love the energy behind it. Overall, we've seen steady growth across all race categories. Clearly, women are excited to have an event created just for them."
The course at Bear Creek is a four-mile, non-technical, and fast singletrack loop with views of surrounding Red Rocks Park. Beginners (category 3) will ride two laps, sport racers (category 2) will ride three laps, and the open/pro/singlespeed racers will complete four fast laps. The pro women will again be competing for a cash purse that will pay 10 deep, awarding US$1,000 to first place.
A special addition to the 2012 Beti Bike Bash weekend is the Little Bellas National Tour, featuring girls' mountain bike clinics June 9 and 10 at Bear Creek Lake Park. Founded by pro mountain biker, Lea Davison, and her sister, Sabra Davison, the group's mission of empowering young girls has taken off at several large national events, including the Sea Otter Classic and the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. The camp offers one or two days of professional mentoring for girls 7-14, and will provide skills practice and confidence-building in a fun and supportive environment.
"The Little Bellas is thrilled to be working together with the Beti Bike Bash to hold our two-day girls only camp. It's a natural collaboration since the Beti Bike Bash provides a great atmosphere to encourage women's racing and the Little Bellas strives to get more girls riding bikes. Our missions line up perfectly and together we can build momentum to get more mothers and daughters riding single track," said Olympic hopeful Lea Davison.
"The Beti Bike Bash is a unique race event, specifically designed for women, but that ultimately brings out the whole family," said Sarah Rawley of Bigfoot Productions. "We are thrilled to put together a race where women at all levels can meet their goals, whether that is to compete in their first-ever mountain bike race, to beat last year's time, or to make it onto the podium."
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A portion of the proceeds from this year's event will benefit the Denver chapter of Trips for Kids.
