| One of the greatest appeals of mountain biking is | | | | girls mountain biking camp and intends to host a girls |
| that it is a unisex sport. Mountain biking does not | | | | mountain biking mini-camp in the first part of the high |
| discriminate on the basis of gender. Nor does it | | | | school racing season to help the girls competing |
| eliminate participants due to their ages or ethnicities; | | | | improver their techniques and build their confidence. |
| in its early years it was largely the domain of men | | | | The league has made a commitment to these |
| and boys, but now women and girl mountain bikers | | | | girl-specific activities, and is also training its team |
| are joining the fun in record numbers. Girls mountain | | | | coaches in methods of recruiting and working with |
| biking has begun to achieve prominence in the sport, | | | | girls mountain biking candidates. These girls mountain |
| thanks to the teams of girls mountain bikers fielded | | | | biking clinics and camps cover a variety of topics. The |
| by many US high schools. High school mountain biking | | | | girls are required to maneuver their bikes over natural |
| programs allow female students to master the | | | | obstacles and down steep descents, learning the |
| techniques necessary to succeed in girls mountain | | | | balance, dexterity, and bike control necessary for |
| biking competitions, and many of them are the equal | | | | competing in cross country, endurance, and short |
| of the male bikers in their schools. NorCal The NorCal | | | | course racing events. They are also schooled in bike |
| High School Mountain Bike League, founded in 2001, | | | | maintenance and repair. For more info see on |
| opened up the world of girls mountain biking to Elena | | | | Mountain Biking Dirt Jumps Girls Mountain Biking Clinics |
| Spittler, who was the league's girls mountain biking | | | | The clinics stress the importance of preserving |
| champion in 2005. She joined the Berkeley High | | | | mountain biking trails, finding team sponsorship, |
| School Mountain Biking Team as its single female | | | | educating the public in the positive benefits of girls |
| member, simply to prove that girls could succeed in | | | | mountain biking, and improving one's biking skills. They |
| the sport. She struggled to keep up with the boys | | | | encourage their students to develop self-reliance and |
| during her first year on the team, but by the time | | | | challenge them in the same way that their male |
| she was a senior, Elena was trouncing some of her | | | | counterparts are challenged. Thanks to the efforts of |
| younger male teammates. Two years after she | | | | groups like the NorCal High School Mountain Bike |
| struck a blow for girls mountain biking at her high | | | | League, both girls and girls mountain biking have |
| school, there are now seven girls on the team, and | | | | "caught up" with the boys! |
| the total number of participants in girls mountain | | | | You can also find more info on All About Mountain |
| biking for the entire NorCal High School Mountain Bike | | | | Biking and Freeride Mountain Biking. |
| League has doubled. The league now has a summer | | | | |