APRIL 25, 2006
By Allison Kennedy
Photos by Mike Fraser
If you were at the Gopher Dunes season opener, you probably noticed that the number of women racing in SWO is at an all-time high. In response to that growing enthusiasm, Gopher Dunes offered a ladies MX school last Saturday. Derek Schuster and Ryan Lockhart teamed up to teach nine ready, willing and able women all they needed to know about riding MX. Those who signed on were Sandra Pluim-Seifert, Melissa Pluim, Jane McDonald, Cathy McKinney, Shantel DePaepe, Meagan Caley, Alison Hindle, Heather Griffiths and myself. It was time to swallow my pride and admit that I needed help, and Ryan Lockhart and Derek Schuster were going to be the ones to give it to me. It was a humbling but extremely fun experience, and I promise to think twice about asking Ryan to whip it sideways on a jump with a really short landing again, just so I can get a good cover shot. I also thank Ryan and Derek for not requesting that I try that at any point during the day ... for that, I am eternally grateful. Seriously though, we all learned a ton and I'm pretty sure that very few of us thought we'd be getting air (ok, so it wasn't exactly alot of air for me personally) and riding the Gopher Dunes whoop section (yes, I now understand how easy it is got get bent out of shape in there) all in one day. We came a long way in just eight hours and we are already pestering the Dunes staff to have us back for a second class. Here's a quick look at how our day went.
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Meagan Caley warms up on the peewee track. |
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Derek Schuster sports a devilish grin as he explains how we are going to 'attack' the whoops section. |
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Schuster demonstrates how to do the double. Oddly, this is not how I looked hitting the jumps. |
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Alison Hindle gets her very first taste of air off the 'ultra-safe' single Schuster and Lockhart built for the class. |
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Heather Griffiths attacks the sandy whoop section. |
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No, Joel Saarits did not sign up for the Saturday class, but his neighbour did! |
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Shantal DePaepe had a head start on most of the class, as you can see here. |
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Derek Schuster helps Alison Hindle with body positioning. |
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Question period: Schuster and Lockhart soon learned that women have alot of questions to ask before they hit a jump for the first time. Here the group inquires about just how much speed we are talking about. |
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A few of the graduates: Schuster with Heather Griffiths, Allison Kennedy, Alison Hindle, Ryan Lockhart, Cathy McKinney and Jane McDonald. |
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For more information on Gopher Dunes MX schools visit www.gopherdunes.com |
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The ladies prepare to head out for lesson number one: body position. 
