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