Event Recap: Sturdy Dirty Enduro 2024

This past weekend, the Sturdy B Racing team celebrated their tenth year of hosting women’s-only races with the successful wrap of the 2024 Sturdy Dirty Enduro, and the vibes were immaculate, as the youths would say. The trails were rowdy, the aid stations outrageously themed, and the cold plunge at the expo afterwards was icy in the most delicious way on a 90 degree day.

Seasoned Sturdy Dirty-er Jill Kintner found herself once again on top of the Pro podium, while Chloe Bear took second, Syra Fillat third, Hazel Donnelly fourth and Hailey Elise fifth. But the podium only tells a small part of the Sturdy story.

“The Sturdy was born out of Ady and I going to a women's enduro race in Squamish called Hot on Your Heels,” explains one of the five Sturdy Bs, Julie Crittenden. “At the time, we were racing with about the same ten to twelve women at downhill races. We thought that doing a race like Hot on Your Heels in our own backyard would be both fun and a great way to get more women into racing.”

Crittenden says that the organizers of the then-new Cascadia Dirt Cup enduro series, Trey and Camille Wilson, helped kick off their first race at Capitol Forest. “We had about 120 racers. Our goal was 75 - and we thought that was a stretch! We stuffed swag bags in a camping tent as it poured rain the day before the race (that was the end of swag bags for us), learned the struggle of riding with stakes for course marking shoved awkwardly into our packs, and greeted riders at the end of the race with chocolate-dipped strawberries and bundt cake.”

In the nine years since, while also working full-time jobs, raising kids, tending to relationships and pursuing their other passions, the Sturdy Bs have become an absolute force when it comes to event production and community cultivation.

Their 2024 event saw an all-time event high of 295 riders, in age brackets ranging from Youth to 60+, on course at Raging River State Forest and racing in five categories: Pro, Expert, Sport, Beginner, Lite, and Adaptive, a new edition for the 2024 event. “One of the things I love about the sturdy is that it's competitive," says another Sturdy B, Ady Bee Lane. "Most enduros are only ten percent women, so you’re lucky if you even have a full podium in your category.”

A stacked field and an instant sell-out (the 2024 Sturdy Dirty filled within four minutes of registration opening) doesn't mean that competition overrides community, though. The Sturdy Bs pride themselves on the fact that they leave no stretch of the expo or course untouched by the party atmosphere they've worked hard to perfect over the year, which fosters connection and prioritizes fun.

"I was completely blown away at how amazing the race and event was," says Annijke Wade, who raced the new Adaptive course. "It was my first enduro back since my accident and I wasn’t sure what to expect but it felt really inclusive. April Katz did a phenomenal job at coordinating the category and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance did an amazing job ensuring the trails would work for our bikes!"

Wade says her favorite moments included stops at the Aid Stations - "Honestly, I could have stayed at Camp Evo forever, making friendship bracelets and earrings while eating ice cream" - and, as unlikely as it sounds, accidentally cutting power to her bike on her race run. "A random person stepped up to help push me on a few of the uphills so I could get back to pumping down the mountain and avoid a DNF!"

She says community was also a highlight: "I was able to connect with so many new and old friends throughout the weekend, it really filled my cup! Biggest takeaway is this is the best mountain bike race," Wade continues. "I’m not exaggerating either. I was really proud of myself getting back to mountain bike racing - I wasn’t sure if I’d ever do this after my accident. I’m also proud of how I handled my mechanical issue; I just kept going and didn’t get frustrated. So this was a huge moment of growth for me as an athlete."

The supportive nature of the Sturdy Dirty means that many racers are first time enduro-ers, proving that the Sturdy Bs are achieving their goal of getting more women into racing. But after ten years of partying in the woods, the Bs also have a significant number of returners, at least a couple of whom, including Janine Robinson and Andi Zolton , have been to every single Sturdy B Racing event ever held.

“I don't remember exactly how I heard about the Sturdy Dirty,” says Robinson, “but back then I recall that I was getting more connected with other women riders through taking some Evergreen classes. I think that's also when the Evergreen Crank Sisters group was forming and organized women's rides were happening. So the community was small but was clearly growing, and then along come the Sturdy Bitches and they decide to put on an Enduro for women.”

Robinson had heard of, but never tried, enduro racing, so she gave it a go - and discovered it was perfect for her. And while she says that each race since has been unique, whether because of “the location, the trail choices, the weather, or the aid station shenanigans,” what has remained an absolute constant is the atmosphere.

“The Sturdy Bs have, each time, pulled off a day that is full of smiles and stoke, which results in more women feeling good about riding and racing their bikes," Robinson says. "The community is the biggest reason I keep coming back. People are just stoked to be there, whether they're racing or supporting by putting on a themed aid station or helping with timing. I meet so many people every year, and not just at the race: the Sturdy Bs put on group rides for months before the race, and what happens is more and more community is built - around this sport, around this race, around these amazing ladies who do this for us. The highlight is always connecting with so many women over something we all love to do.”

Lane says that community has always been the Sturdy B Racing team’s proudest achievement. “As the saying goes, representation matters. Seeing people out there racing of all ages, abilities, backgrounds? It’s really, really cool. What we strive for is to provide an event where all people feel welcome. Whether they are adaptive, BIPOC, trans, we want our event to be something that people can come to and feel safe. That gives us such joy and we are constantly learning and striving to be better in all of those spaces.”

To that end, this year Lane says that, among other things, they had to add a new age bracket, Expert 60+, because one of their racers, Cynthia Krass , found herself without a category after a recent birthday. Krass ended up both winning and losing her category (she was the only one in it), and says it felt important to her that she was there: "It might be a bit cliché, but I really want people to remember that you are never too old to push yourself and improve. I’ve ridden mountain bikes since they were invented, but it was only in my mid-50s that I started riding bigger terrain, racing, and challenging myself. I’m riding stuff now that was on my 'never-ever' list."

Krass continues: "The Sturdy Dirty Women’s Enduro race, with all the trimmings - dig days, training rides, race prep, clinics, social media groups - is probably the single biggest thing that has influenced me and my mountain bike progression. They’re breaking down barriers and creating a community in which we are encouraged to thrive and grow at our own pace."

And for Krass, that pace, in large part thanks to the Sturdy Bs, has now accelerated to include goals like a jump line at nearby trail system, Duthie Hill . "I’ve been staring at that final jump since my son was ten years old," says Krass. "I used to think it was just for the kids, not for middle-aged moms, but now I realize it’s totally within reach and I couldn’t be more excited."

As for what’s next for the Sturdy Bs themselves in the next decade? Lane says she’s currently most excited about taking the spirit of the Sturdy to a whole different style of racing: the Dirty Downhill will debut October 13th, at Dry Hill in Port Angeles. “We are trying to pull people in to show them that downhill racing isn’t that intimidating,” she explains.

Beyond that, Lane says the Sturdy Bs have humble hopes. “Every year, our main goal is to put the foundation down for the best events we can possibly run. We don’t have any large ambitions to expand or make huge changes, because, well, we don’t want to. This is a passion project: it’s not a money-maker, it’s not our jobs. So in ten years, I hope we're just, like, kicking more ass,” she laughs, in all seriousness.

To see full race results and keep tabs on registration opening for the Dirty Downhill, head to www.sturdydirty.com .