SheShreds Is Growing Women's Mountain Biking at Legacy Bike Park

All Images: Hannah Sourbeer, courtesy of SheShreds

Entering a male-dominated space can be intimidating for women, so when we spot another woman, there’s often an unspoken sense of solidarity, even if we don’t know each other. 

The founders of SheShreds Legacy met four years ago through this universal experience we as women share. Kaytlyn Samuelson and Heather Hilton were regulars at Legacy Bike Park in Lakeside, Montana, when they bonded over being the only two consistent women there.

“Part of our meeting story is that we were both at Legacy at this event called Liftoff, which is just a re-ride jammer lane with a double black diamond jump, but I was the only person signed up to compete as a female,” Hilton said. “Kaytlyn was hitting it, and I was like ‘Kaytlyn, you have to come back and hit this with me. I don’t want to be the only girl in this competition.'” 

As their relationship grew on the tracks and jump lines, so did their idea for SheShreds. Over those four years, Samuelson continued competing as a professional mountain biker, and Hilton became General Manager at Legacy. But little did they know that they both independently had been thinking of ways to create an event that would bring together female riders to shred.

“When I took over Legacy, I knew I really wanted to do a female mountain bike event, because Legacy is such a unique opportunity,” Hilton said. “And then Kaytlyn is a pro-rider, and she had a brain child that was incredible.”

Samuelson's professional riding career was taking off during this time, and she saw firsthand how hard it was for riders, but especially women riders, to get to a professional level in mountain biking, as growing connections and getting a foot in the door can be difficult. 

“I just started to think about how we can bridge this gap to make it approachable for women who have the skills but just don’t have the confidence in themselves and kind of open a doorway,” Samuelson said. “Then Heather and I got to talking, and she was like ‘No way, I’m the GM of Legacy now,’ and I was like ‘No way,’ and then the brainchild kind of took form from there.”

And just like that, the SheShreds event was born. The two found sponsors and, because of their connection with Legacy through Hilton, used Legacy as the event location. 

What is SheShreds?

SheShreds is an all-women's mountain biking event held in the summertime. It is not a competition, but rather a way for women to come together and support each other as they tackle tracks and jump lines. 

The event’s setting also contributes to its uniqueness. Legacy Bike Park isn’t like most bike parks; it is only open to the public Friday through Sunday and closed Monday through Thursday. During the week, only private events or rentals happen. The bike park also has 42 campsites, so visitors can stay all weekend or all week if they want, since much of it is only accessible by the park's shuttle. But this makes for a perfect location for SheShreds because of the number of people it can accommodate, making it feel more like a mountain bike camp than just an event. 

This year, the event will be from July 13-16. During those days, 40 riders will take to the track, while an all-women's film and photography squad captures the action.

When riders aren’t on the track, SheShreds provides other activities and bonding experiences. Mornings begin with breakfast burritos and a new morning yoga flow addition will get everyone's bodies moving and ready for the day. 

Shuttles start around 10-10:30 a.m. and run until about 5-5:30 p.m. each day. Riders spend their days tackling jump lines and tracks, all while being surrounded by a supportive group that gives everyone the opportunity to hit new lines they might not have otherwise had the confidence to try. Then, at the end of the day, everyone piles into cars and takes a plunge in a nearby lake to bring the day to a close and prepare for another day of riding.

“We definitely want everyone to feel like they have a space there, and I do think that’s something that highlights the beauty of our community,” Samuelson said. “People show up from all backgrounds and all different walks of life, different professional careers, and they all bond over this one thing. Everybody wants everyone to hype each other up, throw bigger, and get it dialed and I think that’s what’s really cool, no matter your age or background or anything.”

The event is capped at 40 riders, as that is the number of riders and bikes the shuttles can fit. As of now, they have reached their limit for this year's SheShreds, but riders can join a waitlist. 

Participants have ranged in age from 8 to 53, reflecting the organizers’ goal of creating an inclusive event for riders. Hilton and Samuelson also try to make the event as budget-friendly as possible without raising the price each year. 

The event requires a minimum payment of $300, which covers everything, including food. This is the event's third year, and last year, Samuelson and Hilton cooked for three days leading up to the event because they couldn’t afford catering and wanted to keep prices affordable. Samuelson and Hilton said that keeping costs low remains a priority for the event, even when it requires additional behind-the-scenes work. 

“I think that that’s where Heather and I really match with our mission that we want to open doors to everyone and anyone, we don’t want to be priced out because this already is a financial commitment at the end of the day and I never want money to be the crux that holds any potential athlete back from chasing their passion and making this something that they really want to make happen in their life,” Samuelson said.

Continuing a Legacy 

While SheShreds takes place at Legacy Bike Park, the event takes the term "legacy" literally by pioneering for women freeriders. 

“SheShreds allows women to bike with other women at their level or even ones that are better, but for some reason, towing and following a female into a jump line, at least for me, feels a lot better than following a 250-pound guy or a guy who just got on a bike one day and is already sending 40,” Hilton said. “It just feels really good to be pushed by other females and be like ‘Oh, she can do this, I can do this.'” 

In 2019, the Women’s Slopestyle Tour (WST) partnered with the Freeride Mountain Bike Association (FMBA), allowing female riders to accrue points in WST events and be officially ranked on the FMB World Tour. Five years later, the same year SheShreds launched, Red Bull Rampage allowed women to compete for the first time. Together, these milestones mark significant progress for female freeriders who have long been underrepresented in the sport. 

As more women earn rankings on the FMB World Tour, compete in Red Bull Rampage and attend events like SheShreds, confidence is building for women within the industry and continues to grow. Hilton said SheShreds has inspired participants to extend all-female group gatherings beyond Legacy and at their home parks. Although Hilton and Samuelson believe women-focused events remain important, they hope a day comes when such spaces are no longer necessary. 

“Right now, SheShreds is very much needed, and it will be needed always, but I definitely want to get to the point where SheShreds is just a fun event for women, but it’s not needed anymore,” Hilton said. “That is the ultimate goal of SheShreds, which is just to be fun, but right now it is a needed step for women to grow and to get to that next place.”