Proving Grounds is coming up fast, and with it an incredibly talented bunch of riders, including women for the first time. The Proving Grounds course has been overhauled for 2021 and there are just days to go before it all begins. In 2019, Casey Brown was the first woman to compete alongside the men, this time women have their own category at the contest.
Ahead of the event, Cam McCaul catches up with Casey Brown to talk about her ride in 2019 and the future of women’s freeride.
I’m so stoked it’s a full category; that’s exactly what I was hoping for – we need to build this side of the sport, how do we do that – you just need to put yourself out there and take some risks, and hopefully it pays off, in this case, it totally has.
Casey Brown
Here’s what the organisers have to say about the upcoming event:
Proving Grounds 2021
Proving Grounds is just over a week away from taking the stage at the Oregon Dirt Park and making freeride history. The course will feature a major rehaul of the 2019 layout with new wood and dirt features designed and built by Kyle Jameson and Cam McCaul and the best freeride men and women in the world will be out showing their full potential on this challenging course.
Casey Brown made history in 2019 as the first woman to compete in Proving Grounds right alongside the men; in 2021, she is certainly not alone. The women will compete in their own category alongside the men with an equal share of the $21k prize purse. Casey hopes that by creating space, visibility, and opportunities, it will fuel the future of women’s freeride, “there are so many young girls coming up, if we give them the tools that they need it will grow the sport so much on that side; that’s what we are trying to do, just hype it up.” Fresh off her self-created Darkhorse progression session, Casey is looking forward to competing alongside (and maybe being beaten by!) the women she has inspired along the way.
Schedule:
Friday 9/10
- Athlete practice – Proving Grounds Course
- 4 to 6 pm – Jump Jam – best trick – men and women
Saturday 9/11
- 9 AM – Doors Open
- Athlete Practice
- 10 AM – Run 1
- Run 1 – women
- Run 1 – men
- • 1 PM – Run 2
- Run 2 – women
- Run 2 – men
- 4 PM – Awards
Riders:
Women:
- Casey Brown
- Hannah Bergman
- Sam Soriano
- Cami Nogueira
- Harriet Burbidge-Smith
- Ming Goetz
- Gracey Hemstreet
- Brooke Anderson
Men:
- Carson Storch
- Ethan Nell
- Cam Zink
- Kyle Strait
- Johny Salido
- Adolf Silva
- Jaxson Riddle
- Louis Reboul
- Brendan Howey
- Nicholi Rogatkin
- Redd Boggs
- Bienve Aquado Alba
- DJ Brandt
- Alex Volokhov
- Clemens Kaudela
- Damon Iwanaga
- Dylan Stark
- Paul Genovese
For more, head to the Proving Grounds website.
Related Content:
Proving Grounds Sets New Course For Freeride
Top Female Freeriders Join Audi Nines MTB for 2021
Women’s Progression Session: Highlights from Red Bull Formation
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