Dee’s Day in The Dirt: Women supporting women

By Delaney Brogan
Yamaha Motor Canada

It all started in a living room with a group of people who wanted to offer women a safe and supportive opportunity to learn or improve motorcycle skills outside an intimidating track. This is how Dee’s Day in the Dirt was born.

The event began in 2016 as one of the first ladies only ride days in Ontario and quickly gained some traction. Perhaps not surprising considering the number of women entering the sport has grown tremendously in recent years – in 2003, women accounted for only 9.9% of all motorcyclists, by 2015 that was up to 14% and in 2018 it was at 19%. And this trend continues as more and more women are drawn into the world of two wheels, both on dirt and on road. They’re here and ready to shred.

By the end of the day we had all group levels going over the log section with confidence!

Dee’s Day in the Dirt gathers women of all ages and skill levels, placing each participant in a group with those of similar experience. They can learn everything from the absolute basics to how to crush a gnarly hill climb. The full day of instruction is led by a who’s who of the MX world, like ISDE silver medalist Connor Brogan, XC Women’s pro Emma Sharpless, her father and Corduroy Enduro coordinator Blair Sharpless – and so many more. Each and every one of these instructors volunteer their time to further the female presence in the sport of motocross.

Alice rode her bike 1.5 hours to Dee’s Day in the rain, then participated on the same bike in the same rain and had a few gets offs. She never stopped smiling.

Since its inception, Dee’s Day in the Dirt has held the entry fee at $50 plus an old purse or backpack. All the money raised from fees and raffle tickets is used to fill the donated bags with personal items for women, like toothpaste, toothbrushes, tampons, socks and face wipes. The bags are then handed out to women in need on the streets of downtown Toronto.

The intermediate level girls gathering to talk about the log section they’re learning!

So, sure, the event is all about helping women feel more comfortable and confident on a dirt bike, but it’s also about connecting them with each other (for future rips!) and paying it forward.