Women’s division is coming to FMBA World Tour this year

The first ever Women’s Champion of the FMBA World Tour will be crowned in 2022. After years of work, and a couple more years delay due to the pandemic, the Freeride Mountain Bike Association (FMBA) is finally adding a women’s division this year.

FMBA is also adding a women’s contest to the Red Bull Best Line Award. This arrives with the promise of equal prize money and recognition.

FMBA is starting with giving organizers the option to include women’s events at Bronze and Silver-level events. This will come with equal prize money at those events and new athlete licenses for the upcoming 2022 season.

This latest news builds on the growing momentum for the women’s freeride movement. Events like Red Bull Formation, Casey Brown’s new Darkhorse Invitational and The Nine’s have all shown the women’s mountain bike community is stronger than ever. A FMBA tour for women is the next step towards better representation of women in the extreme side of mountain biking.

Full FMBA press Release:

As female riders continue to progress the sport of mountain biking at an exponential rate, the Freeride Mountain Bike Association (FMBA) is proud to announce the addition of the FMB World Tour Women’s Division and Red Bull Best Line Women’s Contest this 2022 season.

The 2022 FMB World Tour Women’s Division will:

– Give FMB Bronze and Silver level events the option to host a sanctioned Women’s Category.
– Offer female athletes a Women’s Athlete License for the 2022 season.
– Champion Women in freeride with the standardization of equal prize money distribution to the Women’s Podium as to the Men’s Podium across FMB sanctioned events.
– Award the title of FMB World Tour Women’s Champion to the number one ranked athlete of the FMB World Tour Women’s Division on December 31, 2022.

Women’s Division’s long-awaited arrival

The FMB World Tour Women’s Division has been in development for years, and while the pandemic postponed its addition, global lockdowns have worked as a catalyst for progression amongst female riders. With this, the goal of the Women’s Division is to provide more opportunities for female freeride athletes, whether they’re wanting to improve their competition skills or have their sights set on one day becoming the FMB World Tour Women’s Champion.

“Women’s freeride has reached a boiling point,” said FMBA Administrator, Nicole Freeman, “and this addition is the result of years of hard work, put in by athletes, organizers, advocates, and anyone who supported female riders.” With the launch of the Women’s Division stemming from advocates for Women in freeride, Freeman continued that “setting up the framework for a Women’s Division within the FMBA has been incredible, mostly because the way forward has become so clear. It’s time.”

For up-and-coming riders, such as 15-year-old Patricia Druwen, the addition of a women’s division offers a bright outlook on the future of mountain biking. “Even more women will be interested in Slopestyle and dirt jumping,” said Druwen, on the long-term impact of a Women’s Division.

Fellow rider and leader amongst the women in freeride movement, Gemma Corbera, echoed these thoughts and shared her enthusiasm for what’s to come. “2022 is going to be huge,” said Corbera on the development of female athletes, “and the addition of a Women’s Division is going to motivate a lot of us.” With an exciting season ahead, Corbera expects “lots of improvement” and has no doubt that “there will be new tricks.”

Caroline Buchanan, a powerhouse on two wheels, is a three time BMX world champion and five time mountain bike world champion and has long been an advocate for the development of female athletes and progression of women in freeride. Beyond her own successes, she is hopeful that the addition of a women’s division allows female riders “from a young age to know that there is a future in freeride and slopestyle.” She adds that “it will definitely help strip away any limiting beliefs Women have, and the platform will bring the exposure, support, pathway, and motivation to push the limits for a purpose.”

Women’s Contest added to Red Bull Best Line Award

The FMBA is also introducing a Women’s Contest to the current Red Bull Best Line Award. Equal prize money and recognition will be awarded to all participants. More information is to follow in the coming months on eligibility criteria.

In combination with the FMB World Tour Women’s Division, the addition of a Red Bull Best Line Women’s Contest will offer support and exposure to female athletes as they push their own capabilities.

Over the past three years, Tim Bringer (FRA), Garret Mechem (U.S.A.), and most recently, Chance Moore (CAN), have elevated their riding to levels worthy of the reputable award. In the time since, it has acted as a springboard for previous winners to find their way to the world’s stage and progress their own riding, as well as that of their competitors.