Hosted by Lindsay Beth Currier of Shine Riders Co., the course was initially planned to be composed of a drop to a series of dirt tabletops.  However, there was not sufficient time or funding for the projected build.  Phil Segura of rideSFO kindly offered the use of the event production company's portable wooden box jump.  Friday afternoon the girls had hoped to practice before the expo opened, but the gray sky dumped kittens and puppies and it began to seem uncertain if the jump would even show up.  But on Saturday when the sun finally emerged, and Brian from Bicycle Fabrications rolled up with the jump in tow behind his mini van, smiles became contagious.  Slightly intimidating and unfamiliar at first, it didn't take long for Kat Sweet of Sweetlines Coaching to coax the girls over the new feature.

Both Kirstie Douglas and Kelly Damchshen who competed in the Queen of the MTN this past Labor Day weekend borrowed dirt jump bikes from friends to enter the competition that was held on Sunday.  They had never hit a jump like this before, let alone on a hardtail, but managed to work themselves up to clearing it with style and class.  The three K's were joined by Tasa Herndon, a downhill favorite from South Lake Tahoe, CA.  The contest was held in a jam format and was judged and announced by the freeride pioneer himself, Josh Bender.  Armed with a mega phone, Bender kept the ladies stoked as they pushed their riding skills to new levels.

Kat Sweet stole first, a surprised Kelly D grabbed second, followed by Tasa and Kirstie.  All competitors went home with armfuls of prizes from the following sponsors: Alite Designs, Gravity Components, Contour, Five Ten, Boombotix, Bern, Sombrio, Bike Glow, and Booty Boutique.  The women were so stoked on this "new" style of riding and look forward to practicing more wooden, lippy features soon.  Plans are in the works for a collaborative effort between Shine, Sweetlines, and other rad female riders to offer a series of women's freeride events in 2012.

Sonny Piputtanaveschaisal drew the winning ticket for a medium Butcher frame that was kindly donated by Santa Cruz Bicycles.  The frame was generously donated back to Shine in an effort to raise more money for the 2012 Queen of the MTN Ladies Freeride Contest.  Piputtanaveschaisal says he "wanted to support the cause in the same way Santa Cruz Bikes did."  The frame will be sold in a silent auction on the Shine Riders Co. facebook (dates to be announced).

For more info on Shine Riders Co., check them out on Facebook.