Crush Techniques and Trails with DIRTASTIC at OAO2023!
We super stoked to have the Dirtastic coaching team back at Over And Out’s flagship women’s event for a second year! Founded and operated by Kalyn Benaroya, Dirtastic is an all-female team of USMCA-certified coaches that hosts a variety of training sessions all over the country.
Dirtastic Coach Kalyn Benaroya
Dirtastic Coach Kerri Shank
Dirtastic coaches include several skilled, accomplished female riders - such as Kalyn herself, Kylee Sweeten as well as Dayne Toney and Cassie Slawson who joined us last year. This year, we’re really hyped because East Coast fast friend Kerri Shank has joined the Dirtastic Team! Kerri is a very strong, talented rider and we’re excited to support her in her coaching endeavors!
Choose from these rad options:
Intermediate Training on the Trail 4-hour session - Slay Sadies Big Adventure!
Advanced Training on the Trail 4-hour session - Riiip Ralph’s Ramble!
Wheelies and Pivot Turns 1-hour Workshop
Rocks and Logs 1-hour Workshop
Read on to learn more about each…
Training on the Trail with Dirtastic!
Did you know that Over And Out takes place on a massive piece of private land that is NOT open to riders the rest of the year? This is something that is incredibly rare in the Northeast, or anywhere really. We bring you exclusive access to some really fun terrain and trails at each of our Tamaqua events!
Here’s the thing: Getting through a trail from start to finish is one thing, but certain trails feel entirely different depending on how they’re ridden. With the right speed, technique and confidence, riders can achieve a flow in their trail-riding that takes the whole experience to another level. THIS is what we want to give you by having you train and ride with Dirtastic!
Choose from two levels of small group sessions where you’ll learn and practice crucial techniques then head out on some prime OAO trails!
Slay Sadies Big Adventure
Intermediate / Level 3-4
Choose from Friday 9/15 or Saturday 9/16 11am-3pm
Led by Dirtastic Coach Kerri Shank, you’ll start by learning and practicing cornering, as well uphill and downhill techniques. Then, you’ll head out on some of OAO’s favorite intermediate (Yellow) trails like Sadie’s Big Adventure and the Vegan Express Loop, riding as a crew with instruction as you ride! For more details on the skill levels take a look here.
Sadie’s Big Adventure is close to main camp and easy to get onto via Green (Beginner) trails. It has a small downhill, and then twists and turns on a curvy snake-like ride through multiple meadows. You’ll put your cornering techniques to great use, learning how to keep up your speed through each turn, while having so much fun blazing this trail together.
Then you’ll head for a quick lap around our Vegan Express loop. This loop is just slightly further out, accessible from wide, easy trail before it ducks into a canopy of woods and winds its way downhill and back up without too much steepness and with small, moderate rockiness.
It’s the perfect challenge for a range of intermediate-level riders looking to learn OR perfect cornering and uphill/downhill techniques. The most fun part is you’ll be doing it together, and you’ll get an exclusive badge of honor (cool sticker) for crushing these trails!
Aerial view of Sadie’s Big Adventure
Under the canopy, downhill, on the Vegan Express loop
Helping each other up the rocky incline coming out of Vegan Express.
Riiip Ralph’s Ramble
Upper Intermediate-Advanced / Level 4-5
Choose from Friday 9/15 or Saturday 9/16 11am-3pm
Led by Dirtastic Coach Kalyn Benaroya, you’ll start by learning and practicing key techniques to navigate tight singletrack, flowy woods trail, and challenging obstacles like steep climbs, rocks and root ledges. Then, you’ll head out on one of OAO’s favorite Advanced (Orange) trails, Ralph’s Ramble, riding as a crew with instruction as you ride! For more details on the skill levels take a look here.
Ralph’s Ramble ranges the furthest out from main camp and has so many great, technical riding features that make it a thrilling adventure in off-road riding. Ralphs is rated as one of our more advanced trails, but is even moreso a “fan favorite”. With super tight and twisty single-track sections, roller-coaster-like dragon-backs, off-camber hills, logs, root ledges and more, Ralph’s is thoroughly enjoyed by skilled riders over and over again. It’s also a coveted challgenge or sort-of rite of passage for OAO riders.
It’s the perfect challenge for a range of intermediate-to-advanced riders looking to learn OR perfect technical woods riding techniques. The most fun part is you’ll be doing it together, and you’ll get an exclusive badge of honor (cool sticker) for ripping Ralph’s Ramble!
Because Ralph’s is so long and far out, and depending on how much time is spent on specific trail features, there’s a chance the class will not have time to complete the entire trail within the class time, but there are bail outs along the trail that lead back to camp. Also, should anyone feel like they can’t complete the class out there, the OAO Trail Support team can help them back to camp via a bailout and there is no shame in that game. This applies to riding anywhere at any time at OAO! :)
Wheelies & Pivot Turns / Logs and Rocks
1-Hour Workshops (Level 3-5)
Choose from Friday 9/15 or Saturday 9/16 / Wheelies 9-10am, Logs & Rocks 4-5pm
Start your day with a 1-hour workshop of drills and fun working on wheelie pops, wheelies and pivot turns which not only look cool but are very useful to ride technical terrain. OR, Round out your day with a 1-hour skill session to work on mastering techniques of traversing logs and other challenging barriers. Participants will learn essential techniques such as weight distribution, throttle control and bike maneuvering to smoothly rise above the challenges and experience the thrill of conquering every hurdle in your path!
These short sessions are a great add-on to your weekend, giving you focused time to dedicate to learning and improvement, plus class interaction with like-level riders and both Dirtastic coaches!
We have no doubt these fun classes will sell out, so snag your spot before they’re all gone!
Check out bike and gear requirements at the point of booking. An AMA Membership or 1-day event pass is reqjuired for this training, since OAO and Dirtastic are sanctioned by the AMA. You can get a 1-event pass for just $20, or join the AMA for $50 annually by clicking here.
For more details on the skill levels take a look here.
