News

Babes In The Dirt 2018

Ladies from across America converge in Southern California for a weekend of camping and off-road riding

July 24, 2018

A now-annual pilgrimage to the California desert, Babes in the Dirt continues to grow. With 700 participants, this year’s event came hot on the heels of Babes Ride Out, which pulled in 1,800 female riders.Yelena Sophia

The fourth-annual Babes in the Dirt campout took place in the outskirts of Los Angeles inside the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area. Hundreds of ladies from around the country made it out for a weekend of girls-only camaraderie filled with dirt bikes, camping, and bonfires. Contrary to the road-focused Babes Ride Out event, Babes in the Dirt is for those who want to experience the fun of kicking up dust off road. Photojournalist Yelena Sophia was one of the attendees of this year's event and snapped off some photos of the action.

Alta and Husqvarna shared space at the campsite in Gorman, California, lending out bikes to tackle the track and seemingly endless OHV trails.Yelena Sophia

Avid dirt bike rider and yoga instructor Amanda Dobby drove more than 24 hours from Calgary, Alberta, to Southern California to attend. The event is the brainchild of Anya Violet and Ashmore Ellis, who added rider training courses, a motocross track, and more manufacturer participation to the camp-out in 2018. Stunt rider and flat-track racer Megan Vilardi and her friends Cia Drickersen and Melissa Silva compete in the See See Motorcycles-sponsored minibike race.Yelena Sophia

Participants brave the wind and cook off the back of a truck, planning group rides and comparing bruises.Yelena Sophia

Riders linger under a rare treat for city dwellers: a sky full of stars. Babes in the Dirt is as unique as that celestial canopy, a homegrown international riding mecca for women in a time when the motorcycle industry is finally waking up to the fact that half the world’s population wants to do more than just ride pillion. Ride on.Yelena Sophia