After nearly 30 years on the hallowed trails of southern British Columbia, the Patagonia ambassador Betty Birrell still thinks life is one big playground - and that you’re never too old to send.
Be More Betty!
Why I love this? If you know me, you know that I am a grumpy old woman. And mountain biking keeps me sane - and less grumpy. So what I would really love is for women+ to be seen and respected in this sport. Because while so much has changed since when I first got into biking back in the 00's - with more women+ than ever riding and competing at an unreal level - we still can do better...
When you are out on the trails or watching broadcasts of the Downhill World Cup in a bar what happens regularly is that you hear comments such as "oh course she's good on a bike, she looks like a bloke", "she's fat", "she's too old", "gwad she's slow, but she's hot".
This might sound quite crude - but I am convinced the women+ who are reading this will resonate. Don't get me wrong: these kind of comments are not just men being horrible. Quite the opposite: we are all guilty of this. Because we have been socialised with a very narrow minded view of what women should be like.
So again. Why do I love North Shore Betty? Because she is a pioneer for women+ in action sports. She is proper cool. She's a role model. She shines! And even though she might not be able to ride like she used to: she is not bothered. Betty is out there. Because riding puts a massive smile on her face and makes her happy.
And that's what life should be about. That's why I love North Shore Betty and I truly hope that we can all become more respectful towards each other. More respectful towards age. More respectful and loving towards our own bodies and the amazing job they are doing every day keeping us alive.
Go grab life! Be more Betty.
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Synopsis
Betty Birrell pioneered big-wave windsurfing for women in the 1980s and is still pretty wild today, now 73. She is an absolute legend at the North Shore and Patagonia accompanies Betty who and tells her story and talks about her passion for mountain biking, her exciting life and shows that you are never too old to experience adventures.