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Rarely do bike races in the United States stick around for as long as the Grasshopper Adventure Series.
The beloved northern California race series turns 27 this year, and its longevity can be linked to a few key factors.
One, series founder Miguel Crawford is a master route designer. The ‘Hoppers showcase some of the best riding in California, and Crawford’s decades of exploring have resulted in routes that few could dream up on their own.
Two, the events have always struck a healthy balance between participants who want to race and those who are simply out for a great day on the bike.
And last but most importantly, the ‘Hoppers have never been just about bike racing. Crawford’s events often benefit non-profit organizations that work to protect the environment or to get more people on bikes. He is always open to partnerships, initiatives, and good ideas.
Read also: Mentorship at the Low Gap ‘Hopper
For the second year in a row the Grasshopper Adventure Series season opener, the Low Gap ‘Hopper, will showcase for one of the most exciting initiatives to come out of the ‘Hoppers — a mentorship program between professional riders and U19 girls.
Last year, Crawford partnered with Helena Gilbert-Snyder to launch the program. Gilbert-Snyder, a former NICA athlete and current NICA coach, had noticed that the girls she coached weren’t as curious about the endurance off-road scene as the high school boys were. When she figured out what some of the barriers and stigmas were — “it’s just a bunch of men in tights,” one girl told her — she came up with the idea for the mentorship initiative.
In 2023, seven girls rode the Low Gap ‘Hopper with seven mentors. The program received such rave reviews that Gilbert-Snyder was able to get even more support from sponsors like Specialized and the Be Good Foundation to triple the size of the program to 21 riders and mentors this year.
While some of last year’s mentors are returning, more are new. A handful are pros who will be vying for the overall Grasshopper Adventure Series title, yet they’re choosing to spend the first race of the season with a bigger purpose.
“Racing often feels like a self-centered pursuit, so I was so amped about the opportunity to flip that and use racing as a tool to empower and hopefully excite more young athletes,” said last year’s series champ Maude Farrell.
For Amity Rockwell, another California-based pro, the mentorship initiative strikes a personal chord.
“My career started at the ‘Hoppers and it’s so great to think that helping other girls feel comfortable there could spark the same journey for someone else,” she said. “I received a lot of terrible male advice in the early years of my bike racing and have always believed there is immense value in women helping women.”
Read also: ‘Let women ride’
While the majority this year’s mentors are women, Gilbert-Snyder also extended the opportunity to men this year. She said that men often want to get involved with initiatives that focus on girls’ participation but aren’t sure how to do so.
“I strongly believe that men in the cycling world have just as much capability and responsibility in growing our sport to young women and those in underrepresented communities, and I know that this program will demonstrate that,” she said.
This year, six men will be riding as mentors at Low Gap this year, including Tyler Williams of Miami Nights.
While Gilbert-Snyder doesn’t have an immediate plans to grow the Low Gap mentorship initiative beyond the Grasshopper Adventure Series (she works as a financial analyst at Specialized), the model is easily replicable. And, like NICA programming, it also has goals far beyond showing up at a start line.
“This program will not only help grow female participation at gravel events, but also inspire more young women to take on gravel and adventure challenges that might have previously seemed out of reach,” she said. “As one participant last year said, ‘seeing other girls my age and teenagers here makes me feel really good. If they can do it, I can do it, too. It’s important to see other people like me out there.'”