Debbie Matthews is a motocross instructor in California. She got her first
taste of motocross as a child, when her parents introduced her to the sport.
"My parents both raced cars, but it wasn't something we could all get involved
in as a family," she says.
They switched to motocross, and Matthews immediately fell in love with
the sport. By age 16, she was racing against male riders -- there was no women's
racing circuit.
"People would say you can't do this, and I would say, 'Just watch me,'"
she reminisces.
Early in her career, she rode daily and trained at a gym three times a
week. All the hard work paid off -- at one point Matthews was ranked second
among U.S. women motocross racers.
However, Matthews admits she's probably an exception. "Most women get into
it at 15 or 16 and then get married and drop out." She believes it's crucial
for riders to have a supportive spouse.
She brings up the example of one top racer who revealed in an interview
that her husband was upset that she'd rather buy a new tire than a new dress.
"Well, I'd rather buy a new tire, too!"
Part of what draws her to motocross racing is the sheer excitement of the
sport. "It's very dynamic and visual." She adds that the unpredictability
of motocross has helped her to develop problem-solving skills that she uses
in her daily life.
Still, while spending a crisp fall weekend tackling rock beds and steep
hills can be exciting, Matthews admits that motocross has its downside. Shortly
after winning the 1989 Veteran's National Championship, she injured her knee
while heading up a 40-foot jump. Knee problems have plagued her ever since.
"At one point, the doctors advised me to quit," she says. Instead, the
day before surgery she purchased a brand new 250 cc bike.
"That's motivation," she told her surprised family and friends. It was
a year before Matthews rode the bike and another year before she was racing
at her former level.
Matthews says that the injuries helped her to become a better rider. "I
had to become more creative. I learned to pick which double jumps I needed
to do and which I could skip out."
Matthews can take much of the credit for the increased presence of women
in motocross racing.
Efforts to launch a women's motocross series first began in 1974, when
Kasey Rogers (Louise Tate in the television series Bewitched) organized a
series of "powder puff" races.
Matthews competed in the series. "The establishment didn't take us seriously,"
she says. "It was like they were saying, 'You've had your fun, now go back
to what you were doing before.'"
It wasn't until 1992, when a four-woman team represented the United States
at the La Femme International Motocross Championships in Italy, that women's
motocross racing took off. The United States Women's Motorcycle League was
formed, and in 1994 Matthews signed on to help promote the league.
Today, Matthews says that promoting women's events makes good business
sense. "It brings in more families, which mean more sales. They bring their
pit crew along -- husbands, fathers and brothers -- which brings higher gate
fees and concession money.
"And when women ride in both the women's and men's events, that doubles
the entry fees."