Originate with Michelle Parker Season 2: Formation

Michelle Parker takes a break from the snow in episode three of “Originate” to join professional female mountain bikers in Virgin, Utah, the birthplace of the Red Bull Rampage. Considered one of the most elite and jaw-dropping competitions in mountain biking, the Red Bull Rampage is an event that so far has only included male riders. Now,  professional female riders are coming together to start a new event on par with Red Bull Rampage: Formation—a female-focused mountain biking event. 

Read more: 7 Mountain Biking Tips for Beginners

While this episode may seem like a major departure from Parker’s Originate series by moving from ski to singletrack lines, it highlights similar themes and pictures to what we’ve come to expect from Parker’s series: women crushing monster lines and showcasing their roles in adventure sports. This episode just happens to feature female mountain biking pros, including Rebecca Rusch, Jill Kintner, Tahnée Seagrave, Vaea Verkeeck, Hannah Bergmann, Veronique Sandler, Vinny Armstrong, and Micayla Gatta. Parker herself takes a step behind the camera lens to capture these women tackling steep and intimidating lines, and speaks to the importance of female empowerment and recognition in the mountain biking community.

“I think that Formation is a pivotal turning point for these girls,” says Parker in the episode. “The world is super interested and I think the world is super hungry like I am to see more women ripping. We want more women out there doing that. We want to see that. We want to experience that with them.” 

More “Originate”: Season 2, Jackson Hole

Originate with Michelle Parker Season Two Episode Three: Formation