If you haven't heard of Babes Ride Out yet where have you been?
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After starting out in 2013 as a grassroots camp out on a dry lake bed in Borrego the two co-founders Anya Violet & Ashmore Ellis began to create a much needed space for women 'where everyone is equal and that eliminates all egos' & they called it Babes Ride Out. Now in its 6th year the Babes Ride Out team have gone on to organise legendary events for over 1500 female riders from ride outs & camp outs to dirt riding in the desert bringing women together to share their stories of road trips & adventures & share a love of the road. Their Motto is "Good times, good friends , two wheels & thats something we can definitely get down with!
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After working together to present Babes Ride Out UK in 2016 we're so excited for the ladies of Babes Ride Out to be teaming up with CAMP VC this year supporting our beginner classes onsite with some swag for every newby rider who jumps on a bike!
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Get to know more about one half of the Babes Ride Out founders, Anya Violet, below & get yourselves on the road trip of your life for Babes Ride Out 6 happening this year in October 18th- 21st !
PHOTO: @lohdy
Name: Anya Violet
Organization: Babes Ride Out & Babes in the Dirt
What is your role at Babes Ride out?:
I am a co-founder. There is just Ashmore Ellis and myself that run the show at B.R.O. with lots of seasonal help from a great community of staff and volunteers surrounding our events. Ashmore and I split everything between the 2 of us year round so my duties range from uploading and curating blogs to designing merch, to coordinating artist to organizing staff schedules. We both do a little bit of everything while playing in to both of our natural strengths.
What was the idea behind your first ever event?
It was really simple. We just wanted to meet more women that ride. Ashmore and I ran in to each other at a local moto event and loosely planned a ride/ camp weekend. After a few text message exchanges we thought we might invite the handful of other women that we knew that road. 1 shitty Instagram flyer later we were rolling up to the meet-up location looking at 50 women on bikes. We didn’t tell anyone the destination we just had a meet up location so the fact that 50 women signed on to an unknown camp weekend is pretty rad. The campout was magical and the enthusiasm of the women that joined us fueled what has become a global platform for women to connect and ride motorcycles together.
So you guys are now on your 6th Babes Ride Out event this year (!). Thats such an incredible achievement!! Do you still love running your events as much as the first time?
The way I feel about running Babes Ride Out has changed so much over the years. It went from a selfish goal of wanted to make more friends that ride to more of a stewardship role. I feel like Babes Ride Out is its own entity and community and I feel a great responsibility in watching it take its natural shape and help it along its way. I take pride in sitting back at our events and watching everyone enjoy themselves so much. It fills me with so much joy that I feel kinda high after each event. Bringing people together and providing a destination has brought to life so many incredible stories that I never would have heard and people who I never would have met. I truly love what this has become and am just thankful to be a part of it.
Your last Babes in the Dirt looked like an incredible event! What was the original idea behind Babes In the Dirt?
A passion for riding off-road started very young for me. I was 7 when I got my first dirt bike. We have always felt that learning to ride dirt first makes you a better and more skilled rider on the road. There was already a lot of dualsport riders that come to the Babes Ride Out Events. The idea for Babes in the Dirt is to provide a place for dirt lovers to rip some trails and make some new friends, for people who are totally new to riding to participate in rider clinics and training courses, and for street riders to work on their skills off road and experience all the good times that can be had when the pavement ends.
PHOTO: @maddytalias
What has been your favourite road trip that you've ever been on together?
We took a 2,000 mile trip all over California a few years ago that brought us through the desert, up in to the sierras, along the California rivers and up the coast. It was an incredible trip and neither of us will ever forget it!
You're supporting our beginners classes this year onsite at CAMP VC! What do you have in store for the learner ladies?
We love seeing new riders swing a leg over a bike for the first time. We are so stoked to provide swag bags for each new rider that participates. We hope to see some of you at one of the Babes Ride Out events soon!
PHOTO: @genevieve_davis
Road or dirt riding?
Both are amazing but I am a dirt lover at heart and if I can rip a trail off in to the middle of nowhere and find pristine nature I am all about that!
Best tune played at a Babes Ride Out event to get the party started?
Option 1 = Ashmores 80’s jams
Option 2 = Anya’s 90’s hip hop and R&B playlist
You can’t go wrong with either.
What are your plans for Babes Ride Out for the future & beyond?
Our plans are to continue to enjoy the good times, make new friends, and explore the world on two wheels. We plan on letting Babes Ride Out run its own natural course in the world and continue to bring people together.
PHOTO : @monicasemergiu
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Wanna know more about the amazing Babes Ride Out events ? Go follow the ladies here at: