feminism and women in 'extreme'/masculine sports

[maybenow]

I really enjoyed this article: www.thebmc.co.uk/News.aspx?id=4535

Despite the fact she does the whole 'i've never called myself a feminist' line.. it's actually a very thoughtful article which expresses a lot of what i think about the sports i'm involved in (don't know anything about climbing).

i've been getting more and more into the womens mountain biking scene lately - i started of riding with mixed groups and my husband but am now in a womens club and also ride on women's downhill days and freeride days (DH and freeride both traditionally very male and testosterone-driven).

i used to reject 'womens' courses and days as i felt we should just pitch in with the men and not be singled out.. but i can't deny my club is fantastic and the experiences i've had with the women have pushed me harder and faster than those with the mixed group i normally hang with... there's a pressure with other women to try to keep up when with the blokes i just can't..

i'd be really interested in hearing if anybody else here does sports that are traditionally male.

I do power lifting / weight training. Not for physique, like bodybuilding, but for raw strength. I look pretty fat, but am strong. I love it.

that women's cycle event article has reminded me that our club were asked what would get more women to ride sportives - they (i don't road ride) said that they'd enter more sportives if they knew there was a certain pacing group going off at a certain time, as many of them have experienced cycling alone off the pace of the male club riders. not all women are slower than the men but if the men are pretty serious riders then a lot of women will be slower.

same goes for running. ten years ago women were vastly under-represented at any running event until womens-only runs came along, these events brought many women into running who wouldnt' have entered a club run where all the men were running faster than they could.
i know some seriously athletic women don't like the race for lifes, i personally would never enter one as there are too many walkers and run/walkers but i do think they're a good thing for bringing women into the sport. thankfully now with parkrun there's an event that's beginner/family/women friendly and speedy club runner friendly at the same time - many women don't like being lumped in with 'family' or 'beginners' and many of us can keep up with the guys, but personally i can't.

on the topic of men who would like events with less machismo and more beginner-friendly... when the women's freeriding mtb event i go to started off many male partners and friends were envious, as it's a bloody brilliant event and so much fun... but they tried to run a male equivalent which didn't get enough interest - this is yet another example of the patriarchy disadvantaging men too, it seems that even those who would like to are not allowed to enjoy fun and machismo-free events, as it might threaten their masculinity