Here in Utah, the outdoors are almost a way of life, and powersports are a big part of that. But even in a state known for its trails and adventure, this industry is still dominated by men.
Amber Kennedy is a working mother of three who started riding dirtbikes a few years ago when her boyfriend introduced her to them. She quickly discovered how tough the sport can be for women.
"I think getting into it as a woman, if you don't have a partner who helped you get into it, it could be intimidating because the sport is definitely focused on men," said Kennedy. "Anything from like gear to how you learn how to ride to the bikes themselves or are meant for men."
Kennedy began posting her progress online, but was met with harsh criticism.
"I told myself when I started that I would post like the good and the bad to try to make it more relatable for beginners and for other women to see," she said. "But any time I post anything like that, a me crashing or a fail or something like men will be in the comments just tearing me apart like, well, that makes sense, she's a woman, or like the little emoji with the teacup."
Kennedy also shares her frustration with women not being taken seriously online, including how they are over-sexualized.
"I think one that I see online a lot is people just not taking women seriously, riding, and almost so like I think women are looked at as more of like a sex symbol on a motorcycle than actually a competent rider," she explained.
Staff at a local powersports dealer say they see the gender gap firsthand.
"A lot of the women get into riding motorcycles and doing those types of things are usually brought in with a husband or a boyfriend that are looking to have them join them in something that they're passionate about," said Philip Mikalauski, a sales rep at Karl Malone Powersports in Provo.
Mikalauski said that while there are women who come into the store alone, men still tend to come in more often.
"Now and then we do have a woman who wants to come in and is excited about doing is just on her own volition. But there's definitely, I would say, a lot more men compared to women that come in just to look at bikes and gear on their own," he said.
Riders and retailers say women have a hard time finding gear made specifically for them.
"There's only a few brands we can trust, and we're all getting online and asking each other what to wear because it's so hard to find something that fits a woman's body," Kennedy said.
"It just seems like a lot of that is geared towards men and their body types and sizes and things like that," said Mikalauski. "Sometimes it is challenging to get something that's going to fit right in for women.
Despite the challenges, Kennedy says the sport has done a lot for her.
"Dirt bikes will humble you and show you your biggest vulnerabilities," she said. "I think it's taught me to have a lot more grit, a lot more courage. I like facing myself and facing my fears and showing and proving to myself what I can do and what I can learn and get through."
While men still outnumber women in powersports, change starts with visibility. That means more representation in shops, on the track, on trails and in the industry itself.