The Dirt Field

Something minor happened today that bothered me. When my father and I got to the shooting range this morning, there were a group of old men occupying half of the lanes. They watched us grab our bags and walk up to the firing line, at which point one man came over to tell us that they were sighting in some guns but that we could use the lanes on the far end. Except he didn’t say just that; he said, “You can set up down there, especially if she’s just learning.”

Let me think. I first shot a gun when I was probably ten. I used to shoot 2-3 times a week, I know how to handle a gun, I own my own Sig Sauer .40 that I specifically chose. Last week I shot the two cleanest rounds anyone had seen all day in a bowling pin shootout competition. Today I put 40 bullets through target in a six inch group at 25 yards. You tell me; does it sound like I’m just learning?

The reason this bothers me is that he assumed this about me based on one thing: I am female. He didn’t know anything about me other than that, but it led him to assume that I was probably a novice. As a competitive cyclist, this sort of attitude bothers the crap out of me because I see it all the time. While chatting around the bonfire the night before the Shenandoah Mountain 100 with a bunch of strangers, the guys automatically assumed I was there to support Bobby. Even once they found out that I was the one riding, they still talked bikes and racing like I was clearly not going to contribute to the conversation. Nevermind that I came in several hours before the guy who did most of the talking.

At Seven Springs Downhill Park back in August, I watched a rider blow all of the berms until he finally had to pull over and regroup. I stopped to talk him through how to ride berms, but jumped back on my bike when I saw a group of guys coming because I didn’t want to wait for a crowd to pass. Shortly after the end of that run, one of the guys came up to me, commended me on my riding, and said, “I was afraid you were going to slow us down, but you were really fast! Especially for a girl!”

Yes, I too find it shocking that I am able to have breasts AND ride down a mountain quickly. Who would ever have imagined such a thing!

I’m not a raging feminist in any way. It just pisses me off that people assume a girl will be less of an athlete, less of a competitor, less of a threat. I will not argue that men generally have a natural propensity towards greater physical capacity. No doubt about that. But just because I brought my vagina doesn’t mean I can’t also bring my ability to kick your ass. Don’t write me off and don’t act like when I can do something skilled, it’s so much more fascinating because I can do it while being a woman.

Most people aren’t guilty of this, so I don’t mean to come across as completely bitter. It just felt really annoying to be instantly written off this morning by a complete stranger. Sure, there’s probably a generation gap that explains his assumption that a young woman doesn’t spend a lot of time fondling weapons, but kind sir, if pond scum can evolve all the way into a person, surely you can figure out how to evolve into something more than a complete bonehead.

And while I’m at it, I have to say one more thing. Bike companies, stop making your women-specific products in pink and purple and covered with butterflies and swirls and shit. It’s ridiculous; I don’t want to look like a Barbie when I ride and I don’t need to be all Lady Power! out on the trails. I want products that look as normal as what you serve up for the men, but tailored to work well with my girl parts. As long as you label it “women-specific”, I can probably figure out that it is intended for somebody with a hoo-ha, even in the absence of pastel colors.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to moisturize my legs and deep condition my hair.