Out of the Blue | Kaitlyn Jacobs | Brought to You By Schrader’s

Out of the Blue | Kaitlyn Jacobs | Brought to You By Schrader’s

By Jensen Amyotte

Name: Kaitlyn Jacobs

Date of Birth: June 23rd, 2001 

Age: 21

Hometown: San Jose CA (currently living in Wildomar, CA) 

Race Number: 293

Bike Brand: KTM 

Classes: Pro Women’s

Who/what inspired you to get into the sport of motocross/off-road and how long have you been riding/racing?

My dad was the one who inspired me to start riding by putting me on a pw50 at a really young age. I grew up going on camping trips and just riding for fun, until one summer my dad enrolled me in a dirt bike summer camp with Brian Garrahan. All the kids at the summer camp were racers. That’s when I decided I wanted to race in 2015. 

Tell us about your 2022 race season.

My 2022 race season had a lot of bumps in the road. Unfortunately, I started the year out hurt with a broken scapula. I got healed up and returned to riding, but mentally I was struggling on the bike. I started working with a mental coach and we’re making great progress! Unfortunately, around summertime I had another crash and re-broke my same scapula and dislocated my shoulder. After a year of injuries I’m happy to be healthy for the 2023 season! 

What are your biggest accomplishments to date?

One of my biggest accomplishments would be winning the 2021 West Hare Scramble Pro Women’s championship. 

What event do you look forward to most every year, one you don’t ever want to miss? 

My absolute favorite event of the year is Mammoth Motorcross! I love the track they have. I feel like coming from off-road the track at mammoth suits my riding style really well. It’s a really fast rocky track with elevation. 

If you could give one piece of advice to a female of any age that wants to start riding what would it be? 

1 piece of advice I’d give to any female wanting to start riding would be to not care about what others think. As a female it can be really intimidating going into male-dominated sport. 

Do you see your self ever competing in the Canadian WMX Triple Crown Series? 

I would absolutely love to compete in the Canadian WMX Triple Crown Series! It’s always been on my race bucket list! 

What do you like to do in the off season? 

During my off season I love to travel. Last year I took an across country road trip in my van to upstate New York. I got to ride, hike, mountain bike, and go horseback riding. I’m a very active person and just enjoy being outside! 

What was your first fear when you started riding? 

My first fear when I started riding was jumping. Growing up trailing riding I never had to worry about jumping until I started racing. I started to overcome that fear the more and more I kept doing it. Being consistent and pushing myself to hit a new jump every time I went to the track until it was second nature. 

Do you have any pre-race rituals? 

I’m not sure that I’d call it a ritual but whenever I’m gearing up I always have to go from right to left. Example: if I’m putting my knee braces on I have to put my right one first then the left one. 

Who would you like to thank? 

I want to give a big thank you to my dad. Nothing would be possible without him! If he never introduced me to dirt bikes I wouldn’t be where I am today! I want to also give a huge thank you to Mike Hurlbert at RPM. Mike saw something in me back in 2020 when I was ready to give up on racing. I can’t thank him enough for always supporting me on and off the track!