Out of the Blue | Zoe Verbauwhede | Brought to You by Schrader’s

Out of the Blue | Zoe Verbauwhede | Brought to You by Schrader’s

This week, we feature Zoe Verbauwhede from West Kelowna, BC in our ‘Out of the Blue’ WMX column presented by Schrader’s

By Jensen Amyotte

Name: Zoe Verbauwhede

Date of Birth: Nov 23, 1982

Hometown: West Kelowna, BC

Occupation: Sales & Brand Manager for Leatt in Canada

Bike: Which one? Lol. 2022 KTM 300 XC-W, 2018 KTM ADV 1190R, 2008 DUCATI MONSTER S4RS, 2017 YAMAHA YZ450F WITH TIMBERSLED 120LE KIT (SNOWBIKE), SANTA CRUZ NOMAD (MTB) AND A SANTA CRUZ V10 (DOWNHILL MTB))

Who/what inspired you to get onto a dirt bike and how long have you been racing/riding? 

I’ve been riding a motorcycle for 25 years. I started on the street with a sport bike as I lived in Vancouver.  When I moved to Kelowna, I started dirt biking (been about 15 years now).  I was inspired by the terrain and the people around me.  It’s so much more accessible here than in the big city!  Also, I worked for an aftermarket distributor that sold all the parts and accessories for dirt bikes so I was for sure inspired to use the products I was selling.

When not on a dirt bike how do you keep yourself busy? Are you involved in any other sports or extracurricular activities?

I ride my ADV and street bike plus I mountain bike.  I love reading and hanging out with friends.  I particularly love going for tea or lunch with a friend one-on-one and catching up on the real things in life. I love to travel, as well, it allows me to visit my many friends and family members around the globe. 

From your first ride to where you are now what is something you never thought you would be able to overcome but have?

Well, I feel like there is still a lot to overcome but I know I’ve come a tremendous distance already.  I was not someone who liked sports or physical activity, so I see that in itself as a massive win.  I’m on a bike at least twice a week when I’m not travelling, and in the winter, it turns into indoor gym time instead.  Funnily enough, I still don’t love the pain of physical activity but I feel so great afterwards, it’s worth it every time.

Who is your all-time favourite rider and why?

I really looked up to Ryan Sipes, he is such a nice person and so well rounded when it comes to riding talent. I also look up to a lot of my riding friends, they pick things up much faster than I do and they are just amazing humans.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 

I would hope that I’ve overcome some of the things that keep not clicking, like getting up steep stuff, and that I’m still strong and able to ride much more technical trails. I want to be more fit, so things come easier and for sure need to run more drills to practice. 

Are there any females out there who you feel have paved the way for other girls to be successful in motocross or off road?

I want to shoutout to Courtney Schmale,  she is such an inspiration, she has hit rock bottom a few times and yet she stays positive and comes back even stronger.  I wish I had her grit and determination.  She’s my hero for sure, I want to be like her when I grow up (she’s a fair bit younger then me lol) . Her and her partner just recently started a new enduro race series called SOR.  You will not find better people and I don’t know how they accomplish all the things that they have on the go. It’s truly incredible!

What kind of track/dirt/terrain do you feel you excel at most and why? 

I like fast and flowy because I come from sport bike riding, I’m not afraid to go fast… the downside is however that I lack finesse and struggle a lot on technical trails. 

If you could give 1 piece of advice to a female of any age who wants to start riding what would it be?

Start on the dirt, and find a real coach to teach you so you don’t start off with all the wrong habits!

What was your first fear when you started riding and how did you overcome it? 

I was terrified of braking in the dirt.  Every time I braked on the road on my sport bike on gravel, or oily surfaces, it ended badly… If I had more dirt experience first, I think it would have been easier, but going from street to dirt, I was stuck with some fundamental fears.   My first dirt bike was a four-stroke, so I relied mainly on engine braking.  Then I mastered the use of my rear brake, and now I’ve finally added some front brake!  It’s been a process for sure!

Do you see yourself ever competing in the Canadian WMX Triple Crown series? What are your thoughts on the series?

Absolutely not as I’m not a racer. However, I do want to attend more of these rounds to watch the talent out there! It is relevant for my job as well so win win!!

Who would you like to thank? 

I want to thank my husband Joe for always fixing the things I break on my bikes, for his patience with my riding and for getting me out as often as he can.

I want to thank my riding friends Carolyn Genovese for always leading, being super funny and taking the most awesome photos, Kristin Parke for being an all-around inspiration, Jessy Poirier for her free spirit and no BS approach, and Brenna Nakazawa for showing me that nothing is impossible.

I also want to thank Leatt for making such great protective equipment that I tend to test every single ride.  Without them, I would have WAY MORE injuries!

And last but not least, Valley Moto Sport West Kelowna for always getting me the parts I need (when I break them) and for being a great store to visit.