| Brooklyn based street stunt biker Leah Petersen talks to Women Sport Report and explains her passion for the emerging motor sport of “street bike freestyling “, or stunting, and the underground sports culture that supports it. Currently stunting is a male dominated sport, and on the surface appears wild, reckless, and dangerous, but under that façade, she argues ,there is so much more. Stunting has no sanctions, no rules, no governing body, and has little recognition beyond the community of its participants and, except for very limited exceptions, no real money to be made. It does however ,have a dedicated Florida based web site and magazine at Super Sreet Bike . Over to Leah !  WSR: You describe yourself with evident pride as “a stunter”, not a status that means a whole lot to most of us competing or involved in sport and hard for most to see a connection with any sport. We tend to associate the word with crazy professionals who do the extreme really dangerous stuff as stand ins for movie stars ! Can you elaborate for us? Leah: I am a stunter. I am also aware that when I say this; it doesn’t really mean anything to most people. It’s not like saying “I’m a student” or “I’m a soccer player,” people don’t draw mental pictures, don’t feel any type of common bond, they mostly just look at me confused and ask me to explain. I attempt to construct a worthy image of the sport, but always feel like I just can’t explain stunting in words. WSR : We have already seen a number of huge spectacular arena biking events in the UK recently featuring seasoned professionals using huge earth ramps to gain altitude and nailing breath taking leaps incorporating incredible airborne tricks so what is stunting ? Leah: Stunting is a lifestyle for the urban pioneer, a sport for the technical soul, a family and a community for those who really never fit in anywhere else. Stunting is a developing motor sport. Indie, underground, alternative –however you label it, stunting has grown in leaps and bounds over the last 10 years since its modern birth. “Stunters” ride full size, race-style motorcycles and practice a technical blend of brake, gas, clutch and balance, normally on one wheel, which results in what some describe to be dancing on a motorcycle. WSR: You talk about the stunting community. How has that developed and how does it help this members? The stunting community is world-wide but remains tight-knit, with images and video connecting riders all over the globe. Developments in skills, stunt accessories and the community are shared and discussed passionately through online forums. WSR : What has been achieved up till now in terms of competitive events raising the public profile of stunting? Leah: Several national and international competitive circuits have developed over the last 5 years thrusting stunting further toward the status of a legitimate sport. WSR: We have already witnessed other originally urban sports like Skateboarding and BMX developing beyond the streets , acquiring a professional dimension, with BMX for example , established now as a legitimate international mainstream sport. Where is stunting up to in terms of the development of its status? Leah : Like skateboarding in the ‘70s most people look upon us with disdain and confusion. People disregard the sport as insane, but what they don’t consider is what the sport provides to the stunter. Stunting normally makes sense to people who have never entirely fit into mainstream sports, or mainstream anything. Due to the lack of public awareness we are a sport still pioneering our image and without societal legitimisation, we turn to each other for support. Together we know this is our art, our expression of self and life. WSR: All genres of motor sport are almost completely male dominated globally and of course WSR’s mission , above all, is to campaign to level the playing field for a fairer representation , particularly in the media ,of women excelling in those sports . What’s your take on the gender issue with regards to stunting? Leah : As a woman in a near-entirely male dominated subculture; I am given even more opportunities to believe in myself. There are only a handful of female stunters in the world and like any minority we suffer our fair share of discrimination and discouragement. Personally, I was immediately attracted to the technical aspect of the sport and to the pure DIY energy of the community. Yet after starting to stunt, I found that females nearly exclusively observed from the sidelines. After chatting with these ladies I find they need support, an example, to be more than a passive cheer team. With that understanding riding has become so much more than just tricks and wheelies to me; it is a reminder and encouragement for all to toss fear aside and ride full throttle towards whatever dream resonates with who you are. WSR: In your formative years , with a passion for horses , you tell us you wanted to get back to some sort of grass roots culture to satisfy your pioneering spirit. and even , at one time, had the ambition to embrace the anachronistic frozen in time Hamish way of life but ultimately that sober life style was too monastic to satisfy your wild side and lacked the glitz and dollars. How does stunting meet your inner needs? Leah: By choosing a fringe, underground sport, I have learned so much about what makes me, and to have the confidence to know my own worth, even if no one else can truly understand it. I don’t need further legitimisation ; I know the sport is worthy and positive, when I see our sport touch and change realities of both stunters and the general public. |
