Four Women Outfitters in Powersports: An Interview For IFRD

Saturday, May 7th marks the 16th edition of International Female Ride Day. Celebrated in over 120 countries to promote female riders, this year's theme is naturally, "Just Ride." The world's largest and only female-focused powersports and motorcycle rider event aims to connect women riders of any kind - on-road, off-road, and snow - in their communities and across the globe.

This year, Polaris Adventures joins the celebration by highlighting four women who own and/or operate a business in the Polaris Adventures Outfitter network. In the interviews below, you'll hear stories about challenges they've encountered as women in a traditionally male-dominated industry as well as anecdotes about their love of riding.

Defying stereotypes that the culture of powersports is for men, these ladies own their truth. The truth is that women are just as passionate about the outdoors, and that leaning in to our interests brings empowerment and freedom.

Haley Blankenhagen, Owner/Operator of B&B Adventures in Mercer, Wisconsin

In Northern Wisconsin, near the border of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Haley Blankenhagen owns and operates B&B Adventures with her husband and two daughters (ages 5 and 18 months). With a fleet of Polaris GENERAL side by side rentals, Haley's goal is to be a memory-maker for families on the hundreds of miles of trails in the beautiful Northwoods.

"We wanted to be a family that connects to family. When people walk through our door, [we want them] to feel like they are walking through the living room of their Grandma or Grandpa's - an experience where they feel at home."

Haley's husband Ben is the "hands" of the business, focusing on machine and trail maintenance as well as assisting on the trail when needed. He's also trail boss for the local UTV club and helps promote the industry. Haley's role is everything else - marketing manager, CPA accountant, bookkeeper, operations manager, and customer service - checking guests in and out.

The girls pitch in too.

"Our 5-year-old helps by either showing customers where the restroom is or helping hand out helmets. She's a pretty outgoing gal, so she likes to be a part of it. And I think that also helps break the tension when customers walk through our door. Create that living room atmosphere - having two little kiddos greet you when you come in."

"I just want to build some excitement for women in this industry."

Operating an Outfitter location is no walk-in-the-park (or ride-down-the-trail?) at first, and Haley laughs remembering some challenges of the first year.

"What was funny is I was hopeful that we would have our showroom or the entryway completed. And that was the most humorous and unrealistic expectation we could have ever had. Because when people walked in, there was a table saw sitting right there, all kinds of construction happening, and totally makeshift everything. Nothing was finished. I was stressed to the max, worried what people were going to think. But if anything, it made people feel comfortable getting to be a part of the process."

Many of their customers come from further south - Madison and Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. She says 60% to 70% are families, plus quite a few bachelor parties and other groups of men like firefighters and policemen, as well as local retired folks keeping active. Many are repeat adventurers.

"[It's] so complimentary for us because we must be doing something right if people want to keep coming back. It's pretty exciting to see the bookings come through now and see in the notes section, 'hey, we're coming back.' I would say 75% of the people who have already reserved are return customers."

Coming up with and mapping out those adventures is one of the perks of the job and something Haley takes seriously.

"So me and the girls set out and just thought, we're going to have to figure out what this is all about and go and experience it for ourselves because I can't sell something that I haven't experienced myself."

When asked about some of her more popular routes, she names the Northern Wisconsin Waterfall Tour as one that guests love.

"We send people 45 miles up to Lake Superior to see Black River Harbor. You're going to ride the trails and experience the beauty of the woods, past five different waterfalls. And then you can get onto the beach at Black River Harbor to see Lake Superior. So in one day, you can make it all the way to Lake Superior, play, have a picnic on the beach, go across the drawbridge, the walk bridge. And then, on your way back, you can hit up five different waterfalls with hiking trails.

The nostalgia of the woods here is really cool because you can hit up a little diner in the woods along the trail. What I like most about it is just the beauty of the woods. You just can't beat it. You can't beat it. I always suggest, hey, drive on up there and then mosey back along this way, hit up the waterfalls, stop at a couple of restaurants, and by the time 5:00 gets here, they've put on 150 miles and had an amazing day."

She says the vast majority of the people coming out to rent are just as excited about what they're going to see as they are about the vehicles they get to drive. The day is about exploration and making memories.

Haley describes their northern Wisconsin community as nostalgic, with an everybody-knows-everybody feel. She's most proud of the progress they've made as a family business thus far. With faith and family as driving forces, she felt a calling to "build a legacy where our girls would like to be a part of this."

Haley and her husband are always looking for the next thing to incorporate into their business. They hope to soon expand to include snowmobile rentals.

International Female Ride Day is top on her mind this month. She knows from experience that, especially if you have kids, it can be a challenge to become an expert in the powersports industry because you're juggling all kinds of different things.

"I'm not trying to generalize women, but I think there's hesitation because they're like, 'Oh, no, what if I break down?' It almost becomes too much effort before you even get in the machine.

That's what's great about Polaris Adventures. You're providing them with a product, a quick tutorial, and then girls, hop in, have fun. Let's shift the temperature on how women are viewed - I just want to build some excitement for women in this industry."

Tamika Washington, Owner/Operator, Atlanta Slingshot Adventure Rentals in Smyrna, Georgia

Tamika Washington and her husband, Nathan, own and operate three Polaris Adventures Outfitter locations in Georgia: Georgia Slingshot Adventure Rentals, North Atlanta Slingshot Rentals, and Atlanta Slingshot Adventure Rentals.

A few years ago, Tamika pivoted from a 22-year career in education and a brief stint as a therapist to join her husband's growing enterprise. Together, they offer a fleet of between 50 and 60 Slingshot rentals - a variety of different models.

"As a business owner, my leadership abilities transferred here very well. And the second thing that really helped me, being a licensed therapist, I'm able to meet everyone where their needs are. So I think that's what makes this so rewarding for me."

Tamika expresses pride in describing the careful attention given to customer service for guests at their locations. Business is bustling because people rent Slingshots for a variety of reasons, and for Tamika, each reason is an opportunity to celebrate.

"If it's a person's birthday, we just bring all the energy to that day for that person. We make a person feel extremely special. We want to celebrate with you. We want to get your day started in the right direction. People can feel the genuine spirit."

Some people want to test drive a Slingshot before purchasing, some vehicles are rented for weddings, anniversaries, and the latest - a gender reveal. "They're going to drive off, and the color is going to come out." You can tell she is thrilled. Sometimes people who already own a Slingshot want to rent for a family member if they're going out as a group, and group rides are common, for holiday family gatherings and just about any other reason.

"So there's a group of women that ride who call themselves the Queens of Sling. And it's middle-aged women, let's just say 45 to 65. They ride together as a group. The Queens of Sling do brunch. The ladies who brunch on Sunday. I'm telling you, they will create an event for anything."

Tamika's previous career helps her plan adventures for her guests based on their personalities and what they're interested in doing.

"I had one guy who went to Tolula Falls and stayed there for two days by himself, and he said 'I just sat on a mountain.' We have Amicalola Falls and Tallulah Falls, all within the Georgia mountains, within about an hour and a half of our location.

When I send people on their adventure rides, I love to send people to the mountains because it's not just the ride. I'm telling you about Helen, Georgia, a beautiful German town - there's so many different things to do. Like fruit stands. And you may have your wineries that you could just take a little gander through. Novelty shops that you can stop at on the way. So people are enjoying the adventure of going to where they're going. That's what I do all the time. I already knew these places because I've done them. But seriously, I love the adventure. I do."

Not only does she love adventuring, and satisfied guests, but she has a special love for driving the Slingshot, and it's obvious she knows her vehicles.

"The feeling is exhilarating. Let me tell you, it's a thrill. It's an adventure. And especially as a woman. It's like you just have that connection, connecting with the world, connecting with the Earth. Wind therapy, for sure. My favorite Slingshot is the R series equipped auto-drive equipped with paddle shifters. It's a bit larger space because I love for people to ride with me. I love to have a passenger. That larger back tire. Not only for looks but also for the traction. If I need to drop a gear and disappear, I can drop it and listen to blues. You know what I'm saying?"

"If I need to drop a gear and disappear, I can drop it and listen to blues. You know what I'm saying?"

Being a female owner in this arena does come with challenges, and Tamika is transparent about where she sometimes feels a difference in the way she is perceived compared to her husband.

"There are times where you're telling a man, this is an R Series, upgraded seating, 305 back tire, 203 HP, five-speed. And not all the time, but sometimes you'll have a little resistance. And I haven't had it happen a lot. You have men who kind of look around, and I'll notice they'll talk to my employee (who is male), and I'm standing here like, I know everything about this. I accept it. If you want to talk to one of the men on staff and it makes you feel more comfortable, that's fine. But that's one of the little challenges.

And then, in service, one of my customers lost a key. And so we were quoted (the price for a new key). Mr. Nathan (her husband) was quoted one price. But when I called to find out how much the key was going to cost, I was quoted double the price."

Those moments are few and far between, though, and don't lessen the joy she feels in her newfound career. She and her husband have an interest in branching out to other areas of adventure as well, possibly side by side rentals in the mountains or marine adventures on the beautiful Georgia lakes. Women riding is not a scarcity in Georgia, but she says if women are hesitant she is more than happy to provide them with the opportunity.

"Let's just say they come with their husband and say, 'Oh, no, I'm not going to drive.' We give them an opportunity to ride around our facility so they can get the feel of it. And I'm not exaggerating. At least 90% of the people who have said, 'I'm not going to drive' - the husband has come back and said,' She left me at home last night. She took the Slingshot and went with her girlfriend.'

All it takes is for them to feel the comfort that lessens their fear. When they have the opportunity to test drive around the facility, they get the wind therapy, start to feel themselves, and say, wait a minute, I want to drive."

Paula Rider, Operator at Trailhead Adventures in Bluefield, Virginia

Paula Rider manages three Polaris Adventure Outfitter locations in Virginia, including Trailhead Adventures which is her primary location, Trailhead - Ashland, and the Western Front Hotel. She manages a fleet of RZR rentals for off-road adventures and Slingshot rentals to explore other Virginia attractions.

Each of her Outfitter locations is relatively remote and people who visit come specifically to ride the trails. Two large trail systems are popular for off-roaders: the Hatfield McCoy Trails and the Spearhead Trails. Both are multi-use trail systems popular for ATV riding, dirt bikes, horseback riding, and hiking.

Paula says her customer base is definitely more male, and they have their share of bachelor parties and company team outings, but she notes that some families come in large groups.

"Women are usually with their significant others. I've only seen one group of girls. They hadn't ever done anything like this - they were just out exploring."

Day-to-day operations keep her plenty busy. Paula starts the day by getting rental machines prepped and ready to go out, taking the customers' payments, and helping with waivers and the checkout process. Then throughout the day, after catching up on paperwork and responding to emails and phone calls, she sanitizes helmets and machines for the following day. She also jumps in to assist with repairs when needed. Her day ends with checking customers back in and vehicle inspection.

Her favorite part of the day, though, is chatting with customers, recommending routes, and hearing about how much fun they had on their adventures. She recommends the Spearhead Trails often.

"Well, it really depends on the riding skills. I suppose I am experienced - I prefer a little more technical trails. So if they're familiar and capable, I definitely recommend the Spearhead Trail system because it is a little more technical. They're a little rockier. You have some - not really rock crawling, but definitely more rocky terrain. Some steeper trails. And it's just a lot less crowded. The Hatfield McCoy - that's a really popular trail."

Many of Paula's customers are repeat visitors who come two to three times a year, with the fall being a favorite season for many looking to get out among changing leaves. When she can find the time, she loves to get out herself. Powersports has always been part of her life.

"[I] started out on four-wheelers and then ended up with Davidson. Enjoyed that. And then I traded the two wheels for four and went with side-by-side. There's something that's really freeing about getting out on the mountain, turn up some music and just ride. Very stress-relieving."

"There's something that's really freeing about getting out on the mountain, turn up some music and just ride."

She does notice that she's stereotyped by customers from time to time as someone unfamiliar with the details of the vehicles.

"[It can be a challenge] that it's a male-dominated industry. 99% of our customers are men. So most of them just assume that because I'm a woman, I don't know anything about operating or the mechanics."

Asked if they are impressed when they realize she knows so much, she responds, "They are. They're like, 'How did you learn so much? I really didn't think you would know about that.' And of course, I enjoy that part of it."

Paula hopes to get more women in the driver's seat. Many wives and significant others insist that they're the passenger for the day, which is missing out on a whole lot of fun.

"I say, you have to try it. You never know. I like to drive. Like, I don't want to be in the passenger seat. I want to drive. You never know until you try it."

Sarah Conway, Owner/Operator at Titan Power Rentals in Oracle, Arizona

Operating an Adventure Outfitter location wasn't in Sarah Conway's plans when she first moved to Arizona from Oregon. With a background in real estate, her goal was to rent out her three-bedroom guest house on Airbnb.

Her property was right next to a big Arizona wilderness, and guests of her Airbnb began asking if she offered any off-road rentals.

"People were inquiring about having a buggy or something because we're right there. So I did a little business plan, and I bought one. I built a website, and it just blew up, and I had to buy two more units. So I had three. And then I was just booked out all the time.

"I just had these ladies - they were almost 80 years old, and they were going out by themselves. They rented a RZR. I switched them into a Trail S, and they had a blast."

And it wasn't just from Airbnb. It was from the metros, like Phoenix and Tucson. But it got too big for that location. So that's where I found [this location] in Oracle. We have thousands of miles of trail right from our location."

Those thousands of miles of trail span some impressive Arizona scenery. Titan Power Rentals is only a half-hour from Tucson and an hour and a half from Phoenix. The Coronado National Forest is right outside the door. Less than 40 miles in one of Sarah's RZRs or GENERALs, or the perfect option for a day-long adventure, brings you to the town of Summerhaven atop Mount Lemmon, over 9000 ft in elevation.

"You get to see the drastic change [in scenery] that Arizona offers that most people don't even know exists." Other routes accessible from her location are extremely popular for offroad enthusiasts, including the Tucson Wash, the Smelter Wash, and Copper Creek and the ghost town there.

"When we're not working, we try to go out and map more trails.  We have trails for easy, medium - and then for our frequent riders, we have more advanced trails.

But we don't allow anyone to go on the extreme trails because we don't want accidents. Our soil doesn't absorb water. We don't get much of it. So if you get a monsoon, it's just a downpour, and it just floods and washes. If we have a fire first and then a monsoon, forget about the trail. It could be a deep canyon now, and you won't know it until you get there."

Sarah knows her stuff. Though running an Adventure Outfitter location may not have originally been in her plans, offroading has been part of her life since she was a toddler.

"My dad was very adventurous, and he operated a small ranch. He always had a fishing pole and this old flatbed Ford truck that could go anywhere. And he would just all of a sudden be like, 'I've got a wild hair!' and he'd just go off-road, throw it in four, and we would go so fast.

I was only like two the first time I remember doing it. I'd sit in the middle, and it was a big stick shift - I would do the stick. I couldn't even see over the dash, obviously. And we were just doing all these hill climbs, and we'd find like hidden streams and go fishing and then get back in and go home. It was awesome."

She knows her stuff, but of course, not everyone realizes that immediately. "Many people think my operations manager is the owner, which he's not, or that we're married, which we're not. It was difficult in the beginning, but now we've had some longevity here. People read our reviews, and they mention my name a lot."

Sarah does get groups of ladies adventuring from time to time including some bachelorette parties. In fact, she sees women breaking stereotypes all the time.

"I just had these ladies - they were almost 80 years old, and they were going out by themselves. They rented a RZR. I switched them into a Trail S, and they had a blast. I think they were going to come back this weekend. They stayed out for 4 hours. And next time, they want to do the full day."

Those who are hesitant, and who are saying that familiar refrain, she encourages to give it a shot. "Women come in with their husbands, and they're like, 'No, I'm not going to drive at all.' And I'm like, well, how about I give you some hair ties? I'll braid your hair - you got to try it."