Getting to Know - Kathi Kuypers
"I've known Kathi for some years now, the first time that I met her was at the first Nine Knights in Neukirchen/Austria in 2012. I was doing the Cow shot with Amir Kabbani and I was wearing a Dirndl dress and didn't have the right hairstyle for it, so Kathi fixed it. From there on, she was super sympathetic to me and we've gone on many adventures since like this year to Canada for 3 weeks and have become closer friends!
She is a badass woman rider; riding trails, hitting dirt jumps like the guys and even not scared to compete against them. That's what I like on her, she rides her bike whenever she can, is motivated to learn new stuff and is always having fun and that's what counts!
Kathi also knows every single slopestyler, all of the MTB movies, spots, and bike parks,... a real MTB Lady, just ask her when you want to know something about the sport.
She inspires other women to ride! What scares me sometimes about the blond Bavarian lady is only when we go out cause we party quite good and the day after we have to tell each other what happened, haha there were some good stories
I know Kathi as a big-hearted, lovely person that I love to hang out with and I wish her loads of happiness and that she stays healthy!" - Angie Hohenwarter
Who is Kathi Kuypers?A feral girl chasing her dreams on bikes.
Where are you from and where do you live?Bavaria- the southern Alps, ( the nicer part of Germany ).
Who do you ride for?I ride for me, myself and I with help from Trek Bicycles as a Trek Gravity Girl. I'd like to thank Trek Bicycles, Bontrager, FiveTen, and adidas sport eyewear for their help.
Where are you happiest?I love to start my day on my trail bike in the mountains and finish it with a mellow dirt jump session and having a BBQ with some good bavarian Augustiner beer at the dirt jumps before going home.
What’s been your favourite race/contest venue?I have never been more stoked than at my first FMB event at Bikedays Solothurn, it was my first DJ Comp and of course Crankworx Whistler. Nothing can beat the vibes that Whistler gives you!
Where are your favourite trails?Last year I traveled to Barcelona 4 times to spend the depressing winter season at La Poma’s Dirt jumps. But nothing comes even close to riding dirt jumps which are built by the Flying Metal Crew. No matter how big the gaps are, I feel safe on those jumps.
When it comes to trails, I love to travel around the world with my trail bike and discover new places. This year, the Chilcotin trails blew my mind, I had never experienced so much flow. In Europe, I have to say that the secret swiss single tracks are my favorite.
What are your strengths?I don't take life too seriously.
What are your weaknesses?Double Cream Oreos!
What’s been your worst crash over the years?I thought it was a good idea to learn bar spins and I destroyed my right knee and tibia badly.
What’s been your luckiest escape?My friends and I got chased by a Grizzly Bear in the Chilcotins but somehow he turned right and ran into another valley. I was the last one on the trail behind my friends, so I would have been the bear’s afternoon snack.
Which bike from over the years, conjures up the best memories?I have a really strong connection to my DJ bike. It’s a custom-painted Trek Ticket with a full WWII fighter theme from nose to tail. There’s a blond pin-up girl (me) on the seat tube to support me on massive jumps as these heroic pilots back in the history had on their fighters. They often portrayed a sweetheart from back home as a painting near the cockpit to encourage themselves in the air.
I did 3 Crankworx Events (Speed and Style, Pumptrack, and Dual Slalom) on my Ticket and I mostly spend my free time on that little bike, so he’s my buddy.
Kathi and her Trek Ticket take on the Speed and Style course at Crankworx, Whistler.
What bikes are you riding right now?Trek Ticket DJ, Trek Remedy, and Trek Session Park.
Who’s your favourite rider?Brett Rheeder. I had tears in my eyes when he finally won Joyride this year.
Who or what inspires you? If there is one person in this universe that I just wish to have one little talk with, it would be Sarah Burke. She has been one of a kind and inspired me to try dirt jump contests, as one of those, not even a handful of girls competing. Sarah Burke was so much more than just a successful athlete, she was a leader in the sport community, a respected media personality, and an action sports icon. She was a four-time Winter X Games gold medallist and won the world championship in the halfpipe. She successfully lobbied the IOC to have the event added to the Olympic program for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Let's be more like Sarah! #celebratesarah
The sticker says it all.
Inspiration to do things like this.
What do you enjoy doing away from bikes?I love traveling, getting to know people, hopping on adventures, and getting loose at parties, haha.
Steffi Marth, Kathi Kuypers, and Katja Rupf enjoying the Dolomites in Italy.
What are you listening to right now?Morning Sun by Strange Talk.
What’s your favourite movie/ TV show?I love chilling on the couch with my pets and brothers and watching Takeshi's castle, “Hör mal wer da hämmert” (Home Improvement) and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Kathi is not thinking about her favorite old TV reruns while taking in a ride like this one.
What’s your favourite non-bike website?YouTube. Before going to sleep, I love to watch through some good advertisements, my favorites are, for example, the Budweiser ads.
What’s your favourite motto or saying? | The best thing you could give a girl is a lifetime of adventures. |
What grinds your gears?When I'm trying to learn new things and someone who doesn't know what they are talking about starts telling me what to do. That grinds my gears.
What makes you happy?I always have some candy in my pockets. And I love the feeling of accomplishing something new on a bike, doesn’t matter if it’s a new dirt jump line or a trick.
Kathi wanted somewhere to train...
so she built her own indoor park.
If you weren’t a pro mountain biker, what would you be doing?Maybe a skier? According to my mom, a very successful business woman who lives for her job.
If you were in charge of the sport, what changes would you make?A girl’s category in the FMB, more attention to girls from the whole industry but less of an importance from the social media side.
When you hang up your racing/ riding shoes, how do you want to be remembered?A stylish, passionate, and steezy shredder.
What does the future hold for Kathi Kuypers?Lots of adventures with my bikes.
Images by - Alexander Keil, Cecile Gambin, Sandro Szukat, Marius Schwager, Nathan Hughes, Dominik Bosshard, and Christian Tharovsky.
MENTIONS: @TGGKathi / @clemson / @trek / @FiveTen / @adidaseyewear
Must Read This Week
51 Comments
So nice to see girls enjoying bikes as much as we guys do!
If you have no complain...better say nothing!!!
Or is this a "Don't mention the war!" type situation?
you have good points,if sponsors take you not for skill,whats the fun of the sport if its just for advertising?