Ariel Kazunas

Ariel Kazunas (she/her) grew up on hand-me-down trikes and Huffys from Toys R' Us in the urban wildernesses of Midwestern cities, before purchasing a "real" commuter bike with summer job money, so she could have a "vehicle" in high school.

Ariel's first MTB ride was at Gooseberry Mesa, on a rental bike with her road cleats, in the company of a friend she has since learned is quite prone to sandbagging others (love you, Stratts!). Something about walking around every feature, washing out in sandy corners, and bleeding on a cactus really clicked, because now, a decade later, Ariel can safely say she has no regrets about the money wasted, bones broken, ribs bruised and exhaustion suffered in the name of the sport - especially the community it has fostered for her and the people she's met through it - that she has come to love more than anything.

Ariel's off the bike passions include: babying her houseplants, making bougie cocktails, and remaining a problem for the colonialist patriarchy.