#ThrowbackThursday: Michele Duffy – One of the Original Queens of the California Dirt Scene
This week, we’re throwing it back to the early days of Sea Otter, when mountain biking was raw, wild, and built on grit. At the front of the women’s pack was Michele Duffy, a fierce NorCal racer known for her climbing power, big smile, and trailblazing spirit.
Long before full suspension bikes and custom kits, Michele was showing up to race with nothing but determination, duct tape, and a deep love for the ride. She helped shape the women’s XC scene in California during the late ’80s and early ’90s, competing at a time when female racers were often an afterthought in the sport.
But Michele made people pay attention—with her results, her camaraderie, and her quiet leadership. She inspired a generation of NorCal girls to get on bikes, chase podiums, and show up for one another on and off the trails. She may not be in every mountain biking history book—but if you were there, you knew who she was.
To the early women of Sea Otter: Thank you for riding hard, standing tall, and making space for the rest of us.
