Kelly Bannerman of Bonnyville, Alberta, has been riding for about 10 years. First introduced to the sport by her father, she spent her free time shredding up the river bottoms in the Lakeland area. Three years ago, though, Bannerman found herself in a relationship with her childhood best friend, Henry, who then took her riding up a notch. No more was it simply back and forth on the river—Henry and the boys meant business.
Henry knew that his best friend would be riding hard so not only was he willing to impart wisdom and riding skills, he outfitted her in proper gear to keep his partner warm. With new boots, a helmet, a jacket and pants, Bannerman was ready to roll. On her 1996 Ski-Doo MXZ 440, she held her own. Sometimes her little 121-inch track struggled in the deep snow, but sheer determination and a bit of muscle got this lady where she needed to go.
The Chicken Hill area, located southwest of Bonnyville, is Bannerman’s favourite place to ride. Located between Bonnyville and St. Paul, this ride, which joins up with the Elk Point Trail, has its fair share of rolling hills to play on. Bannerman loves how this trail curves amongst the trees and gives her many opportunities to develop new riding skills. One hundred and thirty kilometres of awesome, this ride features many gas stations and fun pit stops along the way.
Although this past season was spent on her MXZ 440, the upcoming season has a new ride waiting for Bannerman—a 2006 Arctic Cat Crossfire. She hopes to venture to the mountains but admits that she loves her local riding area most of all. It has plenty of excitement without the huge consequences that can occur when mountain riding.
Now a member of the Betties Power Sports Network, Bannerman looks forward to meeting new people, both local and from afar, for more winter riding adventures.
