Kaia Jensen is one of the current local riders expanding the boundaries of women's freeride and setting the stage for the next generation. This past summer, Kaia achieved an impressive 3rd place finish at Crankworx Whistler Speed and Style aboard her heavily modified Transition Scout. Beyond her competitive accolades, Kaia plays a valuable role in the growth of women freeride as a positive and approachable figure within the riding community. I was able to catch up with Kaia to get the details on what makes her Scout unique, how she approaches an event like Speed and Style, and hear her thoughts on the growth of women's freeride and what it means to be involved in the sport's progression. 

Kaia’s Scout was heavily modified for the unique demands of slopestyle. She opted for an Extra Small frame and steeped the headtube by a degree to provide the handling she was looking for to tackle the Crankworx Whistler course.

Bike Details

Frame: Transition Scout

Size: Extra Small

Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate 

Fork: RockShox Pike Ultimate 27.5"

Wheels: OneUp Components Hubs, DT Swiss FR541 Rims, Sapim Double Butted Spokes 

Tires: Forecaster 27.5 x 2.4 EXO,  Ikon 27.5 x 2.35 3C MaxxSpeed EXO 

Drivetrain: TRP EVO 7 DH, Canfield AM 160mm cranks 

Pedals: OneUp Composite 

Brakes: TRP Slate EVO 

Cockpit: OneUp Carbon bars, OneUp Stem, Sensus EM.J Grips

What are the differences setup-wise for a bike that is dedicated to an event, such as speed and style?

I usually ride a size small bike, but I built up an extra small Transition Scout for this build. To make it more "slopey", I steepened the headset angle by a degree and am running a 7-speed drivetrain with 160mm cranks. I also have the front brake routed through the headset with my OneUp threaded top cap. I run the suspension as stiff as I can, especially in the back, so that it’s efficient and consistent. The rest of the setup is fairly similar to how I run my trail bike to keep things familiar. 

A TRP 7-speed groupset handles the shifting duties. Kaia opted to run shorter 160mm cranks and has been massively impressed with the feeling and clearance they provide. She plans to try them on other builds in the future.

Do you ride this bike a lot outside of competitions and events? 

I ride this bike all the time. It’s been my commuter bike lately, which is a bit ridiculous because it is a 7-speed with a fixed post, but I also ride it at the local dirt jumps and some of my friends' lines. 

How do you set your suspension for slopestyle? 

I have the bike set up super stiff. I’m particular about my suspension setup, and since I’m running high air pressure, I find I have to run the rebound quite slow.  I personally like the way open compression feels, and for now would rather put more air in than close the compression. 

The rear shock on this build is set up extremely stiff to handle the demands of the massive jumps found on Crankworx Whistler course.

What is the energy like building up to an event like Crankworx Speed and Style? 

Oh, it’s really cool.  That event was pretty crazy because the course was gnarly, and they didn’t give us much time.  This year, we get one day to ride it. There are two two-hour sessions in the morning, then an extended lunch, qualifiers, all the different rounds, and then finals.  There were only four girls to qualify and three who ended up racing, so we had to wait for all of the rounds until finals to ride again. 

There was a lot of working together between all of us, trying to check off all the features in a short period of time. You show up to these gnarly jumps that no one has ever ridden before, and you’re like, “Alright, cool, we have to figure this whole line out by midday today.”

Is there an element of teamwork in the field when figuring out new jumps? 

Totally. I feel like the only reason events like these work is because everyone works together so well. If there was more negative competition between riders, the whole sport wouldn’t be able to succeed the way that it does. 

Kaia piloted this bike to an impressive 3rd place finish at Crankworx Whistler Speed and Style.

What are your thoughts on the direction in which women’s freeride is headed for the next wave of female riders? 

It’s amazing. We have such a strong field of women to learn from and look up to, and they are setting a great example of world-class riding, teamwork, and supporting each other.  For years, these women spent a lot of time putting on grassroots events for the rest of us to come up into, so it has been really cool to see them be able to focus on their own careers differently now that there are more opportunities for them to compete in higher profile events.  This also means that there is more room for the entirety of women freeride to move up, and we can see this in the way younger people are coming up. The level of riding in these kids is unreal, and it’s going to be really cool to see how the sport progresses over the next few years.  While they’ll be out there whooping us before we know it, we get this really unique opportunity as a group to create and set the scene that younger riders step into. 

A set of TRP Slate EVO brakes helps to keep things under control, although they probably didn’t see much use until the finish line.

What does the inclusion of women in Red Bull Rampage mean to you?

It’s really cool! Previously, it felt like outside forces were putting a limit on what female freeriders could achieve, not just for personal goals but in terms of long-term career aspirations. It’s been empowering to see these female riders who have paved their own way in the sport now being able to advance their careers, challenge their riding, and continue to be role models for younger riders in even more ways.  Just in practice for Rampage this year, we’ve already seen so many barriers broken and expectations explode, and it is something really special to have the opportunity to see what these women are capable of.  This is the first year that it has gone from some of my friends being in and involved in Rampage to my friends making up Rampage, and the first time girls everywhere will be able to see what the women’s freeride scene is capable of.  They will see women pushing their limits, helping each other out, challenging each other to be better and to accomplish their dreams, and see women with dream custom bikes, fresh lids, and unique kits. Girls everywhere get to see what happens when women in sports believe in each other, advocate for what they’re capable of, and make a change together.  And most importantly, I am just so thrilled for my friends.