Our Future
The future of NMA…what does it look like? It’s fair to say a crystal ball settled atop one member’s gear bag will tell tales that differ from another’s. Nonetheless, NMA will continue to be the sum of its members. Afterall, the common thread stitching us together is our passion for riding dirt bikes. Our passion is woven with thread of various fibers- happiness, relief, peace, gratitude, excitement…insert your “good feels” here. These fibers are spun into a binding thread as we create everlasting memories and bonds of friendship while exploring our world on a dirt bike. Thus, the passion of dirt biking is a fabric of our lives.
Hiking boots, saddles, pedals, and a host of other modes of outdoor recreation have a cloth of passion of their own. Yet, we all share common fibers at our very core. NMA recognized this at our inception and will continue honoring our commonalities through collaborative efforts to achieve mutually beneficial goals.
Dirt biking has been an organized outdoor recreational activity in Washington since at least the 1930s. Over the decades, the community of dirt bikers has grown. NMA’s story of preserving off-road motorcycling began in 1973. The makeup of our membership was different back then. Very few people of color rode dirt bikes. Female dirt bikers were something of a novelty. Topics of sexual orientation and gender identity were taboo. But throughout time, the thread that weaves the fabric of a dirt biker has remained unchanged for nearly 100 years. It has woven a fabric of dirt bikers that is far more diverse than ever before. And why not? Give anyone the opportunity to learn to ride a dirt bike and there’s a good chance their fibers of emotion will spin in a thread that weaves a new passion for them: riding dirt bikes. This is our common bond. NMA has been – and will continue to be – the sum of its members. We’re 50 years strong and more diverse than ever before. So, join the ride – pardon the pun – as we continue protecting riding areas and preserving off-road motorcycling in Washington.
What does the future of dirt biking look like? Again, a crystal ball’s story will vary one to the next. Bikes have changed. Riding areas have changed. It’s fair to say these things will continue to change. NMA sits atop an enormous mountain of passion for dirt biking. Gaze down into the “Valley of the Future” and we see trails as vast tendrils exploring the landscapes of conservation, preservation, legislation, recreation, competition, collaboration, and surely other yet-to-be discovered trails. NMA will navigate these trails while flying its banner in service to those who love riding dirt bikes in Washington.