All about the ride

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

—Albert Einstein

Early Years

From the moment she could walk, Emi was already reaching for two wheels. She started riding balance bikes at just one year old, and by two she was pedaling on her own. At preschool, her parents were on speed dial for band-aid duty after every little crash—Emi was fearless from the start.

By age three, she was rolling off ramps, and at four she was already riding downhill trails at Northstar. As her skills grew, so did her bikes—mom and dad kept upgrading her gear to keep up with her progression.

At six years old, Emi lined up for her very first race: the 2022 Sea Otter Classic. She raced Downhill on a 20” Spawn Rokkusuta and hasn’t looked back since.

More Recently

Now nine years old, Emi is focused on Dual Slalom and Downhill racing, traveling to events across the Bay Area, Lake Tahoe, and Southern California. At Sea Otter 2024, pro rider Martha Gill shared a tip that stuck with her: “Smooth is fast.” Emi’s been riding with that mindset ever since.

Off the racecourse, Emi works hard behind the scenes too—filming, editing, and dreaming up fun ways to share the ride. She loves the creative side of making bike videos and puts a lot of heart into producing content for other groms and fans of the sport. In 2025, she was honored to serve as a Youth Ambassador for the Sea Otter Classic, helping promote one of the biggest events in cycling.

Disciplines

  • Downhill

  • Dirt Jumping

  • Dual Slalom

  • Pumptrack

  • BMX Freestyle

  • BMX Racing

  • Urban Freeride

  • E-bikes