Jamie Blaise is a unique business woman, you will not find her operating a boutique or even a fancy coffee shop, where you will find her is out riding an ATV and getting dirty on some winding trail in the middle of Croom Motorcycle Area.
The Croom Motorcycle Area was established in 1973. It is 2600 acres of trees, trails, and old mine pits devoted to Off Highway Vehicles. There is even a supervised course for young riders where they can drive without an adult onboard. To accommodate beginning riders, two dozer units were acquired in 2012 to “groom and grade trails.” There is plenty of all natural terrain for those who desire a challenge. The nearby Buttgenbach Mine Campground, has an entrance to the motorcycle area and an equipment storage facility is available which is separate from the park.
If this has peaked your interest but you don’t have much experience in the sport, this is where Blaise comes in. Blaise rides with you as a tour guide throughout the trails and provides everything you need to be comfortable and safe. She provides helmets, gloves and even walkie talkies so that the riders can talk during the rides. She takes the time to explain all the details about the ATV as well as any safety precautions while out riding the trails. Jamie explains, “You get everything you need and we go and have fun.”
Earning a living by riding an ATV seemed unrealistic to Blaise until she took an entrepreneur class in college. She was assigned to put a business plan together. “The more I looked into this, the more I realized how incredible this opportunity actually was,” she stated. Blaise will receive her Bachelor’s degree in September of 2015.
Dirtbike and ATV riding are male dominated activities, however Jamie’s dream has inspired other women to try out this fun way to enjoy the outdoors. The main focus for her business is for people to come out and enjoy trail riding. “There is something about being outdoors in nature and doing this,” Blaise said. The nine month journey that started out as a simple idea has produced a growing business with a solid future.
For more information about ATV riding, you can visit Rough n’ Dirty at https://www.roughndirtyatvs.com/ . Another ATV rental serving the Croom Motorcycle area is Croom ATV rental. You can check them out at www.croomatvrental.com.