How Washougal Nationals - Pro Motocross Championship Helped Shape Off-Road Vixens
Sixteen years ago, we arrived at Washougal with a small collection of products and a big love for motorsports. We left knowing we had found something special.
There are certain places that become part of your story. For Off-Road Vixens, one of those places will always be Washougal Motocross Park.
This July, our brand will be returning to the Washougal National Pro Motocross Championship for the 16th year—and that is difficult for us to wrap our heads around. So much has changed since we first attended in 2010, but the feeling we get when we arrive at the track is still the same.
Excitement. Gratitude. And, most of all, a sense that we belong there.
There Is Nothing Quite Like Washougal
Tucked among the towering evergreens of southwest Washington, Washougal does not look or feel like any other track on the Pro Motocross circuit. The rich dirt winds through the trees, riders disappear into the shadows and then come flying back into view, and spectators can get close enough to feel the ground shake and smell the race gas.
And then there is Horsepower Hill—one of the most exciting and slightly crazy parts of the track. Watching riders charge up that steep climb takes the energy of Washougal to another level. The bikes are working, the crowd is loud, and for a few seconds, everyone is watching to see who can carry the speed and make it cleanly to the top. It is one of those spots that perfectly captures what makes motocross at Washougal so unforgettable.
Horsepower Hill Washougal Motocross Park
The venue opened in 1972 and has hosted Pro Motocross since 1980. The official Pro Motocross Championship describes it as the longest-running professional motorsports event in the Pacific Northwest, having run every year but one since it joined the series. In 2026, the Washougal National will be held on July 25 as Round 8 of the championship.
For motocross fans in this part of the country, Washougal is more than another race on the schedule. It is a summer tradition. It is one of those events people talk about all year and look forward to returning to with their families and friends.
It is easy to understand why so many fans and riders consider it one of their favorite outdoor nationals.
Where We Realized We Had Something Special
When we first came to the Washougal National in 2010, Off-Road Vixens was still young. Our product offering was much smaller, the styles were completely different, and we were still learning exactly where we fit within the motorsports industry.
At the time, women did not have many choices when it came to apparel that represented their place in the off-road world.
We were making women’s motocross apparel, not riding gear. That was never the gap we were trying to fill.
What we saw missing was something women could wear away from the bike that still said:
This is my world, too.
Like us, women were racing, riding, wrenching, supporting their families, cheering from the fence, camping at the track and spending their weekends completely immersed in motorsports. But there was very little lifestyle apparel designed specifically for them—especially clothing that felt authentic to the industry rather than something added as an afterthought.
Washougal was one of the first places where we saw just how many women were looking for exactly that.
They wanted something that represented who they were.
They wanted apparel that felt like it belonged at the track.
They wanted to be included.
And when women began stopping at our booth, connecting with the message “Girls Get Dirty Too!” and getting excited about the products, we realized we might have created something much bigger than we originally understood.
Washougal 2010
Our First Real Sense of Belonging
Washougal did more than help us recognize an opportunity in the marketplace. It gave us our first true sense of belonging within the industry.
The motocross community welcomed us. Customers returned to see us. Other businesses took an interest in what we were doing. Friendships formed around the booth, in the vendor area, and alongside the track.
Many of those connections did not end when the weekend was over.
Over the past 16 years, we have made lifelong friends, met business partners, and watched customers grow alongside us. Some people who discovered Off-Road Vixens at Washougal years ago still stop by to see us today.
That is one of the things we love most about motorsports. People may arrive because of the racing, but the relationships are what keep so many of us coming back.
From 2010 to Today
Looking back at our photos from those early years is both humbling and a lot of fun.
The heart of the brand has stayed the same, but our apparel has evolved tremendously. In 2010, we had only a fraction of the products and styles we offer now. Over the years, we have introduced new fits, fabrics, graphics, layers, accessories, gear, and collections for women and girls throughout the off-road community.
We have learned what our customers actually want to wear—not only at races, but while riding, traveling, camping, working in the garage, and living their everyday lives.
Each year we have returned to Washougal with more to offer, and each year the response to Off-Road Vixens has grown.
That support helped give us the confidence to keep expanding, trying new things and creating apparel for women whose lives do not always fit inside the traditional boxes.
What to Wear to Washougal Nationals
Our race-day outfits have definitely changed since 2010.
Washougal can be hot and dusty during the day, but being surrounded by the forest means shaded areas can feel cooler—and Pacific Northwest weather can always keep you guessing. Comfortable shoes are a must because race day involves plenty of walking, climbing hills, and finding the perfect viewing spot.
Here is what we would reach for now:
The Full Throttle Tee
It is hard to imagine a more fitting design for a motocross national. The Full Throttle Tee has the dirt-bike attitude we love while still being easy to wear throughout a long day at the track.
Pair it with denim shorts, comfortable shoes and a trucker hat for an uncomplicated race-day outfit.
The Moto Head Cropped Micro Rib Tank
For a hot afternoon at the track, the Moto Head Cropped Micro Rib Tank would be an easy choice. It has the right motocross energy without looking like something pulled from the men’s section.
Wear it with high-rise shorts or lightweight pants and be prepared to come home with a little Washougal dirt on it.
SHOP MOTO HEAD CROPPED MICRO RIB TANK
The Check Point Windbreaker
No Washougal outfit is complete without an extra layer nearby. The Check Point Windbreaker is easy to bring along when the weather is uncertain or the temperature starts dropping later in the day.
Tie it around your waist, carry it in your bag or throw it on when the shade under the trees gets chilly.
SHOP CHECK POINT ZIP UP WINDBREAKER
A Trucker Hat and Crossbody Bag
A hat helps with the sun and the dust, while a crossbody keeps your phone, cards and other essentials close without having to carry a large bag around the track.
Those practical race-day pieces may not have been a big part of our collection in 2010, but today they are some of the items we rarely attend an event without.
SHOP HEAVY METAL DOUBLE POCKET CROSSBODY BAG
Years of Memories
Over the years, we have watched so many incredible riders compete at Washougal. We have stood near the track as the best racers in the sport charged through the trees, launched off the jumps, and fought for every position.
But our favorite memories are not limited to what happened on the track.
They include the customers who told us they finally found a brand that understood them. The women who returned year after year. The families who made our booth part of their Washougal tradition. The friendships that began with a quick conversation and continued long after everyone went home.
Those moments helped shape Off-Road Vixens just as much as the products we created.
Carrying the Washougal Tradition Forward
A few years ago, after COVID, we made the decision to pass the Washougal torch to one of our amazing independent representatives, Christina. As the owners of Off-Road Vixens, we needed to stay closer to home and focus more of our attention on the day-to-day work required to continue growing the brand.
We could not have handed such an important event to a better person. Christina has continued representing Off-Road Vixens at Washougal and carrying on a tradition that means so much to us.
Even though we are no longer personally standing behind the booth each year, Washougal never feels far away. As race weekend approaches, we find ourselves reminiscing about the track, the people, the sound of the bikes through the trees, and all the memories created there over the years.
We think about the lifelong friendships and business relationships that began at Washougal, the familiar customers who returned year after year, and the excitement of watching someone discover Off-Road Vixens for the first time. We remember the long days, the race gas, the dirt, the energy of the crowd, and the feeling that we had finally found our place in the motorsports industry.
Washougal helped us recognize that women in motorsports were looking for apparel that represented them—something created with their lifestyle, personality, and place in the industry in mind. That realization played an important role in shaping the company Off-Road Vixens has become today.
Although our role at the event has changed, our appreciation for Washougal never will. We are incredibly grateful that Christina continues to represent the brand there and that Off-Road Vixens remains part of an event that has meant so much to our story.
Follow Christina on IG @dirty.northwest.offroadvixens
Christina will be set up in her usual spot in the vending area; stop by and say hello. You can't miss her awesome setup!
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