More than once, it looked like Louise Ferguson’s planned attempt to make history just wasn’t going to happen.
Indeed, it appeared the Fort William native might not even make it to the venue which, ultimately, has ensured her name is now amongst mountain biking royalty.
Last month, Ferguson set off to compete at Red Bull Hardline Wales. But before she could even consider how she would ride down the treacherous course, which is widely known as one of the most demanding and dangerous in the downhill mountain biking world, it seemed her dream was over.
It began to look like she would be spending race day on the hard shoulder of a motorway rather than negotiating the hazardous landscape of the Dyfi Valley.
“On my way to Hardline, my van broke down. I was so stressed-out because I was on the side of the road wondering if we were even going to make it there,” the 29-year-old says.
“None of the car-hire companies we called had a van big enough for us and I remember saying to my boyfriend, should we even try and get there or should we just go home? I was so stressed about it all because I really wanted to be at Hardline but it looked like it just wasn’t going to happen.”
After much scrambling about for a vehicle that could accommodate Ferguson and her bike, the Scot made it to the Hardline venue in the wee small hours the night before the event began.
As she was preparing for her practice run, though, word came through that because of rain, the practice day was to be cancelled. And no practice run meant no place on the start-line of the race proper.
A lot of phone calls from a lot of different people, though, persuaded the organisers to give the green flag to Ferguson and her fellow riders for a short practice session and that, it turned out, set the ball rolling for the Scot to write her name into mountain biking folklore.
Ferguson ultimately managed to overcome both her nerves and the seemingly unnegotiable terrain - some of the jumps she successfully attempted were 90 feet high - to become the first-ever woman to complete a full run at Red Bull Hardline Wales.
It was a remarkable achievement and one that has seen praise for Ferguson flow-in from every corner of the globe.
“I didn't feel prepared for Hardline, to be honest. None of the female riders had done a full run before and so it was a very intimidating thought to try it,” she says.
“I was definitely nervous, because it’s me at my very limit. The two jumps in the middle of the track are bigger than anything I've done before and to put all the features together is so tough.
“What makes it even harder for us female riders is that you can follow someone in practice, which takes a little bit of pressure off, but what is often not spoken about is the founders of Hardline are men, the features are designed by men and they’re tested by men. The course feels very different for them because they're normally bigger so they carry more momentum and so when you’re getting information about how to ride, it’s not always relevant to a female rider. That’s why it can be extra-scary.
“When I was ready to go I felt like I'd done everything I could, I had to just commit and go for it.”
Ferguson’s nerves were well-justified - injuries are commonplace at Hardline races across the world and indeed, the previous year, Ferguson’s professional team had banned her from riding, such were the risks of getting hurt.
After much persuasion, she talked them into allowing her to ride this year, which turned out to be a masterstroke.
“It does feel crazy to be the first woman to do this,” she says.
“There's been so many other women who have been close but not managed out so I was definitely not expecting to be the first one at Hardline Wales to do it.
“So to be the first is a massive achievement for me. It’s probably the biggest achievement of my career. I'm really proud, but I'm also very aware that I'm only here because of the other women who have gone ahead of me.”
Ferguson began riding atypically late. It wasn’t until university that mountain biking piqued her interest, and even then she began riding for fun rather than because of any competitive ambitions she harboured.
But, as cycling began to become a bigger part of her life, she made the decision to relocate to New Zealand in 2019 to experience the mountain biking scene down under.
The plan had been to stay for six months but the not insignificant matter of the pandemic meant Ferguson was unable to leave the country and so six months has now turned into six years.
And during this time, Ferguson has established herself as one of the very best downhill mountain bikers on the planet.
Regular World Cup top ten finishes, as well as becoming British Downhill Mountain Biking champion this season, are clear indications of the excellent form she’s in and she’s hoping to cap off what’s already been a dream season with a career-best ride at the World Championships, which begin next weekend in in Valais, Switzerland.
To date, Ferguson’s best-ever World Championship finish is fourth-place in 2023 but given the momentum she’s taking into this year’s event, it’s not unrealistic to wonder just how much better she could potentially do this time around.
“I'm really excited about Worlds,” she says.
“I've never ridden this track but I'm really looking forward to it, especially having had such a good season so far.
“There’s so many great riders at Worlds and it can come down to really small things that make the difference but Hardline has proved to me that anything is possible and you just need to back yourself.
“I’m not going in saying I'm definitely going to become world champion but I am really excited to see what I can do.”
