6th Annual Libby Arenacross draws a crowd Sunday afternoon

By KYLE McCLELLAN The Western News

A blonde ponytail was seen bouncing out of the back of a blue helmet in a testosterone-filled crowd of faceless dirt bike racers at the Millpond Motocross track Sunday in Libby.

The ponytail belonged to Hailley Moe, a 10-year-old Libby girl who was the youngest female representative in the male-dominated sport. And she competed head-on with the boys, placing second in a race that saw boys on bikes in a bigger class than her own. Other females rode, to be sure. But besides an 11-year-old from Idaho, the next youngest was 18. With her bright green 85cc Kawasaki, Moe tore around corners, soared off jumps and sped through straight-aways in a sport that conjures images of quintessential boyhood dirt dreams. On a couple occasions, Moe departed her mini Kawasaki mid-flight, hitting the dirt hard. She scraped her leg and hurt her ribs. But she was up in an instant and back on her $2,800 bike. Her grandfather, Marvin, said she's kind of famous around here. It's clear why. She takes on the boys. Fearlessly. Modestly. How does it feel taking on the boys? "Good," she said. Her grandfather described it with more words. "She had it iced," he said. "She would have beat them if she didn't fall. "Moe, a fifth-grader at Libby Middle School, started riding five years ago. The next level of competition is always nearby in the same household, actually ready to be emulated and ingrained into her repertoire. Her brother, Gunnar, 11, rides in the advanced level on the same size bike. He placed first in one of his races. For the big boys, the pros, Sunday's Arenacross offered $2,500 in winnings. Andy Remp, whose parents helped establish the race six years ago, was a local favorite. He floated high on each jump, often whipping his 250cc bike into a sideways soar before landing.