| Stefy Bau | |
Stefy Bau at Hangtown National Raceway in California |
|
| Nationality | Italian |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| Motocross career | |
| Active years | 2000-2005 |
| Teams | Kawasaki Team Green/Honda |
| Grands Prix | |
| Championships | 7 Italian Championships, 5 US Championships |
| Wins | |
| GP debut | |
| First GP win | |
Stefy Bau (born February 17, 1977 in Milan, Italy) is a former Motocross and Supercross racer but due to a career-ending injury, she is now the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme Women's World Motocross Championship General Manager. While racing professional Motocross and Supercross, her nickname was the Female G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time), in reference to Ricky Carmichael.
Her national used to be number 211. 211 was the first number that AMA assigned her when she turned pro amongst the men in January 2000. Stefy was able to create her number into a marketing symbol so much so that AMA itself started selling her image along with her number on t-shirts at the AMA national races and with that under her belt, she helped other athletes to understand the importance of marketing themselves.
Contents |
Stefy started riding dirt bikes at 4 years of age. In 1983, only 6 years of age, she entered into her first race finishing an impressive 3rd place. After that first race, Stefy began a winning streak that lasted her whole first year of her racing career.
In 1986, Cagiva decided to build a prototype bike for Stefy; an identical copy of David Strijbos's. In that year, Stefy dominated the circuit by winning every single race she had entered.
Stefy raced mini bikes up until 1990 finishing a staggering top 5 in every national championship she entered up until that point.
In 1991, at the ripe age of 14, Stefy began racing with bigger bikes. That year is the year Stefy won her first FMI (Federazione Motociclistica Italiana) Italian Women's Motocross Championship. From then on, Stefy won 7 of the 8 FMI (Federazione Motociclistica Italiana) Italian Women's Motocross Championships.
In 1992, Stefy made her first imprint onto US soil by arriving at Perris Raceway in California to compete at the unofficial first ever Women's World Cup. Stefy's goal was to beat 1992's "Fastest Women in the World", Mercedes Gonzalez and conquered that goal.
In 1995, Stefy won the Campionato Italiano UISP Motocross Amatori, now known as UISP Trofeo Italia Motocross. In that same year, Stefy simultaneously raced several races in the Italian Sport Production Championship on board an Aprilia 125 with Team Tino.
Stefy continued her dominating streak in Italy in 1996 by winning yet another FMI (Federazione Motociclistica Italiana) Italian Women's Motocross Championship, though this time it was different because in this year, Stefy also raced downhill mountain bikes in the Downhill Mountain Bike Italian Championship with the factory team Olympia Downhill Mountain Bike. After a few races, the Italian Cycle Federation asked Stefy to represent her own country during the Downhill Mountain Bike World Championship.
1997 was a big year for Stefy. In Italy she turned pro in motocross and rode for the team Yamaha Belgarda Franco Picco adding another FMI (Federazione Motociclistica Italiana) Italian Women's Motocross Championship under her belt.
1998 was a year the United States saw a reappearance of Stefy Bau. She competed in the unofficial Women's World Cup (in conjunction with the AMA National Outdoor Championship) held in Binghamton, NY at Binghamton. Stefy triumphed the competition but results show she finished in 2nd place because of a technicality; "passing on a yellow flag".
Stefy Bau is in two video games available on PlayStation 2 called: Freekstyle and Supercross 2000.
Stefy Bau currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida and Milan, Italy with her fiancee Julie Keates.
Honors
2008 requested as “motocross expert” to FIM bi-annual meetings
2005 Honorary PhD in science of communications following the participation at the male World Motocross championship event in Italy
2000-2004 Only woman to held a male professional motocross license
2002 Women’s National Motocross Pro champion
2002 Character in Freekstyle videogame (Blockbuster hit)
2001 Awarded best World female extreme athlete at the NEA awards in Germany
1999 Women’s Motocross World Pro Champion
1999 Women’s National Motocross Pro Champion
1998 1991 seven time Women’s Italian Motocross Pro Champion
Firsts
2008 appointed Manager for the Women’s Motocross World championship
2005 First woman to participate at a male World Motocross event (Italy round)
2005 First woman motocrosser to be featured on Italian national economic magazines following the participation at the male World Motocross event
2005 First woman motocrosser to have extended features on the most prestigious Italian national sport newspaper, “La Gazzetta dello Sport”
2003 First woman invited to compete against pro motocross male racers in Qatar
2003 First woman professional female athlete to be featured on CNN Arabia
2002 First woman in motorsport to have a replica/signature helmet sold worldwide
2001 First woman invited to compete against pro motocross male racers in Japan
2000 First woman motocrosser to participate to a National TV show on USA channel about female extreme athletes
2000 First woman motocrosser to be invited to a TV talk show in Orange County, CA.
2000 First woman motocrosser to be featured in 2 Play Station videogames (Supercross 2000 and Freekstyle)
1997 First woman to win a national amateur male motocross championship in Italy
1986 First girl to enter and win a children’s amateur National male motocross championship in Italy
1983 First girl to enter and win a children’s amateur regional male motocross championship in Italy
Public outreach/teaching
2008 Invited as a guest speaker “motocross expert” at the FIM congress, in Durban South Africa
2008 Founder of 211 international MX school
2007 Motocross coach
2007 Motocross schools in South America
2007 Founder of 211 Trips – the Ultimate experience for the motocross fan. www.211trips.com
2007 Invited guest to the Italian World Men Motocross championship round.
2006 volunteer for the Road to Recovery – company that helps injured riders.
2006 invited speaker to a chiropractic promotional dinner in Tallahassee
2000-2007 Motocross teacher reaching young girl that want to learn how to became a motocross athlete
2003-2005 Mentor for up and coming motocross female athletes – Ashley Fiolek
2001 Invited speaker to an elementary school in Philadelphia
2001-2002 Invited guest speaker at Toys for Thoughts motorcycle ride in Philadelphia
2000 Invited speaker to the National conference of Women on motorcycles
2000-2005 invited speaker to local news TV stations prior to racing weekend
Official Vital MX Website [1]
Official XGirlSport Website [2]
Official XGirlSport Website [3]
Official Game Cheats Website [4]
Official Women's MX History Website [5]
Official Wonder Warthog Racing Wesite [6]
Official DMS Sports Website [7]
Official StumbleUpon [8]
Official RiderDown Website [9]
Official Stefy Bau Website [10]
Official Stefy Bau "211 National/International MX School" Website [11]