The clinic is totally worth it - hope to see you there! I bet your DH wouldn't have any trouble finding men to ride with and I assume the children's clinic will be repeated next year.

Personally I've a SRAM X0 grip on the left, X7 trigger on the right side of my mountain bike. I LOVE that combination. X0 and above grips are awesome, I don't know that I would go below X0. X9 grips are fine, but the grip is a different size and I don't care for that.

I've been riding this hybrid configuration for a few months now and REALLY like it. My hands are small, and the bits of arthritis were giving me a real problem with trigger on the left - but this totally solved it. I've X0 grips on my Gunnar, over 2k miles so far and no issues at all.

Of course you've more experience on the trails than I do, and you are a more aggressive mountain biker so who can say that you would have the same experience with them.