Sea Otter Classic Challenges Participants with an Overflowing Activity Roster
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Knowing the ropes, Ryan Leech suspends belief with his hard-won trials skills |
MONTEREY, Calif. (March 13, 2008) Now more than ever before, Sea Otter Classic participants are faced with having to choose from an event schedule aimed at pleasing everyone. Live bands, recreational rides, beer and BBQ, the Mountain Bike Ride Zone, moto stunt shows, movie premiers, events for kids, and festival shows where "loop outs, x ups, augering, can-cans, and dumptrucks" become part of the dialect, pack a full roster of things to do at the 18th Annual Sea Otter Classic. If you thought that Sea Otter was only about BMX, road and off-road racing, which you can read about here, here and here, we're just getting warmed up. Below is a guide to what else you have to choose from.
As always, entry to the Sea Otter Classic is free for kids 12 and under; military active duty, retired and families are two for one (50 percent off - ID card
required).
FESTIVAL SHOWS
Ryan Leech Trials Demos - Megawatt trials rider, Ryan Leech, returns this year to Sea Otter to perform daily shows that will no doubt inspire disbelief if he succeeds in riding such unreliable obstacles like chain links and eight centimeter cables. Leech will huck off obstacles, jump up onto barrels, perform jaw-dropping balancing acts, and generally stun spectators with his hard-won trials skills. He has performed thousands of trials shows all over the world and will be sharing his skills with the public throughout the festival. While chatting to the audience on his wireless mike, Leech will demonstrate his prowess by jumping and balancing his bike on a handcrafted course.
"My course is custom built out of steel, all fits inside a trailer which I also use to ride on," said Leech, who spends a good chunk of the year towing the trailer around to perform at festivals, schools, and bike shops.
For a preview of just what Ryan Leech is capable of, visit: www.ryanleech.com
Time: check The Sea Otter Daily for daily show times
GT Airshow - Sharing the limelight with Leech will be the GT Airshow, which is a BMX freestyle show that showcases the sport's very best athletes. GT Airshow riders will perform aerial stunts 20-30 feet above the ramps in addition to flips, jumps, quarter-pipe and half-pipe tricks. The GT Airshow comes to Sea Otter after having toured all around the world, performing at events such as MLB games, NFL games, NBA half-time shows, military bases, bicycle shops, and various fairs and festivals.
Time: check The Sea Otter Daily for daily show times
Magura Moto Stunt Show - "Boy Wonder" Aaron Colton, 14, comes to Sea Otter from his home in Minnesota to show us streetbike freestyle stunting. The youngest stunter in the world, Colton takes command of a streetbike that likely weighs three times more than he does and executes a series of stunts at speed from front and rear wheelies to balancing acts that could cost him big if things don't work out. You don't earn a moniker like "Boy Wonder" by bailing on stunts and everything seems to have worked out for Colton so far.
To learn more about Aaron Colton, visit his website: www.aaroncolton.com
Time: check The Sea Otter Daily for daily show times
Ceremonial Send Off's - A parade led by the Defense Language Institute Joint Service Color Guard, followed by the Monterey high school marching band and flag bearers representing the countries of all Sea Otter participants will march down the racetrack toward the Sea Otter bridge just prior to the midday pro event races both Saturday and Sunday.
Time: Saturday, 12:30 pm; Sunday, 11:30 am
Live Music - Playing at the Sierra Nevada Beer and BBQ Garden, The Rockstone Players will entertain spectators with undertones of Black Uhuru, Sublime, Beck, Buju Banton, and Miles Davis that come together for a sound tailored to Sea Otter crowds.
Time: Friday, April 18 from 11:30 - 3:30
Then on Saturday, "Trusting Lucy" will take center stage at the Sierra Nevada Beer and BBQ Garden.
Time: Saturday, April 19 from 11:30 - 3:30
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Breaking the law (gravity, that is) at the GT Airshow |
Kids' Carnival - With so many events, you may be getting tired-but chances are, your kids aren't! Enter the Kids' Carnival, the single solution to parents' need for rest and kids' need to play, play, play. Housed on a soft grassy field amongst the Exhibitor tents, the Carnival offers huge, inflated bouncing structures, a climbing wall, interactive games and more. Parents can comfortably lounge while keeping an eye on junior burning off his rocket fuel. The Carnival is free to kids 12 and under.
Time: Thurs. - Sun. 9 am - 4 pm.
Sea Otter Egg Hunt - Skipper the Sea Otter hosts this event for children 8 and under! Your little ones will love to have the chance to "compete" for prizes on their own, as they search for eggs "hidden" around the lawn! Due to popular demand, the Sea Otter Egg Hunt will take place on Friday, Saturday AND Sunday this year! For more information, go here.
Time: Friday, Saturday AND Sunday at 10 am
Kids' Bike Rodeo, presented by Nature's Path Organic - The more fun your kids have on a bicycle, the more they will want to ride! Let your kids ride bicycles with us and we will help instill basic safety rules and teach them how to set up their bikes. The Kids' Bike Rodeo promises to be as much fun as it is educational - for you AND your family! The Kids' Bike Rodeo is open to children 10 and under. Due to popular demand, the Rodeo will take place on Friday, Saturday AND Sunday this year! For more information, go here.
Time: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 11 am
Kids' Races - New for this year, the kids' races are open for children 10 and under. Watch kids compete for the number one spot as they maneuver through a course designed for the younger set. All races will be broken up by age category. There is no entry fee and every kid is a winner. Go here for more information.
Time: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 12 noon
Kids' Bike Playground - Not your average playground, the Kids' Bike Playground allows kids 10 and under to try out their budding bike skills on obstacles appropriate for their age and level. No bullies allowed here.
Time: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 1-4 pm
RECREATIONAL RIDES
SRAM Mountain Bike Ride Zone - The SRAM Mountain Bike Ride Zone, hosted by BikeSkills is a riders' playground where kids of all ages can play on jumps and learn tricks appropriate to their size and skills. Pros will be on hand to teach younger kids some new tricks while ladders, rails, teeter-totters, and berms will be set up for experienced riders. Click here for more information.
Time: Thursday through Sunday, 9 am - 5 pm
Mountain Bike Magazine's Off-Road Tours Benefiting IMBA California - Starting Saturday, April 19 with Mountain Bike Magazine's Off-Road Tours, riders get a chance to ride some of the best singletrack on either a 10 or 20-mile loop through the Fort Ord Bureau of Land Management Area. The shorter loop of 10 miles is a combination of fire road with a bit of singletrack and is ideally suited for beginning off-road riders. More experienced off-road riders can choose the 20-mile loop with extra sweet singletrack to enjoy the pristine terrain exclusive to Fort Ord. Either distance includes plenty of rest stops and on-trail assistance.
To sign up for Mountain Bike Magazine's Off-Road Tours, benefiting IMBA California, go here. Check out the course map here.
Time: Saturday, April 19 9:30 am
Bicycling Magazine's Road Bike Tours Benefiting the Davis Phinney Foundation - Bicycling Magazine's ever-popular Road Bike Tours get underway Sunday morning, April 20 at 7 am with a 100-mile century ride through the scenic backroads of Monterey and the Salinas Valley or a shorter, 15-mile option on the closed roads of Fort Ord. On either route, riders will enjoy well-appointed rest stops and SAG support. Plus, top pro athletes and coaches will be riding along, offering riding tips to all participants.
All riders will enjoy a delicious post-ride BBQ and prize drawings where kids under 12 ride and eat free if accompanied by an adult.
To sign up for Bicycling Magazine's Road Bike Tours, benefiting the Davis Phinney Foundation, go here.
Time: Sunday, April 20 7 am
Kids 12 and under can ride either tour for free when accompanied by an adult.
About Sea Otter Classic, Inc.
The 18th Annual Sea Otter Classic will be held April 17-20, 2008 at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, California, USA. The four-day "Celebration of Sport" is considered the world's largest cycling festival, hosting nearly 10,000 professional and amateur athletes and 50,000 fans. The Sea Otter Classic benefits the Davis Phinney Foundation, which supports Parkinson's disease research and wellness, and IMBA California, which organizes advocacy and trailbuilding efforts statewide and strengthens California mountain bike clubs. More information can be found at www.seaotterclassic.com or by calling 800-218-8411.
Source: Sea Otter Classic News Service