No matter the weather, thousands flock to Sea Otter and take it all in
4-17-07 // Online Exclusive: A Soggy Day At The Races
Kip Mikler
The week begins with beautiful skies over a medley of cycling events including road races and the slalom event shown here in the distance.
Alan L. Davis
It’s Saturday morning at the Sea Otter Classic, and cyclists of all stripes are lined up for lattes in Monterey, California. The pastry counter at the corner coffee shop has been ravaged by early risers, and it’s slim pickings for the stragglers. Sorry, says the barista, the Sea Otter’s in town.
For thousands of mountain bikers, BMXers, dirt jumpers, gate bashers, downhillers, trials riders, road racers and other freakier subsets of the cycling strain (unicyclists, recumbent riders, etc.), this is how a day at the Sea Otter begins. There are more than 3,000 participants in this year’s mountain-bike endurance races and 1,500 plus in the gravity races. Sea Otter officials report a staggering 9,500 total race entries for the four-day event.
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This is Sea Otter’s 17th year, and though it started as a humble cross-country race, it’s no longer possible to characterize a typical Sea Otter participant. But to understand who’s behind those numbers, the coffee shop crowd is a good place to start. Roadies wearing matching, brightly colored Lycra kits inhabit the patio tables out front. Cross-country riders shuffle up to the counter in flip-flops and discuss optimal tire choices for floating through sand and powering up leg-sapping climbs on the 18-mile course. Gravity riders in baggy shorts look toward the clouds, wondering if it will rain.
After they’re caffeinated, riders from the coffee shop pile into cars and merge with the line of traffic that creeps slowly up the climb toward Laguna Seca Recreation Area, the central hub of the event. Some of the competitions, such as the dirt jump or dual slalom, stay in one place. Others stretch far beyond—the adventure race, a new addition this year, starts with a paddle in Monterey Bay.
Approaching the hilltop venue, views open up to reveal green hills and a network of trails snaking through valleys and over ridges. It’s an inviting playground. After parking in a field, riders unload and assemble their bikes, preparing to enter the fray. On the pathways connecting various gathering points of Laguna Seca—parking, camping, expo area and multiple competition sites—riders travel in small groups, swirling among other species like schools of fish. Their sounds reveal a variety of technologies. Freewheels whir, pedals click, brakes squeal and suspensions creak. When the occasional close calls occur, tires skid.
At 10 a.m., the exhibitor booths are coming to life. Retailers peddle their goods, bike manufacturers show off their newest creations, and the big factory team trucks roll out the pro bikes to be prepped underneath colorful awnings. High winds have shut down the dirt jump area, which has a three-story high start ramp that towers over the tents, but the amateur downhill races get underway and pro dual slalom racers head out for practice.
The first two days of Sea Otter were sunny, but the pleasant conditions come to an end on Saturday morning. It starts to rain just before pro dual slalom qualifiers. It’s light at first, then moderate, then torrential. It rains so hard that mud washes onto the motor speedway, covering the pavement where the pro women’s road race is taking place. There are safety concerns, and officials halt all the races. Tents in the expo village take a beating, and everyone runs for cover. Veterans of Sea Otters past know that rain and lousy weather are common here, but so are beautiful California spring days. That’s just the way it goes.
One racer, Christopher Shroeder of San Rafael, California, is preparing for his race in the 14-and-under Sport category when the skies open up. Riding a Kona Stinky Dee-Lux, Christopher completes his muddy run with a time of 3:17 to finish second in his category. “I got totally soaked,” he says. “My run was right after it rained really hard, but I still went fast, I thought.”
Christopher’s first race was last year’s Sea Otter, and now he’s hooked. “I just love downhill racing,” he says. “It’s fun, it’s an adrenaline rush.”
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