Creatures of Sea Otter 2024
From the folks who brought you Tiny Dogs of Rampage... *drumroll*.... we bring you Creatures of Sea Otter.
It's not folks, it's just me. But when you bounce around between industries as much as I do, you start to notice archetypes in each. After a long winter of watching people in varying bagginesses of gore-tex based on their discipline, it's refreshing to return to the bike industry where there's several tried and true key-players you know you'll see at any event as big as Sea Otter. So without further ado: here are a couple creatures I found.
Up first we've got an industry classic: Brand Manager, wears all black, usually with lots of tattoos, facial hair recommended but optional, and almost never seen without coffee.
Ross from Rab is a Brand Manager that's new to the bike industry, but he's adapted quickly to his new surroundings. Ross is seen here enjoying a morning burrito. Nutrients are essential in environments like these and folks like Ross who opt for real food instead of Gu's are set up for success.
Here we have a gaggle of Industry Creatures in their natural habitat. Notice the coffee and matching brand t-shirts --you might not think it, but both features are unique to creatures like these.
A new type of creature becoming more common in the bike industry these days, complete with bright colors and houseplants to make other creatures feel at home.
In contrast, the wild Jortbag. While many creatures can be found in denim, the Jortbag has a special, performance enhanced denim outer coat as well as a disco ball and fog machine for the *vibes*.
While less common, there are several species that span across both the bike and ski industry. The tell-tale game of Hammerschlaggen and presence of a flagship ski waxing kit at a bike event are unique to this specific species of creature. 10/10 for booth activities.
A rare, Otter-specific creature: the Captain + Stoker employee. 46 cold brews deep, she has trouble differentiating between real food and this cool temporary tattoo. While their free and delicious coffee can be enticing, you have to be careful to not have too many before noon.
I've never seen a species as rare and magnificent as this: a brood of Feed Station drummers. Their wild call not only beckons racers from all directions like sirens, but also provides endless entertainment for the symbiotic medius squidus.
This brings us to our next creature: the Common Mechanic. These two may look cool, calm, and collected, but were found playing Dom Dolla at full volume in the middle of the venue at 12:22pm today. Normally a peaceful creature, when fueled with too many free coffees, they can revert to divergent behaviour.
Medius Squidus will also exhibit manic behaviors after too much free coffee. They often lay on the floors of media centers after many hours of carrying their telltale camera packs around. You can also find medius squidus lurking in, on top of, and behind bushes. It's me, hi.
Majestic creatures like these have been kicking your ass in XC races since 1994 and doesn't plan to stop anytime soon. You might think you've got him, but he's been racing since before weird, fake electrolyte snacks came out which means he's basically super human with them. Treat this creature with respect and he'll pass his knowledge along to you.
Some truly rare and special creatures in the bike kingdom. These creatures are just as knowledgeable about bike tech as all the dudes with beards in black jeans, but somehow they've torn themselves away from the industry long enough to discover fashion. You may have seen other notable famous creature in the same genus, Jaxon Riddle, but a slightly different species is found here in Monterey.
Lastly, it wouldn't be a creature feature without the most iconic dog in off-road endurance: Sir Willie the Weiner dog. I saw his front paws out of the little holes in his backpack, but I kind of think the rest of his body might just be backpack...
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Not sarcasm
Just weak
Oh and not really, looks like plenty of people were tightly strung enough to think I was being serious in the first place... you included.
That’s what we want to see