Video: Why You Should Give A SH!T About Bike Festivals Like Sea Otter
If you aren’t familiar with the Sea Otter Classic, well it’s much different to an indoor European biking tradeshow, a World Cup racing weekend or even Crankworx mountain bike festival, in that it encompasses nearly ALL of the biking disciplines, including road cycling, enduro, downhill, dual slalom, XC, trials riding and more. I always say biking is for everyone and when you walk, or ride, into the Laguna Seca Raceway, you’ll see exactly that.
Looking down into the sea of tents that is the Expo Center. It's important for brands to show up and represent at one of the biggest biking trade shows there is.
With roots dating back to 1991, the Sea Otter Classic is one of the biggest biking events and tradeshows each year and brings together all sides of the biking industry from athletes to brands, spectators and consumers. Taking place in April in the sunny hills of Monterey, California, that means this event really feels like the official start to the biking season in North America. Aside from the video above, here are a few captures from the event over the years as I got fully stuck in during this trip down memory lane.
Who doesn't recall the florescent craze of the 2015 era?!
Brian Lopes, back in 2014 with his Intense tracer, and many other professional athletes love this opportunity to get on fresh equipment.
As Sea Otter takes place in early spring, it’s usually one of the very first events athletes can compete at and see how their off-season training has been going while lining up against amateur and professional racers. Riders come from all over the world to compete in the many disciplines that Sea Otter caters to. The podiums at Sea Otter have featured many of the best to ever compete. If you’ve seen a rider atop at a world cup, they’ve probably given these courses a go at some point.
Aaron Gwin, fully donning the stars and stripes at Sea Otter 2015. He went on to win the DH...on his trail bike.
Jill Kintner has put in some serious time on the various race tracks over the years. Here she is racing Dual Slalom in 2015 where she won, again.
That same year, Martin Maes won the Dual Slalom, proving he can do it ALL on a bike from enduro to downhill and everything in between.
What a fun match up! Mitch Ropelato and pal, Cam Zink, going head to head on the DS course. Style for miles.
If you consider yourself a biking connoisseur, then you’ll likely enjoy wandering the pits, checking out all the latest and greatest products. Sea Otter is often a time where new, or just quirky, items are seen for the first time in person.
Still a crowd favorite, the MRP AMg guide and bashguard from a round up article in 2015.
I can't recall exactly when the GINORMOUS eyewear really took off and I'm not complaining because I love them, but these Oakley Flight Jackets from 2018 were quite "eye-catching" at the time. .
The Fox Float X2 became available to the public in 2015 and finally consumers could see it in person. No doubt there will be a LOT of new suspension to check out this time around.
Now that's a bike! I can't recall the year but it looks more like something an AI generator would come up with today.
And then there's this little beauty Sarah Moore spotted in 2019. Shout out Sette that was the brand of my first ever, new, downhill bike in 2012. Don't see many of those around!.
It’s almost like an event within an event. There is the racing, the “festival grounds” and to top it off, camping on site! While Sea Otter is not the biggest trade show on the planet or the most prestigious racing, it’s an event that tries to offer something for everyone.
A recurring theme at Sea Otter, huddling for shade and hiding from the heat of the day whether on the race tracks or walking the pits.
Thankfully there are plenty of "snack" booths...read energy and nutrition...along with brands serving up morning coffees.
And other beverages... Brands will really do anything to reel you into their booth and honestly, you do get parched out there!
Truthfully, it was really hard to pick photos for this article because there were so many fun, old ones. But I mean come on! I had to include this one of Jackson Goldstone from 2014.
Many thanks to Anneke Beerten, Cody Kelley, and Adam Craig for the input on this video. This year, Pinkbike is headed back to the warm and sunburn-inducing raceway to be part of the Sea Otter Classic yet again so keep you eyes on the homepage for the countless articles coming up. Thanks for watching and reading along as I took a trip down memory lane! Hope you enjoyed and if you see any of the Pinkbike crew out there, wandering aimlessly in the expo center, getting sunburnt on the sidelines, or seeking shade... please say hello!
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Sea Otter is a trade show with racing in the background. With the lack of Interbike, it's the de facto meeting spot for dealers, industry reps, media, team owners, racers, etc.
Plus it's always a fun time for industry folks to catch poison ivy riding in the Santa Cruz campus forest.
But could they hear the squish?
Kramer : It's just a write off for them .
Jerry : How is it a write off ?
Kramer : They just write it off .
Jerry : Write it off what ?
Kramer : Jerry all these big companies they write off everything
Jerry : You don't even know what a write off is .
Kramer : Do you ?
Jerry : No . I don't .
Kramer : But they do and they are the ones writing it off .
Jerry : I wish I just had the last twenty seconds of my life back .
I work for Mike’s Bikes and even at their size it didn’t make sense to pay the entry fee for the smallest booth in the corner.
Santa Cruz always has a huge booth. I'm sure One Up will be there showing off the new dropper post and products, same with GT, Cannondale, etc.
George: Meh, I don't give a shit!
Go back and look at product launches the past 5 years on pinkbike or any other online portal. You'll see primarily the dates are often in April.
* Kona Bicycles has left the chat *
Thank you!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=COqr3TXtW40
1) it’s located nearby
2) it’s free
3) lots of free quality swag
4) free eats and drinks
These criteria apply to any event , doesn’t have to be mountain biking.
www.pinkbike.com/news/interview-martin-maes-ews-failed-drug-test-im-not-guilty-i-just-made-a-stupid-mistake.html