Four Gravity Athletes Attending the Sea Otter Classic 2024
Written by: Dan Hughes
With all due respect to Albert Einstein, in the case of the Life Time Sea Otter Classic presented by Continental, maybe you can blame gravity for falling in love. When Einstein uttered the quote above, he was attempting to underscore that both gravity and love are powerful, unpredictable forces, but the two aren’t necessarily intertwined. But for four “gravity” athletes that fell in love with the sport at Sea Otter Classic, the two forces seem to be attached at the hip.
![Dual Slalom Finals at the Life Time Sea Otter Classic presented by Continental]()
Tasha Tinagero (IG: @tashatinagero) didn’t intend to be smitten by the pull of a dual slalom course. She was a fixed gear racer that was more comfortable cornering in crits, shoulder to shoulder, with her other brakeless compatriots. That all changed when she came to her first Sea Otter. Working for the Outride Foundation, Tasha’s schedule was completely booked with official duties save for the time slot that held the dual slalom.
![Tasha Rose Tinagero Sea Otter Classic Ambassador]()
Talked into racing by her buddy Molly, Tasha signed up for the unknown, but as race time approached, Molly suddenly had cold feet, and Tasha was on her own. Trudging up to the starting gates in her lycra and puffy coat, Tasha had never laid eyes on a dual slalom course much less practiced on one. As she neared the start, she was approached by a little girl (fully decked out in downhill gear) that told her “you can do it.” Inspired (and maybe dared) by the words of a child, Tasha overcame her fear and ripped down the course for a few runs, and thought that was the end of it. Until the dad of the little girl found her and said “hey, they need you back on the course, you’re in the finals.”
So from never having done a dual slalom race to coming in 4th at her first Sea Otter, it was love at first sight for Tasha. “I love the fact that Sea Otter puts you in a position where you can try everything. For people working in the industry, and for those needing accessibility, Sea Otter can make anyone try anything.”
Coming from an area with an abundance of bike parks, Lawton Denis (IG: @lawtondenis) wasn’t necessarily looking to go anywhere else with his young cycling career. And certainly not all the way across the country. As one of YouTube’s earliest pioneers of “wheelie kid” culture (now with 116K followers), Lawton was perfectly happy hanging out on the East coast. But of course…he was only 11.
![Lawton Denis Sea Otter Classic Ambassador]()
After picking up a mountain bike at age 12, and landing his first sponsorship a year later, Lawton hadn’t been to a lot of bike festivals before he landed all the way across the country at Sea Otter. “The whole thing is surreal, but it gets real the moment you land in California. I’m used to my bike bag being the only one at baggage claim…but at Sea Otter there’s like 50 of them lined up. And then you head to Laguna Seca and the hype keeps building…you realize how big the bike community is.”
That first year at Sea Otter, Lawton was blown away and wanted to race but that would have to wait for the following year. Ultimately he toed the line for his first Enduro last year with a goal to “send it and share the stoke” and was immediately welcomed into a new family on the start line. “I made lifelong friends and it’s one big party…if you ride bikes, then you’re at Sea Otter.”
As one of the first Enduro races of the year, Sea Otter holds a special place for Porsha Murdock (IG: @porshamurdock). Free from the snowy grip of other mountain locales, Monterey offers racers of all stripes the opportunity to test their early season form in an environment that’s welcoming to all.
![Porsha Murdock Sea Otter Classic Ambassador]()
Originally an XC racer from Texas, Porsha initially grabbed a bike for the social aspect. “I was a runner, and the running community was not as friendly as the cycling community. So I started riding while I was in college and after graduation decided to see how far I could take it.”
Turns out, she took it all the way to California.
“I was focused on XC but at Big Bear I decided to try Enduro because it seemed more like a ‘real ride’ to me. You group up with some pals, ride kinda hard to the top of the climb, recover for a little bit, and then ride the downhill as fast as you can.” Snagging first place across all categories in that initial foray into Enduro was all Porsha needed to be hooked and turn her passion into a career.
“I love Sea Otter because you get to see all of it. In the Enduro we get to do the downhill course, the XC course in reverse so we get some pedally parts, and then the dual slalom course at the end. And it’s accessible to every kind of rider, not just the pros. The weather is perfect, every vendor is in one spot, and you get to see all your friends.”
While not specifically gravity-focused, there is a measure of grounded-ness at Sea Otter. It certainly feels that way for Crystal Haggard (IG: @crystal_haggard) amongst the community that is fostered at the event.
With a road riding background, Crystal first started mountain-biking when her son was able to ride with her. Together with their family they have made Sea Otter their home-away-from-home ever since.
![Crystal Haggard Sea Otter Classic Ambassador]()
“Last year my son was racing the 4th-6th grade XC race and I set myself a goal of finishing my race in time to see his start. I lined up on the starting line and found myself surrounded by 40-50 women, the majority of which had never been to Sea Otter before, and fully half of whom had never raced before. I was honored and excited to line up with women that were trying something new, and felt comfortable in a space created for women.”
It’s that community aspect that keeps drawing Crystal and her family back and reinforces the importance of the event.
“We always tent camp in the RV zone. There’s a handful of families that camp together and collectively we let our kids go and roam, enjoying more freedom than we give them at home. Each year I see so much emotional and social growth in them at the end of the week as they age into a new experience.”
And for Crystal, the attraction of Sea Otter extends beyond the organized events and into some of the quieter moments.
“The recreational rides are where I have met some incredible women, having a blast, enjoying the course and checking out the wildflowers without the pressure of racing. It’s a huge opportunity for community building.”
In the end, maybe Einstein had it wrong…maybe gravity is the key to love. Whether it’s the pull of a dual slalom course, the attraction of connecting with friends and family, or the significance of trying something totally new, one thing is abundantly clear: in April, the cycling world orbits around the Sea Otter Classic.
With all due respect to Albert Einstein, in the case of the Life Time Sea Otter Classic presented by Continental, maybe you can blame gravity for falling in love. When Einstein uttered the quote above, he was attempting to underscore that both gravity and love are powerful, unpredictable forces, but the two aren’t necessarily intertwined. But for four “gravity” athletes that fell in love with the sport at Sea Otter Classic, the two forces seem to be attached at the hip.
Tasha Tinagero (IG: @tashatinagero) didn’t intend to be smitten by the pull of a dual slalom course. She was a fixed gear racer that was more comfortable cornering in crits, shoulder to shoulder, with her other brakeless compatriots. That all changed when she came to her first Sea Otter. Working for the Outride Foundation, Tasha’s schedule was completely booked with official duties save for the time slot that held the dual slalom.
Talked into racing by her buddy Molly, Tasha signed up for the unknown, but as race time approached, Molly suddenly had cold feet, and Tasha was on her own. Trudging up to the starting gates in her lycra and puffy coat, Tasha had never laid eyes on a dual slalom course much less practiced on one. As she neared the start, she was approached by a little girl (fully decked out in downhill gear) that told her “you can do it.” Inspired (and maybe dared) by the words of a child, Tasha overcame her fear and ripped down the course for a few runs, and thought that was the end of it. Until the dad of the little girl found her and said “hey, they need you back on the course, you’re in the finals.”
So from never having done a dual slalom race to coming in 4th at her first Sea Otter, it was love at first sight for Tasha. “I love the fact that Sea Otter puts you in a position where you can try everything. For people working in the industry, and for those needing accessibility, Sea Otter can make anyone try anything.”
Coming from an area with an abundance of bike parks, Lawton Denis (IG: @lawtondenis) wasn’t necessarily looking to go anywhere else with his young cycling career. And certainly not all the way across the country. As one of YouTube’s earliest pioneers of “wheelie kid” culture (now with 116K followers), Lawton was perfectly happy hanging out on the East coast. But of course…he was only 11.
After picking up a mountain bike at age 12, and landing his first sponsorship a year later, Lawton hadn’t been to a lot of bike festivals before he landed all the way across the country at Sea Otter. “The whole thing is surreal, but it gets real the moment you land in California. I’m used to my bike bag being the only one at baggage claim…but at Sea Otter there’s like 50 of them lined up. And then you head to Laguna Seca and the hype keeps building…you realize how big the bike community is.”
That first year at Sea Otter, Lawton was blown away and wanted to race but that would have to wait for the following year. Ultimately he toed the line for his first Enduro last year with a goal to “send it and share the stoke” and was immediately welcomed into a new family on the start line. “I made lifelong friends and it’s one big party…if you ride bikes, then you’re at Sea Otter.”
As one of the first Enduro races of the year, Sea Otter holds a special place for Porsha Murdock (IG: @porshamurdock). Free from the snowy grip of other mountain locales, Monterey offers racers of all stripes the opportunity to test their early season form in an environment that’s welcoming to all.
Originally an XC racer from Texas, Porsha initially grabbed a bike for the social aspect. “I was a runner, and the running community was not as friendly as the cycling community. So I started riding while I was in college and after graduation decided to see how far I could take it.”
Turns out, she took it all the way to California.
“I was focused on XC but at Big Bear I decided to try Enduro because it seemed more like a ‘real ride’ to me. You group up with some pals, ride kinda hard to the top of the climb, recover for a little bit, and then ride the downhill as fast as you can.” Snagging first place across all categories in that initial foray into Enduro was all Porsha needed to be hooked and turn her passion into a career.
“I love Sea Otter because you get to see all of it. In the Enduro we get to do the downhill course, the XC course in reverse so we get some pedally parts, and then the dual slalom course at the end. And it’s accessible to every kind of rider, not just the pros. The weather is perfect, every vendor is in one spot, and you get to see all your friends.”
While not specifically gravity-focused, there is a measure of grounded-ness at Sea Otter. It certainly feels that way for Crystal Haggard (IG: @crystal_haggard) amongst the community that is fostered at the event.
With a road riding background, Crystal first started mountain-biking when her son was able to ride with her. Together with their family they have made Sea Otter their home-away-from-home ever since.
“Last year my son was racing the 4th-6th grade XC race and I set myself a goal of finishing my race in time to see his start. I lined up on the starting line and found myself surrounded by 40-50 women, the majority of which had never been to Sea Otter before, and fully half of whom had never raced before. I was honored and excited to line up with women that were trying something new, and felt comfortable in a space created for women.”
It’s that community aspect that keeps drawing Crystal and her family back and reinforces the importance of the event.
“We always tent camp in the RV zone. There’s a handful of families that camp together and collectively we let our kids go and roam, enjoying more freedom than we give them at home. Each year I see so much emotional and social growth in them at the end of the week as they age into a new experience.”
And for Crystal, the attraction of Sea Otter extends beyond the organized events and into some of the quieter moments.
“The recreational rides are where I have met some incredible women, having a blast, enjoying the course and checking out the wildflowers without the pressure of racing. It’s a huge opportunity for community building.”
In the end, maybe Einstein had it wrong…maybe gravity is the key to love. Whether it’s the pull of a dual slalom course, the attraction of connecting with friends and family, or the significance of trying something totally new, one thing is abundantly clear: in April, the cycling world orbits around the Sea Otter Classic.
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