Cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts can look forward to excitement and high energy fun this April. The Sea Otter Classic, a four-day celebration of sport, has a multitude of events, activities and action planned for a long weekend of fun, family and community, April 16-19, 2009.
Action All Around and Up AboveAt any one time, spectators in the Sea Otter Village can enjoy 360-degree views of races and activities going on around the venue, including games, parties, contests, costumes, team autographs, personal conversations with the pros, product demos, beer and BBQ, live music and bargain bins and samples in the Expo.
The action will even be overhead, as teams of sp
ecialists do flips and stunts in various shows and events around the venue. And on Saturday and Sunday, as part of the midday ceremonies kicking off the Pro racing on each day, the action will also be in the sky, as the U.S. Navy will conduct an F-5 fighter jet flyover! Following the flyover, spectators will enjoy the Presidio of Monterey Air Force Honor Guard followed by the sights and sounds of the Monterey High School marching band and international flags representing all our athletes as they parade and play music around the Sea Otter Village.
Norco's Ryan Leech makes it look easy. Ian Hylands photo
Ryan Leech, a well-known specialist in "trials" riding (a technical aspect of cycling which includes balancing, on a bicycle, on a variety of obstacles), brings his incredible tricks to Sea Otter each year. Spectators won't believe their eyes when they see Leech balancing on something barely wider than his bike tire, all the while chatting away with the audience on a wireless microphone.
"I'm excited to once again contribute to the great atmosphere at the Sea Otter Classic," said Leech. "I like to push my show riding to leave the au
dience feeling psyched to go out and ride bikes, whatever style that may be."
More wow-inducing biking entertainment will be in the form of the GT Airshow, featuring 10 world-famous BMX freestyle athletes performing aerial stunts 20-30 feet above the ramps. The GT Airshow is located near the Sierra Nevada Beer & BBQ Garden.
And when the Airshow takes a break, spectators can turn their attention to the Dual Stunt races, where two athletes compete side-by-side on 400-foot-long courses of 10-foot-high platforms, ladder bridges, wooden obstacles and jumps. Jeff Lenosky, freeride pioneer and former trials national champion, designed the man-made course to be challenging.
"When people look at the course, they should think, there's no way someone can ride that," said Lenosky. "Between the kind of obstacles these guys ride and the head-to-head race element, this is an event that will knock your socks off."
For a complete schedule of music and festival shows click here.