Sea Otter Fact Sheet
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WEBSITE: www.seaotterclassic.com
EVENT NAME: Sea Otter Classic, “A Celebration of Cycling”
DATE: April 19-22, 2012
LOCATION: Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, California
OWNERSHIP: Sea Otter Classic, Inc., Frank Yohannan, President and CEO
The mission of the Sea Otter Classic is to make people's lives better through participation in sport and recreation, and through celebration of an active outdoor lifestyle.
WHAT'S NEW: For the first time ever, Cyclocross is coming to Sea Otter! On Saturday, April 21, riders will navigate off camber sections, traverses through multiple “kitty litter” sections, a high speed barrier section (located near the Sierra Nevada Beer Garden), and possibly a surprise obstacle or two through the heart of the festival. Also in 2012, Sea Otter will continue its popular Ladies Activities, with women-specific clinics, demo ride, panel discussion, and product displays, plus a wine and chocolate reception. And the Big Air Bag will be back at Sea Otter! With top pros as coaches, mountain bikers can learn on the Big Air Bag how to make those jumps like a pro.
EVENT OVERVIEW: The 2012 Sea Otter Classic, "A Celebration of Cycling," will be held April 19-22, 2012 at Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, California, USA. This four-day, action-packed cycling festival features a full schedule of amateur and professional events, as well as other activities for family members of all ages. The Sea Otter Classic also plays host to the largest consumer bike exposition in North America.
ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS: Racers make the annual pilgrimage to Sea Otter to participate in cycling’s best competitive and non-competitive events. Mountain Bike events include an epic Cross-Country, Dual Slalom, Downhill, and more. Road cyclists enjoy Road Racing and Circuit Racing on the world famous Laguna Seca Raceway. And for those who want to bike in less competitive fashion, Sea Otter offers the Gran Fondo, with three scenic routes.
The Sea Otter Village, hub of the event, pulses with the activity of free bike demos, stunt shows, and live entertainment, plus kids’ playhouses and special activities for kids 12 and under. Other Village hotspots are an international food court and beer and BBQ garden, and the Sea Otter exposition area. The expo features hundreds of vendors who display new products, give out free samples, and offer terrific bargains. And in the Sea Otter Village, hundreds of professional road and mountain bike athletes surface to share their racing techniques with fans and sign autographs.
FOR CHILDREN: Sea Otter Egg Hunt, Kids' Carnival, Kids’ Bicycle Races, and Kids’ Bicycle Playground.
FOR RECREATIONAL BIKERS: Scenic Gran Fondo, with Carmel Valley Route, Coastal Route, and a Mountain Bike Route.
FOR AMATEUR RACERS: Nearly 200 classes of road and mountain bike racing for all ages and skill levels.
FOR PRO/ELITE CYCLISTS: Pro/Elite Endurance Mountain Bike Races (Cross-Country), Pro/Elite Gravity Mountain Bike Races (Downhill and Dual Slalom), and Pro/Elite Road Stage Race.
FOR MEDIA: Interviews with event organizers, local athletes, and world-class professionals can be set up through the Sea Otter press office. The Bicycle Leadership Conference (April 17-19) is a preliminary component of Sea Otter Classic, which means key players in the bicycle industry will be present in the perfect shooting location of Monterey County, California. The atmosphere will be lively and energetic—and eco-friendly.
ATTENDANCE FIGURES:
Refer also to Demographics page.
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1991
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2011
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Participants
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350
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8,500
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Spectators
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150
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50,000
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Exhibitors
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0
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325
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Journalists
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0
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300
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ADMISSION CHARGES: Festival admission is free to children ages twelve and under, and free to all registered athletes (both competitive racers and Gran Fondo recreational riders). All others must purchase Festival Passes: $12 for a One-Day Pass ($10 pre-purchase on-line), or $35 for a Four-Day Pass ($30 pre-purchase online). Special discounts: Two passes may be purchased for the price of one by members of the military (active duty or retired) and by members of the same family. For these, tickets must be purchased on-site, as photo identification will be required.
ATHLETE REGISTRATION: www.seaotterclassic.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.seaotterclassic.com or 800-218-8411 / 831-373-2331.
EVENT BACKGROUND: "You guys should put on a mountain bike race." That simple statement from a Monterey bike shop owner in 1990 was the genesis for the Laguna Seca Challenge, later renamed the Sea Otter Classic.
Co-founders Frank Yohannan and Lou Rudolph hosted the inaugural Laguna Seca Challenge on April 6 and 7, 1991. The event had a total of 350 athletes and 150 spectators. In 1993, the Laguna Seca Challenge was renamed the Sea Otter Classic. By 2010, the Sea Otter Classic had become a four-day celebration of cycling welcoming over 8,500 athletes and 50,000 fans.
The event is now regarded as the bicycle world’s premiere festival and one of the world’s largest. The little mountain bike race has grown up.
RESPONSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP: From the start, event organizers have been committed to good stewardship of the land that is home to Sea Otter Classic. With every year, Sea Otter achieves more success in reducing the event’s ecological impact on our home—the Laguna Seca Recreation Area and the adjacent Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property, and other parts of our community.
Going for the Green: It can be easy to forget that such environmentally conscious practices are not followed everywhere. For that reason, in our third decade we partner with Clif Bar & Co. and Sierra Nevada to share Sea Otter's "Responsible Environmental Stewardship" model more widely. We will use our leadership position to raise awareness of how simple it is for people everywhere to engage in basic environmental sustainability actions like recycling, carpooling and alternative transportation (including cycling), and other actions to reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. Today’s environmental stakes are high, and Sea Otter is “going for the green” in a bigger, bolder way.
BOILERPLATE: About Sea Otter Classic, Inc. A four-day "Celebration of Cycling," Sea Otter Classic is regarded as the world's largest cycling festival, hosting nearly 10,000 professional and amateur athletes and 50,000 fans. The 22nd Annual Sea Otter Classic is April 19-22, 2012 at Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, California. For more information, visit www.seaotterclassic.com or call (800) 218-8411.
