Media Guide

Sea Otter Fact Sheet

WHAT WE DO: 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: The Sea Otter Classic is proud to announce a Gran Fondo and Mountain Bike Tour for the 2010 Event. Click on each respective event for more information.

EVENT OVERVIEW: The Sea Otter Classic, a Celebration of Sport, will be held on April 15-18, 2010 at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, California, USA. There’s never been a better year to go to the Sea Otter Classic. This four-day, action-packed cycling and outdoor sports extravaganza features a full schedule of amateur and pro cycling events, as well as family activities for all ages. The Sea Otter Classic also plays host to one of the largest consumer bike expos in the world.

WEBSITE: www.seaotterclassic.com
CORRECT NAME: Sea Otter Classic, a "Celebration of Sport"
DATE: April 15-18, 2010
LOCATION: Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, California
OWNERSHIP: Sea Otter Classic INC Frank Yohannan, President & CEO

EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS:Racers make the annual pilgrimage to Sea Otter to participate in cycling’s best competitive and non-competitive events. The Mountain Bike events include an epic Cross Country, Dual Slalom, Super D, Downhill, and more. Road cyclists enjoy Road Racing and Circuit Racing on the world famous Laguna Seca Raceway. For those who want to take a less competitive route, Sea Otter offers the Gran Fondo and Mountain Bike Tours.

The Sea Otter Village, hub of the event, pulses with the activity of free bike demos, stunt shows, kids’ playhouses, an international food court, beer and BBQ garden, and live entertainment. Free to kids 12 and under are Sea Otter Egg Hunts, Bike Rodeos, Kid’s Races, and much more. The Sea Otter Expo holds hundreds of vendors who display new products, give out free samples, and offer terrific bargains. Hundreds of professional road and mountain bike athletes come to Sea Otter to race, sign autographs, and share their racing techniques with the fans.

FOR CHILDREN: Sea Otter Classic Kids' Carnival, Sea Otter Egg Hunt, Kids' Bicycle Rodeo for learning bike safety skills, Kid's Bicycle Races, and Kid's Bicycle Playground

FOR RECREATIONAL BIKERS: Scenic Gran Fondo and Mountain Bike Tours

FOR AMATEUR RACERS: Nearly 200 classes of road and mountain bike racing for all ages and skill levels.

FOR PRO/ELITE CYCLISTS: Pro/Elite Mountain Bike Races; Pro/Elite Road Circuit Race; Pro/Elite Gravity Mountain Bike Races

FOR MEDIA: Interviews with event organizers, local athletes and world-class professionals can be set up through the Sea Otter press office. With the Bicycle Leadership Conference as part of the event, all the key players in the bicycle industry will be present in the pristine shooting location of Monterey County, Calif. The atmosphere will be lively, energetic and eco-friendly.

ATTENDANCE FIGURES:

ADMISSION CHARGES: Festival admittance is free to kids under 12! Spectator festival passes are $10 per day or $30 for four days.

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 totaled 350 athletes and 150 spectators. In 1993, the Laguna Seca Challenge was renamed the Sea Otter Classic. The 2008 Sea Otter Classic was a four-day celebration of cycling that welcomed over 9,000 athletes and 50,000 fans. The event is now the largest cycling festival in North America and is universally regarded as the cycling world's premiere festival. The "mountain bike race" has grown up.

RESPONSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP: Since the first Sea Otter Classic, event organizer's have been committed to reducing the event's ecological footprint on the Laguna Seca Recreation Area and the adjacent Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property. In the coming years, in partnership with Clif Bar & Co. and Sierra Nevada, Sea Otter's "Responsible Environmental Stewardship" model is intended to raise consciousness of how simple it is for people to engage in basic environmental sustainability programs like recycling, carpooling or cycling to reduce emissions that contribute to global warming.

BOILERPLATE:

About Sea Otter Classic, Inc.
The 20th Annual Sea Otter Classic will be held April 15-18, 2010 at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, Calif. The four-day "Celebration of Sport" is considered the world's largest cycling festival, hosting nearly 10,000 professional and amateur athletes and 50,000 fans. More information can be found at www.seaotterclassic.com or by calling 800-218-8411.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Chris Worden (208) 305-1702/ chris@seaotterclassic.com Donna Brown (local media) (831) 905-1764 / donna@seaotterclassic.com