The 2018 Sea Otter Classic is in the books for the Outlaws. As usual, the event was chaotic, exciting, stressful, motivating, frustrating, hot, cold, fun, friendly, rowdy, and a bit sensual (with all the new bike bits and gear that is).
For the uninitiated, Sea Otter is a massive exhibition for manufacturers to show off new gear. Thousands of riders come from all over the world to compete in Downhill, Enduro, Dual Slalom, Cross-Country, Road, Cyclocross, and the first ever mini-bike bunny hop challenge hosted by our friends #commencalusa that Finley arguably stole the show on.
The Outlaws made a huge impression, or at least our impressions have been building up and really showed here where every bike geek gathers. Our brand is getting out there and people are starting to take notice. Not only can our athletes ride bikes better than most, they have a rad personality to back them up that exemplifies their riding ability.
We had 14 Outlaw athletes at Sea Otter! There were I think another 4-6 Utah groms there that we hung out with at camp and made some jumps #campvibes
The greatest highlight for me as a coach and organizer of all this chaos is how well all the athletes and parents work together. They cheered each other on, had positive and happy attitudes, and went out of their way to encourage their teammates to strive for excellence and push their riding skills.
That is the BEST part about these events and the greatest value we can provide as a team.
It's so much fun! There really is nothing better than riding bikes with your buddies.
I want to leave that as the takeaway as we go into a busy summer of training and racing bikes. Results are cool and all, but it's really the behind the scenes camaraderie that's going to keep these kids active, happy, and competitive.
For all of our athletes, they learned that hard work during training with a positive attitude (even if it's hot and you have to push your bike up the dual slalom course 1 more time) goes a very long way when it comes to results. The top dog doesn't just land on top of the podium and ask, "how did I get here?" They had a plan, worked their butt off, and then followed through on game day. Every little bit counts.
We are excited for the summer and can't wait to ride!
Check out our athlete's social media for results and more photos/video:
@thosemallentwins
@dillonflinders
@finleymtb
@oliverthewiley
@ethan_maxwell_17
@wellsdax
@riverbellbmx
@lloydboys
@cartermtb1
and of course @outlawmtb
Thanks Jefe and Dan for the rad shots!
