Sea Otter Stories

Or the time someone changed the SRAM hollywood signs to say "RAM ASS"


Don't do it this year though- my friend is in charge of signage and she'd blame me somehow probably.

totally fried out of my mind for 4 straight days
still raced cat 2 and got 3rd hahahahha my god that was gnarly


the legend of Sea Otter returns

Sea Otter 2008:
-The dude who directed the traffic by campsite H. He was constantly blowing his whistle and directing traffic in a very flamboyant manner. He would be there at the corner at like 9AM and blow his whistle at least once at every single car that drove by him. Ahahaha
-Our tent blew over onto our fire pit while we were gone, came back to inspect the damage and the flames had burnt through the tent, through Fogel's duffel bag and then burned a hole in the ass of a pair of sweat pants he had.
-"AIR TIGHT GRANNIES" Crazy Chris. Nuff said.

RAM-ASS it is.

oh oh... last year in practice- a team mate of mine slipped a pedal right before the log drop and augered in so hard that his pants got pulled down to his knees and his wiener fell out in front of like 5 or 6 people standing there watching.


He also jacked up his knee real good, so for the actual race he took a bunch of prescription pain killers, drank a ton of beer and didn't pedal the entire course (except the climb).

My first dh race ever was Sea Otter 2006 and it was a complete mud fest. I was completely out of shape and adding that to my broken rib at the time, I did not enjoy all the pedaling / hard breathing. I was almost ready to pass out at the top of the first big hill (after the fast straight) and I really, really wanted to lay down and quit! In the end I placed 47th out of 85 guys in 15-18 Sport. But that race really lit a fire under my ass to get in shape and I've been hooked on DH racing ever since.

I'll be there tomorrow morning... CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Not a great story, but it was cool to see Nicolas Volliuez (?) tearing up the race track in a car one night a few years ago. This was already after he got into rally. I got all worked up because the 20 or so DHers camping next to me had never even heard of the 12-time world champion, yet they talked non-stop about how they knew everything about the sport.

so...when is RAM-ASS going up so I can see it before it comes down? Any pictures to accompany it?

the time Gordo was there...
instead of here...

last year i did this on the dual stunt course

Saw a kid SHREDDING the pump track SO HARD today. No idea who it was, but DAMN!

back in 2008 it was so windy it hurt. sandblasting would have been more pleasant. it was the first and only time i went. the first night i was there, my parents and i (they like to come to races and such, that and i'm from NH) went to some random italian restaurant in town and not five minutes after being there the entire mongoose team walks in...EC, Akrigg, Needles, team manager, it was awesome - yeah the fan boy in me still lives. haha it was a very interesting experience.

First (and only) year I went I met Spomer....and had In N Out for the first time. Oh yeah and my bags didnt show up for 3 days so I was walking around in sweaty smelling clothes the first day of shooting dh. Maybe thats why no one talked to me.

probably was Troy B

My best memory was 1999, first pro race. The hotel we were staying at had a rad pool. Ryan White, Sean McCarrol and I were jumping off the 3rd story balcony into the 6ft deep end. Goodtimes! Raced the DH on a hardtail in the mud, not so good. Keep your eyes out for a rare Ryan White sighting this year...

This year I took a Greyhound bus to Salinas and slept on the sidewalk near some homeless guy who kept telling me he was born and raised in Salinas until the morning of DS qualis. I was running on 2 hours of sleep, and hardly ready for multiple hikes to the top of the track....blah blah blah, tire peels off rim, blah blah, I won a $300 prize package but didn't pick it up (idiot), blah, Andrew Neethling gave me Salmonella by serving up an undercooked turkey burger, so I puked so hard that night that my bladder must have burst, because something salty was dripping from my eyes. I shit myself in my sleep the next day while sleeping on the floor of a friend's hotel room. Thank YOU Andrew.