MOUNTAIN BIKERS OF SANTA CRUZ ANNOUNCES SUCCESSFUL 4th ANNUAL SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAIN BIKE FESTIVAL
Santa Cruz, CA, April 23, 2013—Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBoSC) is pleased to announce a successful 4th Annual Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival presented by MBoSC and FOX. The event was held in Aptos Village, CA at the Barry Swenson Builders property (Aptos Pump Track and Post Office Jumps) courtesy of Barry Swenson Builders. The eco-conscious festival drew over 9,000 attendees and 395 registered participants—a 50% increase in attendance and 220% increase in registered participation over 2012—in Aptos, California.
This family friendly two-day, volunteer-run festival included competitive events, kids’ rodeo, skills clinics, demo bikes, an exposition area, food court, beer garden, live band and more for bike enthusiasts, family members, and friends.
Early reports indicate a substantial increase in growth for activities, attendance, and funds raised compared to 2012’s successful event.
“We are happy to announce this event grows larger each year. We believe this is an indication that the love for mountain biking is spreading at a tremendous rate. We are extremely pleased to be able to provide a festival that fosters and supports a healthy activity for all.”—Mark Davidson, President of Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz
Those who attended enjoyed multiple activities and competitive events. Over 300 kids aged 12 and under tried their skills at the Kids’ Rodeo and enjoyed a Fun Lap on the Short Track. Those wishing to improve their skills flocked to clinics offered by pro riders such as Kat Sweet and Kirt and Lindsey Voreis. Bike aficionados checked out the latest from top bike industry vendors, demo’d bikes from a record number of top bike manufacturers, and shuttled to the renowned Soquel Demonstration State Forest (Demo). The first day’s festivities concluded with a Saturday after-party featuring Oakland funk/reggae/rock band WhoGas and both days featured raffles.
Sponsored Support
Sponsors from around the US and Canada generously contributed cash, merchandise, and services to this event. Donated product and services raised funds through a silent auction and raffles, and rewarded athletes and volunteers. With many of the sponsors headquartered locally, it is evident there’s a deep commitment to mountain biking in the Santa Cruz community.
Volunteer Operated
The Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival is presented by Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBoSC), a 100% volunteer non-profit mountain bike advocacy organization. MBoSC recruited over 150 volunteers to design, market, and run the festival. It is the passion and dedication of these people who organize, fund and run events, build and ride trails, and work in the industry that makes Santa Cruz a mecca for the sport.
Greening the Festival
In keeping with their pro-environment mission, MBoSC continually strives to reduce the environmental impact of events. This year, three solar vendors—Allterra Solar, Sandbar Solar and Moved By Bikes—and MBoSC provided 5 solar arrays supplying all power requirements for the festival. All sound equipment, computers, printers and water pumps were powered exclusively by solar. With on-site parking unavailable, riding bikes to the event was encouraged. People Power of Santa Cruz provided free valet bike parking and parked 650 bikes over the weekend. All food vendors contributed toward waste reduction by eliminating single use plastic plates and cutlery from their service, and supported the festival’s ban on the sale of bottled water. Attendees were encouraged to bring reusable water vessels to the festival to take advantage of the free filtered water provided by Zuvo Water from a custom built bar created especially for the event.
65% of the waste created at the festival was diverted from the landfill to recycling, an admirable first effort that provided MBoSC with baseline data that will help achieve a higher diversion rate in the future.
Mission Accomplished
The mission of the festival is to celebrate the world class mountain bike facilities, riders, and cycling industry of Santa Cruz County by bringing the community together to participate in recreational and competitive mountain bike events. Funds raised by the event will benefit projects and organizations that support mountain biking in Santa Cruz County.
The festival reflected what Santa Cruz in general is all about: loving the outdoors, meeting friendly people, kicking back and enjoying that big stoke from your favorite sport.
Competitive Events Results: First Place Winners Announced
215 professional, amateur, and junior athletes flocked to Santa Cruz to participate in various competitive events. Jumpers, pumpers, and short track racers all got their chance to shine at this year’s festival and win cash or sponsor gear. Full standings can be found on the results page of the festival website.
Specialized/Scotts Valley Cycle Sport SHORT TRACK Racers wove their way through the heart of the festival, speeding by vendor booths, rallying through off-camber corners and pumping through berms and rollers.
Pro/Expert Women: Katie Jay Melena
Pro/Expert Men: Alex Wild
Amateur Women: Sarah Pittiglio
Amateur Men: Nicky DiNapoli
Junior Girls: Lexie Voice
Junior Boys: Joe Van Pykern
Epicenter Cycling/Saris-CycleOps PUMP TRACK PANDEMONIUM Riders raced against the clock, shredding rollers and perfectly apexed berms.
Pro/Expert Men: George Stephenson
Amateur Women: Vivian Kam
Amateur Men: Nicky DiNapoli
Juniors: Niko Kilik
Groms: Lee Faraola
Tots: Koa Dephydt
Summer Gravity Camp 831 AMATEUR JUMP CONTEST Amateur rippers pushed their limits and vied for the grand prize: a week-long camp experience at Andrew Shandro’s Summer Gravity Camp in Whistler, B.C. The contest was judged by Cam McCaul and Ryan “R-Dog” Howard and won by Luke Rivas.
Amateur Men: Luke Rivas
Expert Junior: Connor Gallart
Beginner: Jackson Goldstone
Stand out moves to Warren Kniss (Good Save, Creative Line), Max Langille (Best Trick), Owen Marks (Ball Rider) and Austin Stevens (Style and Flow)
Kat Sweet’s SUGAR SHOWDOWN Jump Competition For the first time, the ladies got to compete at the renowned Aptos Post Office Jumps on a new beginner/women’s line created by pro rider Lisa Tharp.
Pro: Lisa Tharp
Amateur: Nora Hairston
Novice: Lauren Gregg
Bell 831 PRO JUMP JAM
The Aptos Post Office Jumps have been the training grounds for a number of world-class dirt jumpers. This year the community bids farewell to these beloved jumps as the ground they stand on has long been slated for construction. Braden Barret-Hay, Jake Kinney, Tyler McCaul, Max Kavert, Raymond George, Jeff Herbertson and Ryan “R-Dog” Howard all threw down cash-winning tricks, and were joined by fellow pro talent Andrew Bigelow, Sam Dueck, Jack Fogelquist, Eric Johnson, Alex Kachlakev, Cary Kotowski, Kyle Quesnel, Max Rausch, Garrett Robertson, Simon Silver and Will Stewart for this last big tribute to these historic jumps.
An affiliate club of International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBoSC) is an IRC 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization which is dedicated to the promotion of mountain biking in Santa Cruz County in a healthy and sustainable manner. Amongst many other notable projects, the club presents the Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival (SCMBF) and Santa Cruz Super Enduro (SCSE), and has also helped with the formation of Trips for Kids Santa Cruz and the California Enduro Series. MBoSC played an pivotal part in the creation of the Emma McCrary Trail, slated to open at the end of this month.
January 17, 2013—Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBoSC) is excited to announce FOX‘s return as title sponsor of the Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival (SCMBF). 2013 marks the third year that the Scotts Valley-based suspension products manufacturer has offered title sponsorship support to this grassroots event that raises funds for bike projects throughout Santa Cruz county. FOX’s generous support contributes a great deal to the festival’s success and demonstrates the importance local community to this world-wide industry leader. Mark Jordan, FOX Global Communications Manager, affirms “The Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival takes everything that is great about the local mountain bike scene and brings it all together in one place. From families to amateurs and pros, the festival has something for everyone. We are happy to be a part of it.”
The 4th annual festival will take place on April 13-14, 2013 (the weekend before the Sea Otter Classic in nearby Monterey) at the Barry Swenson Builder property in Aptos Village, California. The festival, which was created to celebrate the world class mountain bike facilities, riders, and cycling industry of Santa Cruz county, continues to grow year after year with the generous support of its sponsors, volunteers, and community. In just its third year, the 2012 event boasted a 50% increase in attendance and athlete participation over the previous year, attracting over 6,000 spectators, 200 amateur and professional athletes, 200 kids’ rodeo participants, 70 sponsors, and 150 volunteers. The festival’s success testifies to the depth of the mountain bike culture in Santa Cruz county.
KAT SWEET BRINGS SUGAR SHOWDOWN TO APTOS POST OFFICE JUMPS
Kat Sweet of Sweetlines will host a women’s jump event that includes one day of skills coaching followed by a day of competition. Skills will focus on jumping, pumping, railing berms, and tricks. The competition—open to all amateur and pro women—is a fun way for clinic participants and other amateur riders to push their limits to the next level, as well as an excellent opportunity to showcase the top pros, inspiring women to follow their lead.
In addition to the women’s specific event, Sweetlines will offer co-ed basic mountain bike skills and enduro skills classes led by IMIC certified coaches.
SUMMER GRAVITY CAMP THROWS DOWN GRAND PRIZE FOR AMATEUR JUMP CONTEST
The Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival is also partnering with Andrew Shandro from Summer Gravity Camp and Cam McCaul to present the 831 Amateur Jump Contest at the famous Aptos Post Office Jumps, with the winner receiving a week-long camp experience at Summer Gravity Camp in Whistler, B.C.
SPECIALIZED/SVCS SHORT TRACK RACE, EPICENTER PUMP TRACK PANDEMONIUM AND 831 PRO JUMP JAM RETURN
Popular events from previous years will return bigger and better. The 2013 Specialized/Scotts Valley Cycle Sport Short Track race will run on a true mountain biker’s course—the most fun half mile of singletrack in a closed course anywhere. The Epicenter Pump Track Pandemonium contest will introduce a newly expanded, improved course. The 831 Pro Jump Jam will feature local and out of town pros pulling huge tricks, promising to be a real crowd pleasers as always.
Add in the Kids’ Rodeo and Fun Lap, a comprehensive industry expo area, bike demos, shuttles, live music, a beer and food court featuring local brew and eats—and so much more—well, needless to say it’s going to be an incredible weekend for bike enthusiasts, family members, and friends in Santa Cruz county. The festival reflects what Santa Cruz in general is all about: loving the outdoors, community, meeting friendly people, kicking back and enjoying that big stoke from your favorite sport.
COMING FALL 2013: THE SANTA CRUZ SUPER ENDURO
Last year, MBoSC made history with the addition of Santa Cruz’s debut superenduro to the festival’s competitive events line-up. This Euro-style enduro—featuring one bike, three climbs, three timed descents—was the first-ever legally sanctioned race at Soquel Demonstration State Forest (Demo) and attracted 177 applicants with pro and amateur riders from near and far vying for the coveted 50 available spots. A physically and technically demanding course on some of the sweetest trails in Santa Cruz combined with the camaraderie inherent in the superenduro format made this event an overwhelming success.
MBoSC is excited to continue the success of both the Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival and the Santa Cruz Super Enduro (SCSE). Due to concerns resulting from the inclement weather preceding the 2012 Super Enduro event, the 2013 race will be held later in the year as part of the California Enduro Series (CES). The Santa Cruz Super Enduro will focus entirely on the race and the racers, promising an incredible weekend of riding, racing, and camaraderie for pros and amateurs alike. Details about the California Enduro Series and the Santa Cruz Super Enduro will be released soon.
The mission of the festival is to celebrate mountain biking in Santa Cruz county by bringing cycling enthusiasts together to participate in and spectate competitive and recreational mountain bike events, promoting the world class mountain biking facilities and riders of Santa Cruz county while bringing the local community together and advocating for an active outdoor lifestyle. Through the Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival, MBoSC—a 501(c)3 non-profit organization—has raised over $25,000 to support bike projects in Santa Cruz county.
Relive the 2012 action through photos provided by:
Registration for the Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival is now OPEN! The festival is a celebration of wheels on dirt in Santa Cruz County and will be in Aptos Village from April 14-15, 2012.
We are featuring the Bell Super Enduro at Demo – a physically challenging multi-stage race traveling a distance of 25+ miles with over 5000 ft of climbing over 6 hours. The Enduro race format is popular in Europe and is starting to take hold in North America. It represents an exciting evolution of mountain bike racing that reflects how we ride in the forest with our friends. This Super Enduro will be the first legally sanctioned race at Soquel Demonstration State Forest!
There are limited entries to this race and we are accepting applications for the Bell Super Enduro at Demountil February 17, 2012. Please submit your application!
We have openings for sponsorships and volunteers. Please contact us if you are interested.
The mission of the SCMBF is to celebrate mountain biking in Santa Cruz County by bringing people together to participate and spectate in competitive and recreational mountain bike events, and a festival to bring the community together to advocate an active outdoor lifestyle and promote the world class mountain biking facilities and riders in Santa Cruz County.
Congratulations to Mike Schalow of Aptos, California for being the lucky winner of a brand new 2011 Nomad Carbon with the SRAM XO 1×10 all mountain kit. He bought 1 ticket (yes just one) from Another Bike Shop in Santa Cruz but it happened to be the right ticket.
We are happy to announce that this raffle raised a $10,815 donation towards the Pogonip multi-use trail. These expenses will go towards trail design, the costs of bridges and signage for the trail.
We met Mike Schalow at the post Sea Otter Aptos jump jam yesterday and he took the white Nomad Carbon that Santa Cruz Bicycles gave us to use as a display model. This was the bike that he wanted, in the color and size he wanted – which makes things easier for us. Mike is a long time SCB fan and has been riding a 15 year old Heckler. He just bought his girlfriend a new Juliana a couple of weeks ago and was planning to get a new bike. The Nomad Carbon represents a significant upgrade for him.
We would like to thank Mike Ferrentino and Santa Cruz Bicycles for donating a very compelling bike for our fund raiser.
We would like to thank all of you all for participating in this fund raiser. Your reward for participation will be a very sweet new single track trail which will connect downtown Santa Cruz to upper campus/Wilder Ranch SP/Henry Cowell SP – hopefully within a year. This trail will be a huge benefit to the City of Santa Cruz. Not only will it push out all the negative activity by displacing it with healthy and family friendly activities but it will also provide an way to increase economic activity for downtown Santa Cruz.
MBOSC is proud to host the Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival in Aptos Village April 13-14, 2013
