This upcoming weekend is the Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival with good stuff going on both Saturday and Sunday. Though if there's too much more rain then the Saturday ride will likely have to be canceled.Anyway, here's a quick rundown of events, there's lots more info on the other side of the link.
Saturday, February 27th at 9:30 am: Group ride at the Soquel Demo Forest with some of the stars of the new movie, Awesome Land: Women of Dirt. After the ride there will be some trailwork and a bbq. Also, Titus Bikes will be there to give riders a chance to demo their El Guapo 6 inch all mountain machine. If its half as nice as the 29er Rockstar I demoed a few weeks ago, it should be a blast to roll on.
There will be ample opportunities to purchase raffle tickets for a pretty amazing mountain of schwag including a brand spanking new El Guapo that will be given away at the Sea Otter Classic later this spring.
Sunday, February 28th from 10-3: Jump Jam at Depot Park in Santa Cruz sponsored by BlkMrkt Bikes. There will be riders demonstrating aerial wickedness, demo bikes, instruction, and good fun for all. Having seen some of the demo jumpers at last year's Sea Otter, these jump sessions are often truly jaw dropping.
Sunday, February 28th at 7 pm: The California premier of Awesome Land: Women of Dirt at the Rio Theatre at Soquel and Seabright Ave. The movie will also feature a Q&A session with Lisa Myklak, Emily Johnston, Tammy Donahugh and Kathy Pruitt will be present at the premier, along with the filmmaker Mark Brent. The session will be hosted by Karen Kefauver, a local cyclist, journalist and Spin City columnist for the the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
It promises to be an awesome weekend of mountain biking magnificence. I was thinking about trying to make the Saturday ride but am realizing that I'm unlikely to actually get rolling early enough to do it. So I am instead planning on heading out to the Jump Jam, snapping some pics, having some fun and maybe trying to make it to the movie premier as well.
There are a ton of local sponsors, the aforementioned mountain of raffle schwag and the money raised at the event will go to a good cause, to repair and reopen the parking area at the Demo Forest which has been closed due to environmental concerns. Which is all gravy really because its a freakin' Mountain Bike Festival and that should be plenty enough to get you up and out to have some fun.
