Day two of the 2008 Sea Otter Classic was a cornucopia of Bike Skills clinics, Trials demonstrations by Ryan Leech, performances by the GT Airshow team, and a lesson from Dave, co-founder of VanderKitten, on the finer art of how to silk screen a t-shirt. Of course there were plenty of celebrity eye spies through the crowd some of which included Gary Fisher, Tinker Juarez, Fionn Griffiths, Rachel Atherton and Tara Llanes.

The folks over at Redline were really hot to talk about their 925. Featuring a steel double butted chromoly frame with cowhorn style handlebars, this bad boy is hoping to break into the ultra vogue “fixie” market. Fixed gear bikes are super hot right now and the 925 makes it easy for anyone to hop on and ride without having to go through the hassle or expense of finding and converting an old 70’s ten-speed for yourself. With the rear “flip-flop” hub, riders can ride fixed or freewheel. In addition, the bike sports (two) Planet Bike fenders to keep the road grime off your pants while you commute to work by bike. Redline is producing gender specific versions of this road warrior so this will be pretty cool.



The morning ride started with a Women’s Only clinic being given by professional racer and Bike Skills instructor Maxine Irving. This was a great opportunity to get some very valuable tips from a pro-rider. The clinic began in the special Bike Skills practice area before setting out and hitting some of the many trails around Laguna Seca and Fort Ord. Based on the huge smiles of all the participants, including Maxine, it looked like everyone had a great time learning some new skills.



Building upon those skills, one of the next events to go off was an amazing Trials riding demonstration by Norco rider Ryan Leech. What this guy can do on a bike is insane. For those of you that don’t know, Trials riding uses incredible amounts of balance and bike control to ride sick lines. Ryan’s set up consisted of steel steps, rails, ramps and trailer tops in an area no bigger than 30x15. Ryan talked to the crowd as he hopped gaps, rode steel skinnies and flew on to the top of his trailer with ease.

Next, it was off to the GT ramps where their Airshow Team was giving a freestyle BMX performance. Bo Wade took to the pavement and the mike, pumping the crowd for their World Famous Airshow. Jose Donoso and Cam White could be seen soaring 25ft over the ramps hitting all sorts of aerial tricks while Bo rocked it with the flatland stunts.



Magura Moto Stunt show set it off with “Boy Wonder” Aaron Colton. This kid, and I mean kid, he is only 14, pulled some of the most unbelievable tricks I’ve ever seen on a motorcycle. He left so much rubber on the pavement that a frugal festival goer could scrape it up and make a new tire from the skid marks.

The list of the day’s events could go on and on, but one of the greatest perks of a show like Sea Otter is that even without a media pass, fans are so close that at any point they can reach out and high-five any one of their heroes. The up-close and personal aspect of the Sea Otter Classic is what makes it a stand out event for ticket holders.