Sea Otter adds new contests for 2007

The Sea Otter Classic announced that it will expand its list of competitions for its 2007 edition by including BMX, Adventure Racing and Super D into the program.

In preparation for its first-ever appearance as an Olympic sport in 2008, Sea Otter's BMX event will feature an NBL-style BMX track with "tabletops," rollers and one or two rhythm sections. "A traditional track will have a start that's probably 8-10 feet tall, not too steep and then it can have any combination of obstacles in the first straightaway," said Randy Stumpfhauser (GT Bikes), four-time UCI BMX World Champion (cruiser class). "It could be a roller, a step-up jump or a tabletop. I would say that a traditional track has a lot more pedaling; power has a lot to do with it and getting to the first corner is 80 percent of the race."

The Sea Otter Classic is also opening its doors to the multi-sport crowd with the debut of Adventure Racing, where teams must complete the course together - no more than 30 yards apart - using nothing more than a map and compass. The Sea Otter Classic Adventure Race will be made up of four elements featuring water, mountain bike, foot, and a "special" element described as a "navigational skills test."

Also debuting in 2007 will be the Super D, which is a hybrid of downhill and cross-country requiring not only power, but also a finely tuned descending strategy to win. "Super D is the kind of race you'd have with your riding buddies - first one down the last epic descent doesn't have to buy the beer," said two-time national Super D champion, Adam Craig. "It's the essence of mountain biking in my mind, everyone climbs to descend, is in shape because of it, knows how to rail because of it - it's the simple combination and concentration that make it such a good time."

Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.