Sea Otter: Finals

Just a few moments ago I took my scissors out and snipped off the bright orange Sea Otter wrist band, symbolizing the official end of the Sea Otter Classic. I thought about wearing it for the next week or so, but I know even my own imagination couldn't bring it back amidst the return to the stresses and mayhem of life in Santa Cruz ( yes, I hear you all laughing! Come walk a day in MY shoes! =) ) But sifting through the loads of photos and video, and unloading all the gear has had me remembering the event and the progression of the weekend's events. To me, this weekend represented a lot for our group of riders in terms of our involvement in the wacky world of bicycles, and the improvements we've seen event since last year!

My first run aginst the number 1 qualifier.

Zach during practice

Dual Slalom finals took place Sunday. Zach and I were the only ones still riding, but we were lucky to have my Dad, Dusty and Stacy there cheering us on! We were both tremendously proud to have qualified for the finals, thus whatever finish we turned in was going to be good enough for us! My first qualifier went well, and i won both races moving into the quarterfinals. Zach unfortuantely was eliminated in the first round, but elimination in the finals means a guarenteed top ten finish! Zach finished 9th. My second round was against the top qualifier of the day, and i found it remarkably hard to shake the thought that there was no way to beat this guy. His times from qualifying were significantly faster than mine...by almost 4 seconds! Now I take racing very seriously. This is how I have fun! I like to get butterflies, and to focus and go over the course in my mind. This day, though, this lead me over the top and there came a point when I had to just ride off in the distance and tool around to get that goofy feeling i usually have on a bike. Though I lost both races, the runs I put in were the fastest i put in the whole day, and I finished only .7 seconds behind him. It was a remarkable day, and I still wish I could snap my fingers and be back there.

The crew providing encouragement for my last race. Thank you!

Now I'm back in the "real world" and the Sea Otter is becoming a distant thought... I've decided that the Sea Otter now replaces Christmas for me as the one day of the year that I obsess over, wake up early for in the morning, then lament how quickly it passes. For now, the 24 hours of Adrenaline looms in the near future! Check back soon for more writing because I guarentee the apparent draining of my bank account indicates registration for a series of noteworthy events! Thanks!