It’s hard to believe the once-modest, now-booming Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival has grown so big, so fast, in just five years.
This year’s edition of the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz-sponsored event, running April 5 and 6 in Aptos Village (home of the Post Office jump videos we’ve all marveled over), promises to top even last year’s blowout, which drew 9,000 attendees and 395 registered participants (a 50 percent increase in attendance and 220 percent increase over 2012).
We used to call the Santa Cruz festival a “mini-Sea Otter,” and in some ways it still is. A lot of bike vendors use the MBOSC fest as a trial run to Otter.
But in the past couple of years, the Santa Cruz fest has evolved a character and flavor all its own. True to the ideals of its sponsor, the festival has a focus on advocacy, trail maintenance and mountain biking “good deeds” that leaves everyone feeling great about our sport. Plus there’s lots of stuff tailored to kids and families — no rider left behind!
And some things, like Kat Sweet’s renowned “Sweetlines” Sugar Showdown girls skillz camp and “femtb” jump competition, just aren’t available at Sea Otter.
There’ll be lots of bikes to demo (get there early!) and our pal Dave Smith will be shuttling bikers up to Soquel Demo Forest in his rockin’ Shuttlesmith Adventures van.
This one’s not to be missed!