2018 Old Cabin Classic

Photos by Mike Thomas, Jason Zengerle, Peter Thomsen, Jeff Vander Stucken & Bruce Dorman Video by Ben Gomez Villafane

A Glorious Day in Wilder Ranch State Park

May 19, 2018, was a truly special day in Wilder Ranch State Park. The skies were clear, the sun was warm, and it was the 3rd annual Santa Cruz Old Cabin Classic. This event has become a staple of mountain bike culture in the Santa Cruz area because it gives riders a great opportunity to race while bringing the community together at a fun-filled festival. Hosted by the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC), Old Cabin Classic is held as a fundraiser for State Parks, and a significant portion of the proceeds go directly into a fund allocated for trail development at Wilder Ranch. In its 3rd year running, the 2018 Old Cabin Classic was bigger and better than ever with 600 racers, countless spectators, and an expo overflowing with delicious food, refreshing beverages, live music, a vintage bike museum, a kids bike rodeo, and lots of great vendors.

Racing With an Ocean View

Perhaps the most exceptional part of Old Cabin Classic is the experience of the racer. It's a unique opportunity to have a mountain bike race with an ocean view, and this year's race course maximized that opportunity. The brand new course took riders out along the bluffs for miles of racing right on the edge of the great Pacific, so close that a misty ocean breeze kept riders cool. The course then traveled through a tunnel under Highway 1, then up a challenging climb on Baldwin Loop and into the Wilder Ranch backcountry trails. From there, it was a full tour of Wilder Ranch, racing on some of the best trails in the park. What made the course even more special was that no racers traveled on the same trail twice, making the race experience feel like one big adventure rather than laps on a short course. This amazing course allowed riders to experience Wilder in a new way, even if they had been riding these trails for years. 600 riders toed the line on race day, and it was exciting to see so many people going head to head and testing their limits. With nearly 30 categories available for riders of different ages and abilities--even Vintage and Tandem categories!--there was a place for everybody at Old Cabin Classic. We had riders that ranged in age from 6 to 68, newbies who were racing for the first time, and seasoned veterans with World Championship titles under their belts. What everybody had in common was a shared passion for mountain biking and racing. The energy at the start line was palpable, and the stoke at the finish line was infectious. The winners of our women's and men's pro categories put on an impressive show, and we are excited to congratulate Signe Koch and Tobin Ortenblad on their victories! They finished the 29-mile course in 1:53:02.1 and 2:10:36.2 respectively.

The Future of Bike Racing Looks Bright

New at Old Cabin Classic this year was a Youth 10 & Under race and was a highlight of the day! Over 30 kids lined up for a 25-minute race on a short course, and it was inspiring to see these young rippers charge through their race. There were 5-year-olds on push bikes, 10-year-olds pedaling hard, helmets adorned with mohawks, handlebars with tassels, and some of the cutest bike racing you've ever seen. It was so much fun to watch these kiddos give it their all and experience the range of emotions that come with a great race. The intensity on the bike, the exhaustion at the finish line, and the post-race stoke.

The kids in the Youth 10 & Under race all rode hard, and everybody deserved a spot on the podium. While all the youngins were on the podium, we asked how many raced mountain bikes for the first time at Old Cabin Classic. Most of the kids raised their hand. When we asked how many planned to race mountain bikes again, every single hand shot into the air. They got the bug, and we can't wait to see these kids racing for years to come.

We're Here for the Party

After the strenuous work of racing, everybody deserves to let loose, and the expo lets you do just that. Between the 600 racers and the hundreds of people who came out to spectate and enjoy the fun, there were 1,000+ people celebrating in the sunshine together, making for a true festival experience at Wilder Ranch. And there was no shortage of happenings to keep everybody entertained! A vintage bike museum highlighted relics from the past for a look at what mountain biking used to look like in Wilder Ranch. Jesse Daniel performed great live tunes to get everybody moving. Kids played in the Kids Bike Rodeo presented by Trips for Kids and MORCA. Vendors displayed exciting products for everybody to explore. Yummy drinks were poured by Verve Coffee Roasters, New Bohemia Brewing Company, and Venus Spirits. Tasty eats were served by Ate3One, Tacos El Chuy, and Drunk Monkeys. And fun was had by all.

Mountain Bike Racing is Like a Stubborn Bottle of Champagne

If you were at the Old Cabin Classic awards ceremony, you won't soon forget that infamous bottle of champagne. We'd like to think of this moment as a metaphor for somebody who might be too intimidated to try mountain bike racing. For a new rider, the thought of racing might seem daunting, challenging, and almost impossible. But if you tackle the challenge with great friends, we promise you'll have a good time and that there will be a party waiting for you at the finish line!

Congratulations to Everybody Who Landed on the Top Step

Pro Men - Tobin OrtenbladPro Women - Signe Koch Expert Men 18-29 - Eric Fischer Expert Men 30-39 - Jonathan Dickey Expert Men 40-49 - Justin Robinson Expert Men 50+ - Don Myrah Expert Women 18-39 - Liia Sarjakoski Expert Women 40+ - Julianne Silva Men Single Speed - Scott Chapin Women Single Speed - Campbell Steers Sport Men Junior <18 - Joshua Poshard Sport Men 18-29 - Kirk Kaubish Sport Men 30-39 - Aaron Glick Sport Men 40-49 - David Engelbrecht Sport Men 50+ - Steve Hindman Master Men 60+ - George Smith Vintage 1993 or Older Bicycles - Ian Stowe Tandem - Hans Van Housen & Gene Selkov Sport Women 18-39 - Madeline Warren Sport Women 40+ - Kathy Craft Beginner Men Junior <18 - Sean Strachan Beginner Men 18-29 - Daniel Biagiotti Beginner Men 30-39 - Alexandre Passos Beginner Men 40-49 - Jason Zengerle Beginner Men 50+ - Taki Hiraoka Beginner Women 18-39 - Alexis Smith Beginner Women 40+ - Kimberly Ford

Shoutout to Our Volunteers!

Old Cabin Classic wouldn't be possible without our amazing team of volunteers, and we'd like to extend a special thank you to everybody who helped make the event so great. We had over 100 people donate their time to design and build the amazing course, keep riders headed the right direction on race day, patch wounds and scrub poison oak, direct vendors, assemble race packets, manage the sales booth, and so, so much more. This is the true magic of Old Cabin Classic--the community of people who come together to create such a special day!

Three Cheers for State Parks!

When it's all said and done, Old Cabin Classic is meant to promote responsible and sustainable mountain biking while raising funds for trails in Wilder Ranch. Our friends at State Parks are wonderful partners of MBOSC, and Old Cabin Classic wouldn't happen without their support. So let's have a hip, hip, hooray for State Parks! We think this photo by Tina West nicely captures how they feel about the benefit of Old Cabin Classic.

Relive the 2018 Old Cabin Classic Experience

Ben Gomez Villafane created a great video to capture the experience of Old Cabin Classic, so sit back and relive a great day in Wilder Ranch. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uKcji7Ynd0[/embed]

Thanks to Our Amazing Partners!

All of our incredible sponsors make Old Cabin Classic the special day that it is, and we are grateful to have so many brands involved with this awesome community event. We'd like to extend a special thank you to the following: Fox for their ongoing support as title sponsor for the third year in a row. California Enduro Series for managing the registration and timing system. Trips for Kids Santa Cruz and MORCA for bringing the Kids Bike Rodeo to the festival. Rock Lobster for donating a frame to the Trap a Rock Lobster Campaign, which raised over $7,000. Patagonia for serving breakfast to our amazing team of volunteers. The Ride Guides for overseeing our course marshals. Verve for serving free coffee to everybody at the event. Current eBikes for donating e-bikes to make course setup and marshaling more manageable. Sandbar Solar for donating their solar trailer to power our sound and PA system. New Bohemia for brewing a delicious Old Cabin Classic IPA and serving it at the race. Cycle Works for organizing and hosting the main aid-station on course.

Let Us Know What You Thought!

Did you attend the Old Cabin Classic? We'd love to hear what you thought of the event! Please let us know by completing this short survey. For more photos and complete race results, visit www.oldcabinclassic.com.