2019 Old Cabin Classic Recap!

Photos by Jay Melena & Mike Thomas [embed]https://youtu.be/2AHcStZBEjc[/embed] The 4th annual Old Cabin Classic took place in Wilder Ranch State Park on Saturday, May 4th, and what a great day it was! This event is always one of our favorite days of the year, but it felt extra special this year. In its 4th year running, the 2019 Old Cabin Classic featured a brand new expo venue, 600 racers, countless spectators, a free kids race with 50+ participants, and an expo overflowing with delicious food, refreshing beverages, live music, a vintage bike museum, a kids bike rodeo, and lots of great vendors. Relive the good times with our fun recap video above and full story below. We can't wait to see you at the 5th annual Old Cabin Classic in 2020! Looking for even more photos? Click here for all the event photos!

SATURDAY IN THE PARK

We are proud that Wilder Ranch State Park is home to the Santa Cruz Old Cabin Classic cross country mountain bike race. Wilder Ranch features an incredible variety of trails where a quick climb takes you from coastal bluffs to deep into a redwood forest. It's a very special place to host a bike race. The Old Cabin Classic 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.

STAR SPANGLED BANNER

For the first time ever at Old Cabin Classic, the day started with a live performance of the National Anthem by none other than Jeff Clark. It's not an exaggeration to say that bike racing in Santa Cruz wouldn't be what it is without Jeff. He has put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into bringing great racing experiences to the community over the last few decades. At the Old Cabin Classic, Jeff manages all communication logistics to keep things operating smoothly. Turns out, Jeff can sing too! We were honored to have him start the race in classic fashion with his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

BICYCLE RACE

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 40 categories available for riders of different ages and abilities–even Vintage and Tandem categories!–there was a place for everybody at Old Cabin Classic. The energy at the start line was palpable. And the stoke was infectious! We had racers that ranged in age from 8 to 72, 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. Hosting the Old Cabin Classic in Wilder Ranch State Park offers the unique opportunity to have a mountain bike race with an ocean view. The course takes riders out along the bluffs for miles of racing right on the edge of the great Pacific,. The course then travels through a tunnel under Highway 1, up a challenging climb on Baldwin Loop and into the Wilder Ranch backcountry trails. From there, it's a full tour of Wilder Ranch, racing on some of the best trails in the park. What makes the course even more special is 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. Our friends at ABS and Spokesman hosted two great aid stations out on course which kept our racers fueled and motivated. The winners of our men's and women's pro categories put on an impressive show, and we are excited to congratulate Shane Kloepfer and Campbell Steers on their victories! They finished the 27-mile course in 1:48:30 and 2:13:13 respectively.

KIDS IN AMERICA

Perhaps our most important race of the day was the FREE Kids Race! Over 50 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. The racers ranged from 2-year-olds on push bikes to 10-year-olds pedaling hard. To make sure these kids got the full race experience, they all received number plates, a pre-race meeting, some pre-race interviews on the line, a proper countdown, energetic spectators, and a course perfectly taped just for them. Just look at these next photos and try not to get a huge grin on your face... The riders in the FREE Kids Race race all rode hard, and everybody deserved a medal and a spot on the podium. We can’t wait to see these kiddos racing for years to come!

GET THIS PARTY STARTED

Once riders cross the finish line, it's time for even more good times in the Old Cabin Classic expo! 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, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery, and Venus Spirits. And fun was had by all!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

We are proud of everybody who showed up and toed the line at Old Cabin Classic. Of course, our category champions deserve a special shoutout. Congratulations to everybody who landed on the podium's coveted top step! Pro Men - Shane KloepferPro Women - Campbell Steers Open Men Single Speed - Carson Benjamin Open Women Single Speed - Emily Marriott Expert Men 18-29 - Kenneth Rizer Expert Men 30-39 - Eric Williams Expert Men 40-49 - Justin Robinson Expert Men 50+ - Mike Donahue Expert Women 18-39 - Emma Ussat Expert Women 40+ - Kathy Craft Sport Men 18-29 - Liam Murphy Sport Men 30-34 - Benjamin Wild Sport Men 35-39 - Chris Boitnott Sport Men 40-44 - Rob Gaukel Sport Men 45-49 - Dye-Zone Chen Sport Men 50-54 - Doron Reuveni Sport Men 55+ - Dan Hughes Sport Women 18-39 - Jane Shook Sport Women 40+ - Jec Ballou Open Master Men 60+ - Dane Grant Open Master Women 60+ - Sharon Osgood Open Vintage 1993 or Older Bicycles - Kyle Taylor Open Tandem - Hans Van Housen & Gene Selkov Beginner Men 18-29 - Christopher Chen Beginner Men 30-39 - Robert Williams Beginner Men 40-49 - Jeff Schlueter Beginner Men 50+ - David Irvine Beginner Women 18-39 - Gina Parisi Beginner Women 40+ - Courtney Cassinelli Junior Boys 10 & Under - Martin Jones Junior Boys 11-14 - Zane Walbridge Junior Boys 15-18 - Joshua Poshard Junior Girls 10 & Under - Helen Taylor Junior Girls 11-14 - Jade Robinson

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

If you were at Old Cabin Classic, you probably noticed a number of people in mustard yellow event shirts. That was our amazing team of volunteers, and they're the people that make the event possible. We had over 100 people donate their time to design and build the 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 much more. High five to all of the wonderful people who gave their time and energy to create a memorable day!

THE PERFECT PARTNER

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 event. A special thank you goes out to: Fox for their ongoing support as title sponsor for the fourth year in a row. Santa Cruz Bicycles for joining the fun as a co-title sponsor and providing course sweeps. Caletti Cycles for donating a frame to help us raise over $13,200. ABS and Spokesman for organizing and hosting the aid-stations on course. 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. Verve for serving free coffee and providing coffee for podium winners. Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery for serving beer to our thirsty racers. Venus Spirits for pouring delicious cocktails and giving bottles of gin to lucky podium finishers. Jakroo for making awesome event jerseys and printing our podium backdrop. Sandbar Solar for donating their solar trailer to power our sound and PA system. The Ride Guides for providing the water trailer. Thanks to these great brands for providing awesome product to our podium finishers: Adventure Sports Journal Dynaplug Bee Happy Today Santa Cruz Core WTB Bicycle Trip Current eBikes Strawfoot Handmade Thule

SEE YOU AGAIN

We're already looking forward to the 5th annual Old Cabin Classic. Make sure you keep an eye on the event website, Instagram, and Facebook to be the first to know the 2020 event date and when registration opens. See you next year!