An Amazing Weekend at the Inaugural Old Growth Classic
September 18, 2018
Video by Jackson Bradshaw | Photos by Brad Holmes and Saris Mercanti
When rider #310 crossed the finish line at the 2018 Old Growth Classic, the crowd erupted in celebration. Champagne was sprayed, a tunnel of cheering was formed, and everybody felt a sense of excitement. But #310 didn't win the race. In fact, she was the very last person to finish, and she crossed the line over 10.5 hours after she started. She made it through the course checkpoint one minute before the time cutoff, and she was determined to finish. Her ride was a display of pure grit, determination, and tenacity, and it became the most exciting race of the day. When it was announced that #310 was approaching the finish, everybody swarmed the finish line to give her a proper welcome home. It was an incredible moment that touched all who were there to experience it. #310 later said that she was expecting the finish line to be dark, quiet, and empty by the time she arrived, so she was blown away by the support she received. And that's what made the inaugural Old Growth Classic so special. The people. The camaraderie. The stories. The experience. It all came together for an unforgettable weekend.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves, so let's rewind and start at the beginning.
[embed]https://youtu.be/T8iZ5HsC1wU[/embed]
On August 25, 2018, Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz and Ibis Cycles hosted the first bike race ever in the iconic Big Basin Redwoods State Park. This was no small feat considering that Big Basin is California's oldest State Park, being established in 1902. The park has many paved and dirt roads that wind through its iconic terrain, with elevations ranging from sea level to over 2,000-feet. Most notably, it is home to the largest continuous stand of old growth redwoods south of San Francisco. It's those special redwoods that gave this race its name: the Big Basin Old Growth Classic.
If you're hearing about this event for the first time, it's so much more than just a race. The Old Growth Classic is a full weekend experience featuring a 55-mile mixed terrain race, two nights of camping, live music, delicious catered meals, tasty drinks, and more summer camp fun. On top of all that, it's held as a benefit for State Parks, and a significant portion of the proceeds go directly to State Parks to fund road maintenance and emergency response equipment. What's better than having a good time for a good cause?!
Participants arrived Friday evening at the event's HQ, Little Basin Campground. What an incredible place to call home for the weekend! Everybody setup tents in campsites nestled amongst the redwoods, checked in for the next day's race, got their race numbers, and fueled up on tacos.
That evening, the Little Basin site manager, Randy Widera, gave a campfire talk where we learned the history of this great place. Little Basin, once a retreat and campground for Hewlett Packard employees, is a 534-acre California State Parks campground that was recently added to Big Basin Redwoods State Park through a partnership with the Peninsula Open Space Trust and Sempervirens Fund. After Randy's animated and captivating history lesson, he pulled out his guitar and said, "this is a campfire, after all, and I'd like to invite you all to sing with me." He then lead the group in a singalong of This Land is Your Land. What a perfect way to get in the spirit and kick off the weekend.
The next morning, the venue was bustling before sunrise because the race had an early start at 8am. Racers were brought to life thanks to coffee from Verve Coffee Roasters and a delicious breakfast served in the group picnic area. In an effort to reduce waste, all participants received a reusable plate, spork, and cup, thanks to support from Sempervirens Fund and MSR. The dish washing station became a fun place to meet new people and swap stories while working together to make this a sustainable event.
After the pre-race fuel had been absorbed, it was time for staging, race announcements, and finally, the race! It was a beautiful, crisp morning with fog rolling in through the redwoods, making for a dramatic scene as the race began. The temperature was a bit cooler than might be expected for August, which was appreciated by our racers as they rolled out for a huge day on their bikes.
The course was a challenging 55-miles with 8,000’ elevation gain that took riders on a mix of paved and dirt roads through Big Basin’s iconic scenery. It featured many of Big Basin’s classic roads, such as China Grade, Chalks Road, Gazos Creek, and Middle Ridge. It even included a loop in Butano State Park on Butano and Olmo Fire Roads.
In case you're wondering if you read that last paragraph correctly...you did. There really was 8,000' of climbing in only 55 miles! Riding Big Basin is no stroll through the park. The climbs are steep, the descents are technical, and you get few opportunities to just cruise and recover. We believe that's what makes riding Big Basin so epic.
Luckily for the racers, there were two amazing aid stations on course to keep their bodies fueled and their bikes functioning. The course crossed each aid station twice for a total of four support opportunities. The aid station at Sandy Point was hosted by Trail Head Cyclery, and they had a decadent spread with pickles, pickle juice shots, bacon, muffins, banana bread, and turkey/pesto sandwiches...all of it homemade! They even had a bottle of Bulleit bourbon tucked away to help ease the pain up the challenging climbs. On the coast there was another aid station hosted by Mikes Bikes with Nutella sandwiches, Gu energy gels, Nuun hydration mix, and more. There was no way racers would go hungry with these aid stations!
There was also a team of neutral support riders out on course thanks to Spokesman Bicycles and Easton Cycling. The neutral support team roamed the course with packs stocked full of anything a rider might need to fix a mechanical. They even had Easton wheels strapped to their packs for emergency replacements! Luckily, they encountered very few issues on course, which goes to prove that the superstition that if you're prepared and bring a tube, you won't get a flat.
While riders were on course, they encountered it all: steep climbs, ripping descents, steeper climbs, redwood canopies, techy descents, banana slugs, and ocean views.
Then, 50+ miles into the race, they experienced the steepest climbs. That's right. We saved the best for last. Little Basin sits at a higher elevation, which means you have to go up to get back to camp. The final stretch on Pine Mountain Road offered multiple 20% grades in the last few miles of the course, which had riders suffering as they pedaled, and made many succumb to hike-a-biking. But once they made it to the top of that final pitch, it was one last mile of all out descending before crossing the finish line, and you can bet that post-race beer tasted even better after such a brutal effort at the tail-end of the race.
The first rider to cross the line was Santa Cruz's local hero Tobin Ortenblad, taking home the W in the Pro Men's category at a blazing fast time of 3:30:14. Our Pro Women's champion, Clarice Sayle, crossed the line in 4:21:50, dominating her category with over a 10-minute lead on second place. Other notable finishes include the winners of what might be considered the questionable decision categories: Andy Engel won Sinle Speed in 4:57:43, while Pete Schmidt and his stoker won Tandem in 5:59:42. Really, single speed and tandem on that course?! Wow. Our youngest racer, 15-year old Robert Elvinger, won his category in 7:47:45. That post-race glow was everywhere with stoked faces surrounding the finish line.
Once everybody was back at camp, it was time to celebrate! Racers were met at the finish line with a satisfying post-race chili lunch, and everybody got to fill their cups with drinks from New Bohemia Brewing Company and/or Venus Spirits. The mood in the expo was lively as everybody swapped stories about an amazing ride, played lawn games, and soaked up the afternoon sun while enjoying the upbeat tunes from ska-raggae-fusion band Take 1.
The podium celebration rewarded all top-3 category finishers with prize bags overflowing with incredible products from Praxis, Blackburn Design, Giro, Light and Motion, and Family Cycling Center. If you were lucky enough to win your category, your closet got a little fuller with a stylish event champion jersey from Jakroo.
Then the party really started! Outlaw county band Miss Lonely Hearts took the stage, and this hard driving honky tonk band got everybody on their feet, even though most people could barely stand after that 55-mile ride.
That's not where this story ends though, because after all that, we finally heard over the radio that #310 was about to finish. Word spread quickly, and everybody moved the party from the expo to the finish line because we all wanted to celebrate #310, the incredible Deepa Bhatt, on what was the most impressive ride of the day. She finished in 10:34:58, over two hours after the last person before her. Along the way she had every opportunity to get in the sag wagon and call it a day. But she didn't. She was determined to complete the longest, most demanding ride of her life. And she did it. Everybody who rides a bike knows how great it feels to accomplish something that at times felt impossible. That's why everybody at Old Growth Classic stopped what they were doing to crowd the finish line and give Deepa a hero's welcome. We bet champagne never tasted so good as when she chugged that bottle after finishing.
The energy Saturday night was palpable. A large crowd stayed up late around the group bonfire excitedly sharing stories and roasting s'mores. Many new friends were made because bike racing attracts good people, and the Old Growth Classic brought together the best kind of people for the best kind of weekend.
Thank you to everybody who made the first ever Big Basin Old Growth Classic better than we ever thought it could be! The volunteers, the vendors, the sponsors, the staff, and most importantly, the racers. Your combined stoke, positive attitudes, and camaraderie brought something special to the event, and everybody left Little Basin Sunday morning feeling like they experienced something rare and unforgettable. What a weekend. What a community. We can't wait to do it all again next year.
Full results available here.
Photos available here.
That evening, the Little Basin site manager, Randy Widera, gave a campfire talk where we learned the history of this great place. Little Basin, once a retreat and campground for Hewlett Packard employees, is a 534-acre California State Parks campground that was recently added to Big Basin Redwoods State Park through a partnership with the Peninsula Open Space Trust and Sempervirens Fund. After Randy's animated and captivating history lesson, he pulled out his guitar and said, "this is a campfire, after all, and I'd like to invite you all to sing with me." He then lead the group in a singalong of This Land is Your Land. What a perfect way to get in the spirit and kick off the weekend.
The next morning, the venue was bustling before sunrise because the race had an early start at 8am. Racers were brought to life thanks to coffee from Verve Coffee Roasters and a delicious breakfast served in the group picnic area. In an effort to reduce waste, all participants received a reusable plate, spork, and cup, thanks to support from Sempervirens Fund and MSR. The dish washing station became a fun place to meet new people and swap stories while working together to make this a sustainable event.
After the pre-race fuel had been absorbed, it was time for staging, race announcements, and finally, the race! It was a beautiful, crisp morning with fog rolling in through the redwoods, making for a dramatic scene as the race began. The temperature was a bit cooler than might be expected for August, which was appreciated by our racers as they rolled out for a huge day on their bikes.
The course was a challenging 55-miles with 8,000’ elevation gain that took riders on a mix of paved and dirt roads through Big Basin’s iconic scenery. It featured many of Big Basin’s classic roads, such as China Grade, Chalks Road, Gazos Creek, and Middle Ridge. It even included a loop in Butano State Park on Butano and Olmo Fire Roads.
In case you're wondering if you read that last paragraph correctly...you did. There really was 8,000' of climbing in only 55 miles! Riding Big Basin is no stroll through the park. The climbs are steep, the descents are technical, and you get few opportunities to just cruise and recover. We believe that's what makes riding Big Basin so epic.
Luckily for the racers, there were two amazing aid stations on course to keep their bodies fueled and their bikes functioning. The course crossed each aid station twice for a total of four support opportunities. The aid station at Sandy Point was hosted by Trail Head Cyclery, and they had a decadent spread with pickles, pickle juice shots, bacon, muffins, banana bread, and turkey/pesto sandwiches...all of it homemade! They even had a bottle of Bulleit bourbon tucked away to help ease the pain up the challenging climbs. On the coast there was another aid station hosted by Mikes Bikes with Nutella sandwiches, Gu energy gels, Nuun hydration mix, and more. There was no way racers would go hungry with these aid stations!
There was also a team of neutral support riders out on course thanks to Spokesman Bicycles and Easton Cycling. The neutral support team roamed the course with packs stocked full of anything a rider might need to fix a mechanical. They even had Easton wheels strapped to their packs for emergency replacements! Luckily, they encountered very few issues on course, which goes to prove that the superstition that if you're prepared and bring a tube, you won't get a flat.
While riders were on course, they encountered it all: steep climbs, ripping descents, steeper climbs, redwood canopies, techy descents, banana slugs, and ocean views.
Then, 50+ miles into the race, they experienced the steepest climbs. That's right. We saved the best for last. Little Basin sits at a higher elevation, which means you have to go up to get back to camp. The final stretch on Pine Mountain Road offered multiple 20% grades in the last few miles of the course, which had riders suffering as they pedaled, and made many succumb to hike-a-biking. But once they made it to the top of that final pitch, it was one last mile of all out descending before crossing the finish line, and you can bet that post-race beer tasted even better after such a brutal effort at the tail-end of the race.
The first rider to cross the line was Santa Cruz's local hero Tobin Ortenblad, taking home the W in the Pro Men's category at a blazing fast time of 3:30:14. Our Pro Women's champion, Clarice Sayle, crossed the line in 4:21:50, dominating her category with over a 10-minute lead on second place. Other notable finishes include the winners of what might be considered the questionable decision categories: Andy Engel won Sinle Speed in 4:57:43, while Pete Schmidt and his stoker won Tandem in 5:59:42. Really, single speed and tandem on that course?! Wow. Our youngest racer, 15-year old Robert Elvinger, won his category in 7:47:45. That post-race glow was everywhere with stoked faces surrounding the finish line.
Once everybody was back at camp, it was time to celebrate! Racers were met at the finish line with a satisfying post-race chili lunch, and everybody got to fill their cups with drinks from New Bohemia Brewing Company and/or Venus Spirits. The mood in the expo was lively as everybody swapped stories about an amazing ride, played lawn games, and soaked up the afternoon sun while enjoying the upbeat tunes from ska-raggae-fusion band Take 1.
The podium celebration rewarded all top-3 category finishers with prize bags overflowing with incredible products from Praxis, Blackburn Design, Giro, Light and Motion, and Family Cycling Center. If you were lucky enough to win your category, your closet got a little fuller with a stylish event champion jersey from Jakroo.
Then the party really started! Outlaw county band Miss Lonely Hearts took the stage, and this hard driving honky tonk band got everybody on their feet, even though most people could barely stand after that 55-mile ride.
That's not where this story ends though, because after all that, we finally heard over the radio that #310 was about to finish. Word spread quickly, and everybody moved the party from the expo to the finish line because we all wanted to celebrate #310, the incredible Deepa Bhatt, on what was the most impressive ride of the day. She finished in 10:34:58, over two hours after the last person before her. Along the way she had every opportunity to get in the sag wagon and call it a day. But she didn't. She was determined to complete the longest, most demanding ride of her life. And she did it. Everybody who rides a bike knows how great it feels to accomplish something that at times felt impossible. That's why everybody at Old Growth Classic stopped what they were doing to crowd the finish line and give Deepa a hero's welcome. We bet champagne never tasted so good as when she chugged that bottle after finishing.
The energy Saturday night was palpable. A large crowd stayed up late around the group bonfire excitedly sharing stories and roasting s'mores. Many new friends were made because bike racing attracts good people, and the Old Growth Classic brought together the best kind of people for the best kind of weekend.
Thank you to everybody who made the first ever Big Basin Old Growth Classic better than we ever thought it could be! The volunteers, the vendors, the sponsors, the staff, and most importantly, the racers. Your combined stoke, positive attitudes, and camaraderie brought something special to the event, and everybody left Little Basin Sunday morning feeling like they experienced something rare and unforgettable. What a weekend. What a community. We can't wait to do it all again next year.
Full results available here.
Photos available here.
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