Tara Llanes "One of a Kind" Auction is Live!

As Tara continues to recover from her accident last fall, she needs to keep raising money to cover her medical expenses. Participating in the "One of a Kind" auction is not only a great way to help Tara's road to recovery, but it's also an awesome way to score yourself some sweet mountain biking memorabilia. There are bikes, skinsuits, jerseys, helmets and more up for auction. Each item in the auction was signed by, worn by, donated by and/or ridden by cycling's legendary pro riders including Elke Brutsaert, Brian Lopes, Mercedes Gonzales, and Ned Overend, as well as the sport's current stars, including Sabrina Jonnier, Steve Peat, and Tracy Moseley. (My favorite is the Marla Streb bobblehead doll.) To check out the items and place your own bids, visit http://www.go211.com/tara. The auction ends May 9.

Fluidride Race Clinic and Schedule Update

Fluidride is hosting a downhill race clinic in Port Angeles, WA on May 3 and 4, 2008. This clinic is open to anyone who races or wants to race, and it's a great way to improve your skills and confidence. The clinics promise to give riders plenty of time on the course with immediate feedback from instructors. Bring a friend!
Also, the second Fluidride Cup of the season, which was originally scheduled to be held at Mt. Hood, OR on May 10-11, has been moved to Port Angeles, WA due to heavy snowpack at Mt. Hood. For more information about the race clinic and the Fluidride Cup, visit www.fluidride.com!

Help the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship Finish a Sweet Trail

The Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship is working hard to finish the North Yuba Extension trail, which starts in Downieville, CA, before the middle of May. This trail is the only non-motorized trail in the Downieville area of the Sierra. It's also currently the only singletrack that you can hop on straight from town--and it accesses an infinite amount of riding from there. The North Yuba Extension climbs from town and then offers a world-class descent into Goodyears Bar.
Helping with the trail work is rewarding. The SBTS will cover your housing and food when you work on the trail, and you get the satisfaction of knowing that your work will help lots of people have lots of fun on a new and epic trail. Visit www.sierratrails.org for more information about the trail and how you can help.

Now in Stock: Sombrio!

We just received our first Sombrio order! Freeride Foundation now has Sombrio downhill and freeride jerseys, shorts, and gloves for your shopping pleasure. Be sure to check out the gravity-loving Lofter Jersey, the stylie Lotus Shorts, and the multi-use Session Jersey.

Pinkbike.com's Marin Co. Sea Otter Warm-up

On their way from Chilliwack, BC to Monterey, CA, Pinkbike.com stopped by the WTB headquarters in Marin County, CA. Dain and I took the crew up to Mt. Tam for some real Marin riding. Two of Pinkbike's downhill team members, Fiona Taylor and Danice Uyesugi were stoked to ride some dry California trails. These girls are rippers! I can't wait to ride with them again when Dain and I head north later this summer. Click here to check out Pinkbike.com's pre- and post-Sea Otter adventures.

Sea Otter Summary

Hooray for a dry Sea Otter (or as I now like to call it, the Windy Weasel)! We have loads of women's gravity results to post, so I'll cut to the chase. Sabrina Jonnier won the Pro women's dual slalom on Saturday, besting Melissa Buhl in the final round. Fionn Griffiths took 3rd and Rachel Atherton was fourth in the Consolation Round.
On Sunday, Melissa Buhl crushed the Pro women's downhill field, which saw a reshuffling of Saturday's top four ladies. She bested Fionn Griffiths by one second, and Melissa was nearly two seconds faster than third-place racer Sabrina Jonnier. Last year's Sea Otter champion, Rachel Atherton took fourth. Abby Hippely claimed the final podium spot in fifth.

Dual Slalom
Pro Women
1. Sabrina Jonnier
2. Melissa Buhl
3. Fionn Griffiths
4. Rachel Atherton
5. Kathy Pruitt
6. Mio Suemasa
7. Micayla Gatto
8. Marla Streb
9. Anneke Beerten
10. Joanna Petterson
11. Katie Holden
12. Caroline Jarolimek
13. Leana Gerrard
14. Sondra Williamson
15. Jessica Vogt
16.Britney White

Expert Women
1. Lainey Aldridge
2. Nancy Harris
3. Sandra Ross
4. Tara Johnson
5. Joy Martin
6. Becca Margulies

Sport/Beginner Women
1. Shelby Reilly
2. Mo Bergmann
3. Jenn Carr
4. Leslie Simpson

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Fionn Griffiths
3. Sabrina Jonnier
4. Rachel Atherton
5. Abigail Hippely
6. Joanna Petterson
7. Kathy Pruitt
8. Anneke Beerten
9. Claire Buchar
10. Caroline Jarolimek
11. Danice Uyesugi
12. Mio Suemasa
13. Tenille Smith
14. Miranda Miller
15. Rebecca McQueen
16. Micayla Gatto
17. Fiona Taylor
18. Katie Holden
19. Leanna Gerrard
20. Allegra Burch
21. Jackie Baker
22. Jamie Mart
23. Jessica Vogt
24. Tasa Herndon
25. Britney White
26. Mariska Chuse
27. Gabriela Williams
28. Sondra Williamson
29. Kimber Gabryszak
30. Darian Harvey
31. Connie Misket

Jr. Expert Women
1. Kjersten Lone
2. Lainey Aldridge
3. Essence Barton
4. Becca Margulies
5. Erika Joehnck

Expert Women 19-39
1. Joy Martin
2. Tara Johnson
3. Jennifer Wolf
4. Sandra Ross
5. Jerusha Millar
6. Nova Hairston
7. Sarah Jansen
8. Chantal Felten
9. Corina Bigham
10. Rachael Lambert
11. Margarete Jadamec
12. Annemarie Hennes
13. Julia Smith
14. Denise Taylor
15. Mairin Rooney

Expert Women 40+
1. Nancy Harris

Jr. Sport Women
1. Sebray Gossett
2. Shelby Reilly

Sport Women 19-29
1. Kelly Moore
2. Allison Mann
3. Heidi Kanyayan
4. Leslie Simpson
5. Sara Jarrell
6. Jenn Carr
7. Jessica Kohls

Sport Women 30-39
1. Erika Noel
2. Deborah Vitale
3. Sandy Densmore

Beginner Women 19-29
1. Lauren Wennstrom
2. Heather McFadden
3. Angela Kingshill
4. Elizabeth Imlach
5. Kirsten Concha-Moure
6. Christina Telezinski
7. Stephanie Jury
8. Tracy Barrell
9. Keri Albrecht
10. Amanda Schaper
11. Casey Swanton
12. Melanie Dyogi

Beginner Women 30-39
1. Mo Bergmann
2. Heather Zaragoza
3. Jana Wilcox
4. Colleen Carnathan
5. Tatiana Oberon
6. S. Harper
7. Sarah Harris

Beginner Women 40+
1. Lisa Edrington
2. Elaine Dale

We found our results at http://www.seaotterclassic.com/.

Holla for Ya Dolla Jam Results

The Thrashbike.com Holla for Ya Dolla Jam wrapped up in San Diego on Monday. The Jam consisted of three days of riding in three different venues. At the end, Nina Buitrago took home the women's Ripper of the Day awards on Day 1 and Day 3. Day 1 was the Atom Lab/Blk Mrkt Park Contest and Day 3 was the Home Ave. street session. Lisa Myklak was the women's Ripper of the Day at the Miracle Jumps on Day 2. To check out photos and video of the Jam, visit www.thrashbike.com.

Muddbunnies Women's Clinics

The Canadian women's cycling club, Muddbunnies, is holding several women's-only skills clinics throughout the spring in British Columbia. On May 17, the Muddbunnies host a beginner's downhill clinic at Roberts Creek, BC. This clinic is perfect for any female rider (19 or over) who's ever considered racing downhill, or who would like to work on her descending skills. Also, on May 3 and May 31, Muddbunnies will host its "Let's Ride" clinics for beginning riders. These clinics focus on basic riding skills. Check out www.muddbunnies.com for more clinic and event dates.

CCCX #3 Downhill Results

The third race of the spring CCCX series took place on Sunday at Toro Park, CA. It seems like the Gravity Shootout taking place not too far away affected the turnout for both races. Still, Chrissie Pinney made her Pro debut, and gained some points for the series.

Pro Women
1. Chrissie Pinney

Expert Women
1. Kelly Moore

Sport Women
1. Deborah Vitale
2. Ashley Hernandez
3. Roxanne Canent

Beginner Women
1. Roxanne Canent
2. Lauren Brown
3. Sarah Black

Gravity Shootout Results

The Stump Grinder Dirt Club hosted a dual slalom and downhill weekend in Los Olivos, CA this weekend. Gabriela Williams took downhill the win for the pro ladies in a two-run combined format. The only other women's class was the Open Women. Sondra Williamson won the dual slalom over Erika Joehnck.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Gabriela Willams
2. Christine Hirst
3. Michelle Rivera
4. Erika Joehnck
5. Jennifer Wolf

Open Women
1. Jana Wilcox
2. Sarina Adams

Dual Slalom
Pro/Expert Women
1. Sondra Williamson
2. Ericka Joehnck
3. Rachael Lambert

We found our results on http://www.ridesb.com/.

NMBS Finals to Relocate

According to a post on Cyclingnews.com today, the National Mountain Bike Series finale, which was slated to be held at Tamarack Resort, ID on August 30-31, will be relocated. Jeff Frost of Bluewolf Events, the NMBS promoter, has not finalized a new venue for the event, and there is the possibility of a date change as well. I was unable to find any further information on the Bluewolf Events site (www.bluewolfevents.com) or the USA Cycling site (www.usacycling.org).
To read the news blurb from Cycling News, click here.

Ladies, Holla for Ya Dolla!

There's a sweet 3-day park/street/jump jam happening in San Diego this weekend. Starting on Saturday and ending on Monday, the Holla for Ya Dolla Jam will visit San Diego's premier dirt jumps and skate parks in a quest to load down it's contestants with swag and cash. The best part of the whole thing is that there's a separate women's category. Also, there will be a "Girl of the Day" awarded after each session. The entry fee includes three days of riding and contests, lunch, and a damn good time. Holla!
For more information, visit http://www.thrashbike.com/.

Fluidride Cup #1 Results

The first Fluidride Cup event of the season took place in Port Angeles, WA. Katrina Strand made an impressive downhill showing for the Pro ladies. The Sport women's class was huge compared to the events we've seen so far this year, proving that gravity racing in the Northwest is as strong as ever.

Pro Women
1. Katrina Strand
2. Joy Mutoli
3. Leana Gerrard

Expert Women
1. Dawn Lambert
2. Chelsey Stevens
3. Angi Weston
4. Cassandra Stomm
5. Kim Hankinson

Sport Women Open
1. Jaime Rees
2. Cherry Thomas
3. Jessica Serdowich
4. Kathy Malvern
5. Summer Northern
6. Gabriella Dries
7. Julie Reilly
8. Sandy Densmore
9. Jennifer Tell
10. Asta Sestrap
11. Ashley Smeltzer
12. Jennifer Schenk

Sport Women 18 & Under
1. Shelby Reilly

Beginner Women Open
1. Kara Miller
2. Manssa Noppe
3. Yuonne Gillette
4. Vicci Adams
5. Cheryl Frey

Beginner Women 18 & Under
1. Paige Norman

We found our results on www.fluidride.com.

Stars and Bars Makes Me Happy

Mountain bike movies rarely live up to my expectations. I grew up on ski films that made me wish I was the one hauling through waist deep powder or negotiating a billy-goat line. I’d get so fired up I’d put on my boots and skis in the living room in August. Then again, there are plenty of ski flicks that miss the point. Once directors overwhelm a film with a cheesy plot, bad athlete acting, or too much of one kind of terrain, the Fun Factor goes straight to lame. These evil elements dominate too many mountain bike movies. We end up with all huck, all race, or all cheese, and rarely does the viewer yearn to be the rider. When was the last time you saw a mountain biking movie that made you want to run home, grab your bike, and start slashing corners?

All Out Productions’ new release Stars and Bars makes me want to ride, and it makes me want to ride fast. If you’ve seen any of Theo Dilworth’s previous videos (All Out Grease, Hella Greasy), you know his work is fun, fast-paced and well edited. Stars and Bars takes things a step further by combining witty artistic elements with entertaining riding. It’s the kind of movie you can watch 25 times and pick out something new every time you press play.

Theo follows all the rules. He keeps the dialog to a minimum, and what is included is totally hilarious—like Brad Benedict’s references to his scraper bike (click here if that means nothing to you). The plot is linear and focuses entirely on the riders. Racing, freeriding, and hucking all get time in the spotlight, and we see all types of terrain throughout the film. Plus, the soundtrack is as entertaining as the riding.

A mix of classic rock, punk, indie, and hiphop selections keep each segment fresh. For instance, The Gourds’ bluegrass remix of Snoop Dogg’s Gin and Juice plays during the Fontana segment. SoCal gangster meets twangy banjo? That’s Fontucky for you! Stuck in the Middle with You is smartly paired with the Angel Fire mountaincross segment—get it? And of course, what kind of movie named Stars and Bars would be complete without a little touch of the theme song from Team America World Police?

Stars and Bars showcases several of America’s current upper-tier gravity players, Cole Bangert, Luke Strobel, Ryan Condrashoff, and Brad Benedict, as they travel from the 2007 Sea Otter Classic to the season finale at Snowmass, CO. What separates Stars and Bars from other racing movies is that whether the boys are racing or showing off their home turf, they look, act, and ride like they’re having a blast. It makes me want to jump on my bike and have as much fun as my fellow ‘Mericans.

My favorite segments are filmed near San Diego with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, J.D. Swanguen (yellow), Cody Warren (white), Aaron Gwin (red), and the Griz (black). They’re riding a burned-out hill, and their full-kit colors look surreal against the scorched terrain. The riders flow through lines like I’ve only seen in big mountain ski and snowboard films. In the following segment, Theo captures J.D.’s smooth, confident style as he carves through delightful-looking dirt. It feels similar to watching skier Seth Morrison tear up Alaskan lines in MSP’s High Society.

The only thing missing from Stars and Bars is the ladies. Lisa Myklak, Caroline Jarolimek and Jess Vogt are each appear briefly, but not on their bikes. A crash by Kimber Gabryszak, quick shots of Melissa Buhl and Kathy Pruitt racing, and the final pro women’s mountaincross heat at Snowmass are the only times girls actually ride in the film. Theo promises to have a few more female segments in his soon-to-be released slopestyle film, Floatin’. But regardless of whether you’re a boy or girl, if you’re a fan of going fast downhill, you’ll walk away from Stars and Bars itching to grab your bike and haul some booty.

For more information about All Out Productions, visit www.alloutprodux.com.
To purchase Stars and Bars, visit www.ridesfo.com.

Sea Otter Shocker

I'm a slacker. I haven't signed up for Sea Otter yet. Last weekend, Jenna Kowalski mentioned that racing downhill at Sea Otter is so expensive that she's thinking about racing road instead. She, of course, can do that.

I know Sea Otter is expensive, but I didn't think about pre-registration until today. Mark Jordan brought the Sea Otter shocker to my attention. He posted a little rant about the cost of racing the downhill on declinemagazine.com. He points out that no matter what class you race, as of today you have to pay $90.00 to race. If you want to race slalom too, tack on $75.00. I went online and started putting it all together. In addition to the $165.00 in entry fees for the two events, you also have to pay a fee of more than $6.00 for each race. My total came out to $177.27. (I didn't commit, though.)

Mark points out pricing comparisons to other events, which makes the cost of racing at Sea Otter even more painful. Since the registration is hosted on Active.com, I was unable to figure out which riders had pre-registered (a handy feature on Sportsbaseonline.com). I'm interested in learning how many riders wait until the last minute to register.

I used to pre-register for everything. Until I started crashing all the time. In fact, after eating it last weekend at Fontana, I wasn't sure that I'd be able to ride at Sea Otter at all. Now that I know I can race, I'm not sure I want to ride both downhill and slalom like I'd originally planned. Ironically, as I was contemplating all of this, Allie called to see if I'd registered yet. She brought up a few more disturbing points.

• The late entry fee rate has risen $24.00 from last year's cost.
• On the Downhill Racing page on the Sea Otter home site, the $65.00 entry fee rate is not raised to $90.00 until "after April 4". Active.com says the rate changes on April 3.
• Pros have no downhill practice on Saturday according to the schedule on the Sea Otter site.
• The chart on the 4-day event schedule has no pro downhill practice on Friday or Saturday.

I'm a copy editor by trade, so I tend to get nitpicky when it comes to type-os and missing information. However, if I'm going to pay $90.00 to enter an event, I want to know precisely when I can practice. For $90.00, I should be able to ride as many laps on the course as I please.

Visit declinemagazine.com to read Mark's comments.

Dirt Jumping with Lisa Myklak

Lisa Myklak is one of the few mountain bike girls who has made a name for herself in the dirt jumping world. She's sponsored by Black Market bikes, which only makes dirt jump rigs and components. Carter Holland has posted a few cool video clips of Lisa's smooth riding style on the Black Market website, www.blackmarketbikes.com. Oh, did we mention she's pretty quick on a downhill bike too? (Check out the Fontana results below).

Meanwhile, the Iron Horse Maidens Pedal On

While we're getting all amped on racing downhill on the west coast, one of our favorite pro gravity girls kicking arse in South Africa. Anka Martin and her teammate Megan Hilliard are just about half way through the Absa Cape Epic, which is an 8-stage endurance mountain bike race. Anka, a ripping downhiller and native of South Africa is riding the Epic for a second time. She and Megan are both on Iron Horses (in case you hadn't caught that), and are competing with some of the best endurance cross country riders in the world. They're currently ranked 16th among the women's team. Yeah!

Check out http://www.cape-epic.com/ to track the Iron Horse Maidens through the finish of the race on Saturday.