By Karen Kefauver - Sentinel correspondent
Posted: 02/19/2010 12:39:56 PM PST
Link to Sentinel article
The Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival will be heating
up here while the Winter Olympics will be winding down next weekend in
Canada. Watching the world's best athletes compete at the Games can be
inspiring and motivating — even for couch potatoes. So if you get stoked
seeing snowboarding, speedskating, and, of course, curling, here's a
chance to channel your energy and celebrate mountain biking at this
inaugural festival Feb. 27-28.
The two-day celebration of fat tires is organized by
the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz, a club and advocacy group that hosts
weekly rides, monthly meetings and trail-work days. "I heard rumors that
there is a Winter Olympics going on somewhere," joked MBOSC President
Mark Davidson, a Canadian native and Scotts Valley resident who has been
busy organizing the festival with a corps of volunteers from the
350-member group. "Our planning committee has been so busy," he said.
"We have been working with the bike industry, local bikes shops and
businesses to make this happen." The festival's featured event is the
California premiere of the movie "Adventure Land: Women of Dirt" on Feb.
28 at the Rio Theatre. Following two nights of outdoors movies from the
Banff Mountain Film Festival, the screening of "Women of Dirt" should
keep the action sports theme going.
The high-energy mountain bike documentary,produced by
Mark Brent of Seattle, showcases women downhill athletes including
Tammy Donahugh, Stephanie Nychka, Cierra Smith, Emily Johnston, Lisa
Myklak, Jill Kintner, Leana Gerrard, Dawn Cashen, Katrina Strand, Kathy
Pruitt, and Darcy Turenne. While those names may not be familiar outside
cycling circles, these influential women have helped shape the world of
downhill racing, dirt jumping and freeriding, which are collectively
known as the gravity cycling disciplines. The film documents the
challenges these women riders face with courage while celebrating their
accomplishments and love of bikes.
I haven't seen the movie, and Davidson, who got a
sneak peak at the film, won't share details. But he did reveal that "it
has a happy ending in Santa Cruz."
He noted that Brent and four of the women riders —
Myklak [of Santa Cruz], Johnston, Donahugh and Pruitt [also of Santa
Cruz] will — will participate in a question and answer session at the
Rio following the movie.
Full disclosure: This Spin City columnist has been invited to be the discussion moderator.
Megan Zemny, a downhill racer and active member of
MBOSC is thrilled with how plans are coming together for the event. She
said hopes the weather cooperates with the outdoor events, including a
group ride at Soquel Demonstration Forest on Feb. 27 and a Jump Jam on
Feb. 28. Zemny helped raise $12,000 worth of merchandise and solicit
donations of other items for two raffles. One drawing will take place at
the theater Feb. 28 with tickets at $1. The other raffle, which is $4
per ticket, for the $4,700 El Guapo bike will be announced at a drawing
at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey in April.
Davidson anticipates the movie screening will fill the Rio. I imagine
that who ever shows up will be inspired by the Olympics, passionate
about mountain bikes and excited about a chance to win a prize, even if
it's one that's not a gold, silver or bronze medal.
Proceeds from the film will support the Soquel
Demonstration State Forest, specifically rebuilding the parking lot,
which has been closed for repairs.
Karen Kefauver, www.karenkefauver.com, is a freelance
sports and travel journalist. She blogs weekly about bicycling for the
Sentinel at www.santacruzlive.com/blogs/outside.
