Shyrmp's Sea Otter Spectacular

[Shyrmp]

Sea Otter 2006 Trip pics.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl13.jpg
Welcome to the Otter! :love:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl1.jpg
Oz, feeding some feedback to Gully at Hutchinson booth -and shooting crap. :p

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl2.jpg
Part of cycling history or atleast it should be.
Gravy's toolcase.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl4.jpg
Gravy's first workslip -my bike!!! :)

Then during my practice, Orven got hold of the camera -oh boy. :angry:
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Hannah Steffens of Gary Fisher did her time in the Hutchinson booth.
Sorry dudes, she's married.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl6.jpg

Friday ended with a downpour.
Outside of our hotel.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl8.jpg

[amydalayna]

the pictures capture the muddy mess very well.
it was great meeting you! one of the highlights of the weekend. i hope we get to ride together (without the stress of racing) sometime soon.

[Shyrmp]

Day 2 -Sat.
Since Orven did not race, he played photographer, team support, booth help, bike bitch and course-side heckler.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl11.jpg
Where ever the ladies are, Orven is not far.
Me and my friend Adrian waiting (and waited) in line for practice.

The fun stuff...:p
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Fall in line....:)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl24.jpg

And the Pros got a wooden bridge over this section? :think:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl25.jpg
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[Shyrmp]

There are drier parts of the course.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl30.jpg
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dry part -but not for too long.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl33.jpg

Ahahahaha. :p
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl34.jpg

Orven will get back to this section in a bit.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl35.jpg

Dry part leading into the log drop.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl36.jpg
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[Shyrmp]

Ugh! (he was ok)
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Hiking back up to the muckpit.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl48.jpg
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Yup, Orven and camera eyes. :angry:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl52.jpg
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Long break prior to my race run.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl54.jpg

[Shyrmp]

Sports class race.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl9.jpg

Mark Weir guiding the blind DH racer on his race run. :thumb:
That's will and heart. Do not take riding for granted.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl10.jpg

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While the race organizers take their ritualistic 30-45 mins breaks during the race, Oz took his "break." :mad:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl57.jpg
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Back to racing.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl59.jpg
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Another 30-45mins race organizer "break."
Stoney98 displaced in the sports class. :p
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl62.jpg

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tomyboy on my old SGS frame.
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bowling bowl Micro-Sanjay
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl68.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl69.jpg

[Shyrmp]

Cinnamon roll, yum. ;)
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Stoner's buddy.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl75.jpg

Semi pro rider, Mark Stone.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl76.jpg

Mandatory sideways merrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrjig shot.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl77.jpg

[Shyrmp]

After another 45 mins of mandatory race organizer break, racing came back to life. :mad:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl78.jpg

Lady Litton -formerly from the OC.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl79.jpg

Two hours after our supposed seed time, it's the ladies' turn to rock it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl80.jpg
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Me, before I hyperventilated and played in the mud. :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl83.jpg
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"Look sweetie, jumps!"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl92.jpg

Buzzzzzzzzzt.. :dead:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl93.jpg

groms and jumps on BLM land, good combo. :nono:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl90.jpg
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Bored with nothing to do that night, we went to San Francisco and drove around.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos1.jpg
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[Shyrmp]

Sunday!
While Orven did time in the booth, I went to shoot the semi-pro and pro practice and race runs.

I took too many pics so we're just posting the ones that looked cool.
Pros can be boring to watch bec they don't screw up much. :p
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos3.jpg
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos8.jpg

Current Hutchinson-USA rider, Marc Clemens (alloy)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos10.jpg
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[Shyrmp]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos16.jpg
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[Shyrmp]

Then the pro divas.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos23.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos24.jpg
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Nice to see Anka back in action.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos30.jpg

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[Shyrmp]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos36.jpg

Aneeke Berteen? meow.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos33.jpg

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My eyes.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos38.jpg

The Pro Men.
Fast forward to Sanjay (Sanjay, on a bona fide "team" duds?)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos39.jpg

Air time.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos40.jpg
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[Shyrmp]

More colorful kits.
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Alright, I'm going to have to cut out the pro pics.
We'd rather take pics of the amateurs like us and especially our friends like....

Rotec pro rider, Alf, the flying mexican!! ;)
He looked fast!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos57.jpg

It started raining so I went back to the booth and packed up Hutchinson. Sayonara 2006 Sea Otter and NorCal weather really royally sucked a$$ this year.

Soon after we packed the Hutchinson Tires booth and our gear, we booked out of dodge with the Manitou boys for another trip.
On our way to Lancaster.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos58.jpg

Somewhere in the dark region of Interstate 5 near Buttonwillow.
Yup, I was bored.
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4 hrs later, we touched down in the great City of Lancaster.
Orven, drooling over some sweet Manitou toys.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos60.jpg

[Shyrmp]

Monday AM, Lancaster time (ie: call in at Manitou and hit some shuttle runs).
Woof woof.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos61.jpg

Our host and Oz's friendly racing rival, Bob (and Chip the dog), fed us a big greasy fat breakfast and went up the local mountain for several shuttle runs. Yup, you guessed it, I was the shuttle wench for the boys. :thumb:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos62.jpg

After shuttling all morning, we went to Hesperia to visit Roger at Romic to spy on some cool stuff in the works.

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All along Orven kept saying, "dang, that's so cool."

Production line.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00sos65.jpg

Roger is a really awesome guy. It's so nice to see how shocks evolve from aluminum billet. The Romic trailer will be at the Nationals at Fontana. Stop by and say hi to Mr. Hurd.

5PM, we went to an asian buffet at the bottom of Big Bear Mountain.
Our typical post Snow Summit weekend grub stop -in the past. :(

Fun fun fun road trip!! :thumb:

Next weekend, another one... ?

[Shyrmp]

the pictures capture the muddy mess very well.
it was great meeting you! one of the highlights of the weekend. i hope we get to ride together (without the stress of racing) sometime soon.

It was great meeting you too :thumb:

It is too bad we did not get to meet up for practice. You are more than welcome to come down to San Diego anytime and let me know when the snow melts in Tahoe and I'll head up. :D

[DHS]

F'n Sweet Miss H!

thanks so much for the killer pics

[DRB]

Excellent as always......

[amydalayna]

It is too bad we did not get to meet up for practice.

i was a nervous wreck anyways. you might have thought i was a spaz. i was getting very frustrated with the state of the trail saturday morning.

i may take you up on the offer to visit sooner rather than later. it is so cold and dreary here right now.

good job on all of the pictures. they came out great. captured the weekend very well.

[sanjuro]

great pics,

btw, why does amydalayna look like she has a beard?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/shyrmp/Sea%20Otter%2006/00ssl81.jpg

[douglas]

cool pics, once again H

but that DH course looks so muddy & flat, maybe a cyclecross bike would have been a beter option!

[splat]

Nice Pics !! Thanks :thumb:

[amydalayna]

btw, why does amydalayna look like she has a beard?

i am growing one to keep me warm with the cold mountain weather.

i was more annoyed that my feet weren't even. always makes you look faster in pictures when you don't have one foot up and one foot all the way down.

[hooples3]

Great shots Heather... looks like you had a great time... BTW Orvan has a great eye for pictures.. you should give him the camera more often!!! :rolleyes: :thumb:

[DHS]

i am growing one to keep me warm with the cold mountain weather.

i was more annoyed that my feet weren't even. always makes you look faster in pictures when you don't have one foot up and one foot all the way down.
well you are going through a turn there. your feet are in the perfect position. :oink:

[McGRP01]

Awesome as ususal H!!! Thanks!!!! :)

[MMcG]

Great stuff! Thanks for sharing with us! :thumb:

[Pat...]

Cool Pictures! I missed it, but hopefully next year...

[FREERDR4LF]

that was flippin' great. with a collection of pics like that, there is no need for me to feel bad about not going.
thanks!

[Jayridesacove]

the captions and number of photos were very entertaining. thanks.

[Reactor]

Fantastic pictures. Great report. Your pictures are great but there is something to be said for letting Orven have the camera occasionally......:)

[Trainwreck]

That's a very comprehensive overview, I feel like I was there. Thanks for making the effort to post so many great shots. It must have taken quite a while.

[-dustin]

that toolbox made my nipples hard.

anyone run 1.9s for better mud traction? (just kidding)