[Total Heckler]

I found some pictures of the new top section... people will be getting hurt. It looks like they did a total rebuild of the top section.

30ft double:

Another view of the top section:

Here is a description from SFDirtlab:

Course Description
Top
The start is exactly the same as years past, rolling out of the gate to a bumpy, grassy, sweeping left. It straightens out for a second and then there's the loose right hand sweeper that inevitably takes out so many racers that shot out of the gate with a little too much gusto. After the sweeper, there the same small double from last year, followed by a new double about the same size. You have to suck em up and speed jump them, pumping with all you got to clear the booter you're about to launch. After the two sets of dubs there's a big take off on the left and a little roller on the right. The fast line will be hitting the big takeoff, clearing about a 10 foot gap and then trying to clear the table to landing about 30 feet from the lip...only the best of riders will clear the whole thing. Beginners may opt for the roller on the right and will be met with a bucky little step up right after it, that takes em to the top of the same table. Roll off the backside and pedal up the lip of the next jump, about a 20 foot step down. Both of these jumps are way bigger than the jumps last year and should really seperate the classes. Also, with the new line, you carry alot more momentum into the next couple of features. This year, I think you'll see alot more guys popping off the top of the little step up and gapping over the table into the big left hand berm. Outta the berm, the next table got a better lip and a shortened table with a longer landing. This leads you into the right turn where the log over used to be. The log got burried and now theres a double into a berm there to set you for the mini rock garden section. It should be easy to pop off the first rock and clear the whole thing this year.

Middle
After the rock garden, there's a pedally straightaway section with a reworked table top. This jump use to be petty bucky and too short, now its a little better, longer and not as tall. Pedal out of the that section to a the little uphill single track into the S-berms. This entire section remains unchanged with the S-berms leading you to the log drop and the fast bumpy staight away that merges with the fire road. Nothing has changed from last year until the bottom section. Little fire road climb, to steep rutted section, into left hand berm (still rough at this point), to mini triple jump, to right hand turn and hip jump onto the pavement. blaze off the pavement and into the grassy singletrack sidehill section, rippin down to the bumpy double track.

Bottom
Keep your speed up down double track so you can clear the much cleaned up hip jump and let'r rip into the fun new section below. This little section is all new and super fun; Land the hip, rip through a sick liitle right hand berm, pop over the doubles and slide into the left hand berm. You're just about done at this point, pedal up and around a grassy corner, across the bridge, into the mini left berm, into the mini gully, over rollers and sprint to the finish.

 

[jonKranked]

they should put a pond in between the take off and the landing, then pretend its the NZ world campionships

 

[mattmatt86]

they should put a pond in between the take off and the landing, then pretend its the NZ world campionships

And then put rabid Sea Otters in it for Sh!ts and giggles.

 

[Racerx7734]

I'm leaving for Otter in the morning..........I hope it doesnt rain............oh wait.........it always rains........still a blast though.

Biggest sandbagger race of the year in my opinion....

 

[big-ted]

30ft double:

Has someone been using the Pinkbike ruler again?

 

[boone]

Yup! I'd be goin round that or straight into the face...BAMMM!

 

[mandown]

Whos ready to watch the pain on the Sea Otter this year?

not me. i don't even have pantz on yet.

 

[Total Heckler]

Has someone been using the Pinkbike ruler again?

Ha thats a possibility. I haven't seen any of the new stuff in person yet.

 

[Internal14]

I'll be there working for SRAM doing Road Nuetral service work.
And sneaking off to go check out the dirty things too!

 

[Arkayne]

I'm bummed. I've meetings up the yin yang with our realtor. I suppose a home is more important? That course sounds so fun!

 

[enjoydirt]

huh, I wonder how hard it will really be to keep speed for that double. Especially in the rain...

And it does actually look like 30ft to the landing to me in that picture.

too bad im stuck in Seattle... bah.

 

[- seb]

Has someone been using the Pinkbike ruler again?

Looks like it could easily be 30ft to me, ya big cynic

 

[Total Heckler]

Also, its not supposed to rain. I think this is the only year I have seen it (supposedly) clear.

 

[dump]

we haven't had rain in a while... it's been remarkably dry all spring.

 

[ZHendo]

i'm stoked. i always used to hear that the course was a little boring after the top section, it looks like they're trying to keep it interesting.

 

[ZEDMAN]

ill be down there tmrw walkin around. think theyll have the course closed to riding????

 

[ska todd]

hmmm...now the decision...to race HT DH or Sport XC...hmm...what do I want to waste $90 on more...

-ska todd

 

[- seb]

hmmm...now the decision...to race HT DH or Sport XC...hmm...what do I want to waste $90 on more...

-ska todd

The answer's at the top of this page : "Ridemonkey.com > Biking Forums > Downhill"

Doooooooooooooooooooooooo it

 

[ska todd]

Yes, but do I want to waste most of my day on Fri & Sat trying to get maybe 2 practice runs in and then racing DH or do I want to "race" (and I use that term quite loosely) XC at 8am while hung over from the F1RST and Seasons premiers?? decisions, decisions!

-ska todd

 

[Transcend]

Yes, but do I want to waste most of my day on Fri & Sat trying to get maybe 2 practice runs in and then racing DH or do I want to "race" (and I use that term quite loosely) XC at 8am while hung over from the F1RST and Seasons premiers?? decisions, decisions!

-ska todd

Text me Friday so we can meet up for drinks.

 

[connor]

Has someone been using the Pinkbike ruler again?

I think they said it's a 10ft gap.. with 20ft table after..

the gap looks 10ft ish, don't you have some lasers you could measure it with?

 

[Red Bull]

Text me Friday so we can meet up for drinks.

.....?

 

[Eastern States Cup]

hmmm...now the decision...to race HT DH or Sport XC...hmm...what do I want to waste $90 on more...

-ska todd

need a downhill bike? I got one you could borrow:biggrin:

 

[Slater]

If you're at all competitive in your class (whatever class it is) you'll have no problem clearing a 10' gap. But even still I hope there is a couple minute video of crashes on it.

 

[davetrump]

.....?

bha

ska todd runs on scotch whiskey

and fraser on PBR

personally, I like to keep one in each hand

 

[CRoss]

That is more than a ten foot gap. The wheelbase on a bike is just short of 4' and that gap is at least 3 wheelbases long. I would guess it is over 15'. I was surprised last summer how short 30' was when we started measuring out the jumps we were building.

 

[ZHendo]

with a lip like that you won't have to worry about clearing the gap if you are carrying a reasonable amount of speed.

 

[danielsapp414]

I've been out in San Jose for a few days now and I hear that it's definitely more of a big bike course than ever before, still going to take the little bike down though. We'll be headed down Thursday sometime I suppose.

 

[bullcrew]

I might be in still! Work load got backed up really bad, wifes the one actually pushing to go.
Where is a good place to stay motel wise within 20 minutes of the otter?

 

[fred.r]

I might be in still! Work load got backed up really bad, wifes the one actually pushing to go.
Where is a good place to stay motel wise within 20 minutes of the otter?

If you don't mind staying with a few rowdy DHers we have a spot open in our condo, it's closer than 20min from the event and only $50 a night. Open invite to you, as I'd like to see the price drop for us a bit. We'll be there Thurs, Fri, and Sat. night.

 

[bullcrew]

If you don't mind staying with a few rowdy DHers we have a spot open in our condo, it's closer than 20min from the event and only $50 a night. Open invite to you, as I'd like to see the price drop for us a bit. We'll be there Thurs, Fri, and Sat. night.

If it were me Fred Id be all over it!
I appreciate the invite, but I am packing wifey and kids and we are doing the coast thing as well. Rep for invite!!!

 

[HaveFaith]

Pat and I will have room at our campsite. Hit me up if you are interested!

 

[AiR2k]

[Offtopic-ish stuff]
I wonder, why there aren't more helmet cam videos from different
tracks before big races. It would be soooo much better, than trying to
describe tracks in words.

I think riders would appreciate it pretty much. Just my $.02.

 

[dhkid]

XC at 8am while hung over from the F1RST and Seasons premiers?? decisions, decisions!

-ska todd

no better way to get rid of that hang over then going out riding. :biggrin:

 

[MDJ]

[Offtopic-ish stuff]
I wonder, why there aren't more helmet cam videos from different
tracks before big races. It would be soooo much better, than trying to
describe tracks in words.

I think riders would appreciate it pretty much. Just my $.02.

Here is a video of part of the Otter track.

http://www.ashlandmountainadventures.com/otter08.html

 

[Sandwich]

that's cool, but where's the DH course?

 

[Total Heckler]

Pat and I will have room at our campsite. Hit me up if you are interested!

Will you guys have room on Friday night? I'm thinking it might be easier to just stay that night for the practice/race in the morning.

 

[PatBranch]

Yep.5

 

[beaverbiker]

the jump is about 30 ft.

it'll be easy to clear when it's dry and hard, which it should be by now. we were hitting it right after it was built and it was pretty much clearable then.

 

[seth505]

looks like a 3 ft lip