SEA OTTER CANADA ANNOUNCES CHANGES FOR 2020... JOIN US FOR 'MINI OTTER' SEPTEMBER 19-20!

Friday, July 3rd

It’s finally time to settle that score with your friends. Who can climb to the top of Blue Mountain the fastest! Challenge yourself and your fellow riders and maybe try it on different bikes. See where you stack up for the crowning of the King and Queen of the iconic climb up the GRIND. Riders in this event self-seed within their respective age category and can tackle the GRIND as many times as you choose over the 8-hour open course timeframe.

Gear up for one of Sea Otter’s most unique events of the festival, a twilight XC Dirt Crit held right in the streets of the Blue Mountain Village! This epic short track loop is a spectacle for both riders and spectators alike, as the course will see racers take on sections up the escarpment, before weaving their way down and through the village. With the pro categories designed to test the legs of some of the provinces best, amateur categories will be reserved for a fun and friendly atmosphere and an ebike category will make this event accessible to everyone! Grab a beer or a bike and come out for one hell of a night of racing. Races will be 45 minutes – 1 hour long. Practice will be held during the day-of and before jumping into the competition. 

Saturday, July 4th

Test your grit during the XC marathon, a sub 3 hour event to see how many laps you can complete in the allocated time. Take to the course to contest for the overall win, or grab some friends to share in a fun experience. With sections of the track paralleling the expo area, Single, 2 person and 4 person categories of all skill levels will be able to approach this event.

DH Triple Crown – DH Series

2020 will see a variety of Downhill events to test your speed any style in! Details to be released soon. Sign up for individual events or for the full series. Details to be released soon. DH Helmets mandatory for all events.

A Sea Otter staple, this head-to-head showdown sees riders hitting a custom-built fast track of jumps, roller and berms. This course is designed with all riding abilities in mind, so be sure to give it a shot! We’ll be running this event Canadian style, keeping it relaxed and about the fun. What does that mean? Each rider gets two laps and your cumulative time will determine your bracket for the first round. If there are an uneven number of racers, the top seeded racer will have a bye through the first round. Riders will battle head to head until we crown the first ever Sea Otter Canada Dual Slalom Champion!

Sunday, July 5th

New for 2020, the Blue Mountain Enduro becomes an EWS Continental event, making it bigger and better than ever! Riders can now compete for points towards the overall EWS North American Series title, as well as towards their EWS Global Ranking.

Saturday, July 4th

The Epic Tour Blue Mountains Gran Fondo is offered in 4 distances – 40, 70, 80 and 120km. The 40km loop offers rolling terrain and flatter sections, approachable for families and first time Gran Fondo riders. The 70 and 120km rides head to the beautiful town Creemore where the 2 distances split with the 70km returning towards Collingwood on the fun and rolling terrain on Concession Rd 6. The 120km route climbs out of Dunedin towards Badjeros and links up with the 80km route in Rob Roy, returning via Kimberley. The 80km loop will travel out into the Beaver Valley and includes the iconic Pretty River and Red Wing climbs well known to anyone who loves riding in the region. Climbing is a signature aspect of the 70km, 80km and 120km routes – be sure to check out the profiles for each to choose the best distance for you.

The Sea Otter Hub & Spoke Ride is a multi-day event for more casual riders and families to get out and explore the incredible riding and scenery to be found in the region surrounding Blue Mountain. The Hub & Spoke is a highly curated experience that you can enjoy at your own pace and tackle over one or two days, while also making it as long or short as you wish. This year’s Hub & Spoke will include self-guided and guided group ride options. Each of the ‘SPOKE’ routes will take you from the Expo ‘HUB’ to Sea Otter Partner destinations including coffee shops, eateries, wineries, breweries, cideries and local attractions. Each stop along the route will offer varied Hub & Spoke experiences. Your entry fee will be returned to you IN FULL in the form of ’SEA OTTER BUCKS’ to be redeemed with any one of our Hub & Spoke Partners. 

Sunday, July 5th

Scarecrow comes in two sizes: a lighter 40km course and the full-length 80km version. This year’s gravel ride will start at the top of Blue Mountain with a few km to warm up on pavement before exploring the gravel and trail segments atop the Niagara Escarpment. The ride takes you along rolling terrain through the scenic Kolapore Uplands and Duncan before descending on Grey Rd 19 and returning to the finish line at the Sea Otter Expo. Rules of the road apply to this year’s Scarecrow Gravel Ride.