Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBoSC) is pleased to announce a successful 4th Annual Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival presented by MBoSC and FOX.  The event was held in Aptos Village, CA at the Barry Swenson Builders property (Aptos Pump Track and Post Office Jumps) courtesy of Barry Swenson Builders.  Our eco-conscious festival drew over 9,000 attendees and 395 registered participants—a 50% increase in attendance and 220% increase in registered participation over 2012!

Our family friendly two-day, volunteer-run festival included competitive events, kids’ rodeo, skills clinics, demo bikes, an exposition area, food court, beer garden, live band and more for bike enthusiasts, family members, and friends.

Early reports indicate a substantial increase in growth for activities, attendance, and funds raised compared to 2012’s successful event.

Attendees enjoyed multiple activities and competitive events.  Over 300 kids aged 12 and under tried their skills at the Kids’ Rodeo and enjoyed a Fun Lap on the Short Track. Those wishing to improve their skills flocked to clinics offered by pro riders such as Kat Sweet and Kirt and Lindsey Voreis.  Bike aficionados checked out the latest from top bike industry vendors, demo’d bikes from a record number of top bike manufacturers, and shuttled to the renowned Soquel Demonstration State Forest (Demo).  The first day’s festivities concluded with a Saturday after-party featuring Oakland funk/reggae/rock band WhoGas and both days featured raffles.

Sponsor Support: Sponsors from around the US and Canada generously contributed cash, merchandise, and services to our event. Donated product and services raised funds through a silent auction and raffles, and rewarded athletes and volunteers. With many of the sponsors headquartered locally, it is evident there’s a deep commitment to mountain biking in the Santa Cruz community. Visit our sponsor page for a full list of festival sponsors.

Volunteer Operated: The Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival is presented by Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBoSC), a 100% volunteer non-profit mountain bike advocacy organization. MBoSC recruited over 150 volunteers to design, market, and run the festival. It is the passion and dedication of these people who organize, fund and run events, build and ride trails, and work in the industry that makes Santa Cruz a mecca for the sport.

Greening the Festival: In keeping with our pro-environment mission, MBoSC continually strives to reduce the environmental impact of events.  This year, three solar vendors—Allterra Solar, Sandbar Solar and Moved By Bikes—and MBoSC provided 5 solar arrays supplying all power requirements for the festival.  All sound equipment, computers, printers and water pumps were powered exclusively by solar.  With on-site parking unavailable, riding bikes to the event was encouraged.  People Power of Santa Cruz provided free valet bike parking and parked 650 bikes over the weekend. All food vendors contributed toward waste reduction by eliminating single use plastic plates and cutlery from their service, and supported the festival’s ban on the sale of bottled water. Attendees were encouraged to bring reusable water vessels to the festival to take advantage of the free filtered water provided by Zuvo Water from a custom built bar created especially for the event.

65% of the waste created at the festival was diverted from the landfill to recycling, an admirable first effort that provided MBoSC with baseline data that will help achieve a higher diversion rate in the future.

Mission Accomplished: The mission of the festival is to celebrate the world class mountain bike facilities, riders, and cycling industry of Santa Cruz County by bringing the community together to participate in recreational and competitive mountain bike events. Funds raised by the event will benefit projects and organizations that support mountain biking in Santa Cruz County.

The festival reflected what Santa Cruz in general is all about: loving the outdoors, meeting friendly people, kicking back and enjoying that big stoke from your favorite sport.

Competitive Events: 215 professional, amateur, and junior athletes flocked to Santa Cruz to participate in various competitive events. Jumpers, pumpers, and short track racers all got their chance to shine at this year’s festival and win cash or sponsor gear. Click here for a recap on competitive events and 1st place winners. Full standings can be found on the results page.

Read the post-festival press release.

Relive the 2013 action through photos and videos.