April 9, 2020 - Due to the circumstances faced by COVID19, Sea Otter Canada will not take place this summer at Blue Mountain Resort. Previously scheduled for July 3-5, the expo, bike demos, and dirt and road events draw a crowd from all over North America. After careful deliberation, Sea Otter Canada event organizers made the decision to preemptively cancel the 2020 iteration of the event.
But in good news, there will be a miniature Sea Otter Festival on September 19 and 20 at Blue Mountain Resort. It will feature the Scarecrow Gravel ride, family-friendly Sea Otter Hub & Spoke, kids races, and a mini-expo area sponsored by Continental and Subaru that will be right in the village.
“We know people are disappointed about losing so many events in the 2020 racing and riding season,” says Sea Otter Canada co-organizer Simon Williams. “So we wanted to make sure that there was still something on the calendar that everyone could look forward to—and what’s better than a fall festival atmosphere and perfect fall foliage for a gravel event?”
“This is an opportunity to enjoy a scaled-down version of the Sea Otter Canada experience,” says Sea Otter Canada co-organizer Chris Robinson. “It will serve to showcase a few of our favorite events and remind everyone what they can expect when we’re back and bigger than ever in 2021.”
Sea Otter Classic, the flagship event of the Sea Otter family, has already been moved from April 2020 to October 2020. “The health and welfare of the community is always our primary concern,” says Frank Yohannan, President and CEO of Sea Otter Classic. “We sincerely thank the Sea Otter community for supporting the decisions to reschedule our events that were scheduled for Monterey (USA), Girona (Spain) and Blue Mountain (Canada) this spring and summer.”
Blue Mountain Resort’s accommodation and numerous amenities are currently closed, in accordance with Ontario’s shutdown of non-essential services in recent weeks, making preparing for any major events difficult. “We are acting in an abundance of caution,” says resort VP, Stacy Manning. “And while we are planning for a return to green season operations for summer 2020, this is an unprecedented year. We want to see these events executed as well as possible and postponing this summer’s event provides more time to ensure the best experience for guests.”
For those looking forward to 2021, mark your calendars for July 2-4, 2021 for Sea Otter Canada’s big return. The expo, bike demos, dirt and road events draw a crowd from all over North America. From dual slalom and downhill to a gravel grind, Gran Fondo and family-friendly rides, the weekend brings in cycling enthusiasts of all levels.
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