Im sitting in my hotel, its afternoon on Saturday here in Carmel Valley. I have just come back to change clothes and shower and replace my contacts and such. Its another Sea Otter and another adventure in my somewhat wandering life. I come out here to netwrok pretty much; I have some really great friends in the Bike world and many of them I only see a few times a year and this is one of those traditional opportunites. We pretty much "meet up" here without even having to plan it out. We have a bar; the Crown and Anchor that we always go to and if you do not know what’s up or where to go, head to the Crown and things will pretty much shape up from there. I did that on Thursday afternoon and things definitely took shape from there. I shared a few drinks with Derek and then we headed off to dinner and eventually found our way back to the "Drown and Spank’er" for evening revelry. By the time it was all over I was not going to drive back up valley to my pad so I slept on a chair in BIKE & Race Faces beautiful acean side rental house. The next day; we’ll call that "yesterday" I headed up to the venue and some wandering about and talking to people as I love to do. By 11 Daine had stuck a beer in my hand and it was off to the same ole same ole once again. I headed into Monterey to meet up with Jen; Beer Jen, and help her get her acclamated to the Sea Otter Scene. (She’s our Fruita New Belgium alum who now runs New Belgium events here in CA). We grabbed a snack and a Martini and took a drive down the coast before we had dinner plans. The coast south of Carmel is stunning; the BIG SUR coastline is one of the magical coasts in the world. It was nice to escape the town scene and the bike scene and watch the waves and the rocks play together. We were invited to a dinner with Julian from Race Face and it proved to be a FIVE STAR amazing feast. Wine and 8 courses of magic were in store for the next 3 hours. Once again with dinner winding down we decided to cab into MOnterey and go back to, you guessed it, the Crown and Anchor. Well as expected, its packed, we know everyone and I hear a faint announcement in my head; "we now return to our regularly scheduled program".
Imagine the scene; you walk in to a crowded bar and there’s a welcoming roar from the crowd. Not just an anonymous roar but one incited by the fact that everyone notices who walks in and there is a collective mix of hello’s, oh no not him’s and excited screaming from the ones you have not seen for a few years. Its really cool. every one knows everyone and the who’s cool who’s of the bike world are all around you and every company that we all love is represented and there is hardly a single conversation about bike tech crap. All fun and all about the community and family of this great sport and industry. Its a cool scene and its why I come out here reallly. Not for the bar, not for the booze but for who’s in the bar and the reunion of sorts of a great family that I am proud to be a part of. We all spread out and wander from chat to chat and new meeting and old remember whens and laughter abounds. By the time they ring the bell and yell "last call" you cant even believe its as late as it is. But it is and thats where my story began. Its now 3 Am and we’re walking around now closed up Monterey looking for a cab. We fill the cab with 4 of us and head off to I dont even know where. Finding oursleves; all 5 of us, in a hotel room, not sure who’s and within a few seconds I was out! My second night on the road. Waking up with the same contacts in after 3 days and wondering how Im going to get back to my car whihc is now 3 towns away. It’s awesome and yes as you know, I made it back. I guess I better get back to the event I am supposedly here for and do some more "networking".
My resolution is to actually sleep here tonight but I suppose we will see about that. Till then; I’ll be watching for ya
See ya at the Anchor