This morning, I’m sitting at my pc, on the bottom of the 2025 Sea Otter Traditional, poring over the images I’ve taken all through the present. I’m weeding by way of the good and not-so-great ones. And I notice I took rather a lot of random images. Like, tremendous random.
I believed I’d share all of it. The great and the unhealthy. However, I’m additionally going to incorporate some stuff that isn’t bicycles, however was a part of the present, and tremendous cool.
My necessities for stopping and taking a photograph of a motorcycle have been easy. If it was one thing distinctive, old-fashioned, cool tech, stunning, or only a clear construct, I ended for a photograph.
On prime of that, I used to be additionally considering that this 12 months I’d skip my typical Better of Present. I believed possibly as a substitute of specializing in discovering a bicycle product/model for this 12 months’s award, I’d recognise an organization that I sit up for seeing and having fun with yearly. You understand, do one thing completely different.
My Better of Present award is on the finish of the article. Till then, let’s take a random stroll by way of the 2025 Sea Otter Traditional.
Let the Randomness Shine On!
Jarod Bourdeau’s Fendered Magnificence
I’ve run into Jarod on the final three Sea Otters. I’ve made a degree to shoot a photograph of his artistic designs each time. This 12 months was no exception. Take a look at this rad bike!
Kick Ass Cargo Tourer
I’ve shot this bike earlier than as nicely. It appears to be in a relentless state of change. So it’ll look a little bit completely different the following time I catch it, I’m certain.
Goldie/Crackle Aero Large
Fairly trick paint job. Rahsaan Bahati’s Dream Construct.
Ol’ Faculty Haro Impulse w/ Elevated Chainstays
The elevated chainstay… it was a factor there for a second…
Rock Lobster California Masi Gran Criterium
That is fairly cool. I bumped into Paul Sadoff of Rock Lobster at Sea Otter, and he was pushing, what I believed was a extremely clear ol’ Masi Gran Criterium. I ended him for 3 causes, one I’m a fan of Mr. Sadoff’s work at Rock Lobster, two, I’m a sucker for previous Masis, and romanticize them, similar to good ol’ Dave Stoller did. And three, I wanted to get a shot of it for the roundup.
However, it wasn’t an previous Masi… actually. Paul had made his personal Masi, calling it a “Mock” Lobster. We laughed, I took an image, and we went on with our days.
Seafoam Chevy Blazer with Matching Bike
I’ve no phrases for this. I like ol’ Blazers, and this one was cool. Depart it to the kings of colormatch at Stikrd to have an identical bike & Blazer setup.
Cool Metal Full Suspension
Bitchen Rodeo Labs
Cool Penny-Farthing
Outdated Klein Adept Comp
Georgeous Scarab Drop Bar
Telepathy Metal Full Suspension
Charlie Kelly’s Breezer #2 (the second MTB ever constructed)
This Breezer was actually cool to see up shut and private. Plus, I bought to go to with the proprietor, Charlie Kelly. This bike and Charlie have been key gamers within the delivery of a sport that I’m (we’re?) completely in love with. And, in case you’d like to face in entrance of this bike to get a pleasant shut have a look at it your self, you’ll be able to on the Marin Museum of Biking, in Fairfax, CA. Do it, you’ll prefer it.
Tremendous Clear Neuhaus Hardtail
I’m additionally a sucker for a clear hardtail.
Hans Rey’s GT Bicycles eMTB
Hans was nonetheless on the present repping GT, despite the fact that the model continues to be on pause so far as we all know.
Haute Bikes Bridgestone XO-1 Tribute
Not a Bridgestone, however it undoubtedly made us do a double-take! That Cane Creek gravel suspension fork seems good all color-matched…
Tremendous Clear Otso Warakin
When you appeared carefully, there was a Wolf Tooth Parts backside bracket on the bike. Extra on that later…
Child Blue Bridge Surveyōr
Attractive Steady o’ Sages
Cool Painted Seaside Membership
“Saved By The Bell” Impressed Norco
The cool “Saved By The Path” prime tube shout out to the TV present Saved By The Bell, says all of it!
Distinctive Ti Hardtail Singlespeed
The 2025 Sea Otter Better of Present Winner… The Lumpia Woman
Like I discussed earlier, there’s a individual that I sit up for seeing at each Sea Otter Traditional. I maintain what she does with very excessive esteem. I’ve a particular place in my coronary heart for Filipino Meals. I’ve been married to my spouse Maria, a Filipino girl, for 25 years, and her dwelling cooking is to die for. Maria realized the way to cook dinner from my superb mother-in-law, Dolores (Dolo as we known as her).
So, after I first tried the Filipino delicacies that the Lumpia Woman was making, tucked again in her Sea Otter sales space, it tasted like dwelling to me.
Began in 2018, the corporate is household owned by Zen and her daughter, Chelsea Windham. Zen’s cooking jogs my memory of Dolo’s cooking. It’s genuine and recent, and made with actual ardour. It’s constant and really, excellent each time my spouse and I eat there. I’ve been completely consuming her meals for lunch whereas attending Sea Otter since she confirmed up on the present again in 2019. It’s one thing I actually sit up for after I’m driving up.
Ardour and Authenticity
Properly, I believed she deserved a point out as one of many unsung heroes of the Sea Otter Traditional. However, then I believed… You understand what, she wants greater than only a point out, so I gave her my 2025 Sea Otter Traditional Better of Present award. She deserves it for making sufficient meals to feed the huge variety of friends on the present. For doing it with a ardour and dedication to cultural authenticity, and for serving it up with a heat smile. She’s a spotlight of Sea Otter for my spouse and me.
You wanna know what we order? Her parts are fairly huge, so Maria and I normally break up a “Combo Plate”. This consists of both hen or pork adobo (we alternate), pancit bihon (rice noodles), and two lumpias (Filipino eggrolls). And, it’s tremendous scrumptious!
Properly, that’s it. Right here’s to you, Zen Windham, our buddy, The Lumpia Woman. See you on the subsequent Sea Otter!
