Elings Park MTB Racing
[youtube:82DzpLZ547I?fs=1;[link:Elings Park SoCal Mountain Bike Racing_Dreamscape Images];http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82DzpLZ547I?fs=1&feature=related]The pale gray sky reminded me of the east coast, not the beautiful horizon of Santa Barbara. Some local hikers trekked up the path and I asked what happened to the California weather. They reminded me it was June glum; the weather condition occurring mostly in June when the fog rolls into the California coastline to paint a dreary scenery.
For this day, the Cat 3 riders were the beneficiaries of June glum at the Elings Park mountain bike race. The cool morning weather with thick fog was sure to minimize any dehydration problems for these MTB riders. For the Cat 1 riders who rode later in the day, the piercing sun awaited them with upper 70 degree temperatures.
The Elings Park mountain bike event is one of the largest in the area and sure to remind people that Santa Barbara is one of the premier places in California to take a trip with the family. With its lush green hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean, it’s a good idea to bring a camera along for the memories.
Today, I decided to bring the video camera to capture some speed in motion. With its mixture of fire roads and single track trails on a multi-lap course, there would be plenty of opportunities to grab some good footage.
For this course, a solid warm-up is mandatory. Within a short distance after the start, you are going vertical. The course climbs to the top of Elings Park, mainly on fire roads, and then adds single track trails at the top. On the second lap, the course changes at the beginning section as you tackle a winding trail with plenty of U-Turn climbs to the summit.
After capturing some video and still images, I found an excellent shooting position on the second lap ascent. The day was going as planned. So far, I had not fallen down any hills with my camera gear. Later in the day, I realized the day was still young.
The Cat 1 and 2 mountain bikers appeared strong in the high 70 degree temperatures. Today, the goal was to shoot these MTB riders up close so I trekked up the side of the course to find a good shooting location and the heart beat of this mountain bike course. After slipping down a few hills, I managed to rip an eight inch gap in my jeans from the crotch down, creating some serious ventilation. Fortunately, any MTB competitors racing in my direction were only concerned about one thing…going fast.
The MTB racers were given a splendid view of the Pacific Ocean once they climb to the top of the course. However, with the winding trails, the view was short lived.
Buried deep in some bushes, I saw my chance to get some good footage as the mountain bikers rode around me. I was in the zone, and focused. Some of the riders gave me a double take as they rode by.
Since I got all the race footage I needed, I finally took a look at my surroundings. It was then that I realized one of the few disadvantages of focusing too much. Surrounding my eight inch rip in my pant leg stood multiple poison ivy plants! The mountain bike race at Elings Park will never be forgotten. It reminded me that I too must keep my eye on the path before me.
If you are looking for a great race to take the family for a few days, the Elings Park mountain bike race is one of the best. Put together by Team Big Bear, the race is sure to challenge your mountain bike fitness level.
Staying on the trail is highly recommended.
Keith Rejino is a mountain biker, a sports photographer for Dreamscape Images, and a personal trainer. His XC mountain biking website provides mountain bike race coverage, training and nutrition tips for the mountain biker. For more mountain bike race coverage, check out Dreamscape Images mountain bike site.
Mail this post
