April 25, 2012 (Monterey, CA) – This year’s unofficial North American MTB season kickoff at the Sea Otter Classic saw better weather than it has in years. With over 10,000 athletes and 50,000 spectators, it’s a good way for many riders to gauge their fitness before the “real” season begins.

This year’s gravity events took place under blazing sunshine and dusty conditions. In the slalom it was Jill Kintner (Norco) and Kyle Strait making it a sweep for the red white and blue, much to the delight of the flag waving fans on Laguna Seca Raceway.

Kintner had the perfect weekend, with another victory in the pro downhill event, while Aussie Jared Graves took the win for the men.

Both riders were on short travel bikes for the not so technical track in Monterey.

Jill was thrilled with her double golds in Monterey. “I’ve never had a double victory before, so dual slalom and downhill in the same weekend is pretty cool. The all mountain bike did it’s magic. It’s crazy racing downhill on a trail bike but it seemed to work. Fox hooked me up with the new 34 and I was clipped in the whole time thanks to Fiveten.”

Graves took a lesson from South Africa and ran with it here in California. “I learned in Africa that my fitness was a bit better for the downhill now, so I can go a bit harder up top than I would in previous years. I had a smooth run and paces myself well and chose the right equipment. It was great.”

Canadian Hopeful Steve Smith was looking strong all week. His is more fit than ever going into this season and was looking forward to a podium here, but had a small mishap and missed his start. He rolled down the track later on for the fans, but was not given an official time. He declined to comment. Top Canadian was Remi Gauvin in 33rd.

Squamish local Miranda Miller was the top Canadian for the women in 4th place, followed closely by Sunshine Coaster Holly Feniak in 5th.

Results

Dual Slalom

Elite Women
1. Jill Kintner (USA) Team Norco International
2. Melissa Buhl (USA) KHS/Azonic
3. Manon Carpenter (GBR) Madison Satasen
4. Steffi Marth (Ger) Trek Gravity Girls
5. Jacqueline Harmony (USA)
6. Wendy Palmer (USA)
7. Eva Castro (Esp) Specialized/Mammoth
8. Katie Holden (USA) Specialized/Sram/Camelbak
9. Joanna Petterson (USA) Maxxis/Nema
10. Andrea Napoli (USA)
11. Becky Gardner (USA) Gardner Racing
12. Mary Moncorge (Fra) Santa Cruz Bikes
13. Annemarie Hennes (USA) Go-Pro/Family Cycling Cent

Elite Men
1. Kyle Strait (USA)
2. Troy Brosnan (Aus) Monster Energy-Specialize
3. Cedric Gracia (Fra) Brigade/Santa Cruz/Fox
4. Danny Hart (GBR) Giant Factory Off Road
5. Michael Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride
6. Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate
7. Brendan Fairclough (GBR) Scott Sports
8. Luke Strobel (USA) Pivot Kenda
9. Mitch Ropelato (USA) Specialized Gravity USA
10. Josh Bryceland (USA) Santa Cruz Syndicate/Fox
11. Cody Warren (USA) DRD/Intense
12. Fabien Cousinie (Fra) Hutchinson United Ride
13. Austin Warren (USA) DRD/Intense
14. Ryan Condrashoff (USA) Mtbr.Com
15. Kevin Aiello (USA) KHS Bikes
16. Lars Sternberg (USA)
17. Jared Graves (USA) Yeti Cycles/Fox Shox
18. Bryn Atkinson (Aus) Team Norco International
19. Lear Miller (USA) Banshee Bikes
20. Mikey Haderer (USA)
21. Sam Hill (Aus) Monster Energy-Specialized
22. Cody Johnson (USA)
23. Kyle Sangers (Can)
24. Blake Carney (USA) Supercross Bmx.Com
25. Logan Binggeli (USA) KHS Bicycles
26. Neko Mulally (USA) Trek World Racing
27. Duncan Riffle (USA) Dirt Norco
28. Mitch Delfs (Aus) Factory Kona
29. Evan Turpen (USA) Epicenter Cycling/Fox Shox
30. Kirt Voreis (USA)
31. Bas Van Steenbergen (Can) Transition Bikes
32. Dominik Gspan (Sui) Ewz Mountainbike Team

Downhill

Elite Women
1. Jill Kintner (USA) Team Norco International 2:16.13
2. Melissa Buhl (USA) KHS/Azonic 1.69
3. Manon Carpenter (GBR) Madison Saracen 7.92
4. Miranda Miller (Can) Santa Cruz/SRAM 10.20
5. Holly Feniak (Can) 11.15
6. Jacqueline Harmony (USA) 11.74
7. Joanna Petterson (USA) Maxxis/Nema 13.17
8. Wendy Palmer (USA) Chilly Pepper Bike 15.43
9. Gabriela Williams (Cze) C G Racing 16.44
10. Jaime Rees (USA) The Bike Hub Racing 17.31
11. Casey Brown (Can) Performx Young Guns 17.80
12. Rae Gandolf (USA) Trd/Edge Outdoors 20.17
13. Steffi Marth (Ger) Trek Gravity Girls 20.78
14. Mary Moncorge (Fra) Santa Cruz Bikes 21.07
15. Katie Holden (USA) Specialized/Sram 22.48
16. Vaea Verbeeck (Can) Intense Cycles/Fox 23.67
17. Becky Gardner (USA) Gardner Racing 23.96
18. Chelsey Henry (USA) Bike Hub Racing 24.62
19. Margaret Gregory (USA) Dons Bike 25.75
20. Andrea Napoli (USA) 26.33
21. Adrienne Schneider (USA) 510/Dainese/TLD 27.33
22. Robyn Embrey (USA) Loeka/Kali Protective 28.25
DNF Katy Hanlon (USA)
DNF Cierra Smith (USA)

Elite Men
1. Jared Graves (USA) Yeti Cycles/Fox Shox 2:02.51
2. Michael Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride 0.54
3. Aaron Gwin (USA) Trek World Racing 1.30
4. Brian Lopes (USA) Ibis/Kenda/Oakley 1.99
5. Neko Mulally (USA) Trek World Racing 2.15
6. Mitch Ropelato (USA) Specialized Gravity 3.27
7. Justin Leov (NZL) Trek World Racing 4.47
8. Cedric Gracia (Fra) Brigade/Santa Cruz 5.27
9. Curtis Keene (USA) Specialized USA Gravity 5.44
10. Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate 5.50
11. Eliot Jackson (USA) Yeti Cycles/Fox Shox 5.57
12. Ryan Condrashoff (USA) Mtbr.Com 5.89
13. Fabien Cousinie (Fra) Hutchinson United Ride 6.15
14. Cody Warren (USA) DRD/Intense 6.16
15. Richie Rude (USA) Yeti Cycles/Fox Shox 6.26
16. Duncan Riffle (USA) Dirt Norco 6.35
17. Luke Strobel (USA) Pivot Kenda 6.41
18. Danny Hart (GBR) Giant Factory Off Road 6.60
19. Ben Furbee (USA) Transition/Fox Shox 6.70
20. Logan Binggeli (USA) KHS Bicycles 6.84
21. Jeff Kendall-Weed (USA) Ibis Cycles/Giro 6.97
22. Harry Molloy (GBR) 7.33
23. Alex Bond (USA) Chain Reaction Cycle 7.41
24. Joseph Smith (GBR) Chain Reaction Cycle 7.43
25. Joe Lawwill (USA) Shimano 7.57
26. Tim Krentz (USA) Bike Emporium 7.70
27. Graeme Pitts (USA) Smith Optics/X-Fusion 7.77
28. Kevin Aiello (USA) KHS Bikes 8.49
29. Kiran Mackinnon (USA) Santa Cruz Bicycles 8.52
30. Evan Geankoplis (USA) 8.57
31. Lars Sternberg (USA) 8.58
32. Waylon Smith (GBR)
33. Remi Gauvin (Can) Performx Young Guns 9.10
34. Bradley Benedict (USA) Specialized Gravity 9.12
35. Dominik Gspan (Sui) EWZ Mountain Bike Team 9.32
36. Mikey Sylvester (USA) 9.46
37. Rick Goldrup (USA) 9.67
38. Arthur Babcock (USA) One Ghost Industries 9.71
39. Sam Hill (Aus) Monster Energy-Specialized 10.11
40. Brendan Fairclough (GBR) Scott Sports 10.18
41. Bryson Martin Jr (USA) 10.23
42. Bryn Atkinson (Aus) Team Norco International 10.26
43. Marshall Eames (USA) Santa Cruz/Fox Shock 10.31
44. Ryan Egusquiza (USA) 10.32
45. Mitch Delfs (Aus) Factory Kona 10.46
46. Scott Papola (USA) Specialized/Fox 10.58
47. Tom O’brien (USA) Slo To The Bone 10.64
48. Jason Memmelaar (USA) DRD/Intense 11.09
49. Steve Wentz (USA) 11.12
50. Jon Buckell (USA) Odi/Trek Satellite 11.27
51. Alejandro Ortiz (Ecu) 11.38
52. Lear Miller (USA) Banshee Bikes 11.39
53. Nikolas Dudukovich (USA) One Ghost Industries 11.67
54. Phil Wheeler (USA) 11.69
55. Kyle Warner (USA) Canfield/Bicycle 12.14
56. Sam Benedict (USA) Specialized 12.16
57. Christian Wright (USA) Specialized Gravity 12.27
58. Nate Furbee (USA) Transition/Fox Shox 12.34
59. Ian Massey (USA) Wtb/Point 1 Racing 12.49
60. Charlie Sponsel (USA) Diamondback/Gravity 12.70
61. Jonathan Widen (USA) Five-Ten/Tld 12.73
62. Evan Turpen (USA) Epicenter Cycling 12.76
63. Kyle Sangers (Can) Pivot Bikes/Kenda 12.87
64. Shawn Neer (USA) Smack Innovations 12.90
65. Troy D’elia (USA) Foes Racing/Monster 13.00
66. Troy Brosnan (Aus) Monster Energy-Specialized 13.06
67. Thomas Ravina (USA) Marin Factory Racing 13.36
68. Ben Cruz (USA) Wtb/Cannondale 13.38
69. Mitch Chubey (Can) Morpheus Cycles 13.65
70. Mikey Haderer (USA) 13.98
71. Matt Thompson (USA)
72. Josh Bryceland (USA) Santa Cruz Syndicate 14.23
73. Andre Pepin (USA) Ellsworth Bikes 14.39
74. Jared Hobbs (USA) 14.62
75. John Keep (USA) Iso/Loaded Precision 14.66
76. Michael Daniels (USA) Turner Dark Horse Racing 14.69
77. Matt Condrrashoff (USA)
78. Tyler Allison (Can) Marzocchi/Gopro DH 15.06
79. Dillon Lemarr (USA) 15.08
80. Joshua Hubbard (USA) 15.16
81. Francesco Petrucci (Ita) Trek Cingolani Racing 15.24
82. Phil Atwill (USA) Madison-Saracen 15.25
83. Brad King (USA) DRD Bike Vault 15.48
84. Allen Stoddard (USA) 16.02
85. Quinton Spaulding (USA) KHS Bicycles/ODI 16.13
86. Logan Mulally (USA) 16.18
87. Ryan Cornielsen (USA) 16.19
88. Tyler Mccaul (USA) GT/Fox/Shimano 16.29
89. Harrison Reynolds (USA) 16.37
90. Benjamin Hlebo (USA) Risse Racing 16.52
91. Dylan Conte (USA) 16.62
92. Jesse Trask (USA) Another Bike Shop 16.76
93. Andrew Cavaletto (USA) Scotts Valley Cycle 16.89
94. Dan Godard (USA) Mojo Wheels 17.02
95. Ryan Strang (USA) The Fix Bike Shop 17.15
96. Timothy Mangini (USA) One Ghost Industries 17.84
97. Sheng Shan Chiang (Tpe) Specialized 18.05
98. Jordan Lopez (USA) 18.16
99. Brandan Bohl (USA) Turner Dark Horse 18.46
100. Spenser Mehr (USA) 18.52
101. Blair Reed (USA) Mojo Wheels/Smac 18.53
102. Dante Harmony (USA) 18.56
103. Kyle Ebbett (USA) Scott Bikes 19.23
104. Chewy Aitken (USA) Sedona Bike & Bean 19.48
105. Robert Rhall (USA) Azonic USA 20.57
106. Douglas French (USA) Trek/Zoomers Bike 20.80
107. Naish Ulmer (USA) Spy Optic/Go-Ride 21.04
108. Corey Hatch (USA) Turner Dark Horse Racing 21.41
109. Steven Hlebo (USA) ABS 22.13
110. John Hauer (USA) X-Fusion 22.55
111. Aaron Hodgkin (USA) 23.28
112. Dexter Robson (Can) 23.56
113. Graham Agassiz (Can) Kona/Monster/Bell 25.56
114. Austin Warren (USA) DRD/Intense 25.63
115. Steve Smith (Can) 2:41.26
DNF Terry Tenette (USA)
DNF Kyle Strait (USA)
DNF Jerry Vanderpool (USA) Hippie Tech Suspension
DNF Quentin Derbier (USA)
DNF Erik Hatch (USA)
DNF Tyler Morland (USA)
DNF Aaron Bradford (USA) Santa Cruz/Fox/Easton
DNF Kyle Thomas (USA) Diamond Back
DNF Andrew Neethling (RSA) Giant Factory Off Road