4 Fun Outdoors Events Coming Up - Life after Tour of California

I snapped this picture of pro cyclist Levi Leipheimer, who won not only Stage 2 of Tour of California (pictured here in Santa Cruz) but also captured the overall title of champion, for the 3rd year in a row.

The Tour of California, the biggest professional road bike race in the U.S., ended February 22, in southern California. The 9-day stage race traveled more than 800 miles. It stopped for the first time in my city, Santa Cruz, on Monday, February 16, for the finish of Stage 2. For weeks, I worked on multiple media projects related to this amazing bike race, including:

My Stories about TOC
• Adventure Sports Journal TOC 2009 preview
• Good Times cover story on twins Andy and Ben Jacques-Maynes
• Santa Cruz Sentinel report on Stage 2 race
TV Show
• Comcast cable preview of TOC race - I hosted the show & will soon post to You Tube!
Events
• Movie Night at the Rio - moderator of post film discussion
• Race Day Kids' Costume Parade for City of Santa Cruz - parade emcee
Online Community
• Facebook TOC Stage 2 - I created & maintained group page for more than 650 cycling fans. Thanks to all who made it so much fun!

Race is finished, here's what's next for me - and maybe you too!
Karen's 4 Favorite Outdoors Events Coming Up:

1. Banff Film Festival - International World Tour
Now showing! (In Santa Cruz Feb. 27-28).
Check the website for dates in U.S., Canada and 32 other countries. I love these films on mountain sports and culture. There's always a variety of films showcasing sports including mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, snowbaording, kayaking and aerial sports like paragliding. Video clip intro:
http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/tour

Stay tuned to my blog! Next report is on trip to British Columbia, including Whistler, where I snapped this photo of a snowboarder while I was riding in the Sno-Limo.

2. Sea Otter Classic - Festival of Bicycling!
April 16-19, 2009
Monterey, California (Central California)
I have attended this huge festival of bicycling for nearly 15 years! There is bike racing, recreational rides and great shopping at this huge event - thousands of spectators and athletes for road, mountain bike, mountain cross, downhill, cross country, BMX and more.

3. Dirt Series Mountain Bike Skills Clinics
U.S. and Canada
Love mountain biking? Want to get better? Last year, I signed up for a two-day clinic, for women, taught by women, in Santa Cruz. It was so awesome that I signed up again this year's Santa Cruz clinic (which is sold out with a filled wait list). But there are other cities with spaces left. The series also includes clinics that are co-ed. (*I posted schedule at bottom of this posting).

4. North American Handmade Bicycle Show
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Feb.27 - March 1
With 120+ exhibitors, this year's show is shaping up to be a classic: 20% larger than the San Jose show in 2007, and approaching the 2008 peak in Portland. Check it out if you can!

Coming Soon on my Blog - 2010 Olympics Sneak Preview! Plus, Elephant seals, Mark Allen and Mardi Gras! This photo is from my trip to Whistler, British Columbia in February.

MORE About NAHBS
The North American Handmade Bicycle Show moves from city to city each year. It is scheduled for February 27 – March 1, 2009, at the Indiana Convention Center. The show is dedicated to showcasing the talents of individuals around the world whose art form is the bicycle. It aims to be a meeting point – online and in person – for frame builders and consumers looking for custom-made bikes, for the sharing of ideas, and promotion of a special industry with a rich history. Since its first year in 2005, NAHBS has grown from a show with 23 exhibitors and 200 attendees. For more information, see.

MORE about the DIRT SERIES Schedule
April
* [25-26] Santa Cruz, CA
May
* [2-3] Laguna Hills, CA
* [16-17] Calgary, AB
* [18] Calgary, AB (co-ed)
* [23-24] North Vancouver, BC
* [30-31] Whistler, BC
June
* [13-14] Park City, UT
* [20-21] Sun Valley, ID
* [27-28] Whistler, BC
July
* [11-12] Bend, OR
* [18-19] Hood River, OR
* [25-26] Whistler, BC (co-ed)
August
* [8-9] North Vancouver, BC
* [22-23] Canmore, AB
* [29-30] Fernie, BC (co-ed specialty)
September
* [12-13] Whistler, BC (co-ed)