California Enduro Series 2013 – Release series final standings

The California Enduro Series (CES) is excited to release final standings for its inaugural year, and to present official results from its series finale, the BELL Santa Cruz Super Enduro (SCSE), which took place as part of a weekend long celebration of Enduro October 11-13 in the Santa Cruz mountains.

BELL SANTA CRUZ SUPER ENDURO RECAP, OFFICIAL RESULTS

190 racers took to the physically and technically demanding course at Soquel Demonstration State Forest (SDSF aka “Demo”) Saturday, October 12 for the CES series finale presented by Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBoSC) as a fundraiser for local trail projects. An increased field limit (up from the 2012 inaugural race limit of 50) allowed for a wider range of participation, with athletes hailing from as far away as Ohio and Alabama competing in pro, expert, sport, beginner and junior categories. This highly anticipated race – which sold out in just over two hours – elicited an extraordinary level of excitement from riders as they blazed into the finish with high fives flying between competitors.

CES Director/SCSE Event Director Steve Gemelos enthuses, “We were very excited to have this event at Demo Forest in Santa Cruz – the second ever Santa Cruz Super Enduro and the finale for the inaugural year of the California Enduro Series. We wanted to go big… we wanted to make it more than just a race… we wanted each rider to feel like they were hanging out and riding with their friends on some awesome trails… we wanted everyone to go home feeling this was their best weekend on two wheels all year. Based on the smiles throughout the weekend and the positive Facebook posts and other feedback since, it’s clear we nailed it!”

Gemelos furthers states, “This year’s course was very challenging – over 4700 feet of climbing in 19 miles – hitting some of the best trails in Santa Cruz. The planning committee spent a lot of time riding in the Demo forest tuning the route. One of my favorite aspects of this year’s course was the addition of Corral Trail which surprised even local riders, some whom have never ridden Corral before. The excitement and cheering at the bottom of Corral was amazing. It was great to add a stage that was a blast to ride and also offered a fun twist for the locals.”

The 2013 CES final race was part of a weekend-long celebration of the spirit of enduro and included camping, meals, entertainment, fun rides and other activities to enjoy with fellow enduro enthusiasts. Over the weekend – which boasted ideal sunny weather – Camp Loma was home to 150 campers including racers, their friends and family, spectators and volunteers, and sponsor booths in the center field.

PRO MEN PODIUM

1 John HAUER (Santa Cruz, CA – X-Fusion / Specialized)

2 Jeff KENDALL-WEED (Santa Cruz, CA – Ibis Cycles)

3 Marco OSBORNE (Novato, CA – WTB)

PRO WOMEN PODIUM

1 Margaret GREGORY (Redlands, CA – Don’s Bikes)

2 Kathy PRUITT (Santa Cruz, CA)

3 Tiffany ALLMANDINGER (Goleta, CA – Juliana)

Santa Cruz Super Enduro OFFICIAL RESULTS – All categories

CES 2013 RECAP, FINAL STANDINGS

The California Enduro Series offers something for everyone and showcases the amazing diversity of California’s terrain. The series kicked off in Southern California April 7 with the highly successful PCA Enduro in Riverside. It gathered even more momentum with the VP/Kali EnduroFest at the Dirt Club in Los Olivos on April 27 and took on some serious elevation in the Sierra Mountains with the China Peak Enduro on June 30. CES participants enjoyed a bonus race – the Kamikaze Bike Games Enduro at Mammoth on September 8 – before heading to the coast for the finals on October 12 in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Feedback about the series’ inaugural year has been overwhelmingly positive, with series planners and participants alike already hyped for2014. CES Director Steve Gemelos reflects, “The inaugural 2013 season was a huge success for the California Enduro Series – we had over 500 athletes particpate in CES events. A huge part of that success goes to the event directors for organizing the enduros – Robert Herbert and Eric Carter from PCA, Erik Saunders from the VP/Kali Enduro, Evan Turpen from the China Peak Enduro, Bill Cockroft from Mammoth, and my team from the Santa Cruz Super Enduro. We’re looking forward to the 2014 season… adding Mammoth to the points series, and adding more events in northern California… keeping the fun atmosphere of enduro and continuing to grow the sport and the series.!”

PRO MEN

1 Jon BUCKELL (Pasadena – Incycle ODI Enduro Team) 159 points

2 Jeff KENDALL-WEED (Santa Cruz – Ibis Cycles) 144 points

3 Marco OSBORNE (Novato – WTB) 140 points

4 Aaron BRADFORD (Santa Cruz – BMC Trail Crew) 130 points

5 Craig HARVEY (Big Bear Lake – Harvey Custom Homes) 123 points

PRO WOMEN

1 Margaret GREGORY (Redlands – Don’s Bikes) 194 points

2 Ariana ALTIER (Chico – One, TNT Athletics) 138 points

3 Jenna KOWALSKI 123 points

4 Sondra WILLIAMSON (Carpinteria) 118 points

5 Liz MILLER (Glendora – Incycle ODI Enduro Team) 110 points

2013 California Enduro Series – All Series winners & Rankings

Words & Photos: California Enduro Series PR

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