Tour De France Blog

Staring up into the pale gray sky, I thought I was back on the east coast, not the rolling landscape of Santa Barbara. Two local hikers approached from up the trail and I asked what happened to the Santa Barbara skyline. They advised it was June glum; a reference to the weather condition occurring every June when the fog rolls over the coastline to paint over the artistic colors of green landscape, and blue skies.

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 mountain bike race at Elings Park is one of the largest in the area, and sure to remind people that Santa Barbara is one of the best locations in California to take a trip with the family. With the majestic Pacific Ocean as a backdrop to the rolling green hills, bringing a camera is highly recommended.

To capture some speed in motion, I decided to bring out the video camera today. With its mix of single track trails and fire roads on a multi-lap course with plenty twist and turns, there would be many opportunities to capture 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 shooting some video and photographs of the mountain bike competitors, I discovered a good shooting location on the climb of the second lap. So far, today was going well. I hadn’t fallen down any hills with my gear. But I realized later, the day was just beginning.

The bright sun welcomed the Cat 1 and 2 riders with high 70 degree weather. The goal for the day was to shoot these MTB racers up close so I trekked through the hills to find a good location and the heart beat of the Elings Park mountain bike race. After sliding down a couple of hills, I realized I created some new ventilation in my jeans…an eight inch gap from the crotch downward. Thankfully, any competitors coming my way only cared about one thing…going fast.

Once the mountain bike racers reached the top of the hill, they were given a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean. However, the view was short lived due to the winding trails.

Deep in the bushes, I managed to find a good location to capture the MTB riders as they raced around me. I was in the zone, and focused.

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 sports photographer for Dreamscape Images, a personal trainer, mountain biker and triathlete. His Socal Mountain Bike website provides mountain bike event coverage, training and sports nutrition tips for the mountain biker. For more mountain bike event coverage, check out Dreamscape Images MTB site.