22 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY APRIL 16-22, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com Two decades ago, Tim Viall was stationed on the downhill course at the Life Time Sea Otter Classic, ready to assist should a rider take a tumble that turned serious. With high speeds, hairpin turns and countless steep jumps, the course is one of the most fast-paced events during the massive biking event—and also one of its most treacherous. Viall was near where riders would make 30- to 40-foot jumps off of a log. Only the most advanced riders can successfully complete it without a scratch. But as one younger rider barreled down the course and off the log, his bike landed awkwardly, throwing him off his ride and sending the bike into the path of a photographer. The sharp sprocket of the bike collided with the photographer’s calf, cutting it open. All were OK, as first responders were quickly on scene to care for both involved. But witnessing the crash was eye-opening for Viall. “That was a wake-up call,” he says. “I realized there can be serious injuries on this downhill course and elsewhere.” The moment also underscored the importance of volunteers such as Viall. For more than 20 years, Viall served as the coordinator of the National Ski Patrol volunteers at Sea Otter Classic. Recognizable with their red jackets with a white cross embellished on them, the volunteers provide first aid and monitor any potentially hazardous situations throughout the various courses at Fort Ord National Monument and Laguna Seca Recreation Area. Roughly 60 volunteers from Ski Patrol cover more than 600 shifts throughout the four-day event. And that’s just one group covering one of numerous different roles that are all equally important. Volunteers are the foundation of the Sea Otter Classic, and they are everywhere you look: from the set-up, to the event itself and the take-down after. The Sea Otter Classic Foundation is tasked with organizing the more than 1,100 volunteers who keep the event running. Executive Director Melanie Stackpole says that amounts to 1,650 shifts that need filling. Every day, 350 or so volunteers check in, with Saturday— the busiest day of the Sea Otter Classic— clocking in at more than 500. Recruitment begins in the fall, and by January, volunteers can begin to sign up for shifts by type of duty. Typically, more than 80 percent of volunteer shifts are covered by community groups, with these organizations getting grants based on the number of hours they volunteered. In 2025, the foundation awarded nearly $90,000 to 45 organizations across Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. As of late March, 55 groups have signed up, 13 of which are new to the festival, according to Stackpole. “This is the largest number of groups we’ve had,” she says. Volunteer duties run the gamut: from the typical, such as staffing information booths and directing traffic, to the unusual (a taiko drumming group pumps up riders on the taxing climb up Lookout Ridge Road), and the unexpected (escorting winners to the drug testing tent). They’ll also be found pouring beer to fundraise both for the Salinas Steinbeck Rotary Club and the foundation. “There are a million moving pieces to coordinating the event,” Stackpole says. “With volunteers, they’re the backbone of making the event run and happen.” The aforementioned drug testing escorts are covered by the Velo Club Monterey, which has taken on various roles over the years. The club also operates two rest stops on the Gran Fondo ride, which begins and ends at Laguna Seca, riding through South County and Carmel Valley. Here, it’s all about making sure the riders are fed and hydrated, says Melvin Dubee, president of the club, which champions riding for all ages. That not only involves “cutting up the oranges and putting the peanut butter sandwiches together,” Dubee notes, but it’s also ensuring that both rider and bicycle are not struggling with injury or damage. Volunteers can make minor fixes to bikes, calling in mechanics to address major repairs. They can also request a truck to pick up a rider who needs to tap out—longtime club member Vera Noghera remembers one year when the temperature exceeded 100 degrees. “They were literally picking people up in truckloads because they weren’t hydrated enough,” she says. Stressing the need for hydration, Noghera advises riders to stop at the first rest stop and fill up, because the next one is 20 miles away. “If you’re at the first rest stop, the first people who come through don’t even blink,” Dubee says. The later groups that do stop by take the time to thank the volunteers for looking after them, he notes. Being a volunteer at Sea Otter Classic takes equal amounts of endurance and passion for the sport. Dave Rollings, who has been volunteering with Ski Patrol at Sea Otter Classic for at least 22 years, says shifts can be as long as 12 hours. “We have to be out there super early and we have to wait until the last rider leaves,” he says. Ski Patrol volunteers are stationed throughout the course, oftentimes serving as the first responder in the event a rider gets injured. Volunteers are able to assess the severity of the injury and know how to treat it, calling paramedics if needed and giving clear information to dispatchers. Rollings says every year he rides the course prior to the event to look for “trouble spots”—including areas where riders are more likely to get hurt, or those where the course route is not immediately obvious—so he knows where to deploy volunteers. “It’s dynamic every year,” he says. Every year, and every day, of the event is different, which keeps volunteers on their toes. But they love doing what they do, those interviewed for this article say. “My favorite part of Sea Otter is getting done on the last day and realizing we had a great event and we covered everything very well,” Rollings says. “It’s important that our patrollers had a good time. We want to get them back.” SPOKED APPROACH The thousand-plus volunteers at the Sea Otter Classic keep the wheels turning for the massive festival. By Erik Chalhoub The duties of Life Time Sea Otter Classic volunteers are plentiful, including placing the flags on the dual slalom course (from left), staging competitors at each event and setting up the kids zone. Life Time SEA OTTER CLASSIC COURTESY OF SEA OTTER CLASSIC FOUNDATION COURTESY OF SEA OTTER CLASSIC FOUNDATION COURTESY OF SEA OTTER CLASSIC FOUNDATION
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