Sea Otter Canada plots September return at new location

Cross country, enduro, downhill and gravel events planned for fall show

Photo by: Colin Field

Terry McKall March 26, 2021

Sea Otter Canada is all set to return with a new September date and brand new location.

Horseshoe takes over hosting

After launching in 2019, the festival looks to have weathered 2020 to roll full-steam into 2021. With the Canadian version of the California classic losing its original venue, Horseshoe Resort is stepping up to take over hosting duties.

“The Horseshoe Valley area is a cycling hub. Horseshoe Resort is surrounded by world-class mountain bike single track, rolling roads, gravel trails, and we’ve invested heavily into building the only lift-access mountain bike trails in the Province,” says Jonathan Reid, VP of Ski Resorts at Horseshoe.

Dual Slalom racing added spectator friendly excitement to 2019 Sea Otter Canada.

Horseshoe Resort’s location in the Horseshoe Valley makes it well suited to hosting Sea Otter Canada’s diverse range of cycling events. With lift access for downhill and enduro racing on site and an extensive network of gravel and paved roads branching out from the Resort, there will be events for all kinds of riders.

Location is also key, as Horseshoe is just an hour north of Toronto.

“The resort is ideally suited to host the Sea Otter Expo and our planned program of events with great access from Toronto and the surrounding regions,” says Chris Robinson, the festivals co-organizer. “Horseshoe’s excellent accommodation and extensive facilities are ideally laid out for the 3 day festival that will attract hard core cyclists of all descriptions and family enthusiasts alike.”

Simcoe County taps into an extensive network of routes, paved and dirt. Photo: Matt Stetson

September celebrations

Along with a new location, Ontario’s celebration of cycling moves to a new date in September. Sea Otter Canada will span three days from Sept. 10-12 in 2021.

While just one weekend, Sea Otter Canada will host a huge range of events for cyclists of all varieties. For mountain bikers, events will include downhill, enduro, dual slalom and cross country events. For the drop-bar crowd, Sea Otter’s Scarecrow Gravel Ride will offer multiple route options winding through early fall colours in Simcoe County. Last, a Sea Otter Hub & Spoke will include more ride options with points of interest in the surrounding region.

A complete schedule of events and registration for Sea Otter Canada will be announced in May at Seaottercanada.com.