Though the weather swung from rain to hail to wind the morning of May 15, by the time the Scotts Valley Grand Prix began at 1 p.m., consensus was that it had settled for cold.
Despite the wintry mid-May conditions, cyclists of all skill levels, local business people and a moderate gathering of enthusiasts and residents braved the elements Sunday for the annual cycling race.
“I think this is a great event for the city,” said Kelly Gladder, co-proprietor of Mint. “We’re here to have fun and support the community.”
The event was the brainchild of Scotts Valley cycling activist Mark Davis, CEO of Syzygy Sports Group, in partnership with the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to eight-plus hours of bicycle racing along the circuit of Scotts Valley Drive, El Pueblo Drive and Carbonero Way, spectators could visit a selection of local food and craft vendors, who had set up shop in the parking lot of Canepa Designs.
According to Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sharolynn Ullestad, the hours of 3 to 5:30 p.m. — during the children’s and juniors’ races — were the busiest for the concessionaires.
“(Attendance) grows as the day goes on,” she said. “It’s based a lot on what event is going on.”
Ullestad acknowledged that the weather had played a role in the size of the crowd that turned up at the event.
“The threat of rain kept some people away,” she said.
She also pointed out that this is only the second year Scotts Valley has hosted a cycling event, and the race competed for spectators with other events throughout the Bay Area.
“Things like this take a while to grow before they take on a life of their own,” she said. “It’s more about creating community and city awareness at this point.”
Ullestad praised the businesses and those who attended for braving the cold to support the community.
“The cyclists are really appreciative of what the businesses do,” she said.
Marti Meyer, co-owner of Dawgs hot dog restaurant, said she opted to shutter the main Dawgs establishment — near the closed-off section of El Pueblo — in favor of running a booth at the event.
“We decided to close (for the day) because we knew we were going to be here,” she said, adding she expected the closed roads near the restaurant would probably result in decreased traffic there anyway.
“I think this is a great community event,” Meyer added. “Anything that brings people to Scotts Valley — especially Scotts Valley Drive.”
Ben Lomond resident Brian Iles was also on hand at the race, selling his handmade birdhouses.
“I’ve never been to a bike race before,” he said. “It’s exciting.”
Iles said he hoped sales would be brisk.
“I’m the only craftsperson in the whole place,” he said with a grin.
Annette Hunt, owner of Skov Winery, had a booth offering samples of different types of wines.
“It’s definitely an event that is new to the community,” Hunt said. “That’s what it’s really about. It’s about the community.”
The race, which closed down the entire roadways of El Pueblo Drive and Carbonero Way, along with two lanes of Scotts Valley Drive, meant that some shops along the circuit lost some business. But most took it in stride.
Alvin Scarborough, the owner of Scarborough Lumber and the adjacent Garden Center, closed his lumber yard Sunday afternoon and expected little foot traffic at the garden center.
“I wish it wasn’t during the planting season,” Scarborough said. “But if it helps the community, I’m willing to do it for half a day.”
Scarborough also allowed the race organizers to set up bleachers in the garden center’s parking lot.
Reed Santee, manager at Central Home Supply, said that though losing half a day of business was tough, “our basic attitude here is ‘What’s good for Scotts Valley is good for us.’”
Santee said Central Home Supply had let a climbing wall and other children’s activities set up shop in its parking lot.
“It’s important to be an active member of the community,” Santee said. “You hate to lose three hours of business with the economy, but hopefully some more people will figure out we’re back here.”
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