Bike Station Aptos Holds June Evening Event for Women

The Team at Bike Station Aptos announces an all-gals event! Check it out and comment on how it goes. — Karen Kefauver

Tuesday, June 12 4 p.m.- 7 p.m.
Visit Bike Station Aptos for drinks, bike riding, shopping and schmoozing to celebrate the arrival of the Liv/giant women’s specific line to Aptos. Vendors will be on hand from Endura, the North Face, and others, and the Liv/Giant truck will carry the women’s demo fleet. Bring your friends, cyclists or non-cyclists, and get them out of the house for some hors d’oeuvres and girl time!

How is a Women’s Bike Different?

Many modifications (in addition to the geometry of the bike frame) can be made to a bicycle to make it more user-friendly for a woman:

• Handlebars can be smaller (narrower, shallower drop, and shorter reach) and the stem can be shorter and/or more upright, to further reduce the reach to the bars.

• Brakes and shifters can be sized for smaller hands
• Saddle can be wider in the rear to accommodate a woman’s wider sit bones (“ischial tuberosities, if you want to be fancy!”) and perhaps have a cutout to prevent soft tissue damage.
• The weight and stiffness of the materials used can be altered to better suit a lighter-weight rider
• The bike can be painted in a different color scheme!

“I think the bicycle has done more to emancipate women than anything in the world. It gives a woman a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. The moment she takes her seat she knows she can’t get into harm unless she gets off her bicycle, and away she goes, the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.”

- Susan B. Anthony, 1896

Bike Station Aptos | 36 Rancho Del Mar | Aptos | CA | 95003

Aptos’ Tommy Zaferes lands in 42nd in ITU World Triathlon Madrid

Aptos native and pro triathlete Tommy Zaferes, who is training and competing in Europe this summer, finished in 42nd place in the ITU World Triathlon Madird over the weekend. Zaferes clocked a final time of 1 hour, 57 minutes, 43 seconds.

Great Britain’s Jonathan Brownlee won the event in 1:51:49.

Zaferes completed the 1,500-meter swim in 17:49, the 40-kilometer bike in 1:04:15, and the 10k run in 34:20.

Gave it everything to stay with that group but couldn’t hang with the big boys. Great experience, but bummed I finished 42nd. #LearningCurve – @tzaferes

Check out his first-person telling of the race here.

– Christina Gullickson, on Twitter @CGullTweets

Aptos’ Larry Hibbard wins Central Coast cross country mountain bike race

Aptos resident Larry Hibbard [Family Cycling Center] won his division in the Central Coast Cyclocross Series’ cross country mountain bike race by almost five minutes Sunday.

Hibbard sped over the Fort Ord course, completing six laps in 1 hour, 57 minutes, 3 seconds to dominate the men’s Cat 1 45-54 age division. Salinas’ Courtney Grossman placed second [2:02:02] and Los Gatos’ Joe Fabris was third [2:04:04].

And Hibbard wasn’t the only rider from Santa Cruz County to land atop the podium. Other winners from the area were as follows: Santa Cruz’s Loren Gregg in the women’s pro division [six laps, 2:14:48] as the only entrant, Felton’s Kim Midstokke in the men’s Cat 2 35-44 age division [five laps, 1:35:46], Ben Lomond’s Gerry Hatcher in the men’s Cat 2 45-54 age division [five laps, 1:41:36], Scotts Valley’s Scott Martin in the men’s Cat 22 55-plus age division [five laps, 1:48:36], Aptos’ Lomeli Everardo in the men’s Cat 3 35-44 age division [three laps, 1:02:48], and Aptos’ Dan Russ in the men’s Cat 3 55-plus age division [three laps, 1:07:20].

This was the fifth race of the season. The next event is scheduled for June 24 at Fort Ord.

Results included in this report are from the CCCX website.

– Christina Gullickson, on Twitter @CGullTweets

Watsonville’s Ben Jacques-Maynes takes 8th in national road race

Watsonville resident and UC Santa Cruz alum Ben Jacques-Maynes placed eighth at the USA Cycling Pro Road Race Nationals on Monday.

Jacques-Maynes, who rides for Bissell Pro Cycling, was part of a breakaway pack that trailed eventual winner Timmy Duggan by about 30 seconds for the final three laps through downtown Greenville, S.C.

Duggan [Liquigas-Cannondale] won the race in 4 hours, 17 minutes, 40 seconds.

Jacques-Maynes crossed the finish line in 4:18:09 and his twin brother from Corralitos, Andy Jacques-Maynes [Kenda 5-Hour Energy Cycling Team], placed 19th in 4:20:20.

– Christina Gullickson, on Twitter @CGullTweets

Capitola pro disc golfer Valarie Jenkins rises to the G&L Clothing Challenge

Brother Avery Jenkins takes third in open men’s division

Capitola resident and pro disc golfer Valarie Jenkins shot a 1-under 241 through four rounds to win the women’s open division of the G&L Clothing Challenge in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday.

Jenkins shot 60 in the first round and 64 in the second round, but she dropped into the 50s, shooting 58 and 59 to close out the tournament and secure the $540 prize. Texas’ Des Reading was second with a 6-over 248 and Arizona’s Catrina Allen was third with a 10-over 252.

“This the back-to-back marathon tournament week! Just finished Des Moines Challenge 4 courses in 2 days, and now gearing up for KC 5 courses in 3 days.. but getting in some good relaxation for Memorial day!” Jenkins posted to Facebook and Twitter on Monday morning.

Jenkins’ brother Avery also had a strong outing. The 2009 world champion took third in the open men’s division, shooting a 35-under 207 to take home $680. Florida’s Paul McBeth won with a 40-under 202.

Jenkins’ partner Nate Doss, the defending world champ also from Capitola,  placed fourth in that division, shooting a 28-under 214 for a $545 prize.

Results included in this report are from the Professional Disc Golf Association website.

– Christina Gullickson, on Twitter @CGullTweets

Nick Manov, Jeff Nielson team up for California Beach Volleyball Association win at Main Beach

Mount Madonna School alum Nick Manov and teammate Jeff Nielson won the California Beach Volleyball Association’s men’s double-A final, according to results on the organization’s website, at Main Beach on Saturday.

Nielson and Manov, whose collegiate career at Stanford ended with the 2006 season, beat Clint Collins and Lucas Bol in their final. The team of Jacob Landel and Jake Dietrich tied with Kyle Stevenson and Alex Jones for third place.

In the men’s single-A final, Eric Morse and Nathan Yang beat Daniel Mytels and Bob Hill. Jeff Laberge and Jerry Colen were third.

Stephanie Buck and Michelle Boydstun won the women’s triple-A final, beating Sara Dukes and Jami Moulds. Jackie Signor and Veronique Baudon tied with Ilga Clemins and Michelle Iafigliola for third.

The duo of Karissa Cook — a former Main Beach Volleyball and Harbor High standout who now plays for Stanford’s nationally ranked women’s team — and Charlotte Brown — who retired from the Stanford team due to medical necessity — won the women’s single-A final against Caroline Ely and Jessica Downs. Julie Kupper and Ann Haggerty tied with Jamie Weber and Erin Funkhouser for third.

The next CVBA event scheduled for the Santa Cruz area will include men’s single-B, men’s double-A, women’s single-A and women’s double-A divisions at Main Beach on June 9. Juniors events will come to Main Beach June 13. For more information, visit the CVBA website.

– Christina Gullickson, on Twitter @CGullTweets

Corralitos cyclist Andy Jacques-Maynes clocks 10th fastest time trial at Nationals

Corralitos resident Andy Jacques-Maynes, a pro cyclist who rides for the Kenda/5-Hour Energy team, pushed out the 10th fastest time trial at the USA Cycling Pro Road Race and Time Trials in Greenville, S.C., on Saturday.

Jacques-Maynes clocked a 42-minute, 35.92-second time over 20.7 miles. The UC Santa Cruz grad joined three other Kenda riders in the top 10 and finished less than two minutes back of winner David Zabriskie [40:41.44], who rides for Garmin-Barracuda.

Jacques-Maynes’ twin brother Ben, who rides for Bissell Pro Cycling, finished 26th [44:59.16].

The event continues today.

– Christina Gullickson, on Twitter @CGullTweets

Outrigger Santa Cruz teams collect wins at Memorial Day Ho’e Wa’a race

Three Outrigger Santa Cruz crews walked away from the Memorial Day Ho’e Wa’a canoe race in Monterey with wins on Saturday, according to results posted on the Northern California Outrigger Canoe Association website.

The OSC men’s team won its open division, crossing the finish line of the 9-mile race in 1 hour, 19 minutes, 50 seconds — almost a full minute ahead of runner-up Tamalpais Outrigger Canoe Club Blue [1:20:52]. Hui Wa’a Canoe and Kayak was third [1:22:43] in what was the mostly highly contested race of the event with 11 entrants.

The OSC masters women’s team also pulled off a win in its division, crossing the finish line in 1:22.24. Northern California Outrigger Canoe was second [1:22.58] and another OSC team was third [1:26.09].

And finally, the OSC’s senior masters women’s team also pulled off a win in its division, beating the only other entrant by about 11 and a half minutes. OSC finished in 1:26.34 and Ohana Wa’a finished in 1:38 even.

– Christina Gullickson, on Twitter @CGullTweets

Teens win Santa Cruz Down Wind Ryder Cup SUP races

Two 18-year-olds — Matt Becker and Jack Bark — won their respective divisions in the third annual Santa Cruz Down Wind Ryder Cup, a paddleboard race from Davenport to Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz, over the weekend.

Becker was victorious in the stand-up paddleboard division, finishing the 14.5-mile trek in 2 hours, 15 seconds on a 14-foot board. The event, which had prime conditions including 16- to 20-knot winds, saw 70 elite and novice paddlers from Hawaii and California come out.

“This was the most amazing race ever,” Bark was quoted saying in a press release. “I got the best bumps of my life out there and had a blast. I’m so stoked. I can’t wait for next year.

Bark won the prone division on a 12-footer in 2:09:49.

The contest was organized by the Santa Cruz-based Ghost Ryders Waterman Club and presented by the Quiksilver Waterman Collection.

– Christina Gullickson, on Twitter @CGullTweets

Santa Cruz’s Terri Schneider 10th fastest woman in Morgan Hill Sprint Triathlon

Adventure racer and triathlete Terri Schneider clocked the 10th fastest finish among women at the 21st annual Morgan Hill Sprint Triathlon on Sunday.

Schneider, 51, crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 50 minutes, 14 seconds. The longtime Santa Cruz resident completed the three-quarter-mile swim in 22:18, the 16-mile bike in 48 minutes flat and the five-mile run in 37:57. She was first in her age group, 10th among women and 102 overall, according to preliminary results on the USA Productions website.

– Christina Gullickson, on Twitter @CGullTweets