BRAIN dishes on the first day of Sea Otter

MONTEREY, Calif. (BRAIN) — Tired of hearing about 27.5-plus tires? Does a new helmet line generate a big yawn? And has the chatter over the new 148-millimeter thru-axle left you shaking your head? Then what is the most novel, most useful new product at Sea Otter? How about a carbon fiber dog dish?

Yes, it’s a black shiny bowl. Carbon-fiber-black formed inside a $4,000 mold, made in China, with a no haggle price of $60. It’s impervious to gnawing dogs. Easy to clean. And if you buy only the finest accoutrements for your dog, then drop by the Shinola booth, ask for Sky Yaeger, and she will gladly accept your money.

Yaeger’s high-tech dog dish speaks volumes about what Sea Otter has become: a gathering of thousands of enthusiasts who come to this automotive raceway each year to race, to check out the industry’s finest products and, more importantly, to have fun and revel in the eclectic ambiance that has made Sea Otter the industry’s largest, most important annual consumer event.

Ask Yaeger, “Why Sea Otter?" and this industry veteran succinctly sums it up: “People are excited to be here,” said Yaeger, who is responsible for the look and feel of Shinola’s line of bicycles. While the dog dish is a reflection of Yaeger’s sense of humor, and the ubiquitous role this clever piece of petroleum now plays in the industry, Sea Otter is as much a trade event as a consumer festival.

“It’s truly a vibrant and exciting event. It’s so valuable to come here and talk one-on-one with customers. And there’s so many ways to look at this event,” she said. “It’s about racing, business, international visitors, families and kids,” said Yaeger as two children — under the age of 5 and wearing helmets and CamelBaks — pluck a couple of Tootsie Rolls out of one of Yaeger’s dog dishes after politely asking permission.

Finish Line’s Derek Goltz points out that besides having a chance to show off the company’s line of products, it has also become an important venue to meet with its international distributors — many from Central and South America. “We’re crossing off a lot of things on our list by being here,” Goltz said.

And, more importantly for many companies, the cycling press corps from North America, South America, Europe and Asia are talking to exhibitors and taking photos of new products that are almost instantly posted to a website.

For example, Giant’s An Le takes editors behind the main Giant exhibition to show off a new line of performance helmets that few retailers have seen. But photos of those helmets are now posted online for all to see. Ask him whether the industry needs another line of high-end helmets and Le, the company’s global marketing director, says, “If we think we can do a good job with a product, we’ll do it.”

Mark Riedy, owner of True Communications, a Marin County public relations firm, is standing in his client’s booth talking about Giro’s line of helmets, shoes and apparel. “People coming here don’t have to go and see the racing. That’s how it used to be. That’s when mountain biking pros were the heroes. Now it’s about families — there’s a little bit of everything here for everybody to see,” he said.

And Riedy adds, it’s also a chance to get some direct consumer feedback on Giro products. "There’s quite a bit of interaction with consumers where our product managers get a chance to discuss the pros and cons of a product. You get a whole new set of data points here," he adds.

Eric Diffily, a marketing assistant at Thule, has been standing in the sun all day. His face is showing that faint glow of red that comes from a day in the sun and wind at Sea Otter. “Everybody has a smile on their face. Everyone seems to enjoy being here,” he said. And Diffily, who is at Sea Otter for the first time, added that a day at Sea Otter beats any day in the office.