Experiencing Sea Otter

By Luke Yates

Author Luke Yates and fellow ASJ intern Natalie Smith show off the Atom Composites carbon road wheels being raffled off among other prizes from the ASJ booth #760.

Author Luke Yates and fellow ASJ intern Natalie Smith show off the Atom Composites carbon road wheels being raffled off among other prizes from the ASJ booth #760.

Sea Otter Classic is a whirlwind of cool products and new brands, alongside some incredible racing.

For ASJย this has meant some awesome opportunities for new partnerships and getting the magazine name out there.

Consumers are constantly stopping by the tent, grabbing a copy of the magazine and entering the raffle. We have some unbelievable prizes, including a set of $1800 carbon road bike wheels from Atom Composites. Lots of people regularly read the magazine, with REI and Sports Basement emerging as popular spots to pick it up. The real satisfaction for me though, has been talking about the journal to people that havenโ€™t come across it before. One guy from Tahoe was so taken with the concept that he immediately asked to be added to the distribution list.

The enthusiasm weโ€™re all showing has paid dividend with some great new contacts and potential for advertisers. The broad range of coverage in the magazine and the love for local adventure and issues has really appealed. Personally Iโ€™ve chatted to an adventure medical kit company and a live sports streaming service, and they will now be working with Matt (editor-in-chief) to establish a working relationship.

Itโ€™s also great to just wander around the show, speaking to innovative brands and thinking about how they could lead to future articles. Some of the technology on show, from GPS units built in to sunglasses, to power meters incorporated into bike cranks, has been really interesting.

On top of all this, it has just been great to get involved with the magazine and talk about how I can contribute in the future, how to develop articles and think about the relationships between journalism, advertising and social media. It has been an extremely valuable experience.

Sea Otter has been awesome so far โ€“ bring on Saturday!


ASJ_ProfileLuke Yates is a journalist, focusing on endurance and adventure sports. When not writing, he can often be found training for triathlons or planning his next expedition. His last big adventure was to cycle tour halfway around the world, taking in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada.