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"Wake up, time to die." A replicant in the movie "Blade Runner" uttered this right before trying to snuff out the film's hero, played by Harrison Ford. And for some reason that phrase is always in my head at the start of each mountain bike racing season. It typically surfaces during the gorgeous five-hour drive from L.A. to the rolling green hills of Monterey, accompanied by the hopes for sunny weather and a plate of excellent calamari.

Even though frigid Northern Cal doesn't seem to realize it yet, it is indeed time for the pro mountain bikers to awaken from their off-season hibernations, hop onto a shiny new bike and begin one helluva tough way to earn a living. It may not be death, but it sure does hurt.

And The Sea Otter Classic, dubbed by organizers as the "unabashed celebration of the bicycle," is where that long journey to national and world titles begins. Contested by thousands of amateur and pro riders alike, the Sea Otter has for a decade now marked each season's unofficial start and the first opportunity for top pros from across the globe to reunite, compete and, as the homies say, "get this party started."

Along with the mountain bike pros, to whom we dedicate our coverage each year, competitors from many facets of cycling converge on Monterey, including the skinny tires of road racing. There's a jumping contest, a kid's rodeo and several family events, all making for a big circus atmosphere, populated by bike freaks, high-wire acts... and amazing feats of strength.

We thus present our coverage of several events this weekend, headlined by the Cross Country Stage Race. This three-day event consists of three races, which began with yesterday's street criterium, a time-trial on Friday, short-track Saturday and finally the big cross-country race Sunday.

Downhill mountain bikers will get their time in the spotlight as well, with a trio of gravity-fed events on tap. First up is the dual slalom on Saturday, followed by the downhill and mountain cross on Sunday.

Feeding this racing frenzy are dozens of support trucks, team vans and product vendors, all competing for the attention of the masses here at the infamous Laguna Seca Raceway. In this way the Sea Otter becomes a mini trade show of sorts, bringing lots of cycling enthusiasts together with lots of manufacturers and race teams.

It's only when you blend all these factions, the industry with its customers and the racing circuit with its fans, that you achieve the synergy that is the Sea Otter. 2002 may not be a record-breaking year for the sport, but you'd never guess that by looking around here - or at the numbers. The number of participants this year is expected to top 11,000 (up from 8,000 last year), and lodging has been sold out for weeks. It is, as the replicant said, time to "wake up."

— Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Correspondent