How to stage a criterium in Isla Vista

This story was featured in the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition's Quick Release newsletter. By Barrett Ausman

We asked Barrett Ausman, UCSB Cycling Race Director, for his views on what it was like organizing the first annual Isla Vista Island View Classic Bike Race. This race was held on Saturday March 4, 2006 and was a rollicking success with over 450 riders participating.

The race was something that I thought could never happen. I had no idea what I was getting myself into as I was elected race director by the team for the current year. In September at the beginning of the school year, I got a call from Karl Nielsen, UCSB's Cycling Director. Karl informed me that the Isla Vista Recreation and Parks District (IVRPD) and the County of Santa Barbara would support a race being held in downtown Isla Vista. After the first meeting, I remember feeling upbeat about all the help we are going to get.

Derek Johnson, former General Manager at IVRPD, and I worked out a budget together. The only problem was that it just kept growing and now the cost of the race was exceeding $7,000. Our team had to take a step back and ask ourselves "can we really do this?" Our treasurer, Kamyab Sadaghiani, came to the rescue with a professional sponsoring plan. But we were only 90 days from the race and sponsorships were only trickling in. The situation was grim as I had already filed all the paper work with the national race organization. Sponsors or no sponsors, it appeared the race was going to happen.

The week before the race was crazy, but we had finally raised enough cash. It was mayhem and it was awesome. Race Day—I was up at 3:30 AM and on the course at 4:30 AM. The mission: open the course for its first race by 7:00 AM. I have never seen so much staged equipment. Tow trucks removed 22 cars in violation of the "no parking" zones. A street sweeper swept the course we had closed to traffic—the Embarcadero Loop and Cordoba Road. Volunteers erected barricades, cones and scaffolding, set up tables, chairs, tents, computers and a PA system, deployed radios and cameras. The County Fire Department even came out with their hook and ladder truck to hang our banner over the finish line. Victory! The first race, Men's Collegiate C, went off at 7:00 AM.

Problems emerged, but we called audibles on the spot for fast solutions. We had to call in an electric cart so that the pizza delivery service could travel to the edge of I.V. for transfer to a car. Others improvised, like the Brinks cash delivery man who walked to Woodstocks with his pistol drawn. Our team was so proud to see our vision for a race in our home town of Isla Vista actually achieved. Riders compli-mented the course as an excellent one, and I am predicting bigger and better for 2007!

I would like to thank IVRPD, I.V. Foot Patrol, County Public Works and Fire Department, Supervisor Brooks Firestone and his staff, UCSB in general and specifically the Recreational Sports Department, the I.V. Commission, Sam's To Go, UCSB Cycling Team, all the great businesses in Isla Vista, and all the fans people who came to support the race.