With almost 10,000 professional and amateur athletes taking part, plus 50,000 race fans attending along with many other bicycle enthusiasts, this was one festival you didn't want to miss. Hundreds of pro cyclists, including national and world champions, came to Sea Otter to race, sign autographs, and share their racing techniques with fans.

We kept a daily diary of our time at Sea Otter, which you can read below, as well as taking loads of photographs which you can see on our Facebook page. We also took plenty of video footage which you can watch below...

Team CRC/Nukeproof at the Sea Otter Classic 2012

CRC's action-packed Sea Otter Classic edit:

Today saw the finals of arguably the biggest event all weekend - Pro Downhill. CRC/Nukeproof riders Al Bond and Joe Smith both showed early signs of doing well – both saying that they really enjoyed the track as it was totally different to anything they had ever ridden. In the end Jared Graves took the win by 0.5 secs over Mick Hannah in what was clearly a hard fought battle from the start line. In the women’s Pro Downhill Jill Kitner took the top place on the podium, beating Melissa Buhl by nearly 2 seconds with UK (Team Madison-Saracen) rider Manon Carpenter in third place. This was a great result for Manon, achieving her target of a top three finish in a very strong field at SOC 2012.

As ever, there were lots of different events going on all weekend. From the Enduro style XC races to the 'Speed and Style' jam beside the CRC stand – the action was packed throughout. With top names like Martin Soderstom, Kyle Strait, Aaron Gwin and Danny Hart, each race was always going to be tough.

Stay tuned for a full video edit later this week – including action from the Pro DH and Dual Slalom with Team CRC/Nukeproof.

Our thanks to our friends at Cane Creek, Crank Bros, SRAM and finally – thanks to all of you who stopped by at the stand, came and won prizes and those of you who just wanted to discover just 'how we do it'.

The organisation at SOC was really slick - with riders being sent off at intervals like clockwork, drawing a great crowd for most of the afternoon. Team CRC/Nukeproof's Al Bond and Joe Smith had some great runs - with Al having to finally back off due to a mechanical.

Our friends from Basecamp were up and running all day with their giant airbag, letting everyone from complete novices to pros like Cam McCaul, Jack Fogelquist and even our own Al Bond bust a move in safety.

With the weather once again providing an ideal backdrop all day the expo area was incredibly busy from 9am -5pm. BlackMarketBikes and CRC threw down a last minute bunnyhop comp, with the eventual winner Red Bull’s Martin Söderström busting out a huge 48" hop with ease. With the crowd getting behind them, everyone from BMX riders to downhillers had a go. Martin commented that it was one of the best days of his career - the highlight of which was meeting CRC's very own Events Manager Grant Norris.

Full results of all the action today are available at www.seaotterclassic.com

The events team arrived at the Laguna Seca Raceway to be greeted by blue skies and sunshine. After a quick site walk the team got set up with a new expo dome which was shipped in especially for the show.

Sea Otter Classic 2012 - booth timelapse and tradeshow tour from chainreactioncycles on Vimeo.

Day one of the Sea Otter Classic saw a good proportion of the 7,000 athletes taking part over this weekend arrive on-site to inspect everything this prestigious event has to offer. From the fantastic backdrop of one of the world's most famous racing circuits, Laguna Seca, to some of the biggest names in bicycle sport – including World Downhill Champion Danny Hart, dirt jump legends Jack Fogelquist, Martin Söderström and our very own Al Bond and Joe Smith from Team CRC/Nukeproof. The crowds were certainly in for some seriously good viewing.

Track inspection started early this morning at 8am, giving the Pro DH and dual slalom competitors the chance to see the track and pick their lines. The course (typically) is really dry and dusty, with most riders (including CRC/NP's Al Bond) opting for more of a skinny cross-country style tyre to keep things rolling fast. Practice went well – with both Joe and Al enjoying the track.

Thursday's schedule included both the women's and men's crit races on the Laguna Seca track, with race distances lasting between 30 and 60 minutes. With a slick surface beneath them, riding pace was fast – but as ever, the baking heat proved to be the 'make or break' for many riders.

New to the event this year and a real spectacle for the crowd was the Road Rider Invitational – a downhill skateboard race featuring a fast and furious blast - a head to head at speeds that really shouldn't be possible on a longboard! Needless to say all the guys took protection really seriously with many wearing full face aero helmets as well as race leathers.

The CRC booth was a real centre of activity today with many of our North American customers stopping by to say hello, checking out the latest offers on our website and meeting some of the CRC/Nukeproof team. The new events dome is already a success – stay tuned to find out where else you can see it this season!

CRC have an absolutely perfect spot right next to the pump track and overlooking the downhill course. We're in the main arena, so come and say hi if you're visiting. There are loads of other cool stands here – we're next to the guys at PinkBike and GoPro – and there's plenty of cool trade stands from the likes of Mavic, iXS, SRAM and Crank Brothers too!

Today sees the start of downhill practice and qualification; basing themselves at the CRC stand for the duration of the show, Team CRC/Nukeproof riders Joe Smith and Al Bond are hoping to come away from the races with some good results. Pop by to our stand at booth 502 to meet the team."