Just when you thought your rights as a man were being abused, in steps Harry Crouch…our saviour.

April 4, 2011 (Monterey, CA) – “I am puzzled and disappointed you would sponsor a sex-based promotion such as Ladies Day that excludes males solely because of their sex”, wrote Harry H. Crouch, president, National Coalition for Men (NCFM). In a rambling missive to Sea Otter Classic management, he challenged Sea Otter’s Ladies Day celebration. Mr. Crouch demanded that all “preferential treatment” be halted immediately or his organization would be compelled to pursue legal action against Sea Otter.

“For over two decades we’ve encouraged everyone to enjoy our wonderful sport of cycling”, says Sea Otter Classic President and CEO Frank Yohannan. “This is not going to change because of Mr. Crouch’s threats. For years we’ve hosted special cycling events for families and children. This year we decided to expand our efforts to encourage more girls and women to give cycling a try. So we designated Sunday, April 17 as Ladies Day at Sea Otter. Among other things, the NCFM objected to the title. In the spirit of cooperation, we renamed it Ladies Activities.”

Despite meeting all demands from the NCFM, Crouch contacted media outlets within the Monterey area claiming that “Ladies Day” was cancelled and that this could be considered the avoidance of a grave gender-based injustice. Yohannan labeled Crouch’s post-agreement efforts as “petty” and “certainly outside of the genuine spirit of cooperation from Sea Otter.”

Although operating under a different name, this special day for women and girls remains the same. “We love women who cycle and simply want to get more on bikes”, says Yohannan. Programming for Sea Otter’s Ladies Activities includes skills clinics, demo rides, a nutrition seminar, maintenance classes, and much more. And yes, the guys are also welcome to attend.