Adventure Racing Newswire

Series rolls on with double header this weekend

Thu, 08 May 2008 02:43:25 PDT

The Series is finally heading west again after a string of events on the east coast. A total of 47 teams will be racing at either the Desert Winds adventure race in Nevada or the AXS Buena Vista 24 in Colorado this weekend.

Salomon Crested Butte, a well know and accomplished team of professional athletes will be racing in Buena Vista at the Gravity Play AXS Buena Vista 24, their first Series event of the season. The team won the Gravity Play Adventure Xstream Series last year and are looking to duplicate that impressive performance while chasing Series points at the same time. Look for them to dominate the field from the start. Baring an injury, mechanical problem or alien abductions they are the clear favorite to win.

800 miles to the southwest the powerful racers of DART-nuun are also joining the hunt for Series points at the Desert Winds adventure race hosted by Kayak Lake Mead in Nevada.

Coming off an impressive win at the Baja Traversia, DART-nuun is looking for a first place finish to start their points chase with a solid 100 points.

The 2008 Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series is presented by Inov-8, makers of high quality outdoor gear including trail running shoes and multi-sport backpacks. Teams compete in the Series by attending Series events and earing points based on how they finish. Each teams points total at the end of the year is derived by combining their 4 best finishes. The top 3 teams, by points total, at the end of the season, which wraps up with the Upstate Adventure Race on October 25th in Cleveland, SC will share a $10,000 cash prize purse. The overall winner will also receive a FREE entry to the upcoming Terra Traverse Adventure Race, a new event produced by Ian Adamson, the sports winningest racer.

E-Fix: an Epic Adventure

Wed, 07 May 2008 08:29:32 PDT

Oompf! Dat's a lot of cheese. Those were the word posted on a convenience store sign on the trip up to beautiful West Virginia. All we can say is Oompf! Dat's a lot of elevation - 42,000 feet no less. We rolled to the starting line of the 2008 Endorphin Fix knowing that the next 3 days would treat us to beautiful scenery, lots of climbing, and no doubt some pain and suffering.

The adventure began with some insanely fun whitewater rafting in the New River Gorge. What a treat! Next up was a canoe and portage leg to take us to our bikes. Several teams went up the wrong trail (including us) to make the portage a little longer. We also tested the limits of Paul's portage wheels by stacking two canoes on top of each other when one set of wheels collapsed.

After the next few legs of the race, some biking/trekking, we encountered one of the most brutal biking legs in the history of AR! It seemed that we kept going UP and UP and UP. I'm sure there was a downhill in the mix, but I don't remember that part. During the epic bike leg, we ran short on food and water. Not good when you have 3 hours remaining in 80 degree weather! Thankfully a kind local shared some refreshingly cool spring water with us to save the day.

On the whitewater swim, our legs were revived and the cool water seemed to breathe life back into us. Next up was an orienteering section and we still had some daylight to spare. Peter was on fire with great navigation and we were elated to clear the next section. We kept on moving quickly through the course, excited to be checking off the miles at CP's as we journeyed. We made it to the finish early Sunday morning (8:40 am) with a sense of accomplishment to have finished what we consider to be one of the most brutal races put on by Odyssey. Our support crew (Paul's dad and Peter's dad) greeted us with sausage biscuits in hand. Yummy!

Post-race buzz centered around the toughness of the course along with some discussion about the new rogaine format of the race. In the end, we cleared all of the checkpoints except one that was marked with flagging tape. It cost us the win as it was mandatory, but we still feel proud to have cleared the course in a race of this magnitude. Thanks to everyone back home for all the shout outs and motivation while out there. We'll be back for the Wild, Wonderful 24 at the end of the month to conquer the gorge!

-Jenn

COSMIC Series Finals

Wed, 07 May 2008 07:28:41 PDT

The 2008 COSMIC Series finals are completed with the final race of the season taking place this past weekend at A-Basin. With an elevation at the start of the race of almost 10,800 ft it was tough to ever recover from the over 5,000 vertical feet of elevation gain on the course.

Team Salomon/Crested Butte of course was representing with Wick taking first in the race and the overall series points victory! Jon Brown finished 4th in the race and 2nd overall in the series and the lovely Jari place 2nd in the race and 2nd in the Series behind Monique Merrill of Nike!

Next up for the team is a regional adventure race in Buena Vista as part of the AdventurXtreme Series on May 10th and then off to Ireland for The Turas June 15-21.

Don't worry though we're still skiing up in the mountains around Crested Butte for some time yet, there is tons of snow STILL here!

Winning aint easy..

Wed, 07 May 2008 07:27:06 PDT

No really, it really isn't easy. I suffered like nobody's business. Usually riding your bike for 18 hours is hard but I enjoy it but this weekend was hard. I can tell you the course forwards and backwards and I have mad skills in the sand now. Now, I am ready for the season to really start. We are doing a 24 hour adventure race this weekend in Colorado which is going to be the real kick off to the season. I hope I can remember how to use my compass.

Here's to awesome costumes at the Fat Tire Festival, wining the bottle walk competition, winning the 18 hours of Fruita, and the end of ski season.

Mountain-X Race raises the bar for 2008

Yak — Tue, 06 May 2008 03:34:00 PDT

Last year's inaugural roll out of this exciting and innovative five-day event provoked widespread enthusiasm throughout the adventure racing world.

This year's could be even better...

Though the deceptively straightforward formula, five sports over five days in five different beauty spots, remains unchanged, this year's race will incorporate some carefully considered modifications and exciting developments aimed at both teams and spectators.

The fast and technically challenging stages, interspersed with well-defined "rest periods", will once again showcase the spectacular Haute Savoie region over a course designed to test skills and stamina to the limit.

From Bourg Saint Maurice to the finish in Morzine, an international selection of the world's AR glitterati, competing as co-ed or single sex teams, will run, trek, bike, climb and canoe across 256km of the most spectacular scenery in France.

37 teams from 11 countries have already registered with such illustrious names as NIKE (USA), last year's winners SAAB SALOMON (GB) and locals LAFUMA – SPORT2000 VIBRAM (FRA) mixing with race newcomers ARS Adventure team (BRZ), one of New Zealand's most accomplished squads ORIONHEALTH.COM and Polish powerhouse SPELEO SALOMON. Add to this a swathe of the sport's most determined contenders and talented underdogs and you have all the ingredients for a thrilling encounter at the pinnacle of the sport.

Competition between the teams will be enhanced by slightly altering the way points are awarded. This year, the winners of each stage (team/individual) will receive the maximum number of points (300/100) and every other team/individual will be allocated a fraction of that maximum depending on their time behind the winners. This will level the playing field across the disciplines and encourage the teams to race faster and narrow the time gap on their rivals.

Devised in close collaboration with the local authorities, the Mountain-X Race Festival will be a colorful caravan following the race and featuring local outdoor attractions like film projections, live music and tombolas for tickets to a range of regional leisure pursuits.

The armchair enthusiast hasn't been forgotten either because, for the first time ever, an adventure race will be entirely filmed in stunning High Definition, bringing the thrills and spills of this unique, groundbreaking event to screens around the globe in never before seen wide screen, digital, multi-channel sound and super high-resolution.

To discover all the teams: nationalities, profiles, categories, etc., log onto mountainxrace.com.

SPOT Inc sponsors 2008 Primal Quest Adventure Race with online public viewing

Mon, 05 May 2008 01:21:31 PDT

SPOT Inc., the pioneer behind the award-winning SPOT Satellite Messenger, today announced its sponsorship of the Primal Quest Montana Expedition Adventure Race. Called the "The World's Most Challenging Human Endurance Competition," Primal Quest 2008 Presented by SPOT is scheduled to take place in Big Sky Country, Montana June 23 through July 2, 2008.

Primal Quest fans can follow their favorite teams at www.ecoprimalquest.com, through real-time GPS tracking and custom leader board technology provided by SPOT allowing for up-to-date viewing on SPOT enhanced Google Maps. This technology is based on new SPOT services that allow users to broadcast their location and messages to others over the web. The SPOT satellite messenger will be worn by each of the 70 plus teams of adventure racers during the 10 day, multi-sport competition.

"We have been looking forward to the innovative technology that SPOT is bringing to Primal Quest for many years," said Don Mann, Primal Quest Director "SPOT is a lightweight personal satellite messenger that won't slow the racers down and will provide continuous position updates of the teams along the Primal Quest course making it the most interactive Primal Quest in history."

Primal Quest is the largest human-powered, multi-discipline, multi-day event of its kind in the world. Since its inception in 2002, the race has attracted world-class athletes and established itself as the leading event of its kind in the world. The extraordinary demands on the Primal Quest teams, means that they need a rugged, easy to use tracking product - and a way to update their location reliably.

"Unlike other GPS units, SPOT sends the users' GPS location and message to others and provides real-time tracking, making it a natural fit for the world's most demanding adventure race, Primal Quest," said John Dark, Senior Marketing Manager for SPOT Inc. "SPOT is small, rugged and reliable enough for the world's most extreme athletes, so we can offer a unique solution that will enhance the experience not only for the adventure racers and Primal Quest staff but the supporting community around the world."

For every day use, SPOT has just released SPOT share pages, a software upgrade allowing any SPOT user to share their adventure and messages with others - perfect for that personal sea kayak trip or weekend hike. SPOT share pages automatically create a customized web page with sophisticated real-time tracking and mapping.

The SPOT Satellite Messenger gives users a way to alert responders of their GPS location independently of cellular coverage. SPOT enables users, to send their location and message to friends, family, or emergency responders, and to visually track the location of the SPOT satellite messenger through four simple functions:

Alert 9-1-1 notifies the emergency response center of your GPS location
Ask for Help sends a request for help to friends and family
Check In lets contacts know where you are and that you are OK
Track Progress sends and saves your location and allows contacts to track your progress using Google Maps

Weighing just over 7 ounces with a SRP of $169.95 (US), the SPOT Satellite Messenger provides a new level of safety and peace-of-mind for anyone who spends a considerable amount of time in the outdoors or just wants the comfort of knowing that help is available at the push of a button.

To learn more about 2008 Primal Quest Presented by SPOT, visit www.ecoprimalquest.com

About SPOT Inc.

The SPOT Satellite Messenger, the worlds first satellite messenger, uses both the GPS satellite network to determine a customer's location and the SPOT network to transmit that information to friends, family or an emergency service center. SPOT Inc., a subsidiary or Globalstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: GSAT), provides lifesaving communications technology that allows users to communicate from remote locations around the globe. Thanks to this affordable, cutting-edge personal safety device, the company offers people peace of mind by allowing customers to notify friends and family of their location and status, and to send for emergency assistance in time of need, completely independent of cellular phone or wireless coverage. For more information on how SPOT Inc. is helping users live to tell about it - from disaster preparedness to outdoor adventure purposes - visit www.findmespot.com.

Sprint Series course features revealed

Fri, 02 May 2008 08:48:14 PDT

Got an email from the Primal Quest media team this morning with details on the upcoming Sprint Series:

The premiere edition of the Primal Quest Sprint Series is now upon us with the first race being held May 10, 2008 in Chesterfield, VA at Pocahontas State Park. This four to six hour multi-sport adventure race presents participants the opportunity to experience the high energy of the sport without the huge time/financial commitment required to tackle a 400+ mile expedition adventure race course. It will challenge the elite level racer with it’s intensity and introduce the beginner to the world of adventure racing.

The PQ Sprint Series courses will feature many disciplines associated with an expedition length race such as mountain biking, trekking, paddling, and orienteering. In addition, there will also be unique challenges to endurance and technical decision making skills. A log drill exercise section and a ropes obstacle course comprise the unique legs of the race.

Originally developed in the early 1900's, log drill exercise was a mainstay of the Marine Corps physical training (PT) during the '40s and '50s. The old conditioning exercise, designed for strength and endurance, all but disappeared in the '60s and has mainly been used since by the Navy Seals. Primal Quest Sprint Series race producer, Don Mann, learned log PT during his training as a Navy Seal. "It was one of our favorite work outs," recalls Don. Traditional log drills are limited to the following six exercises;

Two-Arm Push-Up, Forward Bender, Side Bender, Half-Knee Bend, and Overhead Toss. While the log used at PQSS will be a shortened two person version and will be much lighter than the 35-50 lb. per person military version, "It will be the same type of exercise that the military does," says Don Mann. This leg of the race should take the two person teams about 30 minutes to complete. And what pre race advice can Don give to the inexperienced logger? "Consider doing upper body strength training!"

The ropes obstacle course section of the race will challenge racers' coordination and strength assets. Specific obstacles contained within the course will be a ropes bridge, a low crawl obstacle, and a cargo net traverse. Both team members will attack the course at once additionally challenging their collaboration skills. No additional safety gear, besides bike helmet and gloves, will be required of the racers. There will be no zip line or top rope climbing involved.

The fledgling Primal Quest Sprint Series will have three venues in 2008. The PQSS is expected to grow into an eight distinct race series in 2009 and will feature a point accumulation system awarding a free team entry into the 2010 expedition version of Primal Quest, www.ecoprimalquest.com, for the top points holder.

Primal Quest, LLC was founded in 2001 with the goal of bringing a world-class, multi-sport expedition race to North America. The concept of Primal Quest included the fusion of premier television coverage for the event, substantial prize money for the winning teams, and responsible use of back country lands to promote a positive environmental message.

by Craig Stein

So what do you think of military style exercises as disciplines in an adventure race?

Leave a comment and tell us how you think these kinds of challenges might change your training and racing strategy.

Dusting off the Primal Quest Blog

Fri, 02 May 2008 03:49:51 PDT

During my hands on coverage of the 2006 Primal Quest in Utah I set up a dedicated Primal Quest Blog and photo gallery.

Here's me working my ass off in the desert :-)

I shelved the blog not sure it it would be needed again. Well it is so we're bringing it out of mothballs.

Army of Zero reporter Mike Bitton is heading to Montana to provide behind the scenes reporting and photography from the course while the race is in progress.

Hi Mike...have fun...I'm jealous...

Not all fun and games

Thu, 01 May 2008 02:42:54 PDT

Still waiting on the leaders to arrive at Red Cliffs.

While we wait I thought I'd share a little glimpse into the harsh reality faced by those of us trying to cover an event of this scale in a region as remote as southeastern Utah.

The picture says it all. I had to sit in that river waiting on Silly Rabbits to swim by for like...2 hours...you think that was fun? You think I enjoy that?

Ok, maybe a little :-)

Capitol Peak Ultra

DARTvg — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:02:00 PDT

DART-nuun Team members Aaron Rinn, Glenn Rogers and Ryan VanGorder spent last weekend in Capitol Forest near Olympia, Washington running the Capitol Peak Ultra in preperation for the Desert Winds II race in two weekends.

This was an incredible run that had the field on single track and trails for 99% of the run, which is why we choose to run it. The race director puts on a number of well ran races each year and we usually try and catch a couple of them if we can squeeze them into the schedule.

We were treated to the first day of blue skies in Washington...perhaps for all of 2008! The first half of the race was pretty tame and filled with dry and muddy trails. Once we reached Capitol Peak there was snow on the North side of the ridge and the running got a bit dicey. All in all it was a great race.

Aaron, Glenn and Ryan finished in 11th-13th place within 10 minutes of each other (5:53-6:04) and had a great time.

DART-nuun is in the house

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:12:07 PDT

The Checkpoint Zero blog roll is expanding again.

The accomplished racers of DART-nuun have joined the fold and moved their long running blog to our little corner of the web. We've made it easy to find their new digs...just head over to http://www.checkpointzero.com/dartnuun and to see what one of the sports most accomplished teams is up to.

Also, look for a homepage redesign this week that will provide a new content aggregation and navigation scheme incorporating DART-nuun's blog along side our other team and event blogs.

Endorphin Fix draws over 2000 online spectators

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:02:38 PDT

From Thursday (4/24) to Sunday (4/27) the Odyssey Endorphin Fix, the first of 3 multi-day races in the Series, attracted 2, 103 unique visitors to Checkpoint Tracker. Those race fans stopped by the site 12, 919 times and viewed a whopping 50,231 pages. That translates into an average of 6 visits and 24 page views per unique visitor.

Odyssey Endorphin Fix is underway; 200 Series points on the line

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:23:56 PDT

As of the last update to the leaderboard our own Checkpoint Zero/Inov-8 was racing alongside Running Free well ahead of the rest of the field.

Our squad for this one is made up of Peter Jolles, Paul Cox, Jenn Rinderle and Michele Hobson. These four have nearly 20 years of racing experience between them and definitely have what it takes to go the distance.

Hopefully they can extend their lead and hold on to it. They're being chased by the VERY strong racers of ATP/PVAdventures.com.

Saab Salomon Mountain-X Race redefines visual impact of AR

Yak — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:49:00 PDT

The Mountain-X Race makes no excuses for the degree of technical and physical prowess demanded of the teams seeking success in this innovative race format. But now the expertise and know how required of those who provide the spectacle is about to be matched by those who record their exploits. HDTV is joining the foray.

In keeping with the MXR's reputation for "pushing the envelope", this year, for the first time in adventure racing history, the entire race will be filmed in high definition, bringing widescreen, digital, multi-channel sound and super high-resolution images to screens around the world. Breathtaking scenery and breathless athletes will leap out at you, adding a whole new dimension to what is already the sporting world's consummate visual experience.

And given that adventure is the life-blood of discovery, it's only natural that adventure racing's most recent elite level event should ally itself with The Discovery Channel, the most widely distributed cable network in the United States and whose HD network, dedicated to broadcasting specially produced visually rich content, is available via satellite and cable.

Taking the form of a one-hour special, the program is slated to air in late September and will mainly concentrate on all the US teams racing this year.

Working in particular with globe-trotting television producer Cathy Cooper, renowned for her work on some of the biggest events in sport ranging from the Tour de France to a panoply of adventure racing's most prestigious events, the program is a joint production between race-organizers Community and Aura360, the sports marketing company and authors of the Emmy award winning "Jeep World of Adventure Sports".

2nd Edition Returns December 12th

Yak — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:20:00 PDT

Mark your calendar and prepare for a 2nd edition as unforgivable and challenging as the first!

After considering different options, this autumn's AR agenda and a long holiday period beginning of December in Abu Dhabi, we are back again mid December.

Back from the dead

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:18:43 PDT

We're bringing back the PQ blog. We're deploying the Army of Zero to Montana to cover the 2008 edition.

DART-nuun wins North America's World Championship Qualifier

Velokamikaze — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:44:00 PDT

At the end of March, DART-nuun won the mighty Baja Travesia expedition race - North America's World Championship qualifier. For this important race of the 2008 calendar, DART-nuun fielded two Segger-Gigg, Aaron Rinn, and Cyril Jay-Rayon and team DART-nuun/NW Kayak was comprised of Mari Chandler, Sean teams that battled it out in dramatic fashion for 3 days to eventually cross the finish line together. Team DART-nuun was comprised of JenClancy, and Glenn Rogers.

"Northern Baja and the race organization never ceases to amaze us. They put on a tough course through 7 climatic regions that take teams through one of the most stunning landscapes the adventure racing world has to offer," exclaimed an exuberant Glenn after finishing . The course took teams on a 3 to 5 day adventure from San Felipe - on the Sea of Cortez - to Ensenada on the Pacific Ocean. To get to Ensenada, teams had to paddleboard on the Sea of Cortez, cross a stunning desert on foot, climb to the top of the majestic Sierras via breathtaking canyons, mountain bike from the "top of the world" to the foothills of the Pacific, and finally paddle the humbling Pacific Ocean. In all, teams travelled 355 km through mostly unchartered terrain.

" This win was especially sweet for us because we won after recovering from a bad navigation decision. Our experience really helped us stay focus and get back on track. Having both teams cross the finish line together was also incredibly rewarding. This is a testament to the depth of our roster," explained Cyril. After spending the first day battling it out with the top teams, the 2 DART-nuun teams ended up together - in the lead - at the end of the massive canyon section. On the bike, they both made a bad navigation decision that cost them hours. DART-nuun/NW Kayak finally find the right trail while DART-nuun tried to go around on what turned out to be a much longer route. When the dust settled, DART-nuun was 4:20 hr behind their other team. They spent the better part of second half of the race chasing DART-nuun/NW Kayak. They finally caught them will only a few hours left in the race. The two teams then decided to join forces and finish the race together after a hard fought duel.

In the end, both teams crossed the finish line in 2 days, 21 hours, 7 minutes.

For more race reporting, read the reports on sleepmonsters.

Next, DART-nuun will send two teams to Nevada's toughest and most stunning race - Desert Winds - a 24 hour race near Lake Mead on May 10th.

The team's successes would not be possible without the generous support of their hand picked sponsors. Each sponsor was carefully selected because their products are of the highest quality, perform brilliantly, and are of the utmost reliability. "We trust our lives to these products while competing in the world's most demanding conditions," - Cyril Jay-Rayon, Team Captain.

Photo credit:
©Jacqueline Windh/windhphotos.com & Aaron Rinn

4th annual Central Coast Adventure Challenge

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:27:47 PDT

May 10th and 11th in San Luis Obispo, CA

Marin bikes will be demoing their latest 29ers and full suspension trail bikes and Seda Kayaks will be on site with their full line of racing kayaks.

We'll be providing live tracking of 6 select teams on our event monitor and across the globe on the world wide web thanks to SPOT.

Visit http://www.ccadventure.com for more information.

Bonk Hard Racing Canoe Fund

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:15:07 PDT

Mother Nature laid the smack down at the Sunflower 12/24 hour adventure race in Lawrence, KS on March 29-30. Several canoes were sent to their deaths.

Like the good folks they are, the local racing community pulled together and collected nearly $3000 to replace the boats.

Team WEDALI went so far as to return the $1000 they'd just won.

Deatails at ARMonkey.com and here's a news clip from a local TV station.

Planet Adventure

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 02:38:15 PDT

They say getting there is half the fun, but I'm not so sure as we found out as we tried to get to the Planet Adventure Race. We had originally set up a team to race in Indiana, but three weeks before the race, I got a call that one teammate was out with a knee injury. That's fair enough. Luckily Hunter Orvis had just goined up with us and volunteered to take the spot. Then, less than a week before the race, we had another member realize that he had scheduled two races on top of each other. Luckily Hunter was able to make a few calls and find another last minute stand in, Mark Harris.

Sounds good right? Well, the day before the race I get another call and now our girl has the flu and probably won't make it. That's 3 for 3 on team mates now, but once again we got lucky and Marks teammate is able to fill in with less than 24 hours notice. So much for advanced planning.

So, with the issues of assembling a team behind us, we set out to see what damage the course would inflict on us. The course opened with a short bushwack to our bikes, where we picked them up and rode some great single track in the Hoosier national forest. By the end of the first section, we had about a minute lead on EMS. We later found out that they had been having bike issues, as usually they are very strong riders. Next up was a unique orienteering section, in which we were told that we could get in any order, but to throw in a twist, we could skip a single point. This was difficult to do on the fly, as we didn't have a long time to figure out any strategy. In the end, we chose a roughly CCW route, skipping one point early on. I don't know that our route was optimal, but it was good enough to be one of the faster times through the course.

Completing the rogain, we made our way to the paddle portion of the race. Now this was not any ordinary paddle by any means. The water level was was about 14 feet over normal, and the reservoir was backed up miles and miles. This meant the paddle wasn't on a river, but on a flood plain, floating through the forest and the trees, literally! We were lucky enough to make it through the section before dark, but many teams didn't, and several were forced to the bank to made camp for the night.

With a quick transition to the last trek section, we made our way and finally got onto our bikes for a 20 mile ride to the finish. We had going back and forth with GOALS for 3rd place at this point, knowing there was little chance of riding down EMS or Alpine Shop. As we made our way onto the first section of single track I heard a little yell but didn't think much of it. After proceeding down the trail a little further I finally realized that there was no one behind me. Turning around I quickly found the reason. That little yell was because of a fall, and that fall turned out to be a race ender. Somehow the rear derailleur had gotten forced into the wheel, which by some stroke of unfortunate luck resulted in the in the rear skewer breaking. I'd never seen that, and couldn't think of a fix. We decided to throw in the towel then and there.

It turned out to be a little disappointing result, but I am glad that we went. The Planet Adventure race was an excellent event, well run, and in a beautiful part of the country. It'll certainly be on my list to hit up next year.

Eastern Mountain Sports, WEDALI and Alpine Shop emerge as early contenders

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:59:54 PDT

With 5 races on the board Eastern Mountain Sports, WEDALI and Alpine Shop have pulled ahead of the field in the 2008 Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series presented by Inov-8.

EMS is out front with 290 points (after 3 one day races). 200 of those points come from impressive back to back wins at the Checkpoint Zero Adventure Race in Georgia and the Planet Adventure Race in Indiana.

If they manage another 1st place win then it would take a perfect 400 points to beat them.

That's a tall order, but remember that we still have 3 multi-day races on the calendar. Each of them counts as 2 of the 4 finishes a team may count towards their points total, but they're also worth 200 points each. Win one of those and two one day events and you beat EMS to win the Series.

WEDALI and Alpine Shop are neck and neck with 182 and 180 points respectively. That's after two one day races each. Both of these teams are likely to show up at Series events later in the season and both are likely to remain in contention for the top 10 if not the top 5.

Eastern Mountain Sports pulls ahead at Checkpoint Zero Adventure Race

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:31:04 PDT

Shrugging off temperatures that frequently dipped below freezing, blustery snow showers, driving rain, creek crossings so numerous they kept racers wet from start to finish, lake water temperatures around 35 degrees, and winds gusting to 40 mph, the veteran racers of Eastern Mountain Sports (Jennifer Shultis, Chad Denning, and David Lamb) out-paced the competition across the nearly 100-mile course and won the 2nd annual Checkpoint Zero Adventure Race presented by Inov-8 this past weekend in Hiawassee, GA in 25 hours and 48 minutes.

"That course was an ass-kicker even without the weather," commented Jennifer Shultis. "We knew this was gonna be a tough course with a very competitive field. We underestimated the reality of the situation on both counts and simply didn't count on the weather playing as big a factor as it did. We're still in shock that we were the only team to finish the entire course officially. This ranks among our most proud accomplishments. We can't wait for next year."

With the win, EMS made up for finishing just behind Enduraventure/Outspokin' Bikes last year and builds on their recent 2nd place finish at the Swamp Stomp last month to take the points lead in the Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series, also presented by Inov-8. The team will receive a check for $1500, 100 Series points, and their choice of sunglasses from Numa Sport Optics, Inov-8 packs, or Inov-8 shoes.

EMS wasn't the only team to complete the entire course. One other team had the moxy to go the distance in a spectacular show of willpower and determination. ATAC/Active Cycles not only completed the full course in 29 hours and 32 minutes, just 28 minutes shy of the official cutoff at 3pm, but they did it knowing they would not be ranked officially. They lost their passport just beyond CP13, the first checkpoint on the final trekking leg to the Finish.

Eddie Cremonese, Jennifer Moos, and Scott Pleban of ATAC/Active Cycles showed true grit and demonstrated exactly what this sport is all about. They conquered their emotions, ignored their misery, and kept racing despite the knowledge that they were out of the competitive rankings. Their performance at this race should serve as an inspiration to racers everywhere. It's easy to quit when you're tired or cold or lost or suffer a mechanical breakdown or when you know you can't win even if you make it to the Finish first. It takes a rare individual to ignore all of that and press on. Hats off to the racers of ATAC/Active Cycles. You are adventure racing. For their effort, despite being unranked due to the lost passport, Checkpoint Zero, LLC has awarded the team two complimentary entries to future Checkpoint Zero events. "These are exactly the kind of racers I want at my events," commented Paul "Yak" Angell, President of Checkpoint Zero, LLC. "Next time your team is about to quit a race, think about ATAC/Active Cycles, man up, and get a move on. There's no crying in adventure racing."

Of the 74 teams that set out on canoes from the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds on Saturday morning, only 47 teams made it to the Finish. Of those, 45 teams were forced to skip several checkpoints and in some cases entire sections of the course in the face of nature's fury, just to stay in contention for an official ranking. For many that meant a reprieve from a treacherous paddle on Lake Burton on Saturday afternoon amidst gusting winds and lashing white caps. 32 teams did set out on the water to fetch CPs 5 and 6. One of them dodged a bullet when their canoe capsized and sent the already frozen racers into the bone chilling water.

After a strong gust of wind flipped their canoe, team Bear North/Black Sheep Cycles (Tracey Lewis, Bill Jordan, and Corbitt Simmons) found themselves floating near shore but unable to swim through the chop and driving wind to safety. As is always the case when adventure racers see their colleagues in trouble, a team paddling behind Bear North quickly put aside any concern for the race and diverted their canoe to lend assistance.

Team Primal Instinct (James Carr, Brian Bills, and Bill Erwin) towed the hypothermic racers of Bear North to the dock of a lake house adjacent to their capsized canoe. Fortune smiled at that point when the residents of the lake house enthusiastically put aside their weekend holiday to provide a warm refuge, dry clothes, and food. By this point, Bear North had already called 911 concerned that Tracey was dangerously cold. Ultimately all racers recovered quickly with no lasting impact, though all agree it was a close call. In light of this near tragedy the paddling section on Lake Burton was closed immediately and all racers were routed to the second bike leg.

The race continued uneventfully through the night. By this time the weather had abated though temperatures continued to hover below freezing. Most teams opted to skip the unmanned CPs and 3 of the manned CPs on the final trek to ensure they reached the Finish at River Bend Campground by the cutoff of 3pm. In a twist of irony, the sun rose Sunday morning behind clear skies and the mercury soared into the 50s. Throughout the day, teams arrived on foot and the campground was filled with harrowing tales too numerous to count. Despite the harsh conditions and grueling course, virtually all teams reported a great experience and were already alluding to racing again in 2009.

Black Dome/Sports Factory and WEDALI (We Eat Dust And Love It) rounded out the top 3 in the Coed Elite division. They'll receive $1000 and $500 respectively, along with gear from Inov-8 and Numa Sport Optics and hydration tables from nuun.

Shuffling the linup

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:18:28 PDT

The North Georgia Adventure Race, the AXS Durango 24 and the Mighty MO Expedition have each been canceled for various reasons.

We're adding the Mountain Adventure Race, an as yet unannounced Nor Cal event and are talking with another promoter about a 3rd event.

A Wife's Perspective: Stepping in to Make a Difference

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:43:20 PDT

This year, Henry and I decided to do more than simply support the team and volunteer at checkpoints while Paul is having fun in the woods. Henry, 7, wanted to have something of his own to do, something worthwhile, something to help people. So with a little research and a little direction from Jessica Koelsch of WeCeFAR, we found the Nike Reuse a Shoe Program. Nike accepts old athletic shoes at any of their retail stores. The shoes are sorted and recycled and used for playground, and court surfaces. Not only are the shoes being put to good use, but they are not filling up a landfill.

This has worked out well for us. When Paul signs up to do a race, we contact the RD and ask permission to collect shoes at registration and then simply find a Nike store near the race course to drop off the shoes. So far we have collected 35 pair at Swamp Stomp and 43 pair at CPO race. We will be in Blue Ridge this weekend. So look for Henry's homemade Nike ReUse a Shoe sign and bring us your old, tired worn out shoes.

-Lisa Cox

The Gnarliest Race in the State of Colorado!

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:46:59 PDT

Team Salomon/Crested Butte is just getting over the 11th addition of the Elk Mountain Grand Traverse. Read all about it in the Denver Post! See the link below.

So how did the team do? Jari and her partner, Olympian Nordic skier Rebecca Dussault...1st! Wick & Sully 3rd and Jon & his partner Brian Smith 4th in one of the tightest finishes ever for the top four teams, all separated by under 4 1/2 minutes.

Taking the top spot in the men's division was adventure racing legend Mike Kloser and his partner Jay Henry.

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_8763623

Race Report on the Men's Race

http://www.teamcrestedbutte.com/page.cfm?pageid=1414

March Madness

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:37:41 PDT

The conditions were harsh with temperatures in the teens at race start. They made there way into the mid twenties by afternoon, but the wind was brutal and kept the wind chill temperatures near or below zero all day. There were some periods of heavy snowfall as well, although no real accumulation amounted. There was, however, plenty of snow on the ground in the woods to keep racers from moving swiftly. With these challenging conditions, the second annual sold-out Infiterra Sports March Madness Spring Adventure Race was back and it was truly Madness!

Over 100 teams toed the line at 10:00am for the race start. At the word “Go” teams scattered off in nearly every direction, some on foot and some on bike and some even headed off straight across frozen Heron Lake. The 2008 March Madness was set up as one big bike/trek orienteering rogaine minus the varied point values of controls. There were very few limitations put on the teams as there were no mandatory biking legs and no specified order to obtain the control points. Just 34 CPs scattered throughout Holly Recreation Area for teams to obtain and six hours to do so. It was not even mandated that teams use their bikes for any portion of the course.

Strategy was crucial in this set up. Part of the race included five miles of single track. The single track was covered in snow, but it was pretty solid and packed down. There was also several miles of dirt road biking, but that was also not straight forward as much of it was snow covered and very icy. Four of the 34 CPs were designated as manned points that could be used as bike drop points for teams to use and head off on foot. Many of the points were located near lakes so crossing the ice also played in. There was also a zip line in the middle of the course that would allow teams to traverse a narrow channel on Wildwood Lake.

The route choices were nearly infinite. It would be safe to say that almost every team in the race had a unique plan of attack. To top it all off, the lead teams never really knew where they stood as they progressed on the course because there was no specified order and their nearest competitor likely chose an entirely different route.

The teams battled it out throughout the day though, fighting through the blustery conditions, deep snow, icy roads and trails and numerous route choices. Team Animals lead the charge into the finish sweeping the course with all 34 points at 3:08pm for the win both overall and in the 2 Male Division. They had elected to do the entire course on foot. Team Hafke Legal Services JV came across the line just one minute behind at 3:09pm to grab 2nd place both overall and 2 Male. Team Hafke Legal Services (the varsity) came in just another couple minutes back at 3:12pm for 3rd overall and 1st in the 2 Coed Division. Soloist Bill Scanlan was the only other racer/team to obtain all 34 control points. Bill took the solo title and landed 4th overall with his 3:39pm finish. Teams Chrysler 1 and 2 each managed 32 CPs as they pushed the stopwatch to finish with just 4 minutes left at 3:56pm. The Chrysler teams took 5th and 6th overall as they tied for 3rd in the 2 Male Division. Solo Steve Kaczor (2nd Solo Male) and Team Over the Bars (2nd Coed) tied for 7th and 8th overall at 3:49pm with 31 control points. Hart/Marmot (3rd Solo Male) snatched 9th overall with 30 CPs at 3:37pm. Team Over the Hill and Down the Ale rounded out the top ten overall with 30 CPs at 3:45pm. The Smartblast.org Team CC took the 2 Female Division win (16th overall) with 28 CPs at 3:48pm, followed by Janes (26 CPs, 3:50pm, 22nd overall) and Dirty Girls (16 CPs, 3:13pm, 74th overall). Sundevil (23 CPs, 3:36pm, 35th overall) lead the Solo Females followed by Dexter Bike & Sport (19 CPs, 3:54pm, 61st overall) and Deuel (18 CPs, 3:29pm, 64th overall).

Congratulations to all the teams that came out to test their skills in the rough conditions of the Infiterra Sports 2008 March Madness. The course was definitely tough and pushed the most experienced racers to their limits as the overall win nearly came down to a photo finish. Everyone that pushed through the course should feel very good about themselves, especially since there were no DNFs!

We want to thank our great group of hardcore volunteers! They braved the cold conditions the entire day, many of them helping to man the ropes section with no shelter throughout the day, starting well before the actual start of the race. Our races could not be successful without such a dedicated crew!

Also, a big thanks goes out to Holly Recreation Area. They welcomed us in with open arms and made certain we had everything needed for a successful event. We will undoubtedly be back to this location again someday.

As always thanks to our sponsors: We had on-site support from REI who was out in the cold meeting racers, handing out swag and even helping secure our tent in the windy conditions. We also saw fantastic support from Salomon North America, who is again a huge sponsor of adventure racing in Michigan. Hammer Nutrition, Seal Skinz, Suunto, Zanfel and Superfeet all have long been big supporters and key to our success.

The March Madness kicks off another fine season of adventure racing in Michigan. We look forward to the great adventures that are lining up around the state in 2008. We hope to see you out there at the next race!

Race Staff
Infiterra Sports, LLC

Getting dirty at Blankets Creek

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:36:57 PDT

Most of the time, when an adventure racer talks about a "sprint" event, they think about 4-6 hour long races that make up the bread and butter of many racers schedule. Doing something as short as 1.5-2 hours, well, that's just a warm up, right?

This past Saturday I got a chance to do the inaugural Blankets Creek Dirty Duathlon which was held to raise money for the trail system at Blankets Creek. It consisted of a 5 mile run followed by a 12 mile bike ride, which makes it the kind of event that takes you to your anaerobic threshold, and you keep it there as long as you can while trying to puke your guts out or cramp up. I managed not to puke my guts up, but I didn't avoid the cramping. Thankfully, it was a short race and it was over in a flash and I didn't have to suffer for too long. When the dust settled, local racer James Wiant had destroyed the field and won by over 4 minutes.

The best part of the day however, was not finishing, it was the post race festivities. These included a clown bike race for a chance to win a real bike from one of the races main sponsors, Outspokin Bicycles. It was quite comical to watch grown men be beaten (by a wide margin I might add) by a child who's diminutive stature allowed expert speed and agility on the micro sized bike.

For all those that chose to stick around for the prize ceremony, I'm sure each was rewarded with something, as the event organizers were making reasons up to let people pick items out as they had to distribute the contents of two huge tables overflowing with donated items. This well organized and attended event showed just how much work race director Lisa Randall put into this event, and how much support local businesses give back to the community. Many thanks to all of them, as together we raised over $7500 for new trails this weekend!

Spring Break Oh Eight

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:26:31 PDT

What better way to celebrate the arrival of Spring and the end of the longest, coldest, snowiest winter the northeast has seen for years than to hop on a plane with two of your girlfriends and head to Mexico for a week of sun, fun, and suffering. Hmmm... I'm starting to think we might have gotten part of this equation wrong. All the spring break brochures that I remember never showed the revelers

Don't Be Stupid!

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:12:52 PDT

"Don't be stupid!" It was 2 pm, a mere 7 hours into the CheckPointZero race 2008 and now those three little words were coming back to haunt me. The week leading up the race, the team emails back and forth were a flurry with conflicting details about what the coming weekend's weather would bring. While Joe, Dave, Chad, Jeff and Dawn debated the possibility of freezing temps and snow, I had my

Proof that some people have too much time on their hands...

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:31:58 PDT

...and that the world is better with geeks in it.

Josh Forest, an up and coming adventure racer and self-proclaimed geek out of Georgia...who proudly describes his team as the "technically advanced out there"..threw our gorgeous myTopo.com race map on an industrial scanner to create a digital copy.

It's a monster at 5MB and Josh asks that we please refrain from "hosing his connection" by hitting the page multiple times.

If you want a copy of the file for posterity please do the right-click/save-image thing and drop it on your desktop.

Thanks Josh. Next time I expect to have Predator drone footage of the lead time crossing the Finish line within 24 hours to go along with my race report :-)

DART-nuun 2008 Sponsors announced

Velokamikaze — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:27:00 PDT

After years of racing in some of the most difficult conditions on earth, we've come to appreciate a good piece of equipment when we find one. Our success depends on the gear we use and sometimes even our lives hang in the balance if a piece of equipment fails. So, when it comes to selecting gear, we better know what we're doing.

With that in mind, our 2008 sponsors have been carefully selected not because they give us free stuff, but rather because they make use faster and keep us safe.

If you haven't tried some of their products or services, give them a try. You won't be disappointed and you may just be that much faster! If you have any questions about any of our sponsors' product, drop us a line and we'll be happy to help.

Below is our list of 2008 sponsors. Many have been with us for years but some are new additions that address gaps we've had in previous years.

nuun - portable electrolyte replacement
Thule – equipment transportation solutions
Arc’Teryx - outdoor clothing
Vasque - shoes
Suunto – wristop computers, wireless performance devices, and compasses
Full Speed Ahead - bicycle components
Gregory Mountain Products - backpacks
Light & Motion - lighting systems
Rudy Projects - helmets and sunglasses
Hayes – disc brakes
Manitou – suspension forks
Michelin - tires
Teko - performance socks
Ergon – ergonomic mountain bike grips
Crank Brothers – pedals
Ibex - cycling apparel
Second Ascent - outdoor gear store
Epic - kayak paddles
Hydrapak – hydration reservoir systems
Turner Suspension Bicycles - mountain bikes
Blue Seventy - wetsuits
Face Level Industries – riverboards
Northwest Kayaks - kayaks
SOLE - custom heat-moldable foot beds
Headsweats – head gear
KINeSYS - performance sunscreen
Yankz - shoe lacing system
Kokatat – watersports wear
PROBAR – meal replacement energy bar
Sharkies – organic fruit chews
Gu – Energy Gels
Northwest Outdoor Center - kayak rentals, classes, and tours
Erik Moen – Orthopedic / Sports Physical Therapy and Sports Performance

DART-nuun kicks off the season with a win at Desert Rage Temecula

Velokamikaze — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:59:00 PDT

At the end of February, Sean Clancy - our latest addition to the DART-nuun squad - and Tessa Roorda - our Brazilian superstar visiting dignitary, tested their early season fitness by competing in the 8 hour Desert Rage Temecula race at Vail Lake. Their fitness looked just fine as they took the overall win while Cyril joined team Feed the Machine (another nuun sponsored team) and helped them navigate to a 1st place in the premier 4 person co-ed division, a mere minute behind Sean and Tessa.

The race was in a superb location with tons of single track and tricky navigation. It also had a unique format in that each section (mountain biking, trail running, and kayakying) had to be done within a specific time period. The challenge was to get as many checkpoints as possible in the alloted time. This made for a very fast race and all teams - regardless of skill level - finished within minutes of each other. The team quite enjoyed this new format for shorter races.

Next, the team is preparing to send 2 teams to the mighty Baja Travesia at the end of March!

Register for Mighty MO and get free stuff from Checkpoint Zero

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:36:18 PDT

The Mighty MO Expedition Race is set for May 15th in Potosi, MO...the same locale as the 2007 USARA Nationals.

As of right now there are 13 teams registered.

Jason needs 20 teams to get this race off the ground. If you're on the fence then get off it and pull the trigger. This race is a TREMENDOUS value at just $500 per racer for 80 hours of blissful pain and suffering.

That's only $6.25 an hour :-)

Checkpoint Zero, LLC will sponsor the next team to register with a case of nuun, Checkpoint Zero tech shirts and Inov-8 backpacks for each racer.

The Mighty MO Expedition Race (pics from 2006) is one of 3 multi-day races in the Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series presented by Inov-8. It's worth 200 points and if you're racing anywhere east of the Rockies then it's within driving distance. It's a great way to wrack up tons of Series points in one fell swoop.

The terrain is beautiful and Bonk Hard Racing puts on spectacular events.

We all want choices when we line up our racing schedules each year. The only way that will happen is if we all go out and race to support the promoters that are working their fingers to the bone to push the envelope and grow the sport.

It's time to vote with your wallet and support one of the most professionally run adventure racing businesses around. Get your team together, get signed up and tell your fellow racers to do the same.

Online registration by check or credit card is open through March 21st.

Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, 2nd Edition

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:48:35 PST

As announced at the prize giving at the Jahili Fort in Al Ain last December, Abu Dhabi, and in particular Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, are happy to welcome back adventure racers from all over the world for a 2nd edition of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge.

After considering different options, this autumn's AR agenda and a long holiday period beginning of December in Abu Dhabi, we are back again mid December. The race format and concept will in essence remain the same, we will be back shortly with more information on this year's race (itinerary, activities, etc)...meanwhile train hard & keep on eye on the web site!

photo by Dan Campbell

No Time for a Seasonal Depression, Let's Get This Party Started!

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:10:46 PST

For years now the ski areas in the northeast have been hurting. No significant snow has kept the airlines carrying skiers back and forth across the friendly skies to Colorado, but what a winter this has been! We have record snow all over the northeast and a friend just had to cancel his biathlon race because they had TOO MUCH snow. The skies just would not stop dumping the white stuff long

Top secret CP0 race preview ...

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 01:23:51 PST

The team was out on the course this weekend doing some final scouting. I snapped a few photos you can find here (but didn't want to give away too much). It's a beautiful and rugged race course. And, you'll be happy to know that we carried machetes and cleared away all the Rhododendron ;-)

For y'all coming from parts far away ... the southeastern chapter of the Rhododendron Society welcomes you. You may not want to join after this weekend.

Nice socks, Peter ...

- Paul

Competition heats up in the southeast

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:33:57 PST

Snickers Marathon edged Eastern Mountain Sports to take first place at Swamp Stomp in Sarasota, FL the weekend of February 16th. It was a nail biter of a finish that saw Snickers lurch forward to take the lead at the very end of the race.

Both teams are racing March 8th in Hiawassee, GA at the Checkpoint Zero Adventure Race.

Last year EMS narrowly missed a first place finish at the Checkpoint Zero race coming in just minutes behind local favorites Enduraventure/Outspokin' Bikes. There's no doubt they'd like to head off a streak of second place finishes and put this one in the bag. They're gonna be racing like they're on fire.

Right there we've got three teams that will no doubt be setting the pace at the front of the pack, but that's not the whole story.

There's a lot of talent coming to this race.

Any number of competitive teams like Black Dome, WEDALI, both ATAC teams and Indy Rootstock could run away with a top spot on the podium.

A lake swim in February???

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:57:32 PST

No, it was not a mandatory "special test" given by the Auburn Marines at the Amphibious Warrior Adventure Race last weekend. Instead, Ron Sanders, Rob Lord, and Jennifer Rinderle voluntarily swam the chilly waters to save a few miles of coasteering on foot. The last checkpoint was climbing up a tower that was in sight, so we took the plunge. Swimming sure gets you moving faster on foot once you get out of the water and it's a balmy 50 degrees outside! The swim paid off as we crossed the finish line 3rd overall and 1st in the coed division! (NOTE: Your doctor may advise against this behavior.)

Orcas Island 50km Ultra - DART-nuun athletes take 1st!

DARTvg — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:30:00 PST

Feb 17th was the annual Orcas Island 50km race on Orcas Island. DART-nuun athletes Jen Segger-Gigg and Matt Hart were on hand to run a scenic course in the heart of the San Juan Islands. After spending the night camping at the start line, the race got underway at 8:30am. The course was 2 laps of 25km. Lots of great Washington athletes were on hand. Good competition means good racing. Matt led for pretty much the entire race and it was no surprise to see him cross the finish line before anyone else! Jen also had a solid run and managed to take 1st for the women. Was it the nuun that made the difference for these athletes???

For more details on the race you can visit the Capitol Peaks website.