The PQSS kicks off the 2009 season with the March 1^st race in Miami, Florida.  The series will consist of fast, adrenaline-fueled races lasting 3-5 hours in length, with teams of two competing in the traditional adventure racing disciplines of running, mountain biking, and paddling, with a few surprises mixed in to keep racers on their toes.

Following the event in Miami, another race will take place every few weeks, starting in Richmond, Virginia (April 18), followed by Charlotte, North Carolina (May 16), Detroit, Michigan (June 13), Nashville, Tennessee (July 11) New York, New York (August 1^), Atlanta, Georgia (September 12), and finally Pittsburg, Pennsylvania (October 10).

For 2009, PQSS will be divided  into two regional series, a PQSS Northeast Series and PQSS Southeast Series. Each regional series will include four events where top teams earn points toward a PQSS Northeast and PQSS Southeast championship title. In addition, the top racer who compiles the most points between both series (all nine PQSS events in 2008/2009) will win a team entry into the 2010 Primal Quest Expedition Race!

For more information, or to register for one or more of the races, click here.

Photo by Will Ramos

The dates and locations for the 2009 Primal Quest Sprint Series have now been set, with races now scheduled to take place in the Northeast and Southeast portions of the country. The schedule looks like this:

Northeast PQSS Series:

Event #1 - Richmond, VA (April 18, 2009)
Event #2 - Detroit, Michigan (June 13, 2009)
Event #3 - New York/New Jersey (August 1, 2009)
Event #4 - Pittsburgh, PA (October 10, 2009)

Southeast PQSS Series:

Event #1 - Miami, Florida (March 1, 2009)
Event #2 - Charlotte, NC (May 16, 2009)
Event #3 - Nashville/Chattanooga, TN (July 11, 2009)
Event #4 - Atlanta, Georgia (September 12, 2009)

As you can see, there will be plenty of opportunities for teams to compete in these shorter, faster, Sprint Series races. In addition, points will be awarded to teams based on how they finish the race, and at the end of the season, an overall PQSS champion will be crowned. That team will win an automatic entry into the Primal Quest Expedition Race in 2010.

Stay tuned for more news and information about these great events!

Photo by Will Ramos

The Blackwater Escape and Evasion adventure race has been rescheduled, and will now take place April 25-26, 2009 in Moyock, North Carolina. Furthermore, the race has undergone a change in format, switching from a 24-hour race to a 12-hour event.

Blackwater Extreme Racing and Don Mann Productions are committed to bring a unique and exciting race to competitors. All of the traditional adventure racing disciplines will remain in the race. The change in date and format are designed to make the Blackwater E&E more accessible to a wider range of athletes.

Teams that have already registered will be offered a partial refund reflecting the change in the race to the shorter, faster format. For those teams that can�??t make the rescheduled date, a full refund will be issued.

This spring, expect a fast and furious experience like no other. The Blackwater Escape and Evasion adventure race will test competitors as they run, bike, and paddle their way across a challenging twelve hour course, highlighted by a few surprises that only Blackwater can provide. Look for more details and race updates by checking www.blackwateree.com.

 
Online Videos by Veoh.com

In recognition of all their hard work in Montana at the 2008 Primal Quest, the management and staff would like to extend an invitation to all the PQ volunteers to take part in two Primal Quest Sprint Series races free of charge.

The Primal Quest Sprint Series are shorter, faster races, lasting 4-6 hours, but still incorporating all the traditional adventure racing disciplines such as trail running, mountain biking, and paddling. But the PQSS also has it’s own unique events, such as cargo net climbs, rope bridges, optional orienteering, and the grueling SEAL “log PT”, brought to you courtesy of Don Mann.

The PQSS launched in May of this year with the inaugural race taking place at the Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, VA. 2009 will offer even more opportunities for racers to join the PQSS. The schedule for next year is still firming up, but tentative locations and dates look like this:

Miami - mid February

New Orleans - late March

Nashville - early May

Detroit - mid June

New York - late July

Pennsylvania - early September

Richmond - mid October

Atlanta - mid November

Top teams will earn points based on how they finish in the Sprint Series races, and at the end of the season, a 2009 champion will be crowned based on those points. The winner of the Primal Quest Sprint Series will earn themselves an automatic entry into the 2010 Primal Quest Expedition Race.

Prefer not to race but still want to play a role in the PQSS? Contact Dave Poleto at dave.poleto@primalquestsprintseries.com for more information on volunteering for any of the races and once again join a team dedicated to putting on the best adventure races possible, no matter what the length.

Photo by Wouter Kingma

From the article:

If you are a good navigator, you can write your own ticket in the sport of Adventure Racing. Your race calendar will be full before you know it, with invites from some pretty solid teams. But navigation is a mix of art and science that needs to be practiced continually, so your best bet is to hook up with a local orienteering team (most of the sport�??s best navigators have a competitive orienteering background) and see how good you can get! Plus, learning to navigate is just darn fun.

Here�??s the quick down low on what you need to know to get from point A to point B while navigating. Make sure you have all of your DATAH before leaving for that next checkpoint!

To read the article in it’s entirety click here.

Click here to listen to the interview in it’s entirety.

Photo by Will Ramos

Online Videos by Veoh.com

To order a DVD of Primal Quest Sprint Series Race 1, visit the Race Day Films Web site at www.racedayfilms.net.

A typical Don Mann production: PQSS #1 off with a Splash!

Saturday morning, driving south on I95 from Northern Virginia in a torrential downpour, Chris Rumohr (A-list Ambassador) and I were beginning to wonder what we would find at Pocahontas State Park, just south of Richmond VA. Weather reports were of 4�??+ of rain and it wasn�??t looking promising, but we had faith.

After doing OAR events for nearly 10 years I am nearly convinced Don Mann has an �??in�?? with the weather gods; torrential rains to �??prep�?? the course and the absolutely perfect weather to race in.

We arrived to a hive of activity and moved quickly through check in and gear check. The volunteers were cheery and helpful, even though many of them had been up till 3 Am the morning before ~ one would have never known it! I love AR volunteers!

With a new twist to any OAR event I have been to and more reminiscent to multi-sport events, we were given a map, with the numbered CP�??s and disciplines noted on them as well as given a bit of information about the course prior to the race brief…was I dreaming?! This was too good to be true!

After a quick race brief, where additional helpful tips were given about the race course: blue trail, yellow ribbons and my favorite of the day, the emergency cell number…cell phones weren�??t mandatory gear and what sane AR type is going to carry non-mandatory gear. I had visions of injured racers yellling out the emergency number while randomly blowing on the mandatory whistle waiting for help to arrive.

The TA set up was great. The course did figure 8�??s through the TA thorughout the day. The race started in a nice mud puddle (later to become the mud pit finish evolution) with the the trail run passing back through the TA transitioning from one set of trails to another. The course designers did an awesome job at maximizing the trails available with various terrains, streams, dams and some beautiful flowers out due to all the rain the day before. For once, the orienteering points didn�??t interfere with the forward momentum of the race, we picked up two of them and moved on.

The most adventurous part of the mountain bike course took place within the first 1/2 mile. The racers had been told there would be a stream crossing, and even that it could be deep. It was up to each racer to determine how to approach the stream crossing though. I decided to take the cautious approach and used my bike to see what was lurking along that muddy bank in the murky, muddy water. Violating everything my bike mechanic has ever told me, I lowered my bike in and down it went…lower and lower. Scientific investigation determined it was seat post deep. We then jumped on in and swam across. After the 10 mile trail run we agreed that the swim was �??quite refreshing�??. Continuing on winding trails that wrapped themselves up, down around and over a series of ridges along the lake we traveleld 8 miles or so out to the fire road and we shot back to the TA.

Most people do not like any paddling sections that are involved in adventure races, let alone flat water paddling sections in the infamous water craft called a �??ducky�??. For the first time all day, I was completely in my element - water involving boats! Not wading across over-flowing dams or swmming with my bike! Something that involved a paddle!

We shoved off and soon realized that the wind had picked up signficantly and the ducky wanted to pull to the right. After a few minutes of paddling, I realized that in my joy of being in a boat, we had shoved off stern first. Chris and I executed a mid-water seat swap, as well as 180 degree spin and took off once again. That solved a lot of the steering problems. I typically paddle canoes and kayaks that have very distinct pointy ends but I am not making excuses. Chris and i realized this is the 2nd time in our racing career we have launched our boats in a rush and been paddling �??backwards�??! Problem solved we focused and started hunting down the teams ahead of us, managing to pass 6 or 7 along the way. The best part of the paddle was that it was set up as an out and back course so you got to see and cheer on your fellow racers. This was one of the best set ups of this course ~ you saw your fellow competitors several times throughout the day and there was a real fan base at the TA who cheered everyone they saw.

Landing back at the TA the last series of tasks lay ahead of us. The log PT. After 4 sets of 4 count over-head presses Chris and I realized wearing our bike helmets was a smart idea. It doesn�??t hurt as much to bounce the log off your head. Bicep curls are for girls, no problems there. Down on our backs for the bench press…oh no…oops! There goes the log, onto my chest! ok, start again….1, 2, 3, ouch! Don and Chris Caul helpfully informed us of the time cut-off (they hadn�??t mentioned that in the morning but it worked as an inspiration) and finally, crunnches. Off to the ropes course. The rope stirrup crossing was a lot of fun once you got the swing of it (pardon the pun) and the cargo net went smoothly till my left thumb got stuck as I crossed over to come down the other side. With shouts of encouragement from onlookers, �??come on down�?? I turned and said, �??my thumb is stuck!�?? Thankfully we were wearing gloves so after jumping and moving around and trying to yank my thumb out from under the ropes I was standing on while simultaneoulsly not throwing myself off backwards, we made it down.

�??Get your packs on and get over here. You aren�??t done yet!�??

Helpfully directed by Chris Caul, we were led to the log lined mud pit at the other end of which stood Joe and Don, smiling gleefully and holding the finish line.

Whoo hoo! we shouted, �??Thelma and Louise live!�?? and we dove in and belly crawled our way to the other end and ran across the finish line, spitting out pieces of grass as we went.

The energy and synergy from the racers, the volunteers and the support crews was awesome! The many rather puzzled park visitors that day definitely had more entertainment then they probably bargained for and all the racers had big happy smiles all day.

I can�??t wait to try to the other races in the PQSS series!!!

Photos by Will Ramos

The first ever Primal Quest Sprint Series Race took place over the weekend at the Pocahontas State Park located near Richmond, Virginia. More than 20 teams lined up for this inaugural event, and a great time was had by racers and PQ staff alike.

Greg Yetter from SleepMonsters.com has written a great race report that can be found here. Alternatively, Chris Webster of The A-List has graciously submitted this wonderful race report below to give us all a sense of what Saturday was like.

Team A List — Chris Webster (The A List�?�) & Caroline Brosius (Super AR & world class paddler) –represented at the inaugural Primal Quest Sprint Series Adventure Race on May 10, 2008 at Pocahontas State Park, Richmond, Virginia. Short Story: The Richmond Virginia area venue is beautiful and the PQSS format is most excellent.

Details:

On hand for this race was the National PQSS Race Director, Joe Moerschbaecher, who just for fun flipped on The Rain/Wind switch the night before the race which dumped 4�??+ of rain on the course and even though the weather was picture perfect on race day the course was wet & wild (read: chest deep stream crossings). Don Mann, Director of Primal Quest and creator of the PQSS gave the race brief and was on board the entire race to �??encourage�?? all the racers. We had a blast running, biking, orienteering, and paddling on mostly all single track trails through the park. The SEAL Team training log pt drills, ropes cargo net and ropes bridge were everything race organizers said it would be �?? and more! The cargo net obstacle is not for the faint of heart but after racing for almost 6 hours, who would let that stand in the way of a race finish! Just gotta suck it up and get up (and over) the obstacle. And just when we thought we were completely done, the course designers had one more surprise for us, a low crawl through very muddy mud pit! We threw ourselves in with wreckless abandon �?? finishing in muddy AR style! What a great race!

This race format of a 6 hour adventure race with various disciplines of an adventure race will be used for all Primal Quest Sprint Series Adventure Races nationwide, and of course the stellar race production company of Don Mann & crew leaves no chance of anything but a first class race!

The Primal Quest Sprint Series is a righteous adventure race for everyone ! – Top level ARs can use PQSS races to test gear, team mates, and skills, all the while getting a good 4-6 hours or training in, intermediate ARs will get in some strong training in anticipation for a longer adventure race format, beginner ARs can use this race to finally see what the fuss is all about without committing to a longer race, and those who stick to only sprint ARs will completely dig the PQSS adventure races. The PQSS has trail running/trekking, rideable single track MTB, optional orienteering, paddling, and PT Log drills and a ropes course thrown in for grins and giggles! No navigation is required, but a little nav experience goes a long way in this race format.

I will definitely race as many of the PQSS adventure races as I can get to !

See you at the races!

Photo by Will Ramos