Some of North America’s best adventure racers will take on the sandy wilds of Abu Dhabi next month, where they’ll compete in the second annual Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge.

As the details of this year’s exciting Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge resonate throughout adventure racing’s global community, a number of special schemes aimed at encouraging rookie teams inject youthful flair into an already outstanding international field.

Last year’s inaugural edition of The Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge boasted a field of 27 co-ed teams hailing from 15 different nations. This year the numbers are already up and the competition, to be held from the 12th to the 17th December, is promising a bigger and wider-ranging selection as teams from around the world flock to this enthralling season closer. The ranks of the returning teams who, having once experienced the thrill of racing across some of the Emirates’ most stunning natural attractions are determined to make this innovative event a perennial fixture, have been swollen by a host of newcomers, lured by the mysterious beauty of the country and the prospect of measuring themselves against the world’s best.

Of the already eleven teams totally new to this event no doubt a significant number will be racing in the hope of cashing in, literally, on one of the innovative motivational concepts implemented this year in an effort to promote the sport and encourage as many newcomers as possible to participate in this exciting season finale. The four top teams, one from each of the following four continental zones, Europe, North – South America, Asia – Oceania and The Middle East – Africa, racing for the first time in The Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, will each receive the sum of 2,500 USD on top of any other prize money they win. Belgians, Brazilians, Irish and Andorrans are just a few among the hopeful.

Along these intrepid first timers, and in a line-up that includes such world renowned inveterate victors like NIKE (USA), a close second in 2007, and third place WILSA SPORT-HELLY HANSEN from France, will be five rookie teams qualified through an award process devised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA). The awards are designed to promote the sport by helping teams with a proven track record in local races to pursue their racing career internationally. The basis on which the award is allocated is simple and the same for all events: – the award is given to the best ‘local’ (defined according to each event) team in the overall ranking that has never raced before outside the country or region. The award includes the entry fee of 3,500 Euros and 4 return tickets to Abu Dhabi. These measures will not only add excitement and intrigue to this year’s race but will also go some way to ensuring a prosperous and illustrious future for the sport.

I haven’t read it yet, but Fatal Tide, a new book by David Leach, looks to be to a must read for every adventure racer. It was singled out for a Special Jury Mention at the Banff Mountain Book Awards just last week.

Here’s a snippet from the book’s website:

On June 1, 2002, sixty-eight after-work athletes and other “weekend warriors” set off from Saint John, New Brunswick, for a sweaty day of competitive adventure: 15 kilometres of trail running, 40K of mountain biking, and 12 kilometres of sea kayaking on the legendary Bay of Fundy. However, as a storm swept across the final paddling section, what began as a fun introduction to the sport of adventure racing soon turned into a tragedy that would haunt many of the participants for years to come.

Fatal Tide: When the Race of a Lifetime Goes Wrong is a work of investigative journalism that dramatizes, in the storytelling style of such non-fiction bestsellers as Into the Wild and The Perfect Storm, precisely what happened at the controversial Fundy Multi-Sport Race. Fatal Tide also explores the psychology of risk taking in the outdoors, the contemporary culture of reality TV and extreme sports, the science and treatment of hypothermia, as well as the legal and emotional fallout from the first death of an adventure racer in North America.

The book is available in hardcover at Amazon.

By now, most hard-core adventure racing enthusiasts know the location of the next Primal Quest, “The World’s Most Challenging Human Endurance Competition.” The 600+ mile, ten day expedition length, multi-discipline race will be held August 15th – 24th, 2009 in the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. Don Mann Productions and the South Dakota Department of Tourism announced the dates and location of the 6th edition of this legendary adventure Friday, September 26th on location at Custer State Park.

After the extremely successful return of Primal Quest Montana in the Summer of 2008 the organization was focusing on taking the race to several international locations, but that was to change. “We have always enjoyed producing this event in the U.S.,” expressed Race Director Chris Caul. “We had a lot of racer feedback saying they wanted the race to stay domestic.”

Veteran adventure racer Robyn Benincasa, captain of Team Merrell/Zanfell, agrees that the Badlands venue is a positive decision. “I love racing in the United States…I’m so used to packing up everything for airline weight specs and paying way too much in excess baggage fees that driving to a race is a rare treat.”

Robyn, at the time of this interview, had just returned from the Furnace Creek 508 in Death Valley to her home in San Diego, California. She finished the non-stop bike race in 33 hours: 10 minutes. “This was actually my first bike race, believe it or not.” Robyn revealed, “Interestingly, all of the girls on the podium were in the 40-plus age group. Nice to be reminded that we ultra types are actually just hitting our stride in our early 40s! Definitely not a race for the youngsters.”

In the Summer of 2008 South Dakota representatives contacted Primal Quest and invited the organization to check out what the state had to offer. “After several follow-up conversations, a scouting trip was planned,” said Chris Caul. “From spending time on the ground, seeing the terrain, we knew we had our next race course!” Caul expounded, “We are excited about the vast and trailless areas South Dakota holds. I have never seen a location that has such variable terrain. The different landscapes of the area will be an unbelievable experience for the racers.”

“Most people have never experienced the beauty of South Dakota. The scenery of the Badlands is like another planet,” Don Mann, Primal Quest Producer, enthusiastically conveyed.

As the most prolific adventure sport event producer in the world, Don Mann has been instrumental in reviving the Primal Quest brand. He is moving it forward, with a fraction of the initial budget, regaining the image it once had when backed by seriously large capital. Mann is very optimistic about the success of Primal Quest Badlands – presented by SPOT. “We expect even more media coverage and exposure than we had in Montana. With more than nine months before race day we already have the entire course planned and expect to have nearly 90% of this layout unchanged by the time permitting is finalized.”

Don and Chris have already been on most of the 603 mile tentative race course. In South Dakota, unlike other previous Primal Quest venues, bushwhacking is OK unless otherwise posted. “This means teams will be able to pick their own route between check points along the course.” Don Mann’s optimism is bolstered by the warm reception South Dakota has shown the Primal Quest organization. “We have around 75 local and state officials backing this event 100%. We should have less issues with permitting than any previous race,” Don proclaimed.

“We have a saying here in South Dakota, we roll out the red carpet, not the red tape,” stated South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds. “That doesn’t mean we’ll cut corners; what we will do, is give an up or down answer very quickly.” This approach to such a large expedition type event should help speed along the permitting process, at least at the state level. Governor Rounds continued, “In South Dakota, we don’t want people to just look at the natural beauty of our rugged terrain, wide open prairies and beautiful Black Hills, we want them to use the trails, streams and rivers. We just ask folks to leave these areas just as they found them.”

Commenting on the organization’s ecological standards the Governor said, “The Primal Quest team’s goal is to be environmentally friendly and we will hold them to it.” Primal Quest could mean millions of extra dollars in visitor spending from the exposure the race will bring the State. The Tourism Department is already a partner in bringing Primal Quest to South Dakota. “We have substantial time and money invested in it’s success. That commitment will continue until the last team finishes the race and beyond.” The Governor’s office feels strongly that South Dakotans will embrace this event and want to be involved with it.

The Primal Quest media team will showcase the wonders of South Dakota to the world through it’s television agreement with Rush HD and other standard definition networks. Print media magazines and newspapers will publish articles before during and after the race. The public will also follow the race online through the Primal Quest web site and the near real time tracking of each four person coed team through GPS devices, provided by presenting partner SPOT.

Unlike the 2008 Montana version of Primal Quest, the Badlands event will be an unsupported race. This means no plush RV’s and multi-person support crews to pamper the racers at each transition area. Race team’s will be responsible for carrying their own food and vital equipment during each leg of the course. “I’m a big fan of support crews, so that aspect about the 2009 edition is a bit of a bummer for me,” racer Robyn Benincasa replies. “I think support crews allow family and friends to be involved at a deeper level and to really be part of the team, not to mention the ever important emotional support they can offer.” Robyn Continues, “On the other hand, a non-supported race definitely levels the playing field a bit. For example, in the 2008 primal quest, the timing of the sections worked out perfectly for team Nike to run the race like a stage race and sleep comfortably in their motor home every night. That was a huge factor in their speed and ultimate success, since they had warm food and a bed every night versus a bag of cheetos and a pupply pile of teammates on the freezing ground like most other teams. Good for them for using their crew to their benefit and working hard to get back to them every night.”

There are other major differences the South Dakota environment will pose. 580 of the total 600 mile course will be comprised of off-road travel. Orienteering and route finding will be required during each leg of the race. According to producer Don Mann; one-third of the race duration will be spent on the water, one-third will be on mountain bikes, and one-third will be comprised of the trekking/climbing/spelunking. “The race through the South Dakota Badlands will have more single track mountain biking than any previous Primal Quest,” proclaimed Don. The planning team is excited about the number of terrain options course designer Rick Emerson has presented to them. “We have a very knowledgeable course designer who truly knows every inch of the course,” said race director Chris Caul. “He has found us more climb sites and caves than we can ever use. We are working closely with the local spelunking groups, as well as the land managers, to select our best options,” Chris continued. “The climb sites are truly unlimited, and much like Utah, endlessly beautiful,” Don Mann expressed. The entire Primal Quest production team believes that the South Dakota event will be, “The benchmark that all future Primal Quest races will be judged against!”

Team and Volunteer registration opens today, November 10th, at http://www.ecoprimalquest.com. Primal Quest Badlands 2009 will cost each team $11,500. The price is $1000 less than it was for the Montana 2008 race. This should help to encourage more teams to enter the event. While the cost has dropped, the prize purse has increased from $100,000 to $175,000 in cash and prizes for the top finishing teams. “Bring it on!” exclaims Robyn Benincasa. “That will probably draw at least a few more international teams to the party.” Robyn continued, “I’ve never raced for the money, so its not a factor for me. Just a nice bonus when it happens! If I were in AR for a living, I’d definitely be living on the streets of San Diego in a Geo Metro by now. Prize money is a nice-to-have, but with four people and so much gear and equipment, you can’t count on it! Just getting to the finish line of the Primal Quest and feeling like you had a great race is a victory for most teams. That’s worth far more than any prize money.”

Seriously, you can’t make this s#%& up…

As if the last Checkpoint Zero Adventure Race wasn’t cold enough (hint: it was)…it seems the elders that have been publishing the Almanac since 1792 see another dose of the chills coming our way.

Specifically, the Almanac portends “cold temperatures and normal to above normal precipitation, with more precipitation in the south” for NC, SC and GA.

Rest assured we learned something this past March and have been designing next year’s course such that support crews will be better situated to both withstand nasty weather and provide a higher level of support than was possible at Ice Station Zebra on the shores of Lake Burton during the 2008 CZAR.

Registration for the 2009 Checkpoint Zero Adventure Race is open and the first 10 teams to register and submit payment will get CP0 branded Headsweats.

New Zealand adventure racing team Orionhealth.com were crowned the Adventure Racing World Champions in Brazil yesterday.

After a race through the three states in the north east of Brazil Orionhealth finished 1hr 20 mins ahead of the second place and defending world championship team Nike (USA)

The race started on a remote sand covered peninsula that was accessible by boat only and the 60 teams in the ARWC 2008 begun the race of 450 kilometres with 15 kilometres of sand dune running.

This was followed by a all night 60km paddle to the town of Parnaiba before the race headed inland. A long 106km bike ride inland led to the first of the mountain trekking sections.

It was at this point that the USA team Nike, who had seemed to be in control of the race lost the lead. Team Captain Mike Kloser “We were well ahead on the first mountain trek,” he said, “then Chris Forne led us up a steep gully and we lost the trail. I’d say we lost about 2 and half hours there, so then we were chasing Orion for the later part of the race.”

Through the next stages of Mountain bike and trekking the two leading teams were chased hard by a closely following pack of teams. With not more than a hour separating the top five teams it was gong to come down to who had managed the sleep strategy best. (teams had the opportunity to collect a bonus checkpoint and take 4hrs off their mandatory sleep requirement)

Until the final point of mandatory sleep options it was only mathematical calculations that put one team actually ahead of the other. But at Vicosa de Ceara with the sleep options expired it was Orionhealth.com who ran into town in the lead. All the calculations had put them with about 1hr 30mins lead but the were in no mood to test that. They made one of the fastest transitions ever in adventure racing – changing from a 12hr trek stage to mountain biking in just 8 mins and were well done the road and out of sight before the second place Nike appeared.

At this point it was Orionhealth’s race to lose. Only three stages separated them from the coastal finish but this involved 68kms of mountain biking followed by 60kms of paddling down a virtually waterless river and 43 kms mtn bike to the coast. At this point the race was won – the practical finish, but still the teams had a sailing leg on traditional fishing boats and a trek along the sand dunes to the ‘marketing finish’ at the spectacular windsurfing town of Jericoacoara

When asked what the best thing about the race was …as they happily gave dozens of TV interviews the Team Captain Wayne Oxenham Oxenham summed it up “Winning” was his answer.
He added, “I think we ran an intelligent race and that was the difference. Others were going out too hard, but we took it a bit easier in the heat of the day and tried to move faster at night and it paid off.”

He added “The best thing, apart from winning, was the Brazilian people. On one stage we met a man and asked for water, so he rode off to his house on his bike to get us some! Things like that were happening all the time.”

Orionhealth.com have made it their mission over the last few years to win this World Championship and have steadily increased their experience and results. With a 8th in New Zealand, 5th in Sweden and 3rd at last years World Champs in Scotland.
Team members of Orionhealth.com are Wayne Oxenham captain)
Stuart Lynch, Brent Edwards and Anna Berthelsen

At the prize ceremony Captain Wayne Oxenham had the last word , “This was a race worthy of a World Championship. It tested all the disciplines, and our team work, strategy and survival. A great race!”

Next year the World Championship moves onto XPD Portugal.

This weekends USARA National Championship race was the official unveiling of the new and improved Checkpoint Zero / Inov-8 jersey. Sporting a new and improved look with more topo for your your viewing pleasure. The team is thrilled to be able to retire their old stinky threads in exchange for these masterpieces.

Every now and again on the race course you’re forced to gamble, sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. At the Upstate Adventure Race this past weekend, we didn’t. Congrats to DART-nuun on their victory, and our team mates Paul and Michele racing as Inov-8 for a well deserved second place. My apologies to Kenny Rogers.

On a cool fall evenin on a road bound for nowhere
We met up with some racers, we were all to jazzed to sleep.
So we took turns a starin at squigly lines thinking where to go
til nap time overtook us, and we began to sleep.

You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You always find your cps when youre out on the race course.
There’ll be time enough for guessin when the racin’s done.

After nearly 3 full days of racing, the Checkpoint Zero / Inov-8 adventure racing team of Jenn Rinderle, Hunter Orvis, Paul Cox, and Peter Jolles crossed the finish line in third place overall. This years edition of the race featured hiking and mountain biking on the Poison Spider mesa, paddling on the Colorado river, trekking in the Manti La Sal National Forest, and a lengthy section of the famous Kokopelli trail.

Having come off a somewhat disappointing finish last year, the team was fired up to make a good showing at this years Xstream Expedition. Armed with the experience from last years race, we were better prepared for what the course might throw at us, or at least that’s what we thought.
Very early in the race we started to encounter what would become our biggest enemy over the entire course, Tribulus terrestris, otherwise known as the goathead. The prickly little pods laid waste to our tires and supply of bicycle tubes. We ended up with so many flats, I don’t even know how many tubes we went through during the race, but suffice to say, it was the equivalent of several years worth in our usual south eastern terrain.
Aside from our troubles with natures perfect caltrops, the team held up well in the blistering sun, baking heat, lightning storms, and wind driven snow. Even with the variety of conditions thrown at us this year, it was the first time in the events history that the race had not been called off on account of weather.

Adventure racing is notoriously hard on equipment, and this race was no exception. Our equipment suffered some pretty obscene abuse, everything from filling our Inov-8 shoes with sand from dunes, to loading up our Race Pro packs with 2, even 3 bladders to try and keep ourselves hydrated during the 10-12 hour unsupported legs we had to complete. While I’m sure these weren’t the conditions the designers had in mind, everything worked fantastically and kept us moving the entire time. Not one team member suffered any blisters on their feet the entire time, which is quite a feat considering how many hours we were on them.

At the end, the team was very happy to cross the finish line after 70 hours of racing, of which, only 3.5 of those was sleep. With a week and a half of recovery under our belts, we’re already looking forward to our next event, the Upstate Adventure Race.

The sweepstakes — sponsored by Lazyman, a lifestyle apparel company, and REI Adventures — will award a randomly-drawn winner their choice from one of five professionally-guided winter adventure-travel trips in early 2009.

In addition to airfare and the all-expenses paid trip, the winner will be outfitted head-to-toe with all the essential gear from REI, including backpacks, apparel and hardgoods like snowshoes and ice axes (depending on the adventure).

The winner and a travel companion will pick between one of five REI Adventures trips, including:

• Mount Washington Winter Climb
• Sequoia Winter Mountaineering Clinic
• Yosemite Snowshoe Trip
• Ice Climbing Basics in New Hampshire
• White Mountains Hut-to-Hut Snowshoe

Attending the winter adventure with the winner and a guest will be The Gear Junkie, Stephen Regenold, a nationally-syndicated newspaper columnist and founder of GearJunkie.com.

After the adventure, a party sponsored by Lazyman will celebrate the weekend’s accomplishments with music, food and drinks – with participants having “earned their lazy.”

Finally, participants will receive additional gear for the chosen adventure from Adventure Medical Kits, Bear Naked Trail Mix and Wigwam, co-sponsors of the sweepstakes.

The sweepstakes will run from October 1 through December 17, 2008. The trip will be chronicled daily on a blog at GearJunkie.com and video and online slideshows will be produced.

For more information, visit http://www.thegearjunkie.com/sweeps