2010 AR World Series Preview (part 5)
Our Adventure World tour of the AR World Series for this year has covered all the events set through May of 2010; I refer you to the first installment in the series if you want to catch up on the earlier four entries.
I’m due to move this preview series on to Scandinavia and the Explore Sweden race, set for July 11-17. Called “the Monster” by the race organization, Explore Sweden is a 6-7 day tour of northern Norway and Sweden — and one exciting dimension to this race is precisely how far north it is: there will be nearly constant daylight during the race, as this is the time of year for the Arctic “midnight sun.” The race directors, Mikael and Helena Lindnord, joked that they should eliminate a headlamp from the required gear list . . . but a glance at the mandatory gear list shows a headlamp is still required!
Rope Traverse at Explore Sweden 2009
The region is not only known for plenty of daylight hours, however, I’ve heard previous teams comment that Explore Sweden features the biggest marshes (and insects!) they’ve ever seen.
I shouldn’t focus on the negative; many Explore Sweden veterans hold the race up as a model for exciting trekking, biking, and paddling in adventure racing. Sweden is a paddle-crazy culture, and the race provided boats here are arguably the finest in the world: there is a section where teams will paddle true performance boats, surfskis, and another paddling section with a fast model canoe.
Explore Sweden is a race full of imagination, and the 2010 course that crosses from Norway to Sweden’s Baltic Sea shore is no exception. It’s a West-to-East traversal featuring wild tundra, glaciers, and forests. In a previous edition of Explore Sweden, teams were shuttled on chartered airplanes to hop from one part of the region to another . . . talk about a logistical circus and memorable experience! One racer at the “airplane edition” of Explore Sweden commented that there were “several” airplane hops, the flights served hot meals and beverages, and that getting on a flight packed with only adventure racers — muddy and tired from their exertions — and then literally racing off again once the plane landed, was an unforgettable highlight. Imagine missing a time cut-off at that race!
In a change of pace, the 2010 edition of this race will not have inline skating — which is another traditional hallmark of Nordic racing. I can hear the cheers from North American racers already . . .
Explore Sweden 2009 Action
The race has traditionally required a support crew, and new for this year is an option to pay an additional fee for organization-provided support at Explore Sweden. While this “unsupported” option might be attractive to your wallet, I’ve seen too many teams unravel when competing against fully supported competition that I wouldn’t suggest going that route. I’d prefer a race decide to fully require a support crew, or abandon the support crew requirement altogether. Explore Sweden is a long race, you can count on the fast European teams rolling up in RVs with mobile internet access and stocked for armageddon. Sweden has a strong adventure racing culture, with many excellent teams; there will be a significant advantage to “local” teams who can more easily bring a support crew along, so if you’re racing in Sweden in July, go “all-in” and secure a good support crew so you can race to the best of your abilities.
Lundhags Winning Explore Sweden 2009
Registration for this race has just recently opened, so there is no official list of participating teams available for the moment. It’s a safe bet that elite Northern European teams such as Lundhags (3rd place at the World Championships in 2009 and winners of Explore Sweden 2009), the “Flying Finns” of Multisport.fi, and FJS have the dates circled on their calendar.
This is the summer highlight for the Adventure Racing World Series in Europe; the winners at Explore Sweden 2010 will surely be considered amongst the favorites to reach the podium at the World Championships in Spain in the Fall.
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