On September 25-26, an inaugural paddle event will take place on the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri. 2DamDays Paddle Marathon will test the endurance of adventure paddlers as they traverse over 92 miles of what is essentially flat-water in a two day period. Total prize money will be $13,500.

The competitive race will be staged over two days with winners each day. In addition, there will be a single award of $1000 for the best over-all time from “Dam to Dam”. Prize money will be equally divided among five divisions which include Men Singles, Women Singles, Men Tandem, Women Tandem, and Mixed Tandem.

In addition, for those more casual paddlers there will be a much shorter “For Fun Only” event on the 25th. Finish point on that day for both events will be at Captain Ron’s at the 34 mile mark at which there will be food, entertainment and a “water fair”.

Visit www.2DamDays.org for all the details.

Woo hooo! Team Merrell/Akali’s Carter Johnson, David Kelly and I swept the men’s and women’s solo divisions and the team division in the Yukon River Quest this weekend. What a thrill to see all those orange jerseys at the top of the podium. Made my little heart sing.

The boys were well ahead of me (David was in a 6 man boat with some very cool Texans, with Carter drafting behind in his solo kayak like a madman for 43 hours!) by the time I neared Dawson City, but although I finished in the wee hours of the morning on July 3 (1:43 am to be exact), it was still light outside! That was the main reason I had chosen the Yukon River Quest (460 mile “Race to the Midnight Sun” from Whitehorse to Dawson) as my first major solo ultraendurance kayak race. Not a big fan of the dark. I hadn’t seen a soul in @20 hours when I arrived. Just me and the river. And I got caught in a CRAZY downpour in the final 12 hours, in which I couldn’t even see, with lightening everywhere, and the wind threatening to tip me over with every stroke. I didn’t know if it was scarier to stop and freeze or to keep going. So I kept going. Then I was rewarded about 30 min later with the most gorgeous double rainbow I have ever seen over my shoulder when I looked back at the black clouds to see if they were following. With one end of the rainbow in the river, and the other end in the mountains. Wow. I had to float backwards and stare at it for a minute. So remote and beautiful. Most of the time I felt like this tiny little orange dot in a huge prehistoric landscape. That sense that this river (@1/2 mi wide at this point) was here for millions of years and would be here for a million more when I’m gone. And then a bald eagle launched off the cliff and circled my boat, screeching a warning that I was too close to it’s nest (or that it wanted me to surrender my Cheetos. Not sure). That was the highlight reel. Continue Reading

A head to head encounter in The North Face Peak to Peak on Saturday (July 24) saw the defending open champion team Outside Sports (Queenstown), ousted by a dynamic young side fielded by Queenstown’s Fergburger, who crossed the finish line at Coronet Peak in a record time of just over two hours.

Race Director Geoff Hunt says it was one of the most exciting races the event has seen in its 17 years. “We had a real race on our hands from the outset and it was a tribute to both teams who exhibited fantastic skills in every section.”

The 44km multisport race attracted 90 teams and 69 individual athletes. It began with a 2km ski or snowboard on The Remarkables finishing at the access road, followed by a 17km mountain bike ride down the high altitude road to Lake Wakatipu. A 7km paddle to Queenstown Bay led to a 9km run from Queenstown via Arthurs Point to a changeover point near the foot of Coronet Peak, for the final 9km cycle ride to finish at the base building at the top of the ski area.

“In the run Fergburger’s Grant Guise took on the guru Adrian Bailey then the cycle up Coronet Peak was an incredible battle between Scott Lyttle and Scott Rainsford with Lyttle making the charge to cross the line in first place,” says Hunt.

Fergburger won in 2.02.51 and Outside Sports was forced to take second place in 2.04.19. Outside Sports team manager Jim Hawkridge praised the Fergburger team for its outstanding performance.

“It was great to have a race like that and we don’t mind losing to such a class team. They are all good athletes and the competition was fantastic.”
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The more gear that accumulates here, the more apparent it becomes how we need a good solution to deal with its organization. Having moved from the gulf coast where our house sat off the ground with a raised panel to allow for storage under the house, boat storage was never an issue. Fast forward to western PA, where almost every house has a basement and storage is a luxury…I needed a better alternative.

I found it!

The AquaSlings are the perfect solution to storing an array of gear from kayaks, canoes, paddle boards and more. The low profile design allows for a space saving solution to your gear storage dilemma. The reinforced nylon straps have a foam core that is designed to protect the finish of your equipment. The system mounts easily in minutes utilizing an alloy base plate and hook.

The system is fully adjustable, holds any craft up to 35″ (90 cm) wide with a maximum capacity of 130 lbs (60kg).

I am still trying to figure out how to get my car into my tiny garage, but I do have unobstructed access to my boats and boards. First things first!

MSRP: $59.95

On August 23rd, 21 international teams will be standing at the starting line at 7 A.M. ready to be a part of the first ever Costa Rica Adventure Race (ARCR 2010). Beginning in the Atlantic region, men and women in teams of 4, will race across more than 500 Km. of forest, beach, rivers, mountains and through rural communities, guided only by maps and a compass.

The best competitors will sacrifice many hours of sleep for 5 days, trying to beat the clock, on a non-stop journey toward the Pacific Coast. Several different stages will wave them through, including rafting, mountain biking, trekking, ropes, kayaking and canopy. The route, which remains a secret, promises a variety of scenery, vegetation and climate that goes from a tropical rain forest to the cloudy heights of the country. The winning team will earn the right to compete against 60 other teams in Spain in October, for the Adventure Race World Championship in Bimbache.

Costa Rica has been popular among people who wish to practice all types of adventure sports. In 2008, close to 70% of all visitors participated in at least one of these activities, according to the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT). With the interest of promoting the country and all its potential, Mr. Carlos Ricardo Benavides, the head of the Ministry of Tourism for Costa Rica, will be hosting the official press conference. This will be the first time that a general overview of the ARCR 2010 route will be presented to the public, on Thursday, August 17th, just a few days before the race.

More than just great scenery for a challenging race, Costa Rica has played its part before in Adventure Race history, like earning the “Spirit Award” at Borneo Eco-Challenge in Malasya. Other national teams have also participated in Fiji, Mexico, Ecuador, United States, Nicaragua, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Portugal. So the ARCR continues to play its role as the first of a series of 3 races to be held again in the following consecutive years. The goal is to host the 2013 Adventure Race World Championship in Costa Rica.

Via Press Release

Challenge Roth 2010
By Richard Ussher

It’s been a scorching summer in Europe this year and when we arrived in Roth it was a balmy 36 degrees at 7 in the evening.

My build up for the race this year had been a little different to last year when I’d had a great race but had felt a bit underdone. This year I’d put in a lot more hours and the results were indicating that I should be a good step up from last year. Not only the training data was suggesting this but also how I’d been feeling at a couple of races prior.

The lead up in Roth was pretty laid back although after last year’s results I was flying a little less under the radar, but only just with such a strong field assembled there.

Race day dawned a little cooler but luckily the rain had disappeared – well actually it hadn’t dawned when we got up but on the way to the course at some ungodly hour around 4:30am, and even seeing it dark at that time is a little strange after Finland.

The swim is always the most dreaded part of any race for me but I’d been working on some new things and swimming PB’s for all my longer sets in the lead up so was reasonably hopeful of a decent swim. I knew I’d have to swim better than last year to do the same times as the front wave of swimmers had been cut down to only the pro’s instead of the Sub 9 hour starters as well – the tri world is definitely against the bad swimmers amongst us!

At the gun it was all elbows and feet as I tried not to lose any teeth – I think I’ll have to do some more training with fists before I attempt another mass start swim but I got away OK only to be continually shuffled back in the pack. It is definitely a skill I haven’t mastered yet at keeping your place in the pack, let alone the swimming. Things were looking good after the first kilometre though as I was swimming comfortably in a pack in which I could see swimmers who were in our same group last year. Then 3 strokes later when I looked up a split had suddenly formed as the swimmers in front of me had dropped off the pace. I was swimming comfortably so decided to try and get across the gap and for the next period I chased with one other guy, just very gradually dropping time. It was however far more positive than usual when I go out the back as if I have completely stopped.
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Daryl Stisser started rock climbing in college and has climbed throughout the Unites States. But there was something about climbing in the Black Hills of South Dakota that kept drawing him back. He now owns Sylvan Rocks Climbing School and Guide Service in Custer, SD.

Watch the video to hear Daryl explain what it’s like climbing in the Hills and why he loves it.

When I received the box containing the LOWA Renegade GTX® Mid boots, it had been several years since I had worn hiking boots. I had changed gears and spent a lot more time on the bike and running the trails. I still had a few pair of my old boots but was keen to see what improvements had been made in the market.

I was amazed at what had changed in the last 8+ years. I took the boots out of the box and decided to give them an inaugural 10 mile hike (with a loaded pack) thinking that my feet would pay the price. The boots felt better than most of the boots that I had owned previously and had spent months (even years in some cases) breaking in.

I have since taken the boot on numerous hikes and training ventures and it has performed in every condition and terrain I have encountered. I even wore the boots while shoveling the more than 4-feet of snow that we received during the month of February in western Pennsylvania. My feet remained warm and dry throughout.

The renegade has been in the LOWA line for years but it got a complete makeover for 2010.

Here are some of the features of the boot:
• Midsole: PU Monowrap® Frame, a new, patented construction technique that reduces boot weight while retaining important lateral stability.
• Nubuk leather upper
• Seamless and waterproof GORE-TEX® lining
• Weight Per Pair ( Men’s 9): 2.40 lbs

MSRP: $200

Race Report—Ultimate XC
By Bob Miller

Day 1 – Kayak 62k (34k down-river, 28k lake)
Day 2 – Trail Run 56k
Day 3 – Mountain Bike 100k

Day 1

Pre-race was kinda exciting as people milled about scoping each-other’s boats trying to figure out who had the fastest vessel. With a rule of only allowing plastic kayaks due to rough/boney whitewater sections, boat selection could be somewhat strategic. By all accounts it appeared Steve Hay was sporting best-in-class with a Cobra Eliminator, however depending on whitewater conditions Benoit L’s Wavehopper also looked promising. Most everyone else was paddling some form of sea kayak, myself included with a Necky Eliza. I was thinking the shorter, yet somewhat sleek Eliza would offer a good blend of speed and maneuverability.

Off we go and within no time Steve H. is in the lead followed by a group of 4, or 5 others, I opted to hang back & cruise in the 2nd pack thinking I’d try and exert the same output for the entire 62k. We had a good group with Pete Dobos, Dave Hitchon, Nicolas Taillefer (RD of the Asics Xtrail events) and a dude named Richard from Montreal. We worked well rotating through the draft averaging ~9.5kph across the first lake, which I thought was respectable considering the boats we were paddling.

Into the river, Hitchon, Taillefer & myself pulled slightly ahead and were notified at Aid #1 we were 2-3 min. behind the lead pack. Soon we were on & through the first small rapid, then a small pull-over and another smallish more technical rapid, which one of the lead pack kayakers had dumped in. I think Tallifer & Hitchon also had an upset on this rapid, as I never saw Tallifer until the finish & it was a little while before Hitchon caught up again. I paddled behind 2 guys from the lead pack for a bit, but decided to stop & dump some water in hopes it would speed me up, no luck. I had a bit of a bonk between hours 2 & 3, but was saved by the 29k aid station and a PB&J sammy. There was a nice run of rapids for a few k after the aid station, which livened things up, but soon it was back to shallow, wide, sandy, strength-sapping river paddling. I owe Hitchon for setting me up with a map the night before the race. I’d expected we’d receive them at the briefing, but no dice. Maps weren’t really necessary, but it allowed me to follow along and at least know when the misery on the river would end. Continue Reading

By Robyn Benincasa

The main reason that so many adventure racers struggle with the paddling legs is that we just don’t have a ton of time to train effectively, given that we have to be proficient in up to 6 different sports at a time. When I decided to train for the Yukon River Quest this year (first of all, what was I thinking?), I knew there was no way I was going to get in enough face to face time with the ocean and my surfski to train for a 460 mile race, so I started doing the research about alternative training methods. I spoke to my friend who coaches the junior olympic canoe and kayak team in San Diego, and he suggested the KayakPro Speedstroke ERG. I bought one the next week. I just had to know if it really was possible to train for a 460 mile paddle while inside a fire station. Survey says? HECK YEAH.

The KayakPro feels exactly like paddling a kayak, without being wet, cold or peeing your pants (you guys pee in your boats, too, right? right??) The truth is that I only did 4-6 long training days in my surfski and/or in a double kayak leading up to the Yukon River Quest, but I spent hours and hours “paddling to Canada” inside my fire station in the afternoons and evenings. During the race I felt strong from start to finish, all 51 joyous hours. The Speedstroke is pretty much my favorite training toy ever. And well worth every penny to have pure paddling training time versus wasting hours loading boats, driving to the bay, being cold and wet, filling the car with wet gear, driving home, cleaning and unloading boats, rinsing gear…agh. Most importantly, just think how cool it will be to hang with the top paddlers in your next Adventure Race and not have to catch those guys on the bike and run!
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Earlier this week, we posted the summary of our recent trip to Puerto Rico to check out the new adventure park.  Here are a few more pics from that media trip.

By Susan Hollingsworth

Intensifying temperatures make water sports practically obligatory in the Columbia Gorge. For me, having the layers that allow me to transition from one paddle sport to the next mean more time on the water. Immersion Research base layers are my second skin all summer long.

The women’s Tankini made of thin skin poly/bamboo fabric wicks away moisture when I’m not fully submerged.

Hitting the stand-up paddle board in the infamously windy Columbia Gorge is no problem since the fabric is also wind and abrasion resistant with a UPF rating of 73.

When under my paddling jacket the top’s brushed inner shelf bra and elastic make me forget it is even on. The flat seams help with this by preventing any sort of annoying chaffing.

Lastly, the tank comes with a convenient pocket for any one of my music devices. I even throw my ID in there when I know I’m living on the edge in my Tankini.

For the lower half, IR’s Bootie Short takes the place of the wedgies and chafing a bathing suit give the active female. A gusseted crotch and a lightweight, poly/bamboo thin skin fabric provides comfort in all the important places.

Now go make the most of everyday and get wet!

About Susan:
Susan paddles with the some of the country’s most talented female whitewater kayakers, known as the Femme 45 girls. On some of the hardest runs in the Pacific Northwest, she puts female paddling gear to the test every day.

By Ty Stevens

Introducing Toro Verde Adventure Park & Eco Resort; the park, a 100 acre (projected to expand to 316 acres) jungle oasis located in the heart of Puerto Rico. In my opinion ‘the ultimate playground’ offering hours of mountain bike, rock climb, and zip line adventure with beautiful jungle landscapes as the backdrop.

For adrenaline junkies …there are over 20 canopy ziplines (with more to come) that range from 100 to 3000+ft in length, and up to 800 meters high. My personal fix was “The Beast” – touted the 2nd longest zipline in world with average break neck speeds of 50+mph. Imagine ripping through the sky in a prone “superman” style harness… for a moment – I really did “believe I could fly”. And below on the forest floor a network of world class mountain bike trail linking miles of varied jungle terrain.

The park is being developed in 3 phases.

With Phase 1 complete. What’s to come in Phase 2, I asked …”more fully sustainable, and primarily natural surface mountain bike trails” says 7 time world champion mountain biker, and trail designer Marla Streb – Streb Trail Productions. Marla has turned her passion for trail, mountain biking, and land preservation into a full time pursuit. Responsible for many sustainable development and education projects throughout many regions of Central America. Her philosophy as she says is “to use, not abuse” expressing “the importance of enjoying and interacting with these natural wonders without leaving behind our mark”. The idea behind this project she comments “is to work with world class athletes, to design world class trails. With a variety of options such that beginner to advanced riders, and hikers can enjoy the experience the same”.
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The BC Bike Race is a 7 day mountain bike stage race which takes you through some of the most technical singletrack on the British Columbia coast. This year the racers checked in on June 26 with a prologue day in North Vancouver which was a short course to allow them to get the bugs out of their bikes and give them a feel for what was in store for the days ahead. The next morning the racers boarded the ferry and travelled from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island to begin stage 1 with each stage of the race being held in a different community.

One of the changes the BC Bike Race made this year was the introduction the Challenge course which is described as the “lite” version of the Epic course at 30 km/day, which is approximately half the distance of the Epic. The riders still started and finished at the same place, did many of the same trails, and on two of the days the Epic and Challenge courses were the same. The Challenge course is what attracted unicyclist Kris Holm to the BC Bike Race while the Epic course attracted pro racers such as Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro), Geoff Kabush (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain), Kris Sneddon (Kona), Mical Dyck (Trek), and Melanie McQuaid (Specialized).

The route this year took the racers to the community of Powell River for the first time. The race was well received with many of the residents coming down to check out the action and cheer the racers on. That evening the racers were greeted by the Mayor of Powell River and received a blessing from the Chief of the Tla’Amin First Nation. It was definitely one of the most scenic stops with the base camp set up right beside the beach.

After 7 days of racing through an amazing network of singletrack trails, the BC Bike Race ended in Whistler with a final awards ceremony and dinner. To see more of the challenging terrain the riders faced over the 7 days, check out the  fantastic videos Dave Norona took of each stage, the photos by Dave Silver Photography and the Garmin stats from Mical Dyck of Team Trek Canada. Thanks for sharing them Mical!
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We have posted several videos in the past of Danny McAskill. This one is of him in Chamonix. We never tire of these great videos.

Saw this video posted over at The Adventure Life.

By Kraig Becker

Like most gear from Mountain Hardwear, the Phantom 0 Degree sleeping bag will immediately impress you with its quality and style. It is a lightweight, high quality offering that will keep you plenty warm in inclement weather withoutfilling your pack or weighing you down on the trail.

The Phantom clocks in at just 2 pounds, 10 ounces, making it one of the lightest 0º bags on the market. It uses tried and true 800-fill goose down as insulation on the inside and superlight Ripstop fabrics along the outside to keep the elements out. The interior of the bag is lined with nylon and is soft and comfortable whether you’re lounging on a bed or on the ground. This combination of fabrics and stuffing helps to keep the Phantom’s weight down, while remaining durable for extended use in remote, rugged, places.

The Phantom is a mummy style bag, which automatically makes it a bit of a love-hate affair for some people.Personally, I don’t’ mind the mummy cut at all, but I knowothers who find them impossible to sleep in. For cold environments I happen to believe it s the best option, but critics of the mummy bag complain about feeling claustrophobic when the hood is pulled up around their head. If you’re one of those people, you probably won’t enjoy the Phantom either, but for those who don’t mind the style, you’ll find a hood that is warm, comfortable and designed to allow you to breathe easily without getting cold. There is even a handy little pocket built into the hood’s draft collar, which is a perfect spot for an iPod or small light, keeping your gear in easy reach.

I put the Phantom through its paces recently while in the Himalaya, and found that it was warm and comfortable for long nights in the drafty Nepali teahouses. The rooms in those lodges are unheated and can get quite cold, especially at the higher altitude, but the Phantom kept me warm throughout my trek. Better yet, the bag is well designed to allow you to sleep without feeling like your movements are restricted or that your body is too confined. And at the end of the night, the Phantom rolled up easily and slipped inside its high quality stuff sack. When compressed down, the bag has a small footprint and doesn’t take up much space in your pack.
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The tips below are from Adventure World contributor and long distance hiker, Justin Lichter. We will also be posting sample packing lists from Justin for several regions.

The first day of spring has passed and Old Man Winter’s wrath is starting to give way to spring weather. It is a great time of year to start planning and looking into a long distance hike or expedition; or a shorter hike.

Here would be a few pointers that I would recommend.

1. Plan, Plan, Plan
You haven’t planned enough if you haven’t thought about a lot of things for your trip. The route is one thing and the most obvious. However you should also be looking into how frequent and reliable the water sources are, how often you might be able to get more food or purchase food at a store, the weather for the area during that time of year, and fine tuning your gear. No doubt you will have some nerves at the start of a trip, but if you plan well and are comfortable with your gear going into the trip then that should ease the nerves a little.

2. Train
As your trip begins top take shape you will ideally start to train for the experience beforehand. This will help make your trip as enjoyable as possible as well as getting you used to your equipment. This will help your feet get ready, and if need be callused, for you to break in your shoes and help your hips and shoulders get used to wearing a backpack. If you prepare beforehand then you’ll be ready to hit the trail when the time comes and the mileage that you planned for the trip won’t be daunting. The training will also help in your planning because it will let you know what distances and terrain are obtainable for the trip in the time that you have.
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Thanks to Spencer at Traffic Bikes for the heads up on this humorous Craigslist Ad. (FYI- the bike has already found somebody new)

Divorcing my almost NEW Giant XTC 2 – $750 (Cabbagetown)

Date: 2010-06-29, 11:07PM EDT

Reply to: sale-4dyu9-1818360923@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

Me – We need to talk

ME – I… I don’t think we should see each other anymore

XTC = What! Why?

ME – It’s not you, I swear.

XTC – I’m too big… that’s it isn’t it!

ME = no, not at all… Hell, I’m 6′. technically I’m too big for you.

XTC – Is it my shifters? You don’t like the Deore’s anymore…

ME – No! I’m telling you it’s me, you’re perfect. You ride better than any other bike
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