Musing and Errata on the world of Adventure Racing from the Yak
presented by MPGear.com

The first edition of THE SAAB SALOMON MOUNTAIN-X RACE will take place in France from July 2 to 7, 2007 in Savoie-Mont Blanc. With the ambition to create a new and innovative international event capable of accommodating 50 international outdoor sports teams, Saga Events offers an event that will be convivial, modern and always demanding on the sporting level.

In short...5 days, 5 sports and 5 locations! A ranking by teams, and a prize giving each day at the bivouac. An individual trail run (5 to 25 km) will finish off each day, and the performances on these trail runs will count towards the overall team ranking.

This new concept, with a bivouac for all each evening, and a new departure each morning, offers the possibility for less experienced teams to race with the world's best.

For this inaugural occasion, Savoie-Mont Blanc will provide a majestic mountain backdrop, formidable, breathtaking slopes and awesome locations for 5 days of gripping challenges and competition!

For full information on the race, the itinerary, interactive map, the teams already registered, etc. log on to www.mountainxrace.com

We're looking for a few good newbs.

Checkpoint Zero, in partnership with GoLite, will be fielding three â??Checkpoint Challengeâ?? teams at the upcoming Siege at Fort Yargo sprint adventure race near Atlanta, GA on July 16th.

Each team will be captained by a member of team Checkpoint Zero/Golite, who will lead and share their wisdom during the race. This is a unique opportunity for aspiring racers to learn in a hands on way from seasoned veterans while actually racing.

If you're a relatively new or aspiring adventure racer and are interested in participating please send a short email explaining why you should be chosen to siege@trailblazerar.com. The deadline to apply is May 10th.

Each racer selected to participate in the Checkpoint Zero/GoLite Checkpoint Challenge will be equiped with a GoLite race shirt, Rush pack and visor to wear on the course and be given a dead sexy Checkpoint Zero t-shirt and hat to wear on the street...gotta wear the colors so folks know how you roll :-)

Where to begin? Let's have a little history.

Back in January I blogged about the seeming demise of AdventureRacingTV.com.

So long AdventureRacingTV.com, we barely knew you

Actually, we didn't know you at all...you never broadcast anything.

The site is off-line and it appears that it's not just a glitch with the web server. Email sent to "admin@adventureracingtv.com", which used to be a valid account, is being returned as "undeliverable"...which usually means the address no longer exists.

http://www.adventureracingtv.com

UPDATE: The site's back online and the owner, Corey Rosen, emailed to say that they're alive and well. I don't know if that means they'll ever broadcast anything or not.

As it turns out my speculation was premature and I was informed to that effect by Corey. In the interest of disclosure I should point that out that until recently Corey had been managing SleepMonsters.us, which is reportedly now being run by Paul and Karen Lundgren of Team SOLE. I emailed them on March 5th to confirm and they didn't reply.

I kinda figured that was that until this past weekend when I read the following interview posted on the abovementioned orange site:

orginaly posted at SleepMonsters.us

AdventureRacingTV.com on Track for 2007 and Beyond

Like the recent fiasco of Wikipedia announcing the death of Sinbad the comedian, news of the ARTV.com departure from the adventure racing community as reported by another website is erroneous. Corey Rosen, founder of AdventureRacingTV.com, took time out of his hectic schedule for a few words with SleepMonsters.us.

First of all, Wikipedia is an open source encyclopedia. They don't "announce" anything. Their users post all of their content.

Secondly, when a user posts something erroneous it's not a fiasco...it's expected. The whole point is that the community of users polices the content to correct erroneous postings. That, among other things, is what makes it a wiki. That's what makes it awesome. That and this.

Third, it's nice to see SleepMonsters mention Checkpoint Zero even if they only do so by saying "another website" with no link. This is a big step for them :-)

Fourthly, (is that a word?)...Forth of all...4th...Sinbad's DEAD? When did that happen? I digress...back to the interview:

SleepMonsters: Recently an adventure race website reported the death of ARTV.com, how do you respond?

They're talking about me again :-)

Corey Rosen: AdventureRacingTV.com is not dead. Far from it, we are still in the growth phase of our project and we're just waiting for the perfect opportunity.

SM: There are plenty of opportunities in the AR community. What is currently in the works for AdventureRacingTV.com in 2007? Better yet, what are you waiting for?

CR: We are looking for the right combination of race and broadcast conditions. Once funding is secured, which we hope will be during the 2007 AR season, we hope to be able to bring same day television and internet coverage of adventure racing to a national audience. With over a dozen races desiring coverage, a number of elite adventure athletes and the USARA in our corner, the sky's the limit.

I'm confused. The title of the interview says "AdventureRacingTV.com on Track for 2007 and Beyond", but in this answer Corey seems to contradict that very statement. I emailed him to get the low down and he confirmed that there is no funding in place, but that it could happen "next week, next month or next year".

SM: Your company has an advisory board. Who are they and what is their role?

CR: Ian Adamson, Mike Kloser, Travis Macy, Rebecca Rush and Danelle Ballengee are our athlete representatives. They are the some of the top athletes in adventure racing. They help spread the word of ARTV.com and inform the adventure race community about the present and future plans of ARTV.com. Steve Thomas of Remote Broadcast Inc. is a member of our Production Advisory Board. His experience with remote sports coverage and vast experience in the NBA, SuperBowl, and Red Bull events make him an indispensable member of our team.

SM: What do you hope for ARTV in one year?

CR: Broadcast on a national network. To be able to air a daily half hour show with live information on current events in adventure racing and up to date information on all on-going races nationwide.

SM: Sounds pretty simple. What about for five years?

I don't even know what to say in response to Greg's statement that a "daily half hour show with live information on current events in adventure racing and up to date information on all on-going races nationwide"..."sounds pretty simple".

CR: I'd like to see ARTV be its own 24 hour satellite or cable network providing daily coverage of adventure racing worldwide. Like the NFL or Golf Network format, show events of the past during the daytime hours and current races during prime time. We hope to help grow a collegiate adventure race league that would bring new blood to the sport. By creating a college presence we not only bring in new athletes to the sport, we also help the sport grow by bringing it to a new audience. ARTV would also like to be part of a push to promote the first olympic adventure race to start the 2112 Summer Olympic Games.

Let's just skip the "2112" typo with no comment and move on to the ludicrous notion that we will EVER see a "24 hour satellite or cable network providing daily coverage of adventure racing worldwide"...

Ok, nevermind...lets not talk about that either. I don't really have to say anything do I? Moving on...

If you would like to help AdventureRacingTV in the 2007 or 2008 AR season, or if you would just like more information please visit the AdventureRacingTV.com website and email Corey at coreyrosen@adventureracingtv.com , or call (303)250-6640.

Enough on that.

Those of you holding out for the Adventure Racing Channel to be added to your basic cable lineup, this year or in 2112, might want to consider the alternatives that are already available.

Sites like YouTube are actively disrupting the old school business model for TV...in the same way that other websites are disrupting the magazine business. Might be time for certain folks to think about a more practical approach like the one Gravity Play Sports is pursuing. Here's an example of what they are already doing today:

This year's race (24 Hours of Triathlon) will air on Jeep World of Adventure Sports, scheduled for October 27th at 3:30 - 4:30 pm ET on NBC Sports and October 26th on Universal HD. Check your local listings for dates and times. Sponsorship and television exposure opportunites are available, please contact ian@24hoursoftriathlon.com.

PS - Despite what it says on the site, Ian confirmed via email today that he IS in fact still and fully retired and that he's only racing in Sweden if the team gets desperate for a warm body at the last minute :-)

This all new expedition adventure race will take competitors nearly 300 miles through the remote wilderness of southwestern Montana near Yellowstone National Park. This untapped region is ideally suited to adventure racing thanks to the abundance of tall mountains, remote forests and miles of exposed ridgelines that will leave you breatheless. Racers will also find themselves paddling rivers first explored by Lewis and Clark.

More information is available at the official race site and registration is now open.

From the home office in McCormick, SC...the Top Ten reasons to Save the World:

1. You're already are in shape from trying to take off those extra pounds you gained over the winter.
2. To get an opportunity to talk to Bill about what it's like to ride to work from North Pole, AK in 40 below zero weather.
3. Get an opportunity to race in one of the original open format adventure races ever
   
4. The late fee for registration has been waived. The race remains a great value at $285 for a 20 hour race and $180 for a 4-8 hour race.
5. To get an opportunity to see the new maps printed by the iGage Professional Version 7 software.
6. To conquer the TOWER (in both the sport and elite races this year).
7. To test your navigation skills.
8. To help the local literacy association. McCormick County has the highest illiteracy rate in the state of SC. Race proceeds help this cause.
9. To help the local food bank. In the last two years, race participants have donated nearly 2000 cans of food to feed the hungry.
10. To help SAVE THE WORLD â?? all proceeds are used for humanitarian purposes.

Registration is now OPEN for the 2007 Mad Rush 12-hour adventure race scheduled for Saturday, May 12, 2007.

The River Rats MAD RUSH presented by Salomon/Moosejaw will be staged out of Grayling, Michigan with an all new course and an incredible paddle. Racers will be subjected to some of northern Michigan's most impressive terrain as they mountain bike, canoe, navigate, and trek across the 60 mile course.

For more details or to register visit http://www.riverratsar.com.

It's the final countdown to the start of the 2007 BEAST Race Series. The excitement is in the air as there are only a few days left before the BEAST Race #1 in Redmond.

The BEAST website has been updated with gear list, driving directions, distances and registration information. Sign up now to avoid the $5 late fee and to save more money, buy a 3 race or 4 race pass.

Not convinced your navigation skills will keep you from getting lost? Looking to meet new people? Sign up for the team Lotto choice and learn from some of the best in the Northwest. Lotto sign up is available on the registration form.

Still not sure about participating in the BEAST Race...hopefully great raffle prizes from Seattle Running Company, Performance Bike, Clif Bar, MPGear.com and nuun will help sway your thinking.