Abu Dhabi racers get more than just deserts
posted Friday, August 15, 2008 by Yak @ 9:55 PM -
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Squinting eyes scour a shimmering horizon, flayed by the blistering heat into undulating ribbons of immaterial distance. Parched lips part, revealing a tongue so dry that it rasps against the palate like some scaly toad that crept into your mouth.
Staggering forward you lurch and totter, thighs aching from hauling legs and sand in a suction-stumble "pas de deux". Sadly, unlike some movie heroes, you don't just walk out of the desert...but, with a little help from the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, you can race through it!
Last year's inaugural edition of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge boasted a truly international field of 26 co-ed teams from 15 different nations and an itinerary that included some of the Emirates' most stunning natural attractions. Its success was two fold. Not only did it offer a string of top AR athletes an opportunity to discover the unknown outdoors of Abu Dhabi but also essentially introduced the sport into a region where it was hitherto virtually unknown. This year, with a course that is guaranteed to surpass even last year's intelligent blend of endeavor and enjoyment, the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has come up with a novel means of promoting the sport by helping up and coming teams, with a proven track record in local races, to pursue their racing career internationally.
The project is called the ADTA awards and takes the form of partnerships with existing AR events whose organizers also share the vision of encouraging highly competitive, homegrown teams to seek success on the international racing circuit. 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. However, one team member is allowed to have obtained some previous experience in international racing, to inject at least a modicum of what is generally considered a "trump card" in this kind of event. The award includes the entry fee of 3,500 Euros, 4 return tickets to Abu Dhabi.
A number of AR "movers and shakers" from around the globe have already hurried to take up the offer, among them are both race organizations and respected AR Internet sites. On the race organization side we have Explore Sweden, a 3-4 day multi-sport event with mixed teams of 4 racing along the world heritage Northern coastline of Sweden, Slovenia Adventure 2008, a three-day, non-stop romp around Slovenia that usually takes place in June, and the Upstate Adventure Race, set for October 25th, 2008 near Cleveland, SC in America. In all three instances, the best placed team that has never raced outside its respective "region", whether it be Scandinavia (Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland) or in Slovenia or North America, will win the award.
On the Web front, SLEEPMONSTERS.CO.UK (GB) is inviting "mixed teams from the UK or Ireland comprised of racers who have not raced internationally (i.e. outside of the UK and Ireland)" to register on the SleepMonsters website, where prospective winners can list "racer profiles and add information about your racing, training and preparation over the next 3 months." At the end of September, a handpicked panel of judges will designate the lucky winners, after looking at the teams' "results, frequency of racing and training activity." Lisa Speville, an active AR athlete herself and based in South Africa has put the word out on her site where three extra team members will be selected to form a team with Lisa. Applications will be assessed by Lisa and her panel of experienced racers, who are well positioned to assist in selecting a complementary set of running mates.
In the words of Richard Ussher, captain of the first team to win the inaugural Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge in 2007: "Abu Dhabi is a beautiful country, full of contrasts. It was a wonderful experience..." An experience that the ADTA is determined to share with as many adventure racers as possible, even those who would never have dreamed.
Staggering forward you lurch and totter, thighs aching from hauling legs and sand in a suction-stumble "pas de deux". Sadly, unlike some movie heroes, you don't just walk out of the desert...but, with a little help from the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, you can race through it!
Last year's inaugural edition of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge boasted a truly international field of 26 co-ed teams from 15 different nations and an itinerary that included some of the Emirates' most stunning natural attractions. Its success was two fold. Not only did it offer a string of top AR athletes an opportunity to discover the unknown outdoors of Abu Dhabi but also essentially introduced the sport into a region where it was hitherto virtually unknown. This year, with a course that is guaranteed to surpass even last year's intelligent blend of endeavor and enjoyment, the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has come up with a novel means of promoting the sport by helping up and coming teams, with a proven track record in local races, to pursue their racing career internationally.
The project is called the ADTA awards and takes the form of partnerships with existing AR events whose organizers also share the vision of encouraging highly competitive, homegrown teams to seek success on the international racing circuit. 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. However, one team member is allowed to have obtained some previous experience in international racing, to inject at least a modicum of what is generally considered a "trump card" in this kind of event. The award includes the entry fee of 3,500 Euros, 4 return tickets to Abu Dhabi.
A number of AR "movers and shakers" from around the globe have already hurried to take up the offer, among them are both race organizations and respected AR Internet sites. On the race organization side we have Explore Sweden, a 3-4 day multi-sport event with mixed teams of 4 racing along the world heritage Northern coastline of Sweden, Slovenia Adventure 2008, a three-day, non-stop romp around Slovenia that usually takes place in June, and the Upstate Adventure Race, set for October 25th, 2008 near Cleveland, SC in America. In all three instances, the best placed team that has never raced outside its respective "region", whether it be Scandinavia (Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland) or in Slovenia or North America, will win the award.
On the Web front, SLEEPMONSTERS.CO.UK (GB) is inviting "mixed teams from the UK or Ireland comprised of racers who have not raced internationally (i.e. outside of the UK and Ireland)" to register on the SleepMonsters website, where prospective winners can list "racer profiles and add information about your racing, training and preparation over the next 3 months." At the end of September, a handpicked panel of judges will designate the lucky winners, after looking at the teams' "results, frequency of racing and training activity." Lisa Speville, an active AR athlete herself and based in South Africa has put the word out on her site where three extra team members will be selected to form a team with Lisa. Applications will be assessed by Lisa and her panel of experienced racers, who are well positioned to assist in selecting a complementary set of running mates.
In the words of Richard Ussher, captain of the first team to win the inaugural Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge in 2007: "Abu Dhabi is a beautiful country, full of contrasts. It was a wonderful experience..." An experience that the ADTA is determined to share with as many adventure racers as possible, even those who would never have dreamed.
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