2007 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge
Sari and her NIKE teammates Mike Kloser, Micheal Tobin and Chris Forne are en route to the United Arab Emirates for the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge. Actually, since Abu Dhabi is 12 hours ahead of our time, they’re probably already there as I write this.
While Sari is gone, I’ve called in my own support crew (my Mom) to help me with Juniper for the next ten days. I’m going to blog as often as I can with race updates, when I can find them.blank
No official word yet whether they'll be a camel stage again this year.
Here are race basics:
- 6-day stage race starting on Friday, Dec 12
- 37 teams competing, representing 21 different countries
- $250K total prize purse, $40k for first place
The race breaks out in the following days:
- multi-sport prologue through the streets of Abu Dhabi city (run, mtn bike and kayak)
- 52km of mtn biking on Sir Bani Yas Island, the ‘Arabian Ark’
- 33km of sea kayaking ending in a desert island bivoac
- 82km of sea kayaking
- 107km of desert orienteering (with possible camel trekking)
- 12km of mtn biking, 19 km of ropes and mountaineering, 27km bike/run sprint to the finish line
Team NIKE will be up against the best teams in the world at this race including:
- Team Desert Islands – Sari’s former Kiwi teammate Richard Ussher and his wife Elina have teamed up with our friend and local pro mtn biker, Jay Henry and a renowned Kiwi paddler, Jarad Kohlar. Richard and Elina’s team won this race last year.
- Team SOLE – our good friends Paul Romero and Karen Lundgren from Big Bear, Calif (whose 12-yr old son Jordan has already climbed 5 of the 7 summits) along with our Gunnison buddy Eric ‘Sully’ Sullivan
- OrionHealth.com – just won the Adventure Racing World Championships in Brazil
- Wilsa Helly Hansen – placed third last year
I’ll start the race updates on Thursday – stay tuned and post a comment with any questions.
Cheers,
Ian
