With the start of the Iditarod today, we felt it a perfect time to post our story on Lance Mackey after his 3rd consecutive win last year (May 2009). AWM contributor, Amanda Jones interviewed Lance after his ‘three-peat’ performance in the more than 1100 mile race from Anchorage to Nome. Lance is just off of a second place finish at the Yukon Quest and could potentially set a record that will be hard to beat if he is successful with this year’s event. Good luck to all of the racers this year.

For more than 30 years, “13” has proved to be a rather lucky number for one Alaskan family. In 1978, Dick Mackey won the Iditarod on his 6th try wearing bib number 13. Then in 1983, son Rick takes the title back for the Mackey family on his 6th try wearing bib number 13. Flash forward 24 years, little brother Lance becomes the king of the Mackey family and the Iditarod, you guessed it on his 6th try wearing bib #13! That year, Lance won his first of three straight Iditarod titles. The road to the winner’s circle was not an easy one for Lance. Though it might sound like mushing is in his blood, he still overcame unbelievable odds to not only join the ranks of his father and brother, but to surpass them. The Iditarod has been called one of the ‘last great races on earth’. It is over 1150 miles of the most gorgeous and treacherous terrain one could imagine. It starts in Anchorage, AK and ends in Nome.

Native Alaskan, Lance Mackey, now calls Fairbanks, AK home. The 38-year-old father and athlete is now a fulltime musher and owns Comeback Kennels with his family.

His career in mushing got off to a slow start. In fact, he didn’t even realize mushing was a dream for him. “I grew up around dogs, but my dad always left me the bottom of the barrel racing dogs,” said Lance, “it was his way of teaching me and my brother Jason responsibility.”

As a teen, the highlight of Mackey’s racing career was a 4th place finish in the Jr. Iditarod. By the time he was 18, Mackey had gone from 140 dogs to none. He even became a commercial fisherman for a time. After marrying and becoming a father to his wife’s three small children, he ended up with 10 dogs before he knew it. Mackey just wasn’t sure the title of IDIT champ was in the cards for him. The 10 dogs he had accumulated were actually used to have fun with the kids. “The only racing they were doing was up and down our driveway,” said Mackey. Then the mushing bug bit again. “I think the fever had always been there. I was so proud of my dad and brother, they were legends, I was always bragging about them”

In 2001, he couldn’t resist the temptation of the ultimate race any longer. He ran the race with borrowed and “left over” dogs. “I just wanted a belt buckle for completing the race, only 600 people in the world have them,” he said. He finished 36 out of 58. But then, he realized if he had finished only 6 places higher, he would have also gotten a portion of the “race purse.” He also wanted to make his family proud.

Continue Reading

February was a busy month for the Adventure Racing World Series, so my posts previewing the full 2010 AR World Series circuit of races took a break.  Briefly, while we were away, three teams earned their tickets to the World Championships in Spain later this year:

• Team Ecuador Chevrolet won the race in Ecuador
• Craft Ukraine won the race in Poland
• The race in Argentina was won by Team Merida Laboratorios Abraham

The month of March will let us catch up and finish our look at all the races in the series.  We’ll also have more to share about these three winning teams later on this Spring.    This preview series started back in January in case you need to catch up or review; now my focus moves to Central America and the Costa Rican race in the World Series.

The Costa Rican Adventure Race is 4 days August 23rd – 27th.  This is the first year for this race, so I admit that I don’t have much background to go on in terms of “previewing” the event.  I know the organizers are working in concert with the Spanish organizers of Bimbache Extrem, the 2010 World Championships, to bring in some European teams and develop the race program to the fullest.  In fact, if you check out the photo galleries on the Costa Rican website you will see Anotinio de La Rosa — the guy behind this year’s World Championships in Spain — in nearly every photo.  In fact, the pics look like a travel journal from “Antonio goes to Costa Rica” or something!

All kidding aside, Costa Rica is known as a beautiful outdoor playground and by putting the race in late August the racers will escape the crowds of tourists who come during North America’s winter.  In truth, August is the heart of the Costa Rican rainy season but while conventional visitors might not like the sound of that, the jungles of Costa Rica typically just have light showers during the afternoons and it’s rarely a heavy rain.   This race does require a support crew, and the rainy season can make dirt roads tough to navigate — so get the extra insurance on the rental car if your team is making the trip!
Continue Reading

It would just be plain lazy to say that the Koven Plus jacket from Cloudveil has too many features to list, but it nearly does. Cloudveil is a Jackson Wyoming based company that has been producing “focused and performance-oriented” outdoor clothing for about 15 years. The Koven Plus is no exception to that mantra.

When I slid this Cloudveil jacket from the box I was stricken by the quality straight-away. The sewn seams were tight and the taped seams had no raised edges. The second thing I noticed was the number of pockets and zips in proportion to the total weight. The jacket retains a lightweight approach while providing 7 pockets (3 interior/4 exterior). Long pit zips allow for breezy breathability and are easily reachable. Bungy-style pulls adjust the hood from within or outside the jacket. There is also a rear pull to decrease or increase the size of the hood allowing for helmet-wearing activities. Wrist cuffs are cinched down with velcro straps and there is even a pocket on the left forearm perfectly sized for a small cell phone or bar-shaped snack.

Field Test: It broke my heart to do this but I actually pulled on some of the seams as hard as I possibly could. I tried to tear this jacket apart with my bare hands. Why? Because it looked indestructible. Is it? Yep, pretty much! Not one seam made a noise when I attempted to pull them apart. The Koven Plus is obviously made with high standards and will fare better than your body would if it tumbled down a rock face. In very windy conditions with temps around 40 degrees the jacket was enough to stave off the elements with only a short sleeve shirt on underneath.

Nitpick: If there is one thing that may hold some back from purchasing the Koven Plus, it would be the price. At 400 bucks it is much pricier than the entry level shell. Then again, it is not an entry-level shell at all, it is the cream of the crop. Based on our test this is a  shell for the long haul. The technology is advanced enough to keep it modern for a decade and the style is sensible enough to keep you in fashion just as long.

MSRP: $400 at Cloudveil.com
Continue Reading

The February numbers are available for the USARA National Rankings.

Presented By:

March 3, 2010

TEAM NAME/ POINTS
1. HoustonAdventureRacing.com/Hammer Nutrition 105.00
2. Trakkers 79.00
3. iM.O.A.T. 55.00
4. Team Kuat 44.00
5. Bikes Plus – Little Rock 41.00
6. HFAR Knights (of Ni) 41.00
7. TexasAdventureRacing.com II 35.00
8. Werewolves of Austin 29.00
9. DFW Hounds 29.00
10. TooCoolRacing.com 26.00

Okay…so I know that I am a little late in posting this since Outdoor Retailer was in late January. Upon returning from OR, I took a little holiday to south Florida for a mid-winter warm-up. Then upon my return, Pittsburgh received the most snow in a single month on record (thus preventing me from flying out to Ecuador to cover the Huairasinchi Adventure Race). And, since most of the gear spotlighted below won’t be available to the general public until at least spring…we are still very much ahead of the curve. And, can you ever get too much info about new gear for our wish lists?

The North Face Kishtwar Jacket
The North Face Kishtwar Jacket is a new softshell that features Polartec® Power Shield® Pro fabric which the manufacturer tells us will deliver the best combination of breathability and weather protection. I for one can’t wait for this jacket to show up on my front porch. Features: Alpine fit • Fully adjustable fixed hood • Two hand pockets • One chest pocket • Non-abrasive molded cuff tabs • Hideaway hem cinch cord
$279

Teva illum
The Teva illum is a redesign of my footwear of choice…the flip flop. What sets this ‘flop’ aside is that it contains a detachable LED Pedlamp for lighting up the area in front of your feet for those early morning scrambles down to the water’s edge. Other features: Spider365 rubber sole • LED light waterproof up to 3 feet
$60 (leather) and $50 (synthetic)

Primus EtaSolo Camp Stove
Single person cooking systems are note new to the market but I was intrigued with a few of the features that the EtaSolo will bring to the table. The EtaSolo will boil 0.5 liters of water in just over 2 minutes (and they claim that it will have lower fuel consumption) and will cost about $15 less than other models on the market.
$100

Brunton Flip n’ Drip
At over 40 years of age, I have never tasted coffee. Yet, I am drawn to this product nonetheless. The Flip n’ Drip is compatible with most camp stoves and brews up to 16-ounces of your favorite hot beverage. It contains a reusable mesh filter.
$60

The Origo Granite Peak Series is the crown jewel of the Origo watch brand. Ranging in price from $230 to $299 this series earns the price tag by being an all-in-one wrist top computer with functions like an altimeter, barometer, compass, run memory, and barometric trend graph.

The true appeal of the Granite Peak Field Sleek Bezel watch though is that the powerful engine is tucked away inside an attractive and somewhat “normal-sized” package. Often watches designed for adventurous pursuits end up the size of a saucer. And while many outdoor enthusiasts don’t mind standing out from the crowd with their giant watch, some like to blend in, especially at the office. The Field Sleek Bezel does this well with it’s army green plastic band and dark stainless steel face.

Field test: Instruments on the watch stayed true to standards. The temperature was very accurate when left off the wrist for more than 20 minutes. Buttons were intuitive and required a stiffer push to change the function. This is helpful when the watch gets bumped and doesn’t change functions on the user mistakenly.

Nitpick: This beautiful watch weighs in at 4.5 ounces when many athletic watches come in under 2 ounces. If you are one who frets over weight savings or don’t like a heavy watch try the Rendezvous Peak series which weighs less than half of this bigger more polished cousin.

MSRP – $230 at Origowatch.com
Continue Reading

The third event in 2010 of the AR World Series, Xtremo6000 just wrapped up and here is a selection of images from that event. Look forward to an event wrap-up in the next few days.

Enter online for your chance to win a trip for two this fall to mountain bike with 3-time reigning 24-hour solo mountain biking world champion, Rebecca Rusch. It is time to dial up the training in the basement until I can get out on the trails to prepare in the event that I win this great opportunity. Winners will be selected June 27, 2010.

Huairasinchi was the first event in 2010 for the AR World Series.  Below is a slideshow with select images from this year’s event.

Review by Susan Hollingsworth

Immersion Research’s Comp LX Dry Top leaves no room for excuses. Paddling is a year round sport and IR can prove it. Designed for the movement of a paddler, the dry top boasts ergonomic seaming throughout. Latex gaskets on both the neck and wrist combines with 4 layer waterproof and breathable Entrant® fabric to keep water out. An adjustable neoprene waistband prevents water from entering into the kayak through the skirt, maintaining a dry lower body as well.

Preserving a dry core translates to less insulation layers needed underneath the outer jacket. With less bulk around arms and core combined with taped seams and lightweight fabric, greater mobility is gained. A kayaker can maintain superior technique and efficiency with each stroke, even in the cold winter months. IR’s Dry Top and other cold-weather specific gear stretches the paddling season to a full twelve months. Train throughout the year and gain the edge over the competition.

Thinking back on this years Huairasinchi AR world series race I am reminded why I love the sport of adventure racing. The thought of athletes finding their way through unfamiliar terrain on human-powered means for days on end and the unpredictability of racing through remote wilderness are enough to get a heart pumping.

Those I followed, photographed, and interviewed over the course of the competition are easily some of the most well-rounded and focused athletes the world has to offer. In most sports there is but one discipline. Athletes train and hone their skills on this discipline day-in and day-out. With adventure racing however an athlete must master multiple sports and even be prepared to take a new one on from time to time. Endurance is certainly the stand-out quality for adventure racers, but versatility and adaptation are surely tied for second. I saw the results of the teams training as they would blast through checkpoints with 12, 24, and even 72 hours of racing behind them.

Team Ecuador Chevrolet was the winner of this year’s Huairasinchi, and deservedly so. They were fast, strong, and worked well as a unit. Once Buff Thermocool was taken out by a broken collarbone injury Ecuador Chevrolet sailed into an impressive lead. Buff Thermocool was the race favorite and were looking strong on day one. In fact, at the end of that first day they held a four hour lead over their competitors. Day two found teams rappelling from rickety bridges over whitewater and bombing down dusty single track. Most teams endured the frustrations of being lost on the course the second night but emerged the following day on track and focused on the finish. In the end teams paddled, biked, hiked, ran, and rappelled through some of the most jaw-dropping scenery on the planet.

Huairasinchi means “force of the wind” in Kichwa. Once you enter the high Andes you understand why this name has endured. Racers would round a bend in the trail and find themselves exposed to the powerful forces of the Andean winds. I nearly lost my hat several times while chasing teams through the river valleys and steep mountainsides of northern Ecuador. Wind wasn’t the only natural force working against the racers as they battled their way through the route. Temperatures could be quite chilly in the higher altitudes and downright scorching in the lowland valleys.

After spending a full week in Ecuador I began to feel as if the country was designed especially for adventure sports. Roughly the size of the US state of Colorado it hosts the Andes mountains. The Andes drain into powerful whitewater rivers and have eroded massive gorges through the land. Volcanoes pepper the landscape so that an adventurer always has a high peak for a backdrop. Those volcanoes also supply some of the best climbing in the world for those with a few days, an ice axe, and a pack.  A long coastline on the Pacific provides ample surfing and sailing opportunities and the Amazon rain forest awaits those who venture into the eastern half of the country.

With a landscape perfectly tuned for adventure sports Ecuador and Huairasinchi have secured their place on the adventure racing circuit for some time. Personally I can’t wait to get back for next year’s race to see how race directors will change the course and continue to utilize Ecuador’s mother load of adventure for their own racing playground.