Salomon Adventure Challenge
Mansfield Outdoor Centre
January 21, 2006
RACE RESULTS: VIEW
RACE RESULTS SPREADSHEET
HERE
(xls)
RACE PHOTOS: Click here to
view race photos.
RACE REPORT: …and then there was SNOW!
During the last few days before the 2006 edition of the Winter Salomon Adventure
Challenge, Southern Ontario looked nothing like winter at all. Rain and
unseasonably warm weather melted away the snow and much of the icy base
underneath. In fact, upon arrival at the
Mansfield Outdoor Centre on
Friday, January 20th, competitors, volunteers, and organizers alike were set for
a trekking and mountain biking race only - no snowshoeing, tobogganing, or
cross-country skiing.
…and then there was SNOW!
Overnight, the racecourse turned into a winter wonderland with over 25 cm of
snowfall welcoming everyone on race day. It was a truly remarkable site to see
and the 45 teams (not to mention Frontier Adventure Racing staff!) were glad
that the snow gods had answered their prayers.
 Amidst
a continuing snow squall, the race began with a quick le mans start whereby
teams had to make their way overland, or by ski trail, to CP1 before making
their way back to the start line (outside of the Mansfield Outdoor Centre’s Main
Lodge) for the beginning of the cross-country skiing section. Kudos to the CP1
staff who quickly and efficiently punched teams’ passports and hurriedly
recorded times amongst a flurry of excited adventurers.
 Once
back at the start line, teams were free to decide the order in which they were
to hit the next four CPs while cross-country skiing the newly groomed Mansfield
ski trail network. The routes decided upon by the teams were as varied as the
terrain on which they were skiing. The Oak Ridges landscape provided for some
interesting challenge as it boasts an extremely steep pitch as well as a
collection of gullies to climb upwards within.
 This
was definitely the day for skate skiing as opposed to classic skiing. Skating
teams whizzed along the trails with ease while the classic skiers negotiated the
continual sticking of wet snow on the bottom of their “misery sticks” – an apt
name for the classic skis on this day to be sure!
Team LSN of Hamilton
cruised through the 10km~ ski in only 51 minutes and were off on the mountain
bikes 9 minutes before
Team Children’s Wish
Foundation of Sault Ste. Marie ended their skate ski. This was an
impressive time given the 45 team average of 2 hours within the cross-country
skiing section. Meanwhile, the rest of the field managed the sticky conditions
as best they could, with many teams opting to run as much as half their overall
skiing distance due to their waxless ski frustration. A definite highlight for
some teams was the hairy decent from atop the Ridge to the ‘Green’ trail, 50
metres below.
 Given
the continuing snowfall, the mountain biking route was now very white, with
surrounding flora glistening with newly fallen snow. As well, the ambient
temperature was relatively warm, making for a beautiful ride along the region’s
country roads. Regular Course teams had only 6.4 km to ride while Advanced
Course teams were treated to 16 km of continual climbing and descending.
Teamwork played a role here as many teammates who had put a great deal of effort
into the cross-country skiing were now in need of a tow or a push. After running
half of the skiing portion,
Team adidas Canada of
Bolton moved up from 10th to 5th by the mountain biking route’s end. As
well, Team Hans Brix
of Ottawa hammered well and completed the bike in only 53 minutes. But
it was still Team LSN
and Team Children’s
Wish Foundation gunning for the overall win, 18 minutes ahead of 3rd
place Team
HolisticClinic.ca of Ottawa.
 On
the Advanced Course, the 26 teams who decided to treat themselves to more racing
distance left their bikes for a trek amongst the deep Mulmur Hills snow. The
objective was to reach CP8B at the highest point in the area.
Teams Hunger of
Woodbridge and
Screaming Carrots of
Toronto moved well through this part of the trek and commented on the
luxury of having a few teams’ packed down trails before them to choose from.
 Descending
off the hill and just before joining back up with the remainder of the Regular
Course, Advanced Course teams had another 1.2 km of trekking through a large
field of Christmas-sized evergreen trees before a snowy decent to CP8C/CP9. More
than a few competitors found themselves trying unsuccessfully to catch up with
their quickly moving legs, landing headfirst in the deep snow as a result.
Luckily, Chris Owen Halper of
Odyssey Productions was there to capture the high-speed comical falls in
digital!
With only 4.5 km of trekking left in the race after CP8C/CP9,
Team LSN turned
up the heat on Team
Children’s Wish Foundation. The two teams continued moving east, back
toward the Mansfield Outdoor
Centre where the finish line awaited. Navigation was relatively straight
forward here but time could certainly be wasted by not choosing the most
efficient route along the Pine River and amongst the marsh-laden terrain further
east. Once back across Airport Rd., a quick negotiation of the ski trail network
led the teams to the finish line where
Team LSN
continued their 3-year streak of taking the overall gold – this time in only 3
hours and 35 minutes. Shortly thereafter,
Team Children’s Wish
Foundation came first in the COED category and
Team Dirty Girls of
Michigan/Ontario won the All-Women category later in the day.
By day’s end, 43 teams of the original 45 crossed the finish line with eager
anticipation for the Post-Race Party. With a Running Freaks concert, a Rock Star
competition, licensed premises, and a few sets of Raid the South underwear, the
resulting buffoonery was impending. Good times at
Mansfield!
For a comprehensive statistical summary of the race, including your teams’ CP
Rankings, CP to CP Rankings, Moving vs. TA Time, and Discipline Rankings,
CLICK HERE.
Don’t forget to use the tabs at the bottom of the page to get to the different
spreadsheets.
Stay tuned for the upcoming season schedule announcement of Spring, Summer, and
Fall dates of the 2006 Salomon Adventure Challenge Series racing season. If the
past few years are any indication, your team will want to sign up fast or risk
missing out!
See you at the start line.
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