Help Expedition Alaska Crowdfunding Efforts, Get Some Cool Gear

Last summer I was part of the team that put on the Expedition Alaska adventure race, during which we hosted some of the best AR teams in the world on a grueling 400+ mile (643 km) course through the Alaskan wilderness. It was an epic event, held in an epic location, that was both thrilling to watch unfold and rewarding to be a part of.

The race was filmed by a talented crew of faculty and students from the University of Cincinnati, which has a unique and innovative Production Master Class that is taught by CCM Professor Kevin Burke, DAAP Professor Yoshiko Burke and UC/CCM Alumnus and Emmy award-winning producer Brian J. Leitten. That group spent days in the field filming the race, capturing some amazing footage in the process. Now, they're looking to crowdfund a documentary, offering adventure racing fans a look at this amazing event. 

A few days ago, the team behind the documentary launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $25,000 that will allow them to finish the project and produce 4 half-hour long episodes that show the drama and challenge of Expedition Alaska. There are multiple levels of pledges to be had - starting as low as $5 – which deliver some great perks to those who contribute to the cause. Those perks include everything from copies of the finished product, digital downloads of a "making of" documentary, and even some excellent outdoor gear. 

In an effort to help out the cause, I am donating some gear to help raise funds. In fact, there is a special "The Adventure Blogger" perk for someone who is willing to donate $500 to the campaign. If you select this perk, I will send you a mystery gear package that will definitely exceed the amount that you are contributing. You'll also receive all of the other perks that fall below that funding level too. 

The video below is the trailer for Expedition Alaska, and gives you a good idea of what to expect from this project. If you'd like to learn more, check out the Indiegogo page here.  

EXPEDITION ALASKA TRAILER from Hyperion XIII Productions on Vimeo.

Adventure Racing World Championships Come to the U.S. for the First Time

The Adventure Racing World Series has announced the dates and location for the 2017 World Championships revealing that the event will be held in the U.S. for the very first time.

The Cameco Cowboy Tough Expedition Race will serve as the championship event, which will take place from August 13-20, 2017 in the wilds of Wyoming. As usual with this race it will pit coed teams of four against one another over a course that will be hundreds of miles in length that they'll cover on foot, mountain bike, and kayak. As always, navigation will play just as important of a role as speed and endurance.

This will be the earliest in the year that the AR World Championship will have taken place, with the best teams from across the globe descending on Wyoming to take part in the race. Expect dozens of teams from places like Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Canada, and of course the U.S. to be on hand to battle it out for the win.

For those of us who are fans of adventure racing here in the U.S. this is great news. Previous AR World Championships have been held in Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, and other great locations, but it will be good to have the race taking part stateside. I know that a lot of my AR friends will be looking forward to this as well.

Check out the announcement video below for an idea of what to expect from Cowboy Tough and start looking ahead to August of 2017 with the official race website.

New Zealand Team Claims Victory at GODZone Adventure Race

Last Friday one of the premiere adventure races in the world got underway in New Zealand. That's where the GODZone Adventure Race has been unfolding over the past few days covering more than 530 km (330 miles) through some of the remote and wild regions that make that country so famous. Coed teams of four have been battling it out on a course that includes trail running, mountain biking, and paddling that have tested competitors at every turn. 

While some of the coed teams of four remain out on the course, the podium has already been set. The winning team crossed the finish line in just 3 days, 12 hours, and 44 minutes with Team Yealands Family Wines claiming victory. They were followed by Team Swordfox claiming second place 4 hours back, and Team Torpedo finishing third more than 16 hours behind the winners. 

Most of the teams in the race are from New Zealand, which gave them a decidedly home-field advantage. But teams from the U.S., Australia, the U.K., Sweden, and Japan have all been competing, with the top foreign finisher being American team Adventure Medical Kits. 

GODZone is the second race in the 2016 Adventure Racing World Series. The next event is scheduled to take place in Chile in just a few weeks time, with five other races on the schedule for the rest of the season. The top teams will gather in Australia in November to crown an ARWS champion for the year. 

Congratulations to the winning team at GODZone for completing the course in such a quick time. That was an impressive performance to say the least.