Race Reports

SUMMIT GEAR WHAM!JETS AND BIGFISH CONQUER GEOQUEST 2007

THIS IS THE TALE OF FOUR CRAZY GUYS WITH A DREAM , THAT DREAM WAS TO CONQUER THE 48HR GEOQUEST ADVENTURE RACE , THE PREMIER RACE IN AUSTRALIA .

ADVENTURE RACING FOR THOSE NOT IN THE KNOW IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING SPORTS AROUND . TEAMS OF 2,3,4 NAVAGATE THROUGH BUSH TO FIND CHECKPOINTS USING MOUNTAIN BIKES , KAYAKS AND ON FOOT. THE COMPETITION IS HOT AND THE GREATEST CHALLENGE IS USUALLY AGAINST YOURSELF AND YOUR WILL TO GO ON .

WE ARRIVED AT SAWTELL ( JUST SOUTH OF COFFS HARBOUR ) , READY AS WE COULD BE FOR THE BIG ADVENTURE AHEAD . WITH BULK AMOUNTS OF ENDURA ENERGY PRODUCT, CUSTOMIZED SUMMIT GEAR RACE PACKS AND LOOKING THE PART IN OUR SUMMIT GEAR SHIRTS WE WERE AS READY AS WE COULD BE . ALL THE TRAINING FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS CAME DOWN TO THIS WEEKEND .

AFTER ALL OUR MAP PREPARATION , GEAR SORTING , A GOOD FEED AND A SLEEP BEHIND US WE STOOD COLD AND SCARED LOOKING AT THE HUGE SURF WE WERE ABOUT TO START THE RACE INTO. OFF WE WENT FOR THE FIRST LEG , A OCEAN PADDLE , TREK AND BACK TO HQ . FEELING GOOD WE MOVED ON TO LEG 2 , A RIVER PADDLE , BIKE RIDE , THEN THE HIKE A BIKE FROM HELL , A LONG ( 10 HR ) ROGAIN AND TO HQ SOME 14HRS LATER .

TWO LEGS DOWN IT WAS TIME FOR A SLEEP , WELL MAYBE IT WAS MORE LIKE A POWER SNOOZE , WE HAD BEEN RACING AT THIS POINT FOR 25HR . AN HOUR LATER WE WERE OFF AGAIN FOR LEG 3 , FEELING AS FRESH AS WE COULD BE AFTER OUR POWER SNOOZE , WE TREKKED , MTB , DID A TEAM SPLIT ROGAIN IN RECORD TIME AND MTB BACK TO THE KAYAKS FOR THE 7KM PADDLE TO HQ.

WE HAD NOW BEEN GOING FOR 39HRS , SURPRISINGLY WE WERE STILL EXCITED AND PUMPED TO GET TO THE FINISH . LITTLE DID WE NO THAT THE WINNERS WERE ALREADY SHOWERING AND GOING TO BED AFTER FINISHING THE RACE .

WE HAD 11HRS TO RIDE ABOUT 30KMS , PADDLE 19KMS DOWN A MISTY RIVER AND TREK THE LAST 13KMS ALONG THE BEACH , ALL THE WHILE FINDING THE REMAINING CHECKPOINTS .. TIRED BODIES AND MINDS WOULD MAKE THIS A TOUGH CHALLENGE AFTER SOME SUPER NAVAGATION ,SWEAT AND DETERMINATION WE MADE IT , RUNNING DOWN THE FINISHING CHUTE TO A HUGE CHEER .

NO WE DIDN’T WIN , BUT WE DID FINISH , EVEN IF IT WAS IN 50 ODD HRS . WITH ONLY ABOUT 2HRS SLEEP THE WHOLE RACE . THIS WAS WHAT WE WANTED TO ACHIEVE , AS ON AVERAGE 40% OF TEAMS PULL OUT EVERY YEAR .

WE WOULD LOVE TO THANK OUR SPONSOR , SUMMIT GEAR , FOR ALL THAT THEY DID TO GET AS ACROSS THE LINE . SUPPLYING US WITH ENDURA PRODUCTS , MAKING THE CUSTOM BAGS ( WE WORE THESE BAGS FOR ABOUT 40 HRS DURING THE RACE AND THERE WAS NO ISSUES WITH RUBBING , SORE BACKS OR ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH OTHER PACKS ) , THE SUPER MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR EPIC JACKETS , AND ALL THE SPECIAL ORDERS . THE TEAM WAS AMAZED . THEY CAN ORDER ANYTHING. FINALLY THANKS TO OUR SUPPORT CREW . LISS, TIMMY AND ROLLY WERE THERE THE WHOLE TIME MOVING BIKES AND KAYAKS , FEEDING US AT ALL HOURS AND ENCOURAGING US ON TO THE FINISH . THANKS GUYS , THIS WAS THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE END .

THE SUMMIT GEAR WHAM!JETS WILL RETURN TO GEOQUEST NEXT YEAR WITH THE EYE ON THE PRIZE . STAY TUNED FOR FUTURE SUMMIT GEAR WHAM!JETS RESULTS , AS WE CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE OURSELVES AND OTHERS IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS.

STEVEN TIMBRELL AND THE SUMMIT GEAR WHAM!JETS: MARK (WOBBO) ROBERTS, MATT (SMITHSTA) SMITH, AND THE BIGFISH, GARY (GAZZA) SUNDIN.