An Airborne Expedition Adventure Race
Rob / 16.11.2003
One of the top Scandinavian races last year was the High Coast 600, but for 2004 the organising team and sponsors Red Bull have moved onto something totally new. They’ve created Explore Sweden, a race with 3 main destinations linked by flights which are part of the race – it’s an airborne expedition race! The first of it’s kind in the world.Teams of four will race 800km over five days and they are promised the chance to see the best and most challenging terrain Sweden has to offer. The organising team, lead by Michael Nordstrom, promise they will “venture into the highest mountains, cross the wildest highlands and experience the incredible archipelago. Parts of the race will take you above the polar circle in the land of the midnight sun ...â€
The unique twist is that to use the best possible locations they’ve decided to use air transport to take racers “from South to North, from East to West, to three secret destinations.†This means the race will include “flight zones†which means four flights, with two critical cut-offs. If a team is not on time, they miss the plane and are out of the race. Now that’s a cut-off! The total race distance including flights is 4,800km.
The race will take place from the 2nd to the 6th of June, and there are places for only 25 teams. The race is also one of many new additions to the AR World Series for 2004 so there is a free entry in the World Championship Final in Canada in August at stake as well.
Entry is already open and there is some information on the new web site. It sounds like it’s going to be one of the highlights of 2004 – literally.
