AR World Championship 2005
How to describe this lead?
Susan McKenzie / 17.11.2005
Last year in Newfoundland, Nike Balance Bar captured the title with the narrowest margin in adventure racing history. The Americans were a scant twenty seconds ahead of the Swedish team Cross Sportswear.What a difference a year makes ...
This year, the Kiwi team Balance Vector is set to make a record of its own: the largest gap between second and third place in a major adventure race.
It started out as a “strong lead.� Then “strong became commanding and “commanding� became almost insurmountable. We were gradually running out of adjectives to describe this lead. Stunning? Unbelievable? Ridiculous? Inexplicable? Freakish? Yesterday, the gap increased to twelve hours. When Balance Vector made the dark zone on the kayak leg that gap increased almost by half. Balance Vector, which has already gone through CP28, passed through CP23 on Thursday afternoon at 14:55. Port Nelson, which is currently running second, only came through at 5:45 this morning. Fifteen hours separate first from second. Fifteen hours! What the…
Yesterday, when asked whether they could ever catch up to Balance Vector, Nike Balance Bar’s Michael Tobin looked up. “Sorry, I had to see your face when you said that,� he said. “To see if you were smiling when you said that.�
“There’s no way we can beat them on our own,� Nike Balance Bar’s Ian Adamson said. “They would have to do something very, very, wrong.�
“And make a lot of mistake,� added Tobin with a laugh.
Yesterday, it became clear that Balance Vector is far from spent. When it became apparent they could finish the entire white water section before the dark zone, the team poured it on, powering through the water even with a rudderless kayak. Overnight the team has slowed a bit (why not?) and is expected to cross the finish line this evening, probably after dark. Then again, if Geoff Hunt asks, perhaps they can arrange a sunset finish on Nine Mile Beach? Balance Vector walking off into the sunset (literally and theoretically) as World Championships would be a fitting end to this quartet\'s AR career.See All Event Posts
