Women Rock

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Women Rock, Oh Yes They Do

Brian Richardson / 09.05.2006

The boats stayed home but the fifty female adventure racers did not this last weekend. The first all female, Women Rock!, adventure race in Anchorage, Alaska had sold out early. A long cold spring kept Mirror Lake locked up but not the enthusiasm of the intensely competitive XY racers. With a six and twelve hour course, beginners and endurance athletes alike had opportunity to challenge themselves with a Points Format race. The frozen lakes forced a switch to trekking for Leg 1. Custom maps and unfamiliar terrain forced teams to reckon their orienteering skills.

Fifty racers formed 14 teams. Twelve teams took on the approximately 20 mile 6 hour course. Where two teams braved the 45 mile 12 hour course as their first AR. Only about 6 racers in the whole field had ever raced before. To their credit, there wasn’t a single DNF with the courses that each had an initial orienteering leg, a bike leg with mystery event, then a final trek leg. The O.C.D.er’s found themselves at the head of the pack, coming into TA1 right behind the Chickadees. As one of the only two 12 hour teams, the Chickadees held onto their lead through the long day. As one of the few 6 hour teams to see the first semi-hidden control, No Discipline kept a steady pace that led them to an eventual win.

Mountain biking on Leg 2 was a challenge for both courses. At a mandatory control was the surprise event for the 6 hour Course. Changing a front tire proved more of a challenge for some teams than others. Photos show the comical scene of three racers all tightly gathered around a single tire, each trying to double fist the reluctant tread off the rim. The 12 hour teams had to deal with saturated mud from recent snow melts. Powerline trails dipping in and out of bogs prevented a steady pace. But it was trekking on Leg 3 that carried the most challenge.See All Event Posts