Keen Adventure Race is back for April/May 2009

Jacqueline Windh / 10.08.2008

The Keen Adventure Race is back for its third edition, this April/May 2009.

What a way to kick off your season! Jacoby’s making it easier and easier for international teams to get here and battle for the $30,000 in prize money.

This year’s edition will take place around Wison’s Promontory - the southernmost point of mainland Australia, and staging point for sea-kayaking expeditions attempting to cross Bass Strait to Tasmania. Much of the region is National Park, and well known for opportunities to see Australia’s unique wildlife - which ranges from cockatoos to wallabies to penguins!

I had the pleasure of covering this year’s Keen Adventure Race for SleepMonsters, and I have to say that RD John Jacoby’s course design shows fully his decades of experience as one of AR’s most enduring and successful competitors. (These days he is still racing and appearing on the podium in big races, for example recently at PQ - but these days he races with his former team-mates sons!) Jacoby’s course design takes in the elements of AR that I find most interesting, and that differentiate it from just being an offroad triathlon or a long endurance slog; he provides courses that have route options, so racers must use strategy to work out which option is best for them, and he provides new and unique challenges sure to keep everyone on their toes, such as last year’s cave orienteering section.

I really encourage international teams to look at this race as a way to kick off your 2009 season. JJ will come up with the goods to give you a dinky-die Ozzie adventure. The facts that you no longer need to come up with a support crew, and that it is a staged race, which means that racers can reconvene with friends or family in the evenings, make this a much more achievable race for international teams to get to. Check out the race website, which is just loaded with detailed info about the event (make sure you also click the info window that says “Interested but not sure?”):
www.rapidascent.com.au

Here’s what organizers have to say:
Dust off your surf-ski, get your compasses out, buy yourself a set of mountain bike lights, and for god’s sake, do a little training: the Keen Adventure Race is happening again. Yep, Keen Footwear have committed themselves to this unique, challenging and rewarding race for another year, so block out April 28th- May 2nd 2009 in your diaries now. You are a required person in Wilson\'s Promontory in Victoria’s south-east.

Keen III sees some new innovations to make your life easier. For the first time, support crew will NOT be required. We certainly encourage you to bring your friends & family down as the stage racing format means you get to spend the evenings recanting your tales of woe from the day’s racing; plus it’s always nice to have someone cook you up a big bowl of spag bol when you’re cactus’ed ... however if finding a crew has been a problem for you in the past, then this time the excuses have disappeared. Simply get yourself and your gear to the start line and we’ll do the rest.

The race will again be pairs format only, with all male, all female and mixed categories available. Likewise we will again be putting at least $30,000 on the line in cash for those at the pointy end. The core disciplines as usual will be mountain biking, trekking and paddling guided by your own navigation; but this time additional activities including climbing / abseiling will also be included – albeit in significantly lesser quantities than those at the core of adventure racing. No prior experience required for ropework, although probably best to get yourself familiar for your own benefit.

Keen I took competitors the length of the Great Ocean Road in Victoria’s south-west; Keen II just a couple of months ago saw them traverse the Alpine region before a final dash to the ocean in Victoria’s east. 4 stages +5 days + 400+km’s of awesome terrain = 2 epic adventures so far, with another in Wilson\'s Promontory to add to the highlight reel in April next year. It has very different in topography from either of the locations that have preceded it – Victoria is indeed one VERY diverse state.

Paddling
All paddling will be in the ocean, and we will again be offering a boat hire option, this time with double Fenn XT\'s (ocean skis) available for beginner-intermediates, and double Apex ocean skis available for advanced paddlers. You can of course paddle your existing single skis too, and single and double kayaks are always an option if stability is your thing.

Get out the door, train hard and mark September 1st, 2008 in your diaries, - this is when entries will be opening.

“I really can\'t say enough about my Keen AR experience. I think you guys have several things going for you: supreme organization, great course, a winning format and all run in a great spirit that transcended all racers, supporters and organizers.” Gordon Walker (NZL) 2007 individual multisport World Champion and winner, 2007 Keen Adventure Race (Great Ocean Road)

For footage from the first Keen Adventure Race (Great Ocean Road, March 2007), visit:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzrNFTOizXE