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Three Teams from Canada

Rob Howard / 08.11.2005

The last country to host the ARWorld Champs was Canada, when it was held in Newfoundland, and 3 Canadian teams are making the trip to New Zealand. (The fourth was a late withdrawal.) All have plenty of big race experience and in the Canadian wilderness they have a perfect training ground for the rigours of the West Coast of South Island.

Team Holofiber qualified for the ARWC by winning the Africa Quest in 2004, so they’ve had plenty of time to prepare. They are captained by Lawrence Foster, who was the designer of the 2004 World Championship in Newfoundland. Now he will tackle one of Geoff Hunt’s legendary courses (as will Mikael Nordstrom, who is part way through planning next year’s ARWC course in Sweden).

The other Holofibre team members are Chad Ulansky, Danish racer Sia Svendson (who is currently living in New Zealand), and back from retirement comes Dave Zietsma. Since 1998 the team has dominated Adventure Racing in Canada and has represented their country around the world by always finishing in the top 10 with a recent 3rd at the Subaru Primal Quest.

They’ve won other World Series qualifiers such as Beast of the East 2001, which gave the team an entry to the 2001 ARWC in Switzerland. (Their wins at Appalachian Extreme in 2002, and 2003 did not result in an entry due to a hiatus in the ARWC in 2003 and Lawrence Foster being the Course Designer in 2004.) If you’re looking for a team who will stay the course Holofibre would be a good bet. For more information see www.adventureracers.ca.

Supplierpipeline competed on Foster’s course in Newfoundland, finishing in an impressive 7th place, and there is sure to be strong rivalry between the two teams. Denise and Greg McHale were part of that team, and among other endurance events they’ve excelled at was the Fulda Tyres Challenge in Arctic Canada, where they won a $5000 gold nugget! Bob Millar was on that successful team in Newfoundland too, and this time they’re racing with another Supplierpipeline stalwart Dave Corner.

Making up the very experienced trio of teams are ‘Subaru Canada’ led by veteran racer Jim Mandelli, whose first expedition race was Eco-Challenge Australia in 1997. Since then he’s competed in many World Series races, including Beast of the East, Explore Sweden and Southern Traverse.

Like many who are competing here, he was drawn back by the prospect of racing once again in the country where adventure racing began. With him are Jacques Boutet, and Russ and Wendy Gardner, who organise their own race in Kamloops, British Columbia.

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