AR World Championship 2005
Riding shotgun with Geoff Hunt
Susan McKenzie / 14.11.2005
“The race is on. The race is on!�
Hunt will spend the next five days in this car, a much used and well-cared for blue Subaru Outback that has served as his own personal HQ for several Southern Traverses.
“I nearly got in the wrong car yesterday,� he says. “There was this other blue car, Southern Traverse stickers, as dirty as this one. Then I got in and thought, ‘Hmmm, this doesn’t look right.�
This year, the Outback will be a family affair, as Hunt’s 20-year old daughter Gwylfa, photography student, will spend the week traveling with her dad, shooting the race. The back of the car is crammed with maps and shoes and food and clothing. A box of CDs is jammed under the seat, and there are ropes and radios in the back. Everything Hunt needs for this week is in the car. But for this World Championship, Hunt has been given an upgrade in terms of accommodation. Tonight, at the Lyell Transition Area, Hunt will sleep in a comfortable camper van.
“Yeah, I got approval for the budget this year. I’ve slept in the car, and under trucks, under tarps, everywhere. This will be great, even if I only sleep a little bit.�
It’s just a short drive from the start to the kayak put in at Fairdown Beach on the Tasman Sea. Hunt zips past support vehicles and spectators as he drives straight down to the beach. The sun has poked out, and he chucks his rain jacket (Macpac, of course) into the car as he heads down to wait for the first teams to arrive. Moments later, he’s off again, to pick up a TV crew stranded down the road.
Hunt will spend the next two hours perched on a six-foot high piece of driftwood, his radio in one hand, the other shielding his eyes to spot teams.
As the armada of kayaks begins to drift in, Hunt offers a play-by-play of the action.
“Woo hoo, here they come!� he shouts as Balance Vector paddles through the rollers. The Kiwis are strong paddlers, and it shows.
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