2002 Year Review
Racer of the Year – Part 3
Rob / 13.01.2003
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Steve ‘Ski’ Sharp – Out to conquer the World
From January to November Ski was out there and up front in the big races around the world. He started off with Raid Ukatak in winter conditions in Quebec and the Ford Ranger team got an impressive 3rd, especially considering we get little chance to practice cross-country skiing in the UK. Let’s just say the locals couldn’t figure out how he got his nickname!
In April he was back in winter conditions, some of them of the British wet and windy sort, at Red Bull Northern Exposure, winning with Team Golite Goretex, and then with hardly a day to spare (and still sick from drinking bad water) he was off to Vietnam for the Raid Gauloises. Many teams pulled out due to the heat and jungle terrain but after 8 days Team Lapin Kulta finished 5th – and Anna McCormack and Ski recorded one the best results by British racers in the oldest expedition race of all.
With the army not being keen on serving personnel doing races which cross the N. Ireland/Republic border, defending his Adrenalin Rush title was out, but instead he was off to the Yukon for Raid the North Extreme with Team TNT from the USA. They were thrown out of their hotel before the start for taking their bikes inside, started off with a 257 km paddle, and finished with an epic mud slog, pushing bikes along the Dawson Trail, but got on well and finished 5th in a world class field.
There were races at home too, experiencing the Putney Speedos circular canoeing technique at the Exmoor ACE, and racing the Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon and final ACE with Ran Fiennes in preparation for leading Team Land Rover to New Zealand for the Southern Traverse. They took 13th place, despite one major gaff, but taking on ALL the leadership throughout the race was a Herculean task. It seems that’s what Ski thrives on though.
You can read Ski’s profile here.
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