---

Day 1: Skating in the sun

Jan Smolík / 27.08.2008

The sun welcomed racers to a beautiful day. There were some frantic preparations but at 10 o’clock everybody was ready for the race. The start was not from an ordinary starting line, but sort of adventure herding. Racers gathered in a fenced transition area and were let out by three narrow gates.

The first stage was a short orienteering section around the Pastviny Lake. It was designed so that teams had to either run for a long distance around or swim across the lake. All possible swimming aids were allowed, so the racers seemed more like on a seashore holiday. However, unlike the last year, carrying mattresses was not such a big advantage. The running sections were long and the swimming only short.

Teams returned to the transition area and from there they continued either on foot or on skates. They had to get to the start of the skating stage with their skates, and they were allowed to use them right from the TA if they wanted. Some teams decided to put on their skates directly in the transition area. They even tried to skate on the grass. One racer even fell on his face when he started skating downhill, found out he has to punch yet and turned sharply to the grass. Other teams decided for a more cautious approach and attached their skates to their backpacks. This section really gave a big advantage to good skaters.

See All Stories On This Race