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Shhhh! It’s all a big secret.

Rob / 13.08.2003

With less than a day to go to start of the Four Winds Supreme, Team The North Face (UK), recent winners of Adrenalin Rush, were relaxing in their condo at Park City, Utah. They had no race instructions and no support crew, but the 5 of them had 3 bathrooms, 3 phones, 5 T.V.’s and a latino band to look forward to at the pre-race VIP concert and BBQ. It was warm and sunny too.

The only team in the race from outside North America, they arrived over several days. Ski Sharp was first to arrive to get his ‘pilots’ license on the powered parachutes that will be used during the race. “They are like 3 wheeled go-carts with a huge engine behind them�, he said. “Before take off the canopy lies behind you and you just let the throttle out and go like hell until you get lift off."

"They go pretty high too and as it’s hot here, around 90F, the wind gets up in the afternoon. I saw 2 test flights today that ended with the ‘chutes needing major repairs after unorthodox landings. As far as we know I’ll have to try and drop ‘bombs’ onto a target, and presumably there will be penalties for not hitting it. What the rest of the team will be doing we don’t know.�

Next to arrive were Keith Byrne and Chris McSweeny, and finally Helen Jackson, straight from competing in X-adventure stage in Idaho with Team Saab Salomon, and finishing 4th in a fast and furious world class race. “Helen is fine,� said Keith Byrne, “you’d never know she’d had a hard race at the weekend, she is bouncing around and full of energy. We’re glad she is here now – it was strange not having a full team.�

“We’re still waiting for our support crew though and have been promised we’ll meet them at 1.00pm. Not that there is a lot to prepare for though, we’ve just had a meeting and been told the start will be at 7.30am in the morning, and we’ll be given the maps and course details at 6.00am. Perhaps it’s a good thing, otherwise no one would have gone go to the party tonight! We’ve tried all the tricks to get race staff to let things slip but they’re good, no one is giving anything away.�

“So, most things are uncertain but we’ve been relaxing, it’s hot and we are at altitude here so it wouldn't be wise to do too much. We’ve just been gear phaffing and trying to get to grips with the language. Helen asked for some iodine in a shop today and was directed to someone taking job applications! American English is very different to English! We’ve done some in-line skate practice and the downhill is interesting. Our tactics there will be damage limitation, we’ll be happy to come out of it uninjured.�

“There are a lot of experienced teams here, and some have already been on major gear shopping expeditions but it’s hard to tell who is in the race as this is an outdoor sports city, or who is in the full race and who’s in the shorter ‘industry challenge’. The atmosphere is very low key and the people are so friendly. All we really know is that stage one is a trekking section with some ropework, and we think we may be returning to Park City during the first 24 hours. Whatever comes we’re really looking forward to it. We can’t wait to get going!�

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