Ecomotion/Pro 2009
Ecomotion Pro 2009 Starts this Sunday in Serra do Cipó
Wladimir Togumi / 21.11.2009
It's hard to compare all editions of Ecomotion Pro, but I think this has been one of the best ceremonies of the race, with fun interviews and a percussion show. The presentation was made by a well known Brazilian journalist and few minutes after starting a percussion group began to shake the participants.
The highlight of the presentation happened when one of the members interacted with the competitors and made them take a piece of paper left under their seats. Following the lead of the perfomer, the movement of that little piece of paper created a sound that was mixed with of drums and tambourines.
After that, a short video was presented with a comparison between participants of Ecomotion Pro and Superman. Rafael Campos, Emerson Furlaneto Frederico Gall, Philippe Campello and Paul Romero were invited to go on stage, when Nora Audrá shouted "adventure racers are only men?"
Nora was then called to the stage and eventually brought with her the Braziliaa athlete Barbara Bonfim. Each of them described moments when they felt like superman ... or superwoman.
Rafael Campos, Team QuasarLontra, described the times when he is sleepy and his teammates try to wake him anyway and he does his best to keep his eyes open. Phillipe Campello, Team Unimed Rio Terra de Gigantes/ Tribus, told a story that occurred in the Patagonian Expedition Race when a French team ahead of them finished a section of canoeing and told for the organization that "Brazil will not arrive, it is better to rescue them", but they didn´t gave up and shortly after appeared in CP.
Paul Romero said that his time was in Ecomotion Pro last year, when he managed to convince his team to make a portage, dragging the kayaks for 14 hours.
After the stories, athletes of each of 9 countries attending the event went on to the stage. Some team are fully international others are mixed with Brazilians athletes, like Team Oskalunga International, with Paul Romero and Karen Lundgren (USA), Mikael Lindnord (SWE) and Frederico Gall (BRA).
Lindord participated in AWRC Portugal 2009 but his team was out of race just a couple days after the start. So after getting back to Sweden for a few hours, he packed his bag again and left for Brazil.
Some Brazilians bet this team is one of the contestants for the fist place, besides QuasarLontra (only brazilian team to win an Ecomotion Pro) and Adventure Camp Repelex, with Nora Audrá and Ian Edmond.
There are only 6 international teams this time, because the race is happening so close to the AR World Championship in Portugal, which ended last saturday.
The race starts tomorrow with a trekking section through the Serra do Cipo until Lapinha, where competitors follow mountain biking trails through Santana do Riacho to the first section of canoeing on the Rio Cipo.
SleepMonsters
