A few weeks ago, I made a comment in my log saying that the 4-day, 3-night
Raid International Eco Endurance Aventure stage race sounded "awesome - except for the stupid inline skating". Much discussion ensued. Apparently Attackpoint matters, because the race organizers wrote me and mentioned that there would be no inline skating this year after all!
So now it just sounds awesome, period. When 'Bent and I did the Raid with Tiny and Gazelle in 2006, it was well-organized, creative and loads of fun. The mandatory gear list was short because you're expected to know what to carry and make your own decisions - refreshing! The race had a very international feel to it, with teams from Europe, the U.S. and Quebec.
The organizers are keen to attract teams from English Canada as well, and this year they're offering an amazing location in a corner of our country that we might never see otherwise - let alone while doing our favourite outdoor activities. The
Lower North Shore of Quebec is just west of Labrador, inaccessible by road from the mainland. The quickest way to get there is to take a ferry from the northwest corner of Newfoundland. French, English and Innu are spoken there.
I spoke with several adventure racers who had concerns, and the organizers were very flexible about making changes. They will now allow teams of two or four, and they've extended their early registration deadline until May 15, which means a $495/person registration fee for a 4-day race. Also, they've offered an entry to their fall 5-8 hr race as a prize in the
Salomon Adventure Running Series. They're looking into a bus from Deer Lake, Newfoundland to make things simpler for teams. I'm impressed at their responsiveness - they really are doing their best to make their event attractive to English Canadians. It's really nice to see such customer focus. 'Bent and I are looking at our schedules to see if we can get there. Anyone else want to ride in the Bullfrog Van?