Team Wilderness Traverse.com tops 2011 Raid the North Extreme
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Team Wilderness Traverse.com was clearly the cream of the crop at the 2011 Raid the North Extreme.
The Canadian/New Zealand squad (team captain Bob Miller and Jakob Van Dorp of Ontario and Sarah Fairmaid and Gordon Blythen of New Zealand) dominated the field to capture bragging rights when the race finished Sunday in Trail.
Team Wilderness Traverse.com received their first-place hardware during an award’s banquet Sunday at the Riverbell Restaurant in Trail.
The second-place finisher was Wild Rose, consisting of captain Mike Brown and Veronica Jarlehag of Calgary, Bart Jarmula of Revelstoke and Cranbrook’s James Hielman.
The DART-Nuun-Sportmulti from the United States — team captain Cyril Jay-Rayon of Los Angeles, Matt Hayes of Port Orchard, Wash., Mari Chandler of Zephyr Cove, Nev., and Aaron Rinnm of Redmond, Wash. — took the bronze medal edging out the Canadian team Atmosphere MOMAR.
Atmosphere MOMAR consists of captain Pete Cameron and Leanne Mueller of Bolton, Ont., James Galipeau of Ottawa and Jean-Yves Dionne of Gatineau, Que.
Raid the North Extreme is a six-day, non-stop expedition race, featuring four-person co-ed teams from around the world.
The goal is to navigate more than 500-kilometres of unmarked terrain through the Selkirk, Purcell and Monashee mountains.
Teams faced extreme challenges including a rugged wilderness, team dynamics, sleep deprivation and gear failure as they bike, trek, paddle and use ropes to navigate their way to the finish line in Trail Sunday.
The race started the race Sunday in Meadow Creek, north of Kaslo.
A handful of teams did not finish the race, including Kootenay Kaos of Nelson. Kootenay Kaos consist of Team Kootenay Kaos consists of captain Nelson Rocha, Sasha Kalabis, Dustin Eagleston and Vince Hempsall.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
