RAPID ASCENT NEWS

Wednesday 26th April, 2006

Newsletter #16

Enervit Ocean Kayak Legs

Rapid Ascent are very pleased to announce that the world's leading sports nutrition company Enervit, is the official nutrition & hydration provider to the Anaconda Series and Kayak Leg naming rights sponsor. Enervit was founded more than 50 years ago in Italy and has had a long association with Giro D'Italia, as well as partnering teams like Gerolsteiner (cycling) and several AFL clubs. The current range of Enervit products is the culmination of 50 years of research and over 10,000 laboratory tests, and provides for dedicated products for energy, hunger, hydration, recovery and mineral replacement. Enervit provides an impressive array of Energy Strategy guidelines for various sports, all of them available on their website.

As an introductory special, Enervit are offering a starter pack where you can get $58 worth of product for just $39.95, for further details click here. Enervit will also be presenting $250 cash AND a $250 prize voucher to the fastest male and female for the ocean kayak leg at each race.

Australian University Championship

Australian University Sport has added Adventure Racing to their list of formal inter-university sports. The race that has been selected as the 2006 Australian University Championship is the Anaconda Adventure Race at Lorne on December 10. Students from universities Australia-wide will be battling it out for the title of Australian University Champions. If you're a student, you can access further information here.

Jamis Mountain Bike Legs

Rapid Ascent is proud to announce that Jamis have again come on board as the Mountain Bike leg naming rights sponsor for the Anaconda Adventure Race Series. Still a relative new-comer in Australia, Jamis has been turning out quality mountain bikes for over 20 years in the US and are finally getting the recognition they deserve in Australia. In Bicycling magazine's 2005 Editor's choice awards, the Jamis Dakar XLT featured on the cover of the magazine and took out the prestigious "Best full suspension mountain bike" award, with its high-spec suspension, overall toughness and value-for-money package winning the day. This baby is just made for the Anaconda MTB legs. Anaconda stores have the full range of Jamis mountain bikes in stock, so get on down for a test ride. Jamis will also be presenting $250 cash AND a $250 prize voucher to the fastest male and female for the mountain bike leg at each race.

Ex-Olympic rower Stuart Reside makes the switch

Yet another Olympic athlete has made the switch to Adventure Racing. Stuart "Glass Man" Reside, a bronze medalist in the Men's 8 at Athens, is looking forward to Anaconda in September and has started his formal training program with a couple of mates. Being all ex-champion athletes who've lost a bit of that athletic edge, they christened the program "Toughen the ... up". Says Stuart "I have never raced in an event like Anaconda before, but the idea of racing through, over and across the ocean, beaches, rocks, caves and tracks that make up the rugged southwest of WA makes me feel like an excited kid. I can't wait!" To find out more about our man of the month, click here.

Anaconda Stores now open on Gold Coast and Brisbane

Anaconda is about to open their 3rd store in Queensland, in Townsville. Adding to their new stores at Ashmore on the Gold Coast and at Everton Park in Brisbane, Anaconda will soon be a household name in Queensland and in other parts of Australia. All early-bird entries for the Anaconda races in Qld, WA and Vic will each receive a $20 Anaconda voucher to spend on adventure goodies in one of their stores (but we dare you to try only spending $20 when there's so much brilliant stuff to choose from!). Watch out for the big Sydney store opening very soon, and also an announcement on a NSW Anaconda race for the latter half of 2007 ...

WA paddle clinics

Olympic Medalist and World Champion Ramon Andersson joins forces with WA's own paddling prodigy Lisa Oldenhoff to welcome paddlers of all ages and skill levels who are invited to attend coaching clinics designed to improve your overall paddling technique. The cost is $50.00 per person for each session and will involve approximately 30 minutes of off-water tuition and 90+ minutes of on-water tuition. The Coaching Clinic will include expert tips on

Technique including 2 Video Analysis sessions before and after stroke correction
Training Methods and Programming
Diet & Nutrition Race Preparation
Plus a Q&A forum

Paddle Session with Jody

The Gold Coast training session on 6th May will be held by Jody Zerbst, current Australian Sprint Adventure Racing Champion. Unlike other sessions, this will NOT be held at Tugun Surf Life Saving Club, but will instead start from the park on Currumbin Creek between Throwers Road Bridge and Gold Coast Highway. Helping Jody out will be expert paddler John Newton who will be assisting participants with technique tips. For this session, please contact Jody via email - jzerbst@hotmail.com There is also a regular (informal) surf ski race held on every even Saturday at 8am at Currumbin, contact Jody for further details. For details of future kayak training dates on the Gold Coast, click here.

Tugun SLSC Bronze Medallion

For those Queenslanders looking to advance their surf skills and also add a very respectable qualification to their name, Tugun Surf Life Saving Club offers the opportunity for people training for the Anaconda race to undertake their Bronze Medallion in Surf Life Saving. To obtain this award you must be over the age of 15 and demonstrate proficiency in surf awareness, survival, patrol and rescue procedures, emergency care plus anatomy and physiology. It sounds like a lot, but you will get the full support of the club and expert tuition the whole way. And at the end of it, you'll have the skills to be able to save someone's life! For further details, refer to this information.

Mars Challenge 2006

The annual Mars Challenge race has been run and won by Jarad Kohlar and Angelica Silverbrandt. With a healthy field of competitors and an equally healthy dose of windy conditions, competitors really had to earn their finisher's medal last Sunday. First across the line was the team of stars from Melbourne University, with Mitch Anderson posting a ridiculously fast bike split of 1:48 to average 43km/hr into a cross/headwind (the second fastest cyclist split about 12 minutes slower than Mitch!). Other notable results include a 1st placing in their respective categories to Eric Van Doorn, Jan Leverton and Martin Baker. As for the overall male winner, Jarad had already pounded himself the prior weekend at the 3 Peaks race in Tasmania, so to back up so convincingly sends out a clear message that he will be one to watch out for at the Anaconda races this year. For Jarad's full post-race story, click here.