Anaconda Gold Coast - Adventure racing for everyone
Monday, 11 August 2008 03:49
If you have been living under a rock for the last few years you might have missed the boom in adventure racing. No longer the domain of skinny guys who can navigate themselves out of a black hole, adventure racing appeals to all walks of life. Triathletes have embraced this as they have Xterra no doubt bored with the concrete of the traditional triathlon course. This weekend saw the Anaconda circus hit the Gold Coast.
Olympians, World Champions and National Surf Ironman champions lined up with nearly 500 other athletes at the first leg of the Anaconda Adventure Race National Series on the Gold Coast today. The region’s famous beaches, coastline and hinterland were the focus of the endurance world as individuals and teams competed for a share of the $30,000 in cash and prizes during the 50km off-road challenge.
The Gold Coast race kicks off the four round Series with Forster, NSW next on in 3 weeks, followed by the two largest in the Series at Dunsborough, WA on November 2nd and Lorne, Victoria on December 7th where competitor numbers are expected to reach 1500 each. Each race comprises a 1.9km ocean swim, 13km ocean ski paddle, 12km trail run, 20km mountain bike and 3km team beach run to finish. Races can be completed as an individual and for those less hard core as part of a team doing one or two legs only.
Beautiful blue skies greeted the strong field when it set over Tugan surf club. With no surf to cause havoc the gun was fired at 8am and competitors swam their way up the coast to Currumbin Point. Team Epic Kayak’s Nick Cuthberg was first swimmer on the shore with an impressive 2 minute lead over the field. In the individuals, Ben Allen from Wollongong, NSW, as expected, was first out of the water followed by local legend and winner of the last two Anaconda Adventure Races at the Gold Coast, Guy Andrews. Race favourite and current Adventure Racing World Champion, Richard Ussher from New Zealand didn’t lose too much time in his weakest leg and was only a couple of minutes behind.
In the women, Karla Gilbert, former Queen of surf life saving showed what a true champion she is when she exited the water first with a cracker field hot on her heels. After retiring from surf life saving over 5 years ago and then successfully dabbling in adventure racing, Karla was back after giving birth to her daughter Ella 9 months ago and a two year break from racing. Next out of the water was another former surf life saving star, Kirsty Holmes who was using the race as training for her comeback to surf at the Coolangatta Gold. Having never ridden a mountain bike before, Kirsty still posed a challenge to the more experienced adventure racers due to her endurance racing background in kayaks and outrigger racing in recent years. Also coming out of the water at the pointy end of the field was Hayley Bateup, fresh off the plane from the world surf life saving championships in Germany with a swag of medals and two time winner of the Coolangatta Gold. Bateup, in a team of two with Elina Ussher, herself a former adventure racing world champion and Finnish by origin were a threat to the males teams as well as the women.
The field then mounted their ocean skis and paddled past Palm Beach and up Tallebudgera Creek against the abating tide. The field remained tight with Team Epic Kayaks maintaining their lead and Andrews coming off the river first after an impressive paddle 3 minutes ahead of Ussher and Allen.
The surprise of the day was the appearance of local teenager Nicole Rutland from Palm Beach who paddled past extremely accomplished kayaker’s to take the lead in the women’s field from Holmes in second and Gilbert not far behind. Rutland’s time of 1hr 15mins was only 3 minutes behind her coach and mentor Andrews and within two minutes of the next two fastest individual male paddlers. Bateup, with the hard work for her almost done and in need of replenishment tagged Elina who was ready and raring to chase the leading men.
The following run leg broke the field up and was where many chose to make their move including Ussher who took the lead and Jarad Kohlar entered the mix. Kohlar, a previous winner of an Anaconda Adventure Race at Lorne in 2006 took minutes off the three men in front to make himself a genuine contender. Ussher maintained his lead in the mountain bike leg and Kohlar managed to pass a fading Andrews.
Rutland was demonstrating that lack of experience meant nothing remained strong in the women. Kim Beckinsale, runner up in all four rounds of the Series in 2007 began making her way through the field with her standard strong run and bike legs to even manage to take the lead just before the bike to board paddle transition. Holmes, still in contention experienced mechanical problems that forced her to retire from the race at the end of the mountain bike after the chain off her borrowed bike snapped.
The 1km board paddle on foam ‘learn to surf’ boards could have been a big advantage to surf athletes like Andrews but Ussher, with a good enough lead had no need to panic handled it well, then strode out to a 4 minute win in the final 2km run to the finish at Tugan surf club in 4 hours 6 minutes and 28 seconds, showing why he’s World Champion. An ecstatic Kohlar finished second with Sean O’Neill from Western Australia showing why he was crowned WA triathlete of the year in 2007 by flying past Andrews in the final kilometre relegating the local to 4th.
Rutland left Beckinsale in her wake in the paddle and took the women’s title in her first Anaconda Adventure Race finishing in 4 hours 53 minutes and 19 seconds. Beckinsale, over twice the age of Rutland was pleased with her second place given the hot field but conceded that she’s disappointed to be runner-up yet again. Rutland, appearing fresh and thrilled by her win praised her coach Guy Andrews with claims of her motivation being, “to want to be a female version of Guy. I just want to be like him and I just want to win.” With an attitude like that and the talent she displayed, this young lady has a bright adventure racing future ahead and is quite possibly the youngest person to ever win an adventure race world wide as it’s typically dominated by more mature bodies. Gilbert finished a credible 3rd in 5 hrs 9 minutes and was just happy her body handled racing again after not managing much training around looking after young baby Ella.
In the teams, Team Epic Kayak (Dane Sloss, Steve Burns, Nathan Mcovery & Nck Cuthbert) maintained their lead almost the entire race, losing it only momentarily in the run to take line honours while Bateup and Elina Ussher beat all other two person teams and most four person teams displaying their girl power. Other personalities who had a go were Olympic rower Sally Robbins trying her hand at swimming in a team and former Ironman World Champion, Nathan Meyer, did a great effort completing the entire course with brother Josh.
Capping off a successful and challenging day, competitors relaxed at the bar enjoying the free beer awarded to finishers, cheering their compatriots across the line to the beat of the band.
Stay tuned to the next thrilling round in Forster in 3 weeks time!
