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This week: A presidential race report from XTERRA New Zealand

 April 13, 2006
XTERRA News
The Nissan Xterra USA Championship Series
is presented by Paul Mitchell and XTERRA Gear

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THIS WEEK:  A presidential race report from XTERRA New Zealand where Hamish Carter is golden again, XTERRA Travel partners up with Travelocity, the XTERRA Duathlon in Temecula turns two, and results from the first three points series races of the season.
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UPCOMING RACES:
April 23 - Arizona's Xtreme Desert Triathlon (Mesa, AZ)

April 23 - XTERRA Otter Creek Scramble Trail Run (Louisville, KY)
April 30 - Big Blue Off-Road Triathlon (Castaic, CA)

April 30 - XTERRA Hartwood Scramble Trail Run (Pittsburgh, PA)



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A KIWI XTERRA CELEBRATION:  The XTERRA New Zealand Championship in Rotorua is a truly remarkable gathering of outdoor enthusiasts of all ages, shapes and sizes.  XTERRA President Janet Clark was on-hand to take in all the festivities and brings us this report:


  No question about it - adidas XTERRA New Zealand on April 8, 2006 was the largest (and probably the most spirited) gathering of the XTERRA Tribe on the Planet.  2,500 competitors - trail runners, walkers, mountain bikers, and triathletes - along with thousands of supporters, gathered on the shores of Blue Lake just a few minutes outside of Rotorua.

  Rotorua is mecca for lovers of the active, outdoor lifestyle and a fitting host to the celebration.  Mother Nature has created a very special and unique environment - complete with steaming geysers, boiling mud pools, tropical rainforest and pristine trails.  There's blue lakes, green lakes, and even black lakes - and a huge range of activities to sate even the heartiest adventurer.  But, possibly the biggest lure for competitors was a chance for competitors to win a Nissan X-Trail for a year!

  A mass start of eleven hundred competitors kicked off the festivities with an 11K and 21K run or walk on stunning forest trails cooled by light rain showers.  Canadian triathlete, Jill Savege, took first place honors for women in the 21K run.  Next up was a mass start for 300 mountain bikers who ripped on the 30K XTERRA mountain bike course.  

  Then it was time for the big show. heralded by the arrival of a Maori canoe bearing a group of warriors who performed a haka for the assembled crowd.  On behalf of all competitors, Kiwi mountain bike specialist Jon Hume, accepted their challenge, and the race was underway.

  The serene, crystal clear waters of Blue Lake were soon churning froth with two waves of swimmers - 500 individuals followed half an hour later by 200 teams - on a one-kilometer, single loop course.  Two-time defending XTERRA New Zealand Champion and gold medal Olympian, Hamish Carter, was first out of the water in 13:15.  Hot on his heels and 8 seconds back was Canadian Brent McMahon.  McMahon raced the U.S. XTERRA pro circuit last year and took 3rd at the 2005 XTERRA World Championship.  

  Competing in his first XTERRA race, Ironman Cameron Brown was in 8th coming out of the water.

  Bike course designer, Jon Hume, 10th out of the water blazed into transition in first place for the fastest bike at 1:26:55.  Carter was in second 2:26 back, followed by 2003 XTERRA NZ champ, Sam Mallard in third (-5:22) and McMahon in 4th almost 6 minutes back.  Once on the run, the hunt was on and two laps around Blue Lake which included a gnarly stair climb proved to be too much for Hume, who was caught and passed by Carter going into the second lap.  McMahon was on fire and racked up the fastest run of the day - good enough for second place, but not enough to knock down Carter who claimed his third XTERRA New Zealand title.  McMahon finished 44 seconds back, followed by Hume in 3rd place and Mallard in 4th.  Cam Brown finished a respectable 9th.

  In the women's race, two-time defending champion, Sonia Foote battled with Gina Ferguson and Meagan Stewart - each one leading at some point during the race.  Ferguson was first out of the water followed by Australia's Leesa White and Meagan Stewart.  Foote was almost 8 minutes back exiting the swim, but this was ground quickly made up once on the mountain bike.  Foote's mountain biking expertise was evident as she scored the fastest bike split and was first into transition 2:43 ahead of Stewart who was followed by Ferguson.  Out on the run, Ferguson shined and with a run time more than five minutes faster than any of the pro women, and she surprised the announcers who were all looking for Foote to win with her first place finish (3:01:10).  Stewart finished second (-3:48) with Foote third (-5:39).

  This is a gathering of the tribe not to be missed - mark your calendars for April 14, 2007 and experience it all for yourself.



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XTERRA TRAVEL:  XTERRA long ago realized they had to "bring events to the people", which meant producing events and activities in many, many locations around the world. It would not be a stretch to guess that in five years or so there could be as many as 1,000 XTERRA related events and activities across the globe.  As travel is a major part of the experience and lifestyle, XTERRA made a strategic alliance with Travelocity to be the official and exclusive travel partner. "XTERRA Travel" will be powered by Travelocity, one of the most highly respected and fastest growing travel companies, and accessible on xterraplanet.com.  Try it out by booking your next trip with XTERRA Travel on xterraplanet.com.
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THE TEMECULA DU:  Nestled in the tranquil hills of Temecula Valley, Vail Lake Resort is a secluded and serene venue with lots of hills and tons of great mountain biking trails.
  This May 20-21, for the second year in a row, it will serve as host to the biggest gathering of XTERRA multisport athletes in California.  The number of XTERRA racers has grown dramatically over the years, from just 123 in the first race back in 1996, to more than 10,000 racing in the U.S. Series of events last year.
  One-way to get even more mountain bikers into the mix is to take water out of the equation.  That's what XTERRA did last year in Temecula, and nearly 100 took part in the trail run- mountain bike - trail run XTERRA Duathlon.

  It's the equivalent of the XTERRA Sport competition, with a run replacing the 750-meter swim.  Competitors start with a 3k (1.9 mile) off-road trail run, follow with a 15k (9.3 mile) mountain bike, and finish with a 5k (3.1 mile) scramble.  It's open to athletes of all ages and skill levels; and relay teams too. The rugged off-road trails are identical to those being used for the main event, the Nissan Xterra West Championship.  The mountain bike course is challenging and fun, and rewards riders with panoramic views of Temecula Valley at each peak.



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RESULTS
XTICER Off-Road Triathlon (3/25 - Piti, Guam)
TOP THREE - Complete Results

  Men's Race (Hometown, Age Group, Time)

Courtney Cardenas (Somerset, CA, 30-34, 1:41:40)

Keenan Tydingco (Tamuning, GU, 15-19, 1:42:47)

Jude Baker (Tumon Bay, GU, 35-39, 1:44:41)

  Women's Race
Susan Seay (Tamuning, GU, 45-49, 2:08:29)

Tara Tydingco (Tamuning, GU, 30-34, 2:23:23)

Aurianna Fry (Yigo, GU, 15-19, 2:43:49)

Note: XTERRA Pro Jamie Whitmore won the overall in 1:34:22.


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Florida Off-Road Triathlon (4/2 - North Miami, FL)
TOP THREE - Complete Results

  Men's Race (Hometown, Age Group, Time)

Evan Evans (Boca Raton, FL, 30-34, 1:48:34)

Rick Copley (Grand Island, FL, 30-34, 1:55:33)

Nick Clayton (Gainseville, FL, 25-29, 1:56:47)

  Women's Race
Rachael Wood (Deerfield Beach, FL, 45-49, 2:11:08)

Molly Bockmann (Boulder, CO, 30-34, 2:11:14)

Francine Schieferdecker (Miami, FL, 35-39, 2:28:15)


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REAL Mountain Bike Triathlon (4/2 - Granite Bay, CA)
TOP THREE - Complete Results
  Men's Race (Hometown, Age Group, Time)

Conrad Snover (Truckee, CA, 30-34, 1:45:40)

Steven Garza (San Francisco, CA, 25-29, 1:46:15)

David Cloninger (Bend, OR, 35-39, 1:47:26)

  Women's Race
Birgit Johnston (Los Gatos, CA, 35-39, 2:12:08)

Linda Lindsay (Petaluma, CA, 40-44, 2:13:00)

Chi-An Wang (Roseville, CA, 25-29, 2:13:12)

Note:  XTERRA Pro Brian Astell won the overall in 1:43:36, and Aracelly Clouse - in her first race as an XTERRA Pro - won the women's overall in 2:00:30.


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XTERRA TV:  The hour-long 2005 Nissan Xterra USA Championship show continues its run in national syndication with airings in the following markets this weekend:

April 15 - Syracuse, NY - WSYR, 2pm
April 16 - Flint, MI - WNEM, 1pm