Press and Media Center

XTERRA Duathlon fun

THIS WEEK: 

XTERRA World Champion Hamish Carter is looking for teammates; camping and XTERRA Duathlon fun in SoCal, honors for the Nevada Passage and XTERRA Saipan, New Zealand and USA Championship television productions, a preview to the first pair of XTERRA Points Series races in the continental U.S. – one in the East and one in the West – and the Tahoe Show debuts in New York City.

UPCOMING RACES:

4/1 – XTERRA Miami (North Miami, FL)

4/1 – XTERRA REAL (Granite Bay, CA)

4/14 – XTERRA New Zealand Championship (Rotorua)

4/14 – XTERRA South Africa Championship (Western Cape)

4/14 – XTERRA Merrimack River Trail Run (Andover, MA)

4/21 – XTERRA Arizona Xtreme (Mesa, AZ)

4/21 – XTERRA Belly of the Beast Trail Run (Knoxville, TN)

4/28 – XTERRA Ft. Yargo (Winder, GA)

4/28 – XTERRA Gator Terra (Ruston, LA)

4/29 – XTERRA Castaic (Castaic, CA)

5/20 – XTERRA West Championship (Temecula, CA)

HAMISH’S RETIRED LIFE:

The legend may have retired, but he hasn’t disappeared.  2006 XTERRA World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Hamish Carter is going to race at XTERRA New Zealand on April 14 in Rotorua, but he won’t be defending his title and he won’t be alone.

On the XTERRA New Zealand website Carter is calling out for relay teammates - one swimmer, one mountain biker or one runner - to join "Team Carter". To get one of the exclusive spots you have to give a donation to the Haemophilia Foundation of New Zealand.  The two highest bids will join Hamish on raceday.  The cost of the entry fee will be covered by XTERRA, so 100% of the bid amount will go to the Haemophilia Foundation of New Zealand.

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 19-20, for the third 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 15,000 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 does in Temecula with the 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 XTERRA West Championship.  The mountain bike course is challenging and fun, and rewards riders with panoramic views of Temecula Valley at each peak.

For the campfire types, the XTERRA experience doesn’t get much better than in Temecula - Tent camping with friends - toasting marshmallows at night, then rolling out of a sleeping bag in the morning just a couple hundred yards from the XTERRA Village down at the lake.

This is the lure of Vail Lake Resort, and for just $25 a night - eight athletes (or four athletes and four friends – whatever) can rent themselves a prime piece of SoCal soil to pitch a tent and prep for XTERRA’s first major U.S. Sports Festival of the season.  There’s a race for everyone, young and old, and plenty of great food and entertainment.

There are RV hook-ups too, equipped with 30 & 50 Amps, water, power, and sewer.  Even for those not racing, it’s a great way to get a break from the bustle of the city and watch some world-class athletes in action.  For campsite reservations call toll-free 1-866-VAIL-LAKE or email vaillakeresort@yahoo.com.

SAIPAN = MUST SEE TV:

The XTERRA Saipan Championship television show was just awarded a silver medal in the Sports TV/Cable program category at the *Telly Awards.  It's the third time in four years the program has won the award. Matt Gonsalves - the manager of TEAM TV - produced, directed and edited the half-hour sports feature.

“We are very proud of Matt,” said TEAM Unlimited President Janet Clark.  “He was able to distill the essence of hours of footage into a succinct and powerful production.  It turned out to be a great entertainment and promotional vehicle for our clients - the Marianas Visitors Authority – providing them with a fabulous tourism message for Saipan”.

The broadcast tracked competitors locked in a battle with Mother Nature as they navigated a 1.5-kilometer swim, 30k mountain bike, and 10k jungle run in Saipan.  It captured breathtaking images from all over the tropical island, and was seen by more than 3 million viewers with broadcasts on Gaora TV in Japan and across the United States through national syndication.

The competition for the Telly Awards this year was 13,000 deep, with entries sent in from the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, and TV cable stations worldwide.  Founded in 1978, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest in video and film productions.

In addition to the XTERRA Saipan Championship, three other TEAM TV productions were recognized with Telly awards - the half-hour XTERRA New Zealand Championship show, hour-long 2006 Nevada Passage adventure competition show and the hour-long XTERRA USA Championship Show.

Over the past 18 years TEAM TV has created more than 250 programs resulting in two national Emmy nominations, three regional Emmy’s, and 35 Telly Awards for production excellence. 

AWARD-WINNING TV FOR NEVADA:

Last year the Nevada Passage made-for-TV adventure competition took 10 coed teams - comprised primarily of regular XTERRA athletes - on a six-day, six-stage 1,000-mile journey across the Silver State.

It made for great TV.  As proof, the hour-long show won two Telly awards for production excellence – one in the sports TV/Cable category and another in the Travel and Tourism category, for the second straight year.

The third running of the Nevada Passage, which again will bring 20 hand-selected athletes to Nevada for a six-day adventure, is set to take place from May 7-12th and will begin airing in syndication from August 2007 to February 2008.

The XTERRA USA Championship show was also a hit, with its brilliant racing action and scenic shots from the epic Sierra Nevada range.  It just won its third Telly in the sports TV/Cable category since 2002.

Combined, the two award winning shows brought nearly two hours of Nevada’s dramatic landscape to more than 4 million viewers across the U.S. last year.

GET REAL:

The first Cali race of the year - XTERRA REAL in Granite Bay, CA - is set for Sunday.  This event, hosted by the ultimately competent crew at TBF Racing, always attracts the very best age groupers from around the West and gives us our first glimpse at who-to-watch in 2007. 

The swim is a mass start in Folsom Lake for a 50-degree half-mile, wetsuit recommended, swim. The 16-mile mountain bike is a 2-lap course located entirely within the California State Park at Granite Beach consisting of mostly single-track trails around the Lake. The course has a few climbs and descents, but nothing overly technical so all levels of riders will be able to enjoy the ride. The 3.5-mile run traverses single- track trails along the lakeshore. There is a hill at the halfway point to test athletes’ mettle. The out and back course has 3 aid stations that will be stocked with water, Gatorade, and GU, and the finish line is back at the Main Beach. 

BIENVINEDO A MIAMI:

XTERRA Miami will take place on Sunday in Oleta River State Park, Florida's largest urban park located on Biscayne Bay in the busy Miami metropolitan area. It combines a  half-mile swim with a 10-mile mountain bike and 5-mile trail run.  The park is best known for miles of off-road bicycling trails, ranging from novice trails to challenging trails for experienced bicyclists. Along the Oleta River, at the north end of the park, a large stand of beautiful mangrove forest preserves native South Florida plants and wildlife.  Beyond the race competitors are encouraged to come out to sunny Miami and enjoy a weekend of camping, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking, camping in air-conditioned cabins, swimming, fishing, trail walking and picnicking.  It’s all available along the scenic Haulover Bay.

SAIPAN PHOTOS:

A collection of Rich Cruse images from the XTERRA Sunset Trail Run and XTERRA Saipan Championship race are online and can be viewed by clicking here (or entering web.mac.com/xterraphoto). Media interested in receiving images from Saipan should email requests to trey@xterraplanet.com.