© 2008 Joseph Burkhead, Uncharted Staff

Helmet? Check. Paddles? Check. Mountain bike? Check. Adrenalin? Check. Looks like you’re ready to walk up to adventure’s starting line. Seventy-eight thrill seekers did just that at the Southern Michigan Adventure Club’s (SMAC) annual adventure race. Under a 5 a.m. humid darkness near Milford, Michigan, two-person teams bolted off the starting line to forge through the 10-hour challenge testing their athleticism, teamwork and mind power. For many competitors, it was their first try at this adrenalin junkie’s dream-of-a-sport come true.

Adventure Racing is a relatively new sport involving multiple skilled disciplines. These disciplines can include trail running, orienteering, mountain biking, canoeing or kayaking, ropes, rappelling, swimming or other events with the race lasting anywhere between a few hours and a few days. “A lot of people have done the outdoor thing, you’ve done the mountain bike racing, you’ve done the marathons, you’ve done the triathlons, and you’re looking for something more. Something that not just challenges your body but challenges your mind, and you have a love of the outdoors. Adventure racing can be the key. I think it is the ultimate sport” said SMAC founder and President Paul Piorkowski.

While adventure racing does attract fit and experienced athletes, you might be surprised to learn that many adventure racers aren’t what you’d call a creame-of-the-crop “sporto.” With team nicknames such as “Lost Boys,” “Shake and Bake,” “The Quitters,” and my personal favorite, “I hate these freakn’ bugs,” it’s evident a variety of personalities showed up on race day.

What might surprise you even more is who is typically winning these races. “I would say our average winner is usually a male-male team, sometimes co-ed. They’re usually over thirty years old,” Piorkowski says. “We’ve also had winners that are over in their forties, so these are mature athletes that are really good navigators that tough it out and do real well.”

Sam Grebe and Alexandria Akemann, nicknamed “Team Homebodies,” had been to a few races before. They offered a preview of what was to come. “It’s another different kind of multisport”, Akemann said. “I really enjoyed the aspect of having to tug your way through the woods and having to find these CPs.”

Grebe added, “Yeah, I race mountain bikes following a trail going just as fast as you can. Here you’ve got to relax a little bit and think. You’ve got to think on your feet.
Akemann drew some additional comparisons. “In a triathlon, the toughest part is the mental toughness with staying with it, whereas here, its mental to keep your strength up, but you also have to use your mind to plot and plan.”

Will the race end up going well for them? Sam’s reply? A simple “Nope.” Only race day would tell if his humble prediction would carry true.

The race began before sunrise under a dark, starry, and cool humid night. Twinkling headlamps bobbled across the forest in the first orienteering phase as racers navigated to each “control” (checkpoint) while lugging backpacks, paddles and plenty of gear. Just as the sky began to lighten, racers hopped in their canoes and paddled the Huron River. As I stood at the end of a peninsula photographing the canoers racing out of the launch, the glitter of two lights peeking out of the dark mist to my north shifted my attention. What I thought were canoers were actually racers taking a straight line route to the canoe launch, swimming and fording across the river with only their heads poking out of the water. Talk about “gung-ho.” And that was just the beginning, not even sunrise yet. Teams went on to race their canoes up the Huron River, mountain bike the trails and streets surrounding Milford, climb rope bridges, rappel from trees, and whiz down a zip line before completing the final orienteering challenge. The 10-hour adventure is typical of the type SMAC and similar adventure race clubs put on across the country.

So if you’re as hooked as I became, you’re probably wondering how you can add this to your list of must-dos. While adding another hobby to your list might sound a bit busy, getting started is easy with a club like SMAC. Their 1,500 plus members organize online to keep members and the public posted about opportunities for racing and volunteers. So staying in the loop is a cinch and there aren’t a whole lot of meetings or bureaucracy to get involved. The most important aspect of getting started is finding out if it’s something you’d like to try. Piorkowski offered good insight into who this sport might attract; “If they like orienteering, and they’d like that theme, but they would like to be able to picture doing that same sort of sport but now you’re paddling and mountain biking and trekking and who knows what else, then you’d like adventure racing.”

While SMAC brings great opportunity to competitors, it doesn’t happen without a lot of sweat, literally. “This race here represents a year’s effort. Making the map, getting permission, setting the course.” SMAC and other clubs across the country are always looking for people to help in those type of capacities, which I learned firsthand can be a fun and challenging experience itself. As a competitive orienteer, I offered to help with field checking the course a month before race day. It involved running and walking around the competition area with a draft map and making note of any changes or errors. Just to handle my assigned section took about two hours, but it was two hours of what I considered to be a good workout, great scenery, fresh air, and a great test of my orienteering skills. Even the volunteer work in this sport can be fun.

With adventure racing inviting more and more people into its fold, chances are there will be one held in your neck of the woods soon. If you want an action-packed challenge to humble your pride but charge your adrenalin, go ahead and step up to adventure’s starting line. If you’re hesitant, don’t worry. You won’t be the only one thinking you’re crazy for trying and doubting your ability to finish. Remember that “Homebodies” team that predicted they wouldn’t do so well? Alex and Sam finished in first place by one point.

* Purchase prints of this story's photos at Uncharted’s online photo store

Southern Michigan Adventure Club (SMAC) Website: www.smacworld.com