The Best Darn Adventure Racing Company in TEXAS!
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The Best Darn Adventure Racing Company in TEXAS! |
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Click on Rattlesnake Racing logo below find out what the Gucci girls thought of the RRRC '99.
By Leiza N. Morales Seventeen rattlesnakes and 13 hours later the 1st Rock, Roll and Rattlesnake Challenge Adventure Race in Haskell, TX has slithered on by for 1999. The 1st Rock, Roll, and Rattlesnake Challenge (RRRC ‘99) took place May 22, at the L&N South Paint Creek Cattle Ranch. Twenty 3-person teams traveled from such areas as Dallas, Houston, San Angelo, Austin, Victoria, Oklahoma, Ohio and Holland to brave the rugged terrain, rattlesnakes, and cacti to compete. The RRRC ‘99 showed racers the beauty in rugged West Texas and participants were able to enjoy and experience an area few have ever seen. With L& N South Paint Creek Cattle Ranch as the backdrop the race was divided into several disciplines including mountain biking, mountain running, trekking and flat water kayaking for a total of 45 miles. Mystery events, placed throughout the race, introduced a cooperative mental and physical challenge that teams completed before resuming the race. "I arrived and thought this was going to be the ugliest place to race, and then we came over the hill and looked over the bluff and down into the canyon, I did not know places like this existed in Texas," said one racer. "We had a blast and that was the most fun and adventurous race we've ever done!" said Laura Alton team member of the 2nd place team The Gucci Girls. Our palm leaf cowboy hats off to all those participants who dodged rattlesnakes and stepped up to the starting line and finished any and all legs of this rough and tough race in the unrelenting and unforgiving terrain of West Texas. The RRRC ‘99 challenged racers to complete 17 miles of mountain running and trekking, 25 miles of mountain biking and 3 miles of flat water kayaking in a one-day race. Racers originally expected to cross the finish line in 6 to 9 hours. The terrain may have been a little underestimated. The top finishing time was 9 hours 30 minutes with the last team finishing in 12 hours 46 minutes. Only 13 of the 3-member teams completed what has been said to be "the most adventurous race in Texas." The race was longer than the "sprint" races characterized by the USARA Summer Series, but shorter than the multi-day races and odyssey races such as The Discovery Eco-Challenge. "I liked the race, but it didn’t like me," said Dehve Buchanan of Team Dallas who completed Leg III in 8 hours 56 minutes and stopped. The RRRC ‘99 contained Legs I, II, III and IV. Legs varied in length, sport, and course trail. All of the course trails for the RRRC ‘99 were marked and maps were provided, allowing for the participation of beginner teams unfamiliar with orienteering. This is the only assistance given. A goal of RRRC ‘99 race organizers was to level the playing field and not cater to a specific sport or discipline. One goal set for RRRC ’00 is to add orienteering as a discipline to add a new challenge. Each of the trekking legs involved flat land running and mountain running. Teams who did not consult the topographical map and expended great amounts of energy on the first three miles of Leg I were very exhausted by the end of Leg I. Leg I was broken into two parts by three miles of flat water kayaking and portaging. Leg I started with 3 miles of flat all terrain vehicle roads then turning into gently sloping hills and eventually a steep rocky decline down the bluff to the river and the kayak beginning point. At the kayaking end teams had to navigate from the river back up the bluff on a steep rocky incline to reach flat terrain once more. By Leg III, the second trekking leg, even the expert teams were walking to conserve energy to finish the 9-mile trek. The temperature on race day was abnormally hot for May at 96 degrees. Team Wolf Pack from Houston said they had been training early in the morning and late in the evening and were not prepared for the heat. Errol and Carolyn Stivender of Wolf Pack finished Leg II in 5 hours 56 minutes and stopped. Wolf Pack’s third member, Mike Foster, teamed up with Two Divas and a Dude to finish the race in 12 hours and 46 minutes. Each team used Sevylor inflatable kayaks and Ainsworth paddles to tow the third team member down South Paint Creek in an inner tube. Most commented the tube acted as a stabilizer and kept them from paddling in circles. Teams were not told they were going to have to tow the third team member in an inner tube, and this was considered one of the mystery events. The kayaking was down stream, but due to the past year’s extreme drought there was no current and the teams had to paddle or portage the entire 3 miles. By the end of Leg I Team BCS Banshees from College Station were ahead with a 30-minute lead over Team Fossil and The Gucci Girls. Team BCS Banshees continued this lead, with teams only gaining little, until Leg IV. The mountain biking leg of the RRRC ‘99 was a mix of flat, open, all-terrain vehicle roads and challenging single-track trails. The single-track was narrow trail, often encroached by overhanging trees and vegetation. This included steep rocky inclines and declines. Most of the single tracks were originally and still are cow trails. Little trimming or trail maintenance was done or needed and racers had to deal with cacti, cat-claw bushes, blue bushes and mesquite trees. "All of these plants hurt and make you bleed," said Will Archibald an EMT race volunteer from Los Angeles, CA. Other mystery events included the three-legged toe-sack race for 400 yards, ranch range golf, removing a ribbon from a calf’s tail and carrying a bale of hay for 300 yards. A 60-foot rope bridge across the river was the last mystery event. The first mystery event the teams met up with was the Ribbon Catching event. L&N South Paint Cattle Ranch owner, Nancy Coody Morales, and ranch foreman, Poncho Granado, penned and tied ribbons to the spring calves’ tails. Each team had to catch a calf and remove a ribbon. Even though this did require a team effort there were a few team members who refused to enter the pen with the calves. All of the RRRC’s mystery events were based on a ranching theme. The toe-sack race used toe-sacks that had contained cattle feed and the hay was feed for the horses. Each of the teams spent more time figuring out how to carry the bale of hay than it took to get it to where they had to stack it. Some of the teams had played golf before, but not quite like this. The tee was up on a bluff and the green was 150 feet down and across the river. "You’ve got to be kidding me. I have to hit my golf ball down there and then my team mates have to find it," said one ranch range golfer. Each team hit three golf balls and then had to go and find one. They were then allowed to take a drop at the green. Teams carried their clubs for the first 4 miles of Leg III. Teams were allowed to leave their clubs at this point in the race, but a few wanted to keep them to fight off the rattlesnakes and use as crutches. After the golf event teams had to navigate 2 ¾ miles along the river to the rope bridge, a single rope traverse. We did not mark this portion of the river with tape. Each team had to travel along the river keeping it to their right. "It may have been 2 ¾ miles in a straight line along the river, but it didn’t take into consideration all the ducking under trees, going over trees and going around ravines through tall grass," said Bill Sleep of Team Snake Eater. Race volunteer Jason Falk said he believed almost all aspects of teamwork and cooperation were nonexistent by time teams reached the last mystery event the rope bridge. The team aspect of this adventure race was essential. Teams were required to have all members present at checkpoints before proceeding with the race. Since teams were required to travel together, organizational dynamics played a huge role in the success of a team. One racer, Dana Gardner, wanted to complete the race so badly she picked up other partial teams to race with when her teammates dropped out. By the end of the race she had changed team members three times. "Working together, the team can traverse obstacles and challenges that an individual would be incapable of conquering," said Course Manager Jim McTasney. In another instance, the motto "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link" applied. Wooch Graff from Team BCS Banshees had to tow teammate, Damian Estrada for the last 9 miles of Leg IV, a mountain biking leg, to complete the race. Estrada began cramping up and could not peddle his mountain bike with his own power. Team BCS Banshees had up to this point kept a strong lead. "I wanted a race that would push my body to its limit, this race did it," said a very tired Estrada. The standings, which had been consistent throughout the race, changed during the last section of mountain biking. Team Fossil passed Team BCS Banshees halfway through Leg IV. The Banshees continued in 2nd until the last ¾ mile of Leg IV at which point they did not consult their map and went off trail and traveled 1½ miles of extra trail. The Gucci Girls, an all women’s team, passed them to take 2nd. The Spirit of Texas Adventure Racers were also able to overcome the Banshees and take 3rd. "The RRRC ’99 was unique because no participant had ever been able to race or see the course or terrain before the race. This creates a challenge that is not available in events hosted at parks or frequently used private land sites. Rattlesnake Racing and other race promoters can use the story of economic development to pursue the vast acreage of private ranches hidden throughout Texas and the U.S. to add to the adventure and challenge of the sport," said McTasney. Some may ask, "Why have the Rock, Roll and Rattlesnake Challenge in Haskell, TX?" I was born and raised in Haskell and believe promoting this area as a superb area for outdoor recreation is a healthy and independent way for Haskell to support itself and create a positive economy. The lifeblood of this community is agriculture. The drought this past year provided a less than prosperous year for the farmers and ranchers in Haskell creating a challenging economic impact. Governor George W. Bush and then Agricultural Commissioner Rick Perry, a native of Haskell, pushed to have Haskell County along with several other counties declared a disaster area due to the drought. They were successful and government aid and low interest loans were made available to the farmers and ranchers. Government aid and loans, while greatly appreciated by the farmers and ranchers, will not keep the community thriving. Haskell’s fierce independent nature is not one that will sit back and just survive. Haskell’s motto is Haskell Alive – Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. The Rock, Roll and Rattlesnake Challenge is an event providing the opportunity to experience The Big Country’s rugged beauty and country life with the added benefit of bringing economic development and new people to the relaxed and innovative community of Haskell. I feel the race was a success and did create a positive economic impact for the community. Racers enjoyed camaraderie and a smoothly run race thanks to all the help from volunteers and sponsors. We are looking forward to having a more adventurous and fun Rock, Roll and Rattlesnake Challenge in 2000. |
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leiza@rattlesnakeracing.com with questions or comments about Rattlesnake Racing.
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