A recent article in the Vail Daily News was brought to my attention and I wanted to respond to it. First off, I think the author, Devon O”Neil, makes some valid points. But I think he missed the mark on others. At the top tier of the sport there is definitely a downward trend. With the loss of Primal Quest, Balance Bar, Cal-Eco, and the MSOQ (which I didn”t know about) this year the top tier of adventure racing is hurting. Perhaps the biggest blow to the sport is the Balance Bar Series, not the Primal Quest as Devon wrote. Why? The Balance Bar Series brought AR to the masses which Primal Quest does not. The average Joe and Jane with very little training could still go out and compete in the Balance Bar races. What they did better than anyone else is market the sport to those not already into adventure racing. They took out ads in numerous publications to draw those interested souls out of their current sport to give adventure racing a try. The Balance Bar Series was the breeding ground for the next generation of adventure racers. I know many adventure racers who got their start at the Balance Bar Series (or the Hi-tec Series as it was called before Balance Bar took over). I think the big picture Devon was trying to make was unfounded though, at least where I live.

On a national level there is no doubt the sport is hurting as I mentioned above. But is the sport as a whole going down? Patrick Harper, from Team Montrail, recently spoke at the REI near my house and he made an interesting comment. He said the sport is about to make a huge change. When asked by someone to explain his comment, Patrick said that the sport is going away from huge expedition races and more towards the grassroots weekend races. Adventure racing was founded on those huge expedition races beginning with the Raid Gauloises in New Zealand. Next came the Southern Traverse, Eco Challenge, Beast of the East, and more. So in a way the sport is growing but at the expense of the expedition races. Is this good? Perhaps it is. In the Southeastern United States there are many races that sell out or nearly sell out. NGAR (80 teams), SMAR (80 teams), Swamp Stomp (50+ teams), Midnight Rush (39 teams), Blue Ridge Mountain Adventure Race (80 teams), all are races who either sell out months in advance or nearly fill up their spots available. Each year there seems to be more races in the region. I directed the Midnight Rush AR last year and this year I’m directing another event, the Adventure24 Adventure Race. Each of these events caters to both the weekend warrior and the more seasoned veterans, which is why they continue to have success. The Trailblazer Adventure Racing Club is currently enjoying its largest membership roster ever too (nearly 200 active members). Patrick said there will always be expedition races to cater to those who race them, but the future, and according to him sponsorship, is with the grassroots weekend races. In the Southeast, the sport is definitely on the up. Thanks to Devon for writing an article that promoted a lot of discussion here in the Southeast.