In many ways, the sport of adventure racing might be considered a metaphor for itself.
There is no clear path for this relatively young sport that first made a name for itself in the U.S. as the Eco-Challenge, originally held in Utah in 1995. Despite a barrage of unpredictable obstacles that must be overcome, sound strategy and a wisely chosen path could ultimately lead to success and good fortune. Poor decisions, unforeseen consequences and overstated abilities, however, may just as easily lead down the road to nowhere.
Now in its fourth rendition, Primal Quest 2006 – wrapping up today near Moab – is the reigning heavyweight of the sport. Combining the outdoor elements of trekking, mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, whitewater swimming, orienteering and horseback riding into an expedition of up to 10 days under the skin-scalding sun of the Utah desert, the event that prides itself as being the most difficult on Earth offers an unsurpassed $250,000 purse extending 10 places deep.
That the sport has grown significantly since its original early-era events is undeniable. In its initial incarnation, all eco-adventure racing came in the form of multiday epics designed to draw out the drama from the four-person, mixed-gender teams as they struggled through arduous Outward Bound-style ordeals in front of the camera’s watchful eye. Those events soon spawned a new industry of recreational “sprint” and 24-hour races that have grown in number and popularity every year.
But at the same time, the Eco-Challenge ultimately ran its course, completing an eight-year reign in 2002, the same year Primal Quest took up the torch in Telluride. After undergoing management changes and taking a year off in 2005, this year’s Primal Quest is looked at by many as a sort of make-or-break moment in the sport’s history. Whether adventure racing continues to survive in its current form depends largely on the perceived success of Primal Quest 2006.
“We still haven’t gotten to the point where adventure racing is part of the daily consciousness for the average person turning on their television, like the Ironman Triathlon or the Tour de France,” said Denise Watkins, who, along with husband Bill, has bankrolled the Primal Quest series since its inception. “But the sport is still growing. Just like those other sports, there’s a cycle that will take some time to get it out of where it is currently and develop it. We just have to communicate to the world that it’s here.”
Literally days before the starting gun sounded for Primal Quest Utah at dawn June 25, event organizers inked a deal with Nissan as its primary commercial sponsor. Closure of that deal had more than a little to do with a similar 11th-hour contract with the Disney people, owners of ESPN and ABC, where the as-yet-unscheduled broadcast of Primal Quest Utah is expected to air in October.
Success, or the lack thereof, of that broadcast may very well determine the future of what many in the adventure racing world are fond of describing as “uber” races, the ultra-distance, expedition-style events that ultimately serve to separate the contenders from the pretenders. In the lack of any other events to introduce competitors to the general public, Primal Quest will serve as the regular season, playoffs and “Uber-Bowl” of adventure racing in 2006, with ramifications that may extend for years.
“It’s funny to see who ‘gets’ this sport and who doesn’t,” Watkins said. “But it can definitely suck you in. We just need to make it close enough for people to touch it and get sucked in.”
Ultimately, the question is: How do you make people care? In the Eco-Challenge era, that answer was provided by television producer Mark Burnett, who went on to see greater success with the “Survivor” series, which he also produced. Burnett focused less on the success of race leaders and more on the trials endured, and only occasionally overcome, by teams in the middle and back of the pack in his television shows. As a result, the attraction was less about sport than America’s ensuing infatuation with reality TV.
But as adventure racing matures, its participants aren’t interested in a portrayal of their personal strife. They prefer to showcase their abilities as athletes, their strength and endurance, both mental and physical.
After nearly a week of watching these dedicated racers suffer through the twisted brutality of desert survival in the peak of summer, it seems evident Primal Quest producers continue to cling to the old-school idea of how to best package their product.
As Michael Tobin of Idaho, a member of the winning team, said afterward, “Sometimes I think it was adventure torture, not adventure racing.”
And I, for one, am convinced that the torture angle is played out.
If the sport is to develop to its fullest potential, it needs to select a new route, one that demonstrates the athleticism of its stars in a manner more on par with the triathlons and bicycle racing tours it’s supposedly holding itself up against. What should be showcased are skills, not suffering.
As the cliché goes, the clock is ticking.
Staff writer Scott Willoughbycan be reached at 303-820-1993
or swilloughby@denverpost.com.
