2008 Results. Click on link for 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Desert Rage Camp Verde 3-30-08

Let me begin with some Big thanks for making this possible: Georgie, Todd & Heather, Kim & Sara Sue (Photographer).  Also, Joe Perez (Town of Camp Verde), Dr. Chuck Hammersley (NAU Professor and organizer of Verde River Canoe Challenge) & Bill Cook (National Forest Service).  The stars really needed to align properly to put this race together and they did fabulously.   Oh, and let's not forget the powers that put together that perfect water level of 550cfs to start. 

The shuttling of racers went tremendously smooth...Thank YOU for doing this and even getting on the shuttles 15 minutes early. 

To start (9am), racers had to negotiate 9 miles of fun whitewater paddling from White Bridge to just above Beasley Flats on the Verde River.  Many went swimming, a couple boats were pinned against trees, many awesome racers stopped to help.  This is one of the few nationally designated "Wild & Scenic" rivers in the US and it's awesome!  Then, teams switched to mountain biking for few miles before they went on an intra-bike trek of about 1 mile.  In doing so, they repeatedly criss-crossed a stream and hopped over a couple of waterfalls (see pics) before continuing on Chasm Creek Trail. 

Back to bikes and off on hard pack, but elevation challenging forest service roads to the TA.  The final section was orienteering to 6 possible points on hilltops, in canyons, along waterways and more.  A few teams made it to all 6 of these with team Big Fish leading the way to become the Grand Canyon State Games Adventure Racing Champions!  In the Male division, team Pinned & Screwed takes the honors while team Gilmore Adventure Race wins the Masters division. 

Congratulations to everyone who raced.  Some teams we hard a hard time convincing to stop...teams Chuck Norris and Chuck & Brandon wanted to keep on going, even after the 5pm cutoff.  Never surrender!

Congratulations to Derrick Beracy for winning the APS Power Player Trophy!  Derrick (and his team of Tish Taylor and Greta Nowak) stopped racing to help a team in in a precarious position on the river (as did others including team Madness), he stopped to help a team who was running low on water and he stopped to help a team with a flat tire.  When a racer does all that at the expense of his own finish time they are going above and beyond.  Adventure Racers ROCK!  Thank You Derrick!

Along with stamping their passports along the way, teams were able to collect a series of words on pink flagging tape within a few meters of each flag.  Of those that collected 6 or more words, we had a drawing for a free entry into the Las Vegas Desert Dash compliments of Jeff Hobbs.  Thanks Jeff.

If anyone has a race review, please post it to the AARB newsgroup or Adventure-Race-Reports.com or just send it to us and let us know how we did.

...and check out these incredible photo's from SaraSue!  Nice Work.