Some of you may watch a
program on TV called ECO challenge...I'm not sure of the details, but the race
itself is something like 350 miles over every kind of terrain
imaginable. They climb glaciers, mountain bike over unbelievable
terrain, travel in dangerous white water, rappel down massive cliffs etc
etc. The winners finish in about four days...Usually doing the whole
thing on almost no sleep. The rest of the participants spend DAYS out
there trying to reach the finish line....They race in teams of four...This is
in no way a spectator sport and yet the coverage of it via filming crews is so
well done that it totally captivates you for four consecutive episodes.
I doubt that this kind of race will ever be an Olympic sport...doubt
that the participants want such a thing. They. race because of the
challenge and sense of accomplishment..The front runners are absolute
maniacs..but they are a small handful compared to the rest of the teams who
are just wanting to complete.
If people want more
endurance "exposure" then let's get some really professionally done
documentary on the Tevis or the Outlaw Trail or Swanton or any one of
the true "Endurance rides.". And let's not call the FEI, flat track,
Teeny Heeney 80 mile races endurance rides...Let them have it if they
want...but in no way relate it to endurance riding. They need to separate it
completely from the sport of endurance..give it a new name..Something like
"Whimpy Ego Challenge"
It would be like laying
out a 150 mile flat road course..getting a bunch of recreational runners
together...and calling it an ECO challenge.Don't you think that those people
who over the years have been apart of the real eco challenge would be
insulted, to say the least????????????? WHY do we want endurance in the
Olympics?????????? No one has adequately explained the rational behind
that.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2002 8:24
PM
Subject: [RC] My Perspective on
FEI
There was a time when FEI was at the vanguard of High
Adventure for me because i love High Adventure. Lately, actually
Stockholm was the start, it has been a sport geared towards 'Getting into
the Olympics'. At that point it started going towards bringing
Endurance to the masses. Then it left horse friendly trails and
tests to become Flat Race Tiny Hiney Spectator Sport. This sport will
never be Spectator Friendly. 25% Completitions don't do much for me on
flat track. It means 1 thing. The participants took a reckless
path. That path is whats taken me from the FEI path to other high
adventure paths. I still think the concept is good but there are
some points that needs fixing because its getting REAL close to being
broken. The highlight of my Endurance FEI was a 28th place
finish and the National Anthem was played in Germany when we won Team
Gold. That meant a lot to a Viet Nam Veteran...more than anything you
will ever know. That even overshadows my top ten individual finish at
the PAC in Ontario. Where went the Team? all we hear about are
the Queens and Kings. tom
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