Results of The BEAR Adventure Race - 2006

Sanctioned Points Race and Regional Qualifier 

for the US Adventure Racing Association's 2006 National Championships

Congratulations to all of the Teams competing in The BEAR and The BEAR Sprint this year!

As racers continued with the extended course of The BEAR, they were directed to the beach for a 17 mile route that followed the shoreline and returned. As racers took too much time in the earlier stages, they found themselves facing an incoming tide -- and later racers were confronted with soft sand to navigate on the beach at high tide. A number of teams got started with smooth, packed beach conditions, but were out so long that they had to push bikes through soft sand on the return to the Main Transition. The final stage presented to racers was a Paddle Sprint, in which Teams did a short portage of their kayaks to the ocean, then had a choice of portaging, paddling, or even pulling their boats in shallow water at the edge of the beach. Teams needed to reach the north boundary of the park -- about 1.5 mile from the Main Transition -- and return to finish the maximum number of stages in The BEAR Adventure Race. The BEAR could also be said to finish with a delicious dinner catered by Carrabba's Italian Grill that is a highlight of the Awards Celebration. Our thanks to all the participants and to our supporters and sponsors, too.

Possible Stages for Teams in The BEAR Adventure Race 2006:

1. RUN - Blind Gear Check Relay -- Run with half of Team blindfolded to show required gear before leaving Main Transition.
2. BIKE - North Bike Trails within Hanna Park -- about 8 miles of technical biking on forest trails, locating five signs/markers.
3. PADDLE -- option of   A. Portage and Paddle on Intracoastal Waterway or    B. Ocean Paddle about 12 miles.
4. COASTEERING - Shark Bait/cool-down: Teams extend 200 feet of climbing rope into surf at heading of 110 degrees.
5. TREK - Beach Dune Trek -- Locate three signs/markers along route through dunes and woods.
6. BIKE - Tour de Beaches -- 17 miles of biking on sand along the Atlantic Ocean coast to Ponte Vedra Beach and return.
7. PADDLE Sprint -- Paddle, portage, or pull boats along the shoreline to north edge of Hanna Park and return.

Results for The BEAR Adventure Race (long course) 

Results for The BEAR Sprint Adventure Race

1. RUN - Blind Gear Check Relay -- Run with half of Team blindfolded to show required gear before leaving Main Transition
2. BIKE - North Bike Trails within Hanna Park -- about 8 miles of technical biking on forest trails, locating five signs/markers.
3. PADDLE Stage -- option of   A. Portage and Paddle on Intracoastal Waterway or    B. Ocean Paddle about 12 miles
4. COASTEERING - Shark Bait/cool-down: Teams extend 200 feet of climbing rope into surf at heading of 110 degrees
5. TREK - Beach Dune Trek -- Locate three signs/markers along route through dunes and woods.