The team won the Discovery Channel Eco-Challenge adventure race held in Morocco in October of 1998. Each of the team members participates in numerous individual and team competitions throughout the year. Team Vail finished sixth at this year's Eco-Challenge event in Patagonia, Argentina.
Racers compete across rugged and often desolate terrain.
The events test outdoor problem solving and mental skills such as navigation, food organization, sleep deprivation and team communication. Since the inception of the Raid Gauloises in 1989, adventure racing has grown from a cult of insanity to something almost as recognizable as a sport with the Eco-Challenge and the Southern Traverse. The more doable Hi-Tec Adventure Racing Series which grew from 300 participants three years ago to 6,750 in 1998 and the Beast of the East are among the newer crop of mini versions gaining popularity. They utilize only non-motorized transportation such as canoes, kayaks, mountain bikes, white water rafts, horses, their feet and climbing ropes. Competitors navigate by day and night with little sleep, food or water in order to finish within seven to ten days.