Friday, April 02, 2004
SMAC SPRINT ADVENTURE RACE
RACE UPDATE #1
Brighton Recreation Area
Saturday, July 17th 2004


A NOTE FROM THE RACE DIRECTOR
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The race is now just over three months away and planning is well underway.
This unsupported race is designed with intermediate to more experienced
racers racer in mind, but because of our unique format beginners will find
the race within their reach. The Brighton Recreation Area is an excellent
venue for adventure racing; we are looking forward to revisiting this
location with its complex topography of high, irregular ranges of hills
interspersed with lakes, oak forest, thick hedgerows and open spaces, and
with grassy marshes, shrub masses and dense swamp timber marking the
lowlands.

In its fifth year, this race has become the stepping stone for racers who
want to prepare themselves for what the sport of adventure racing has to
offer. In keeping with our commitment to provide a sprint-length race with
the protocols and feel of an expedition length event, look for an emphasis
on race strategy and navigation – both mainstays of the SMAC race
philosophy. There will be a Friday night briefing, and the course design
should prove to be original and fun. Once again our friends at Planet Rock
will be providing the multiple fixed ropes sections, that will be fun and
safe with no special skills or certifications required. Be sure to read
through all material, and stay tuned for more updates prior to the race.
Please note that the total registration for this event will be limited to
the first 125 teams, so be sure to register soon!

FRIDAY NIGHT RACE REGISTRATION & PRE-RACE BRIEFING
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Even if you pre-registered for the race you must go through the sign-up
process. Both team members must go through sign-up together, no
exceptions. We will have Friday night sign-up for non-registered teams,
and we will make every effort to accommodate non-registered teams but the
processing of pre-registered teams will come first. Please note that until
we receive your race entry along with your race fee you are not considered
registered. The Friday night race briefing will be the only pre-race
briefing for the race, and attendance is mandatory.

RACE DAY ITINERARY
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Race Registration and Race Packet Handout: Friday July, 16th 5:30 to 9:30
PM
Pre-race Briefing: Friday, July 16th 8:00 PM
Brighton Recreation Area Gates Open on Saturday, July 17th at TBD
Race Start on Saturday, July 17th at TBD
Race Course Closes on Saturday, July 17th at TBD

THE RACECOURSE
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The racecourse will start and end at the scoring pavilion near the main
transition area. Teams will required to travel through all checkpoints in
the order specified by race management. The entire course will be
described to teams at the race briefing, with maps being distributed prior
to each section. The following is a high level overview of the course
disciplines, and the order may not be same as on the race day.

Canoe:
The canoe section will not include any whitewater canoeing, but an
understanding of water safety is required. Teams are responsible for their
own canoes, paddles (standard or kayak), and PFDs. Heavner Canoe Livery
will be providing a pickup and delivery service to the race site. Visit
www.heavnercanoe.com or call (248) 685-2379 to reserve your equipment. Use
of personal canoes (kevlar, fiberglass, or aluminum body) is acceptable,
but kayaks will not be allowed. Teams using personal canoes will also be
responsible for transportation and pickup, and should e-mail
paul@... prior to the race for special instructions.

Mountain Bike:
Teams will need to locate and check in at each of the required
checkpoints. The course will include a combination of trails and roads,
testing both your technical skills and speed.


Trekking & Orienteering:
The terrain will vary from trails to dense brush, woodlands and swampy
lowlands. Teams will also encounter multiple water crossings and other
natural obstacles along the way. Teams will always go through a
significant off-trail section where navigation will be tested. Standard
orienteering protocols will be used, with pre-marked maps and orienteering
control card (hieroglyphic control descriptions). For more information go
to http://www.smacworld.com/orienteering_for_ar_racers.htm

Fixed Ropes:
The rope stage will be set up and monitored by Planet Rock. No special
skills or certifications will be required. We are planning on fun and safe
multiple rope sections for this race.

TRANSITION AREA LOCATION
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The grassy area west of Chilson Lake will be the location of the
transition area. This area will be visited after each race stage. Teams
will be given the option of setting up an enclosure (canopies, tents) in
the transition area. Teams can also use their vehicles as a place to
change out gear. If teams chose this option, they will have to put
everything back into their vehicle between transitions. Outside assistance
(support crew) will be allowed within the transition area, but it is not
mandatory for teams to have a support crew. The park is open to all park
users and should not be considered a secure area. SMAC is not responsible
for missing or lost equipment. For a map of the Brighton Recreation Area
go to
http://www.michigandnr.com/Publications/PDFS/RecreationCamping/brighton_map.pdf
Note that no travel trailers or motor homes will be permitted in the
parking area, and no vehicles will be allowed on any grassy areas.

SIGN-UP, SCORING & CHECK-IN LOCATION
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Race sign-up, scoring and the race check-in will all be in the same
location, adjacent to the transition area. For scoring purposes this
location will be revisited after each race stage.

MANDATORY GEAR:
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Please make sure you have ALL required gear; we are planning on having
unannounced gear checks during the race. Refer to the mandatory gear list
located on our website at http://65.110.107.213/forums/viewtopic.php?t=83
Note that this gear list could change prior to the event, so make sure you
check back just before the race. All updates will be in red.

WEATHER CONDITIONS
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The race will be run regardless of the weather, but in case of lighting or
severe weather racers should use their own judgment.

VOLUNTEERS:
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If you are interested in volunteering for the July Sprint or any SMAC
event, please email paul@... for details. Volunteering is a
good way to learn more about the sport of adventure racing and meet other
individuals interested in the sport. Besides, we have some cool gifts for
our volunteer staff this year.

FINDING TEAMMATES
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The teammate finder on the SMAC website is a great interactive resource
that is easy to use; just go to
http://65.110.107.213/forums/viewforum.php?f=10 For those of you
interested in racing, but having special partner issues, get in touch with
me and we will do our best to line you up with a racing partner.


Good Luck!
Paul Piorkowski
Race Director SMAC Sprint Adventure Race
Phone: 734 699-5182 mail box #4
www.smacworld.com





SMAC EVENT SPONSORS:
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Salomon North America: www.salomonsports.com
Moosejaw Mountaineering: www.moosejaw.com
SealSkinz: http://www.sealskinz.com
E-Caps/Hammer Gel: www.e-caps.com
Suunto: www.suunto.com
SeAirSports: http://seairsports.com
TRI ALL 3 Sports: www.triall3sports.com
Hennessy Hammocks: www.hennessyhammocks.com


SMAC SUPPORTERS:
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Michigan DNR: www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/parklist.asp
Heavner Canoe: www.heavnercanoe.com
Planet Rock Climbing Gym: www.planet-rock.com
Adventure Racing Resources: www.arresources.com
Southern Michigan Orienteering Club:
http://www.angelfire.com/mi/SMOC/index.html
Meet-Outdoors: www.Meet-Outdoors.info