The date for 2009's installment of the Akatarawa Attack has been announced - 31 January. An exciting aspect of this is that it signals a new start location (previously Bulls Run Road in '06, Maungakotukutuku in '07, and Karapoti Park in '08).

4 and 8 hour events as per usual. You don't need to ride for the whole of this time! You get a fantastic map, and get to experience the thrill of the chase. Controls are given a points score, and you choose your own route to get back home within the time limit with as many points as possible.

The entry fee is pretty much worth it for the maps alone

I hope to put together a small "training" "event" in early January.

http://akattack.rhizome.net.nz/

Last year's discussion http://www.vorb.org.nz/ftopict-69842.html

Late December prelim event http://www.vorb.org.nz/ftopict-90332.html

This Ak' Attack is a magnificient event.

In the BLRT we respect the true Spartan efforts of hardened local campaigners John Randal and Simon Kennett, which have led them to fine wins in the tough 8 hour class in past years.

To allow Sifter and Mr Kennett another shot at Glory in the Akka's, the Bushlove Squad has humbly elected not to enter a team into the 8 hour class. Instead, the Bushlove squad will be represented in the 4 hour class by Kennedy and Aldred.

Nick_K won the Open Men's 4 hour last year with Bushlove Big Dog, Mono Sharp. Mono's XC raicing schedule prevents him from attending this year. Davo is new to this orienteering and hopefully won't handicap the clearly very experienced Kennedy, too greatly.

If you have not checked out the event before, visit the website and have a read. This is what mountainbiking is all about. Getting into the 'back country', exploring new terrain, crossing new creeks and experiencing the boundless joy of new trails. And then reliving it at the BBQ.

Get amongst it. See you there.

BUSHLOVERACING wrote:
Davo is new to this orienteering and hopefully won't handicap the clearly very experienced Kennedy, too greatly.

Get amongst it. See you there.

lol. I'll bring my calculator

Nick_K wrote:

BUSHLOVERACING wrote:
Davo is new to this orienteering and hopefully won't handicap the clearly very experienced Kennedy, too greatly.

Get amongst it. See you there.

lol. I'll bring my calculator

Fuckin m0ng

I looked at the gear list and requirements.

Nick - You bring the first aid knowledge; what with being a gyno / plastic surgeon. I will bring the balaclavas. Total head and face coverage FTW.

Why do we need a calculator? Are they FTW, like balaclavas?

Last year Dave and Nick added their score up and put themselfs out of the win. I and others had to check their scores for them.

How incredibly embarrasing. Both for the boys, and you, that you also required assistance to add the score

The Bushlove Team will be so busy drowning in lulz, that we might not reach a number high enough to be an issue. Could spend the afternoon trying to sabotage Randal.

But dont forget, im not the higherleveldegreetaught education person here, no qualifications what so ever. I got kicked out of college with the last words of "go away and dont come back", never even made it to uni.

Had a great training ride with Simon today. We got a couple of City Safari maps from Mike Wood (the City Safari is in my opinion one of the best events ever... http://www.citysafari.org.nz/ ) and did it on our MTBs. We gathered points in Khandallah before heading up Kau Kau. The wind on the Skyline was horrendous, and we were glad to drop down to Crofton Downs for some points. Then back up for our wee amateur moment (riding straight past a control - the brick chimney by the macrocarpas) before fucking up the route choice a bit, and going down into the cemetery. Then up Parkvale, and back down Montgomery... WTF were we thinking?!

We grabbed a feed at the Karori South dairy, before tackling Wrights Hill, Polhill, and a bunch of controls in Island Bay. Then some singletrack in Houghton Bay, and some wind in Lyall Bay. Saw Oli driving along, grabbed a control at the Kilbirnie end of the airport subway, then back via Mt Vic into town, with 3 minutes of our six hours to spare.

We gathered 1230, about 250 points more than the best in the actual event, but were soundly thrashed by Greg Thurlow (who won the event with Andy Foster, and had been studying), who gathered 1490! Awesome effort by Greg, and fascinating to see how much better moving around a city and suburbs is on a bike (MTB or road), than on foot and public transport. Granted, the event is held on a Sunday, where the bus timetable is limited.

Great prep for the Ak Attack anyway. Must remember to mail the entry form on Tuesday. Pre-entry discount ends on the 21st...

Was a good day out - Simon and John did it the hard way using fat tyres and up in the wind on the skyline. I thought of them as I grovelled along the heights of Kingston into the Northerly. Admittedly I had done my homework using a road bike with mtb pedals/shoes so I could run the shortcuts. Mixing the thin tyres with a discipline I'm kinda familiar with certainly the way to go. Had great fun riding some of the sanctuary track (dirt) on the thin tyres, navigating while duelling with those on 4 wheels, blasting down the Ngaio gorge (faster than those on 4 wheels) and also passing a triathlete on his aero bars around seatoun. Couldn't resist that, my skinny hair legs and un-aero mapboard included ! For those familiar to the city safari map I mopped up Mt Vic, took out the Miramar peninsula, thru the airport tunnel, up and around the hills of houghton and Island bays to Kingston. Up to the Bunkers above Brooklyn on the road, down Santuary dirt track to Highbury. Ran up the Birdwood steps, Up Wrights Hill then picked up nearly all of Karori before Tinakori and thru to Kandallah/Ngaio. Cleaned up around there, A quick blast down the Ngaio Gorge, out and back to the control at the bottom of the nasty steps (which lead back up to Khandallah) and then got slightly misplaced in and around Hill St before a quick blat thru the city back to Frank Kitts Park. Only 2160 m of climb, a little disappointing but my cunning route was to stick to the roads (which funnily enough are in the valleys) and not venture up the big hills. Would have loved to run up Kaukau (as it's home turf and the blast back down is just magic) but alas 100 points in close to 25 min wasn't worth it. Expect normal service (curtesy of SK and JR) to resume at the Ak attack but if anyone is keen to enter the 8hr and looking for a partner pm me
Greg

Start location just announced: Battle Hill Regional Park

Whats battle hill like, particularly on a ss? Ive never been out there.

Slightly disappointed it won't be in the karapoti region, I love the bush out there. I'm sure it will be an awesome event nevertheless.

Can't help you much Nick, having done very little riding out there, and never on a SS. There's always next weekend to have a poke around