Worlds Best Adventure Teams Get Ready for Godzone

Worlds Best Adventure Teams Get Ready for Next Months Godzone

The worlds largest expedition-length adventure race and New Zealand’s preeminent adventure event, GODZone, has today announced its most competitive field ever as teams ready themselves for the seven day event in Lake Wanaka next month.

Three time defending champions and current AR World Champs team Seagate, led by Nathan Fa’avae, will be back to race and looking for a win against a strong international line up that for the first time will include team Vidaraid out of Spain and Brazil.

Currently ranked number one in the world Vidaraid are eagerly awaiting their Kiwi debut and GODZone race director Warren Bates says the team is highly competitive.

“ Vidaraid team caption Barbara Bomfin has confirmed they are buzzing about coming out to race here and we can expect a real ding dong battle to go on between these world leading teams.

They recently raced each other at the AR World Champs in Ecuador with Seagate coming out on top and so GODZone is Vidaraids chance to take them on in their own backyard and it will be exciting racing.”

The fourth chapter of GODZone gets underway in Lake Wanaka on the 28th February through to the 7th of March with over 200 competitors making up the 55 national and international teams competing.

Japan will be represented for the first time with team Real Discovery led by Daisuke Minami, representing South Africa will be team Assagai led by Morne Pienaar out of Queenstown and British adventure racer Anthony Emmett will lead UK team GB Lakes Multisport.

“ There is a good mix of these new international teams with seasoned GODZoners such as Kiwi teams Lost & Lonely led by Ian Huntsman and Kauri Coasters led by Barry Ruddell both returning for their fourth chapter,” says Bates.

We are also welcoming back the Australian teams like team Sheep Eaters led by Robin Simpson, the Stromlonauts led by Kim Gilfillan and Team Bear Hunt led by Charlotte Petersen. They love racing over here and are particularly keen on the Lake Wanaka terrain.”

Competition at the front of the field is expected to be strong from several notable Kiwi adventure racing teams such as team Breen Homes consisting of multisport heavyweights Keith and Andrea Murray and their sons Charlie and Craig.

Coast-to-Coast podium placer Glen Currie returns with team BNZ racing with Daniel Jones, whose father is adventure racing legend Neil Jones, Lisa Bates and Rhys Burns along with team Bivouac Inov-8 led by Ryan Thomas. Team Swordfox led by Nick Ross is expected to add some weight to the line up as are team Torpedo 7 led by Richard Anderson and Absolute Wilderness led by Dan Moore.

“ There are some young guns coming through this year which is encouraging for adventure racing as a sport. Bivouac Inov 8 will have some healthy competition from the likes the Next Generation team led by Tim Farrant, the University of Auckland team led by Edward Lawley, the Uni Young Guns led by Mike Rait and team Apollo’s Arrows led by Alastair McDowell,” says Bates.

This is the largest field ever to race at GODZone and with the calibre of both Kiwi and international teams vying a podium finish, 2015 is shaping up to be an adventure race of epic proportions.”

For more information on team entries go to http://godzoneadventure.com/team-list/ or the Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/godzoneadventure

ENDS

© Scoop Media