Sunday July 30. Some 30 teams and 83 participants raced all or parts of a 30 Km course around Punta Banda and La Bufadora.
The weekend event began Saturday with a free kayak clinic put on by Baja Aquatics. This gave people who had never before been on a kayak the opportunity to become familiar with the ocean, a few waves and the sit-on-top boats they used for the race. It turned into a fun (and funny) day at the beach with the only “dump” being that of an experienced racer, and the “almost” sinking of a boat when people tested the limits of tipping.
After the kayak class there was a navigation class and explanation of how to read topographical maps and plot UTM’s. Those who availed themselves of the free camping then sat around talking and eating anything from protein bars to fresh fish, grilled over the camp file.
Mexican time was used to start the race as there were more racers than kayaks and rather than splitting the kayak section, being just 5 boats short, we were able to grab 4 more boats from storage which left John and Jeremy on the beach to do the hike section while everyone else paddled about 8 Km to two checkpoints. The intent was that J&J would do the kayaks after the hike and bike.
With calm seas, the anticipated 2 hour kayak turned into a speed fest with the leading kayaker completing the paddle, stowing the boat and reporting to the TA in a mere 49 minutes. The last kayak team took just 93 minutes on the water – this was mostly using double sit-on-tops, so the competition was intense.
The second section was hiking (running or bushwhacking for some). Racers had to scramble rocks above the famous “blowhole” and then avoid cactus to get out onto a precipitous point for the first hike CP. While looking down on dangerous but thrilling drops to the ocean, the race proceeded along the cliffs then over the peninsular to the last two hike CP’s. With many route options and some hard to find trails, the fast hikers covered the approximate 10 Km in 75 minutes and the slower groups took almost 3 hours. (We had teams with children participating and there were three 6 person teams, so they moved a little slower).
The final section was mountain biking on mostly dirt roads with some single track, one possible huge steep downhill and a hike-a-bike section. Despite some teams going off-course, some doing the CP’s out of sequence and some teams skipping a few CP’s, a strong contingent of Baja mountain bikers completed the 12 Km in 90 minutes, while the teams who suffered broken derailleur’s, flat tires and heat exhaustion were looking at 3+ hours in the early afternoon sun.
The total winning time was 3 hours 56 minutes and the longest any team took was 6 hours 9 minutes, so it fit into the advertised 4-6 hour beginner race category. All racers completed the course, though some intentionally skipped sections.
Thanks goes to Rancho La Bufadora who allowed use of their camping facilities and free-range on their property at no cost to the racers. And a big thanks to Baja Aquatics who allowed use of boats, the staff to assist in escorting racers, launch everyone safely and teach people how to kayak.
Also, thanks to the many volunteers who came to the event and were quiet in the background but there in case of medical needs (thankfully not needed, though there were some scratches and spills both on the bike and while trekking). We were also fortunate in that the surrounding land owners gave permission to use their property so that racers could select their own routes (via wise use of trails or chances at bushwhacking).
This was the inaugural event in what is hoped, and anticipated, will be an annual summer race at La Bufadora. Future events will be designed to involve children more, and introduce them to Adventure Racing, learning about eco-adventure and taking care of the environment.
If you were not there, we are sorry you missed a fun time, maybe next year. If you were there please come back to this article in the next couple of days and we will have changed it to include photos and links to a photo gallery. If you want to write your own account of how you enjoyed the race and the entire weekend experience, please click the “Post Reply” button below and add your story.
See you all next year.
