New Zealand, U.S. racing teams tie for "Primal Quest" top prize

By Tan Vinh
Seattle Times staff reporter

MATT WALLIS / SKAGIT VALLEY HERALD U.S. team Nike ACG-Balance Bar team members cross a road west of Mount Vernon yesterday with their kayak. Their team and one from New Zealand crossed the finish line together at Orcas Island last night to take the Subaru Primal Quest's $100,000 prize.

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Quest spokesman Drew Kroner said the New Zealand team Seagate and the U.S. team Nike ACG-Balance Bar met up toward the end of the course and crossed the finish line at 7:19 p.m.

The original course was more rugged but was altered after the death of one of the sport's superstars, Australian Nigel Aylott, 39. He was killed Tuesday when a dislodged boulder struck him. Organizers suspended the race for a day and shortened the course. More than 200 racers from 10 countries continued, with black tape on their jerseys.

In the past three days, racers have biked and trekked through storms and gusty winds in the North Cascades and then paddled yesterday morning down the Baker and Skagit rivers.

At midnight yesterday, a team from California was stuck at the bottom of a ravine near Devil's Peak, about 25 miles east of Granite Falls in Snohomish County, and activated its emergency beacon to alert race officials.

While it is common for teams to get lost, organizers called authorities as a precaution. But a race spokesman said the four-person team freed itself and didn't need to be rescued. No one was injured, and the team continued.

The top 10 finishers share in the $250,000 prize money — $100,000 for the two winning teams and $150,000 for the next eight — which is why most teams gave up sleep over the past three days to rush to the finish line.

Dirtworld.com Adventure Racing Team, which includes three Washington racers, were among the teams in contention to finish in the top 10 yesterday, but the team lost ground by afternoon and had fallen to 11th place late last night. The team started four minutes late and was battling several injuries. Team member Cyril Jay-Rayon, 38, of Seattle, had suffered bruised ribs while kayaking the 51 miles off Orcas Island last Sunday during the first stage. He also was running on painful blisters, a support-staff member said.

At 400 miles, the contest was originally billed as the longest race in America, but the course was shortened by about three days after Aylott's death.

Tan Vinh: 206-515-5656 or tvinh@seattletimes.com.

Reporters Jennifer Sullivan and Jessica Blanchard contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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