Primal Quest Team Registration and Skills Testing Begins
Posted on 06/22/08 2:22 PM| by Kraig
June 21, 2008 – Big Sky Montana
By Craig Stein
The slightly rested staff and volunteer members of the Primal Quest race organization greeted the first teams scheduled to register Saturday morning at 7:30 AM. Each team progressed through a series of gear check, and other assorted, stations picking up GPS tracking devices, having their climbing equipment closely scrutinized, and fulfilling the requirements of their check lists. Skills testing also filled a large part of team’s schedules. Racers got into climbing gear and ascended the ropes fixed atop a couple chair lift poles on the slopes of Big Sky mountain. Water safety crews utilized the lake at Big Sky Mountain Village as a testing venue for water skills. Teams were monitored by staff as they showed their technical proficiency in inflatable boats, kayaks, and atop river boards. Teams were exposed to the frigid water temps while wearing wet suits to test there abilities to withstand the cold and remain functional in the case of a likely but unplanned water entry.
At the ropes testing grounds, the three male members of team Gnome Hunters, watched their female team mate’s slow but confident jumar up a fixed rope to the top where she switched over to a rappel line for a quick descent. “The only hard part about the test was up top where the mess of gear is in a confined space,” said Pete Curtis. Mark Bedenbender and Dave Swanson continued yelling support up to team mate Roslyn Landsman. “You are doing great Rozzi-Baby!” bellowed Dave.
After having their team photo taken, team Gnome Hunters headed down to the lake to be checked off on water skills. Earlier in the week the team took advantage of the close by Gallatin River to get two days of training on river boards. Roslyn Landsman hit a log during one of these sessions and luckily escaped with only minor bruising. The water skills tests proceeded smoothly for Gnome Hunters with only one small mishap as Pete’s prescription glasses escaped him as he went into the water during a ducky roll over drill. Good luck with the map reading out on the course!
