Desert Winds Testimonials

Melissa Griffiths, Team Gold Rush Mother Lode:

I competed in the Desert Winds 24 Hour 2009, really a 24 to 36 hour race. Without doubt it was the best race of that length I have done. It had a true expedition feel about it - the navigation was challenging, the terrain was true wilderness and time between TAs seemed like an eternity. Plus, it was super fun and well organized. To finish a Desert Winds race you need to be tough, smart and fit, all the qualities that make a good racer. I would recommend these races for anyone looking for a challenge or to take it to the next level.

Tom Thomas, Team SOAR:

Robert Finlay and his staff put together a fantastic race experience! His race was one of the best produced races I have entered. The course was well-conceived and had challenging terrain with lots of route choices. You do not want to miss his expedition race in 2010!

From Team Red Energy:

These guys are known for putting together some of the most strenuous and technically challenging adventure races around and this one would not disappoint! See the full race report...

From Cyril Jay-Rayon of Team DART (this year know as Team nuun-feedthemachine):

I’ve been doing Desert Winds adventure races for years and they are consistently in my top 3 races to do every year. The Desert Winds courses are spectacular, exciting, and the navigation is challenging but well thought out (and the Check Points are always in the right location). These races are designed by athletes with athletes in mind. I highly recommend these races for beginners and advance adventure racers alike. If I want to introduce someone to adventure racing, I always choose a Desert Winds race. The last time I introduced someone to adventure racing, we did a 12 hour night race. After the race, my friend told me, “this was awesome, when can we do a 24 hour race?”

From Jim Holmes of Team ARC:

As a member of Team Adventure Racing Concepts I've raced each of Kayak Lake Mead's (KLM) Desert Winds 24 Hour ARs. This event is at the top of my race calendar each year. There are a few things you can always count on from a KLM race. Good checkpoints: located where they're supposed to be and with enough map and terrain features so you can find the point without playing hide and seek. Good maps: from mytopo.com, need I say more? True adventure with out any hand-holding: swim across Lake Mead, sure why not? Load $10k worth of mountain bikes in a $9.99 pool toy and tow it behind you while doing so? Even better. You figure it out, you're responsible for your own decisions and safety. You get the picture...KLM is putting on races that put the adventure back in adventure racing. You can read a race report from our first Desert Wind's 24 Hour race at http://www.zdap.com/racereports

From Ryan Ross of Team Rogue Ryan:

I have raced in the majority of adventure races that Kayak Lake Mead/Desert Winds have put on. They have said they try to put on races that they themselves would want to race in. It certainly shows! I have had a blast in every single race. Whether it was a 6 hour or 24 hour it was always challenging. I have seen some beautiful desert landscapes in their races. Whether its rappelling down a waterfall into a pack raft or trekking down a hot springs canyon their races have it all. You can tell they take a lot of pride in putting together a race course. I can't wait to see what they have in store for the expedition length race.

From Sylvie Maracci (of Team Kayak Lake Mead at the Mother Lode '09):

If you want to feel your adrenaline pumping, cross breathtaking landscapes; if you want to go where nobody has been, feel in control of your destiny and evade your daily routine; then embark in the Desert Winds Adventure Race series (a.k.a. Robert's races) and don’t miss the expedition piece… we won’t.. we’ll be there… it’s around the corner (yet so far), well put together, no nonsense… we love it!

From Rick Baraff, Team Aquan / RWG:

Finally, at 9:30, quicker than you can say "Peter Cottontail" or "Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers", Robert started the race. There was no pre-handing out of the maps to plot, no instructions on where or where not to go, no big speeches about the rules... just some vague notes for how to prepare our gear for the first leg (food and water for 4+ hours including stuff to swim in/with... if you wanted). All he had to say to us was: "Welcome to the race. This is the start. At Checkpoint One, you'll get the maps and instructions for the rest of the first section of the race. To get to Checkpoint One, head 300 degrees magnetic north from here. The maps are on an island in the lake 2.4 kilometers away." See Rick's full blog...

From Team Verve:

Adventure racing is about choices! Everyone here has real freedom to make their own decisions compared to most other sports. You make your own bed, and then you lay on it. This is especially true here, since Desert Winds has very few rules even by adventure racing standards. There is a recommended gear list, and some minimal information about the course, but looking around at the other teams, there were clear differences in strategies. See the reports from Murray Maitland's, Christi Masi, and Miles Ohlrich...

From Team SOLE:

Lake Mead National Recreation Area was host of the Ay-Up 12 Hr. Night Race put on by the folks at Kayak Lake Mead. These guys organized the 24 hour race we participated in May. It was brutally hard, in terrain and navigation....this event would not be much different. See the full report...

From Dennis Paprocki of Team ARC:

In response to the comment, Desert Winds races are tough; "don't ever sell out and lose the quality and excitement of your races. best race promotions group in a long time. makes a huge difference when you are a racer and design the courses AND listen to people's feedback...novel idea...especially when you do have both of those attributes...keep it up Finlay Family"...

Email us about these Testimonials

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presented by the Desert Winds Adventure Series

September 18-25, 2010