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HOLDS HIM OFF 鈥� Andreas Leiter of Team Austria, right, races ahead of Christian Schmid of Team Germany in a snowshoe race during the 2013 Fulda Challenge. Photo courtesy of the FULDA CHALLENGE
Team Austria wins 2013 Fulda Challenge
Team Austria may have been the top point-getters, but the tires were the true winners at the 2013 Fulda Challenge, which wrapped up in Whitehorse last night.
Team Austria may have been the top point-getters, but the tires were the true winners at the 2013 Fulda Challenge, which wrapped up in Whitehorse last night.
The six-day challenge, in which celebrities and athletes from across Europe brave the Yukon's winter elements, was won by Renate Reingruber and Andreas Leiter of Austria.
A winner's banquet was held last night in the Yukon capital following 10 extreme challenges including a long distance run to the Arctic Circle marker on the Dempster Highway, a tire slingshot competition, and a snowshoe mountain run.
While Austria finished first, the German and Swiss teams were second and third, respectively.
"Throughout the whole event, they were really good,鈥� said event organizer Holger Bergold. "It's not a surprise Austria won.鈥�
The tired teams boarded flights bound for Europe early this morning.
Bergold said the event was "extremely successful.鈥�
"The tires really got a chance to prove themselves,鈥� he told the Star. "It surprised a lot of journalists.鈥�
Bergold said that two Guinness World Records were broken during a slalom event on the ice at Schwatka Lake 鈥� one for shortest braking distance, and the other for quickest speed slalom.
Ferdinand Stuck, a race car driver, completed the 750-metre course with 50 cones set 15 metres apart in 1 minute, 33.88 seconds.
The 14 competitors truly enjoyed experiencing the Yukon wilderness during the Fulda Challenge.
"They were totally happy,鈥� Bergold said. "They had a helluva lot of fun in this huge wilderness. Just the fact that they drove from here to Dawson and they met five cars, or from Dawson to Eagle Plains and they met no cars. You can't do that in Europe. That's really astonishing.鈥�
Reports said the 2013 experience offered the worst driving conditions in the history of the challenge.
Warmer-than-usual temperatures made the Fulda tires work in not only ice and snow, but also slush.
The top finishers receive $1,500 each, as well as a gold nugget from Dawson City.
The Yukon government's tourism department chipped in $150,000 towards the event, which sees Fulda organizers spend about $1 million in the Yukon on equipment rentals, accommodation, food and other events and services.
The territory provides the appropriate training ground for Fulda's winter tire line.
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Comments (1)
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Melba Disco Dancing Queen on Jan 16, 2013 at 8:57 am
They film these events for free advertising in Germany. (The fulda brand is showcased in what passes as programming. The fact that it is filmed in the Yukon makes the programming of interest to many Europeans. The 'free' advertising they receive in this way is worth millions in Europe. This is no secret.) Why do we subsidize this event? Were there even any Canadians participating? Enough is enough. How many years have we been throwing $150,000 at these German Fulda Tire Company advertising events?
What is the value of the advertising