Lapine Loop Newsletter #3
This one is the big one, so please make sure you share it with all your teammates. We’ll cover general information, and then a list of some of the FAQs that we’ve gotten over the last weeks. This (and the previous newsletters) will be posted on the website in the “Racer Info” section. We’ve been getting tons of SPAM posts in the forum lately, so will try to keep cleaning it out as we build a more permanent solution, but just know that it is there, you may have to scroll down a bit.
THE EXCITING NEWS!
Lapine Loop 2020 will be the biggest adventure race in Oregon in the last 15 years! We’ve maxed out at 50 teams and have athletes traveling from California, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, and all over Oregon.
$1000 PRIZE PURSE: Thanks to some very generous partners we’ve added a prize purse to this years event, and that’s essentially unheard of in a 6 hour event!. The purse will be 3 deep for the 3/4-person coed/women category (the standard AR premier category), with a smaller prizes for top overall. There will be prizes for other categories.
3/4 person coed/women: $200/125/75
Overall winners (this can stack with the above): $200
In addition there will be three “wild card” purses (total of $400) that will be available to all official ranked finishers.
Yeah, we know….not enough for you to retire on, but certainly enough to enjoy a nice team dinner with local craft brews.
So if you get a chance please check out and support the following sponsors that made this prize purse possible! Or give them a special shout out on social: @AOSSkincare, @Discoverchiropracticbend, @HydroFlask, @BendSauce and @RiseCoffee.
Swag: We have some GREAT swag and prizes lined up for you.
Hydroflask mugs
Pasokin snacks
Bend Racing Buffs
Leki camp chairs
Lupine and Light and Motion lights
Rise Coffee
Bend Sauce Chipotle
Adventure Eats dehydrated meals
AOS Skincare (Skin Doctor tins!)
Amavara Sunscreen
Bronwen handcrafted jewelry
Ciele Hats
GoLite Gear
And some more things are still in the works..
So take a moment and thank these sponsors too! Seriously - tag them in a post or comment on their page. It goes a long way to see that support, and comes right back to you in the next event. Brands have a choice of events they support and we are super thankful these brands that our team believes in are committed to being a part of this race and sport!
Media: There will be several photographers and videographers covering the event, and we’ll let you know how to access the content they create from the event. If you haven’t checked out some of the photos from past lapine races, hop on https://www.bendracing.com/race-photos and get excited.
Mandatory Gear notes:
The mandatory gear for this event is minimal (Covered in Newsletter #1), and depending on weather conditions, we suggest carrying a midlayer (or more) to stay warm. Historically the biggest race ending “condition” for this event has been hypothermia. Weather and temps are variable in late October, the water is cold, and it is important that you be able to warm up after periods of brief immersion. Some teams may even consider carrying a single pack towel, dry clothes layers, even a neoprene beanie or wetsuit top if you know you get REALLY cold easily. All depends on what the weather will be like and how much you like to suffer in the cold.
We mentioned in an earlier newsletter that there may be a need for each team to have one waterproof headlamp/flashlight and a pair of goggles. This particular section is not 100% confirmed but we’ll let you know as soon as we know.
For specific questions about ropes gear, see the FAQ!
Parking:
A day use pass is required for parking in the state park, or a Oregon state parks pass. Day use passes are $5. There are limited parking spots at the start finish area, and volunteers will be on hand to help direct racers starting at 7:30 AM. Please follow staff instructions, or else you may be asked to move. Once the parking area is 100% full, racers will be directed to nearby lots after dropping off any and all gear needed at the start line. The additional lots are about 1 mile away, so a nice warm up walk. More detailed parking and pre-race logistics will be in the final newsletter. But in short, PLAN ON CARPOOLING if possible.
Insurance:
We are pleased to announce that the Lapine Loop is part of the new and improved United States Adventure Racing Association (USARA) and a sanctioned event. So you could qualify for national championships or the new Solo national championships. It also gives us access to a robust insurance program that allows us to make you do cool things involving ropes, rivers, etc. But the downside is that it requires all participants to be members of USARA. We are working on the details for racers to get a 1-day USARA license or to get a year license/membership that will be good at all USARA races this year.
COVID Precautions:
Stay home if you are having any Covid Symptoms
Wear a mask when interacting with volunteers, staff, or other teams
Wear a mask when racing if you are not podded up with your teammates and cannot maintain adequate distance.
Wash your hands or use sanitizer frequently at TAs, and pre and post race.
There will be a few more specific race rules regarding Covid that we will cover at the race meeting.
FAQs
Q: Is there a good place in Bend to rent all the gear that I need?
A: Bikes are easy to rent. We personally use Pine Mountain Sports when we have friends coming to town, but nearly every bike shop (and there are over 10) in town rents bikes. It is a good idea to call ahead to make sure they still have bikes available, as many of them are transitioning toward ski season. The closest bike rental to the venue is Sunriver Sports.
For boats (packrafts) your best bet is Backcountry packrafts out of Montana. They will ship the boats to Bend. Inflatable Kayaks can be rented at Ouzel outfitters or Deschutes River Adventures in central Oregon, and these will work, but will be heavier when you have to carry them.
Q: Can I use a hardshell for the paddling leg?
A: No. You can use any inflatable. A inflatable SUP, tube (not recommended), packraft, IK, or one of the various inflatable dingys (Intex, Sevylor, etc) that are widely available at big box sport stores.
Q: Is there whitewater?
A: No, this race has no whitewater. It is important to understand how to maneuver your craft in order to stay in the current and avoid snags and deadfall in the river, but this time of year the water is fairly slow moving and not at all dangerous.
Q: Can I fit 2 people in a 1-person boat?
A: Yes. There is no mandatory # of boats, or seats in a boat, just a requirement that all teammates be able to fit in a boat somehow and the boat still afloat. Take note though that an overloaded boat may be significantly slower and handle poorly.
Q: Can the boat start inflated?
A: No. All boats will be staged at a remote location where they will be delfated. You will be allowed to include your pump/inflation bag, paddles and PFD’s with the boats. Once you leave in the boats, you must carry all the equipment with you (including pumps and any gear bags etc) for the entire paddling section until you reach the designated boat drop/transition area. This will be between 1.5 - 2 miles.
Q: Will I have to carry my boat?
A: Yes. (see above). For this reason we recommend a packraft, break apart paddle, and lightweight life jacket. And we recommend you PRACTICE inflating, deflating and whatever method you will use to carry your boats. It is highly possible that some of the boat carry will be on singletrack trail, or even off trail depending on route choice.
Q: Will a hardtail mountain bike work?
A: Yes, the trails are very easy for the most part, and fast. We have tested the course on hardtails and found it very fast and enjoyable. But if you are new to mountain biking you should practice on trails if you can, as there are lots of twists and turns in the park.
Q: Are gravel bikes allowed?
A: We feel that bikes are getting very specialized, and the restrictions on bike type will only limit the sport. Therefore we will allow any bike with the strict rule of NO electric or pedal assist bikes. But if you really wanna bring your road bike, we won’t stop you. We feel the fastest bike for this course would be a 29er hardtail mountain bike, but that a skilled rider will find little time difference between a full suspension rig, hardtail or even a gravel adventure bike with wider wheels. The trails can be a bit loose and dusty depending on the last rainfall.
Q: What climbing gear do I need?
A: 50% of the team will be doing the rope section (rounded up, so if you are a 3 person team, 2 people do the ropes). There is no climbing this year, just a rappel. For each person doing the ropes you will at a minimum need:
belay/rappel device (no figure 8s)
2 locking carabiners (one must be a suitable belay size biner)
1 sewn slings
Each of the ropes teammates must have the skill to rappel. The rappel will be free hanging, so you may wish to bring additional slings if you need to feel more comfortable. You are also allowed to create a prussik backup, but it is not required. The remaining teammates not on the ropes will be required to provide a fireman’s belay as their teammate rappels for additional safety. We will not dictate a certain rappel technique, but our staff must feel that you are knowledgeable and safe or they will not let you proceed. They will also not “teach” you onsite, and will have full discretion to ask you to skip the section and proceed without the checkpoint.
SOLOISTS: You will need the following additional gear and skills at an absolute minimum
1 additional carabiner
1 additional sewn sling
1 prusik/klemheist
You will likely need more as you will be required to rappel WITH YOUR BOAT, PADDLE, and PFD. (hey, no complaining, you are solo so you gotta do it all on your own). You will be required to back up your own rappel with a friction safety (prussik etc), and securely lower with all your equipment. Check out photos of last year’s race if you need to see this.
Q: Will we get a resupply or bin to stage stuff in?
A: What do you think this is an expedition race?!? There will be NO resupply for the duration of the event. The transition areas and gear drops are simply to allow you to switch disciplines and there will be three main transitions:
TA to boat: Here you will stage boats, paddles, PFDs, inflation devices,climbing gear and any bags you need to carry/contain your equipment. You can also leave some food/clothes (not recommended) but when you leave the Boat TA, you can leave no gear behind. We recommend a couple giant mesh laundry bags or 50lb onion/potato bags for keeping your boating gear together.
Boat Drop: Here you can leave all the paddle gear, and anything else you no longer need as long as it all fits in your boats/bags etc. No loose gear. You will not see this gear again until the end of the race.
TA to bike: Here you will stage bikes, helmets, and bike shoes (if needed). You could also leave food/clothes here (not recommended) but when you leave the TA you will take everything with you.
Q: Will there be food at the end of the race
A: YES! We will have Adventure Eats meals for all the racers, some amazing local hot sauce, homemade cookies, and a hot beverage.
Q: Will I have to swim the river?
A: No. In many places the river is shallow and can be waded, but in others it requires swimming. But you can also go and find a bridge. It just might be a lot further that way. But if you are adverse to getting wet and cold we suggest another sport to you: Triathlon.
Q: What happens if I can’t find a checkpoint (CP)?
A: Depends. To make our course suitable to various levels, we have two types of checkpoints that you will find. Regular CP and “PRO” CP.
Regular CPs are mandatory, and must be found in order to stay officially ranked in the event. Teams that fail to find one of these are encouraged to continue racing but will be listed as unranked if they finish the rest of the course.
PRO CP are optional. They are usually more difficult because of challenging navigation or extra distance/exertion required. Sometimes both. Skipping a PRO point does not mean a team is unranked. At the finish, teams that got all the regular mandatory CP are ranked first by the # of additional PRO CP the achieved, and then by time if teams have the same # of PRO points. The race is designed so that the elite teams will all be racing to get all of the PRO points and finish in the allotted time. Many rookie teams should consider strongly skipping some/most/all of the PRO points.