RAFTING NEWS ITEM

Peak to Creek Storms Through Oetztal Valley

WEDNESDAY, 21 MAY 2008

It was a close competition between an all-star cast at the newest race on the Multisport calendar, the Peak to Creek, held at the Ötztal Valley, Austria last May 10.

Team 1, led by kayaking legend and race organizer, Schorschi Schauf, came out tops as eventual winners, and according to official timekeepers Suunto, recorded a time of 3hr 42min 34sec, just 2min 28sec ahead of Team 4.

A unique concept based around a 'winter to summer' theme, the Peak to Creek saw four teams of seven battling it out over different sports on a unique course beginning with a snowsports race on the Schwarze Schneide Mountain and finishing with a group rafting section to the mouth of the River Inn.

Held as a relay race, Peak to Creek covered a total of 70km and an incredible 2359 vertical metres, and also took in mountain biking, climbing, paragliding, mountain running, and kayaking.

Schauf's team had come from behind to take the win, after a blistering start from Team 4's Isi Grüner. Grüner, a renowned Skier-X athlete, completed the ski leg from the Schwarze Schneide's summit eight seconds ahead of freeskiing expert Axel Naglich.

Team 1 downhiller Manuelo Bustelo recorded the fastest mountain-bike leg, but Team 4 kept the lead after a fine ride by Flori Hesse and even extended it during the climbing section with an amazing effort from local alpinist Armin Wilhelm on the 200m Burgsteiner Wall.

After a short paragliding section, Team 1's mountain runner Christien Schiester dug deep and finally took the lead from Tobias Krügel of Team 4. Schiester handed over to Schauf who hammered the kayaking section down the fast flowing Ötztaler Ache.

Despite having a healthy lead going into the final rafting part, Team 1 nearly lost it all as their boat became stuck on a rock as they approached the finish near the mouth of the River Inn.

Managing to free it just in time, the favorites ultimately triumphed and were able to begin celebrations as their competitors crossed the line a few minutes later.

"I'm so stoked with how it went," said Schauf. "It was a beautiful day, and everyone put in their best efforts."

"It's really great how everyone comes together at the end for the rafting," he said. "There's no other multisport event in the world that does this." (photo from: Uwe Fischer)

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