Welcome to teamsole.com
Team SOLE Partners with Safety Smart Wear
Safety Smart Wear is a a premiere apparel company based in Medellin Colombia. Team SOLE is very pleased to partner with Safety. They make fully sublimated, digitally printed bike apparel - jerseys, shorts, tights, jackets, arm warmers, etc. If you or your team are looking for beautiful, quality, customized clothing with no minimums and great prices check out Safety Smart Wear. Take a look at www.safetycol.com. Tell them Team SOLE sent you.
Team SOLE/Toread - At Wulong Mountain Quest
Well sorry for the lack of updates...we started racing and it was all we could do. Clean and prepare gear and refuel and rest, get up to race our brains out and do it all again. Here's a fun report on the races. Take a look. RACE REPORT - CLICK HERE
Team SOLE Launches Discount Travel Site
Travelling as much as we do, you can imagine we spend our share of time scouring the internet for the best travel deals. Now we have found a great solution to save us both time and money as we travel to races and to support Jordan's climbs on the Seven Summit. You can save $$ as well, just check out www.teamsoletravel.com. If you are travelling and purchasing flights, rental cars, a cruise, hotels, packaged vacations, etc. give our site a try. If our prices don't beat what you can find elsewhere, then by all means purchase the best deal you can find, however, if we can meet or beat the price you find, we hope you'll buy through our website. Just give us a look before you book. www.teamsoletravel.com
Team SOLE Wins Central Coast Challenge
We managed to dust off the cob webs and get our gear together and rolled all the way up to San Luis Obispo.
Our good friend from Brazil, Tessa Roorda made her way from Sao Paulo to join Team SOLE for this 12-hour event.
Yishai, the Race Director, is known for his course design, and he did not disappoint. There were several quality solos and teams from all over California.
We started on a 45 minute hammer session on Lake Santa Margarita. Karen looking sassy on her surf ski took turns leading the race along with soloist Fred from Australia. From there onto a giant bike section where we battled with a slow leaking tire and some cO2 cartridge and adapter incompatibility issues. McGyver moves were displayed and we came off the bike in 2nd place.
Into the forest of never ending poison oak, tough navigation and a 400' tyrolean traverse over the lake. It was pretty wild stuff for a 12- hour race. A few slick moves, and we came off this section tied for the lead with the 2 soloists.
The final leg of the race was a wild kayak/run/navigation section that had optional checkpoints, but required that teams be at the finish line before 8:00 p.m. This left teams to strategize which points they had time to get. We found ourselves in the company of 4 teams and the soloists as we got closer to the finish.....but we'd got all the checkpoints including all the optionals...and made to the finish with just 20 minutes before course closure. We nailed it. We were the only team to get every point.
Tessa and Karen were both tough as nails, and teamwork was our strong point. Paul kept us moving in the right direction and especially when the navigation got tough. Congrats to all the other teams who made it to the finish line and to Yishai and his crew for a great event.
Paul Wins 12 Hours of Bootleg Canyon
Paul races the 12 Hours of Bootleg - Mountain Bike Race.
He circles the course for 12 hours and comes out in 1st Place. It wasn't easy, for anyone who has ever ridden Bootleg Canyon knows that just 2 hours will take it out of you. 12 hours is pretty much unthinkable. So maybe they do an easy course on the beginner trails...not a chance - Full Throttle, for 12 hours. Paul said, "it was the hardest thing I have done in a long, long time." Meanwhile Karen raced with a hodgepodge team at the Castaic Lake Big Blue Adventure Race to defend last year's title. Team SOLE/Feed the Machine donned Feed the SOLE took first place. All in all a good weekend for Team SOLE.
Team SOLE Partners with UrsaMinor Vehicles
Check out the new SOLEMOBILE. We've got the newest, coolest, pop top sleeper - The E-Camper from UrsaMinor Vehicles. Check out the SOLEMOBILE at the UrsaMinor booth at the LA Auto Show and check out the E-Camper at www.ursaminorvehicles.com Its rad! Just ask Jordan who's already tested it out (so what if it was just in the driveway). Jordan gives the E-Camper 2 thumbs up!
Our Lucky Number - Team SOLE 4th at Ecomotion Pro, Brazil
After 80 hours of racing, Team SOLE landed a 4th place finish among the strongest International field since the World Championships in Scotland. "The top ten from the World Championships were all there," said Paul Romero. "We were happy with our finish." Read the full race report to learn more about the race.
3rd Place in Extreme Adventure Hidalgo
Another stage race, this one with a 12 hour race to start, followed by a 24 hour stage and then a 6 hour stage to finish. Team SOLE battled it out with the best in the World, Team Nike and Team Buff from Spain to finish in a strong 3rd place. Read the full race report on Sleepmonsters to learn more about the race.
Team SOLE Lands 4th Place in Medellin, Colombia
The spectactular 3-day stage race was more good times. Sweden, Spain and local team Bosi edged out Team SOLE in a race that was plagued by a number of controversial race rulings. Read the full race report on Sleepmonsters to learn more about the race.
4th Place At The Wulong Mountain Quest
After four days of staged racing in China, Team SOLE was proud to come home with a fourth place finish under their belts. The field was “Intense, fast and cutthroat.” Read the full race report to learn more about the race.
Team SOLE Wins at Lake Mead 12 hour Night Race
Team SOLE, Karen, Paul and Marcel, challenged the heat and terrain of Lake Mead and Bootleg Canyon in the Kayak Lake Mead 12 hour night race. The threesome were the first to the finish line after a night of paddling, swimming running and biking. Read the entire race report...
Team SOLE in Go Outside, Brazil's biggest outdoor magazine.
Click below to see the whole article (might need to pull out your Portugese dictionary).
Team SOLE Wins Raid The North Extreme
Team
SOLE with Karen, Paul, Marcel Hagener and Darren Clarke traveled North, almost
to Alaska, to the beautiful town of Prince Rupert and the stunning Queen Charlotte
Islands for a win at the Raid the North Extreme. The foursome completed the full
course which only 2 other teams managed to do. A big, big thanks from Team SOLE
to the Brown family (Jags, Sue and Khataya) for their support and friendship in
Skidegate. If you're ever in Skidegate don't miss Jags and the Beanstalk coffee
shop for the best latte in the entire world. Check out more of our
race reports.
Click here for race photos.
Another W in the Desert
Team SOLE, Karen and Paul along with Brazillian House of Pain trainee, Ze Pupo took a commanding lead from the start of this brutal desert race and never looked back. "Our Intense Spider 29ers ruled the desert," said Paul Romero. "We rode where most teams had to walk their bikes and we made up a lot of time because of it," he continued with a sparkle in his eye recalling the freestyle riding through the desert bush searching for places where the sand was packed hard enough to ride, and all the while dodging bushes and cactus. Brazillian teammate Ze Pupo got a good taste of the desert landscape "Nothing here is soft," he said. "Some of these bushes will just tear you off your bike." The threesome finished the race in just under 28 hours. "The navigation in the desert was some of the toughest we've seen," said Karen Lundgren. "Paul's compass and map reading were spot on and allowed us to find every one of the 18 orienteering points before heading to the finish line for the win."
Team SOLE with Brazilians Ze Pupo &
Shubi Guimaraes Win at Castaic
Lake
Two Brazilian friends and fellow AR racers joined Karen and Paul for the Big Blue 12 hour adventure at Castaic Lake. With temperatures reaching 115 F in the back canyons it was a race of survival. The heat was a factor from the start and it was just a matter of managing all four team mates to stay hydrated and full of electrolytes. At the start line, Romero handed the map to Karen and cheerfully excused himself from the navigation for this event. In charge of the map for the first time in a race, Lundgren made a few mistakes but kept the team on track to cross the finish line in just over six hours. Following the race, the team headed to San Pedro for an early a.m. departure the following day to paddle from the mainland to Catalina. We plan to stay the night in Avalon and paddle back the next a.m.
Team SOLE starts 2007 with another WIN
The tiny village of Barreal practically doubled it's population as more than 50 teams, support crews, officials, volunteers and fans descended into the region. It was the excitement of the year for sure as this sleepy village was bombarded with bikes, gear, support vehicles and the energy of the race. The locals say this region is the most beautiful part of the Andes and we were awed by the 6,000 m (20,000 ft.) snowcapped peaks that surrounded the valley, peaks that the race would soon climb. Team SOLE (Karen, Paul and Petri) was first to the finish line ahead of the some fast local teams in both the all male and mixed category. For a more detailed race report, click here.
Team SOLE Another W in Portugal
Among the wonderful and mysterious
medieval castles, cobblestone, mud, slopp, freezing rain, and 15 foot waves, Team
SOLE takes a convincing win over- Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Latvia,
Estonia. Teaming up with world champion navigator Petri Forsman of Finland (formerly
of Team Nokia) and Aurelio Oliver of Spain, Team SOLE is making a big move for
07. Definitely more podiums to come. Click here to
read more.
A GIANT WIN for Team SOLE at Ecomotion Pro, Rio de Janiero, Brazil
More than 99 hours of racing through rain, jungle, mud, heat, wind and ocean waves, and Team SOLE (Karen Lundgren, Paul Romero, Tom Zidek and newcomer from Madrid, Spain, Auerellio Oliver) came out on top. A win at the Ecomotion Pro was a real breakthrough for Team SOLE, a win at one of the World's Premier expedition events with nearly every top team present. Look for pictures and race reports on www.sleepmonsters.com; www.ecomotion.com.br; and www.checkpointzero.com. A full race report from Team SOLE will be posted here soon.
Team SOLE scores a WIN at Raid Eco Endurance Aventure in Quebec, Canada
From Stage 1, Team SOLE took a commanding lead as Karen and Paul were joined by new team members Tom Zidek from Canmore, BC and Scott Swaney from Colorado. The 4 stage race was fast and furious, with some quick local teams chasing the leaders as each stage started fresh - but the cumulative time kept the final score. Race report.
Team SOLE survives the 2006 Primal Quest UTAH
Battling for the lead position for almost a week around the clock, Team SOLE rolled into a 7th place finish for its 3rd consecutive top 10 finish at Primal Quest, now regarded as the most coveted ultra endurance event in the world.
Team SOLE Wins in Michigan
Paul, Karen and team captured first place in the second annual Michigan Coast to Coast Expedition Adventure Race. The race began on Monday, June 3rd in Frankfort, Michigan and Team SOLE paddled into the finish line on Friday morning in Alpena, Michigan. The team battled hard to beat rival Eastern Mountain Sports who placed second, arriving at the finish line three hours later. Read more at the race report
Romero Wins Central Coast Challenge
In another rare solo race, Paul entered a central California regional 12 hour event, and squeaked out a win while partnering up with a AR newcomer / ironman veteran John "the Polish Prince" Wiercinski. The CCC turned out to be a fascinating event outside San Luis Obispo, and the event was an entertaining day of AR. Paul's ankle seems to be nearly fully recovered (from Argentina, February injury), and the tune up for Primal Quest continues.
Jen Judge/Planet-Photo.com © 2006
Romero finishes 2nd in Costa Rica SOLO race.
Team SOLE's Paul Romero was the Captain and the entire team and he joined more than 20 solo competitors from around the world in the first ever solo expedition race. A second place finish on this grueling course was awesome. More than 3 days solo in the jungles, rivers, lakes and mountains of Costa Rica. Read a race report from Paul and from Paul's support crew (Karen and Jordan) ... click here.
Check out some fun photos of Team SOLE participating in the Euforia Expedition.
About Team SOLE
Adventure Racing is one of the most demanding sports an athlete can participate in. Involving all aspects of athleticism and outdoorsmanship, Adventure Racing is rapidly growing in popularity. Consistently ranked in the top 5 Adventure Racing teams in the world, Team SOLE relies on SOLE Custom Footbeds to maintain their competitive advantage. To learn more about SOLE Custom Footbeds please visit www.yoursole.com.