The Fine Line - Results

Thursday's showing of The Fine line was a HUGE sucess! thanks to everyone who came and checked it out. Here's Sophie's impression of the night...

I'm delighted to let you know that last night's screening of the award-winning avalanche film "The Fine Line" at Queenstown's World Bar was a huge success! The AdventureSkope Productions crew were hoping that about 100 people might attend, so they were overjoyed that almost 200 people braved the rain to be a part of this fantastic night. Even more people wanted to see the movie - We had to apologetically turn people away due to the World Bar having reached maximum capacity.

Proceeds from the film night, which are going to New Zealand Land Search and Rescue, have already exceeded $1,600 and further donations are still pouring in. Search & Rescue's Ed Halson is delighted with the result and has said that the money will be used to fund new "lost person rescue kits" a crucial ingredient in a successful backcountry rescue. The event was very well supported by local businesses with over $2,000 worth of products being given away to thirty lucky people. Sponsors included Body Sanctum, Harris Mountain Heli-Ski, IO NZ, Joe's Garage, Onsen Hot Pools, Outside Sports, Petzl, Quest, The Studio Pilates & Physiotherapy and The World Bar; along with 3 Fold Print and Impact Print.

Thanks to everyone that supported and attended this event - without your help it wouldn't have been the incredible success that it was!
Cheers!
Sophie

Bikram Yoga and me

For the past three years yoga has been an extremely important part of my life. As an athlete, I was first drawn to the physical side of yoga – through yoga I was able to take 30minutes off of my best marathon time and prepare for the 60km Kepler Challenge mountain run. For the last 18months I’ve been practicing Bikram yoga and have successfully integrated it into my training program. Bikram Yoga has been a huge part of my Tour d'Afrique training program.

for those that don't know Bikram Yoga is a style of yoga that is practiced in a room heated to about 40c. at first the heat is nearly unbearable, but eventually you get in tuned to the environment and you let go...

For this expedition my training has consisted of many hours on the bike but also a regular dose of Bikram yoga. Bikram is the perfect preparation for this adventure for a variety of reasons. First off, it gets you strong. My legs are stronger then ever, and that’s thanks to Bikram. The second thing Bikram Yoga is great for is heat preparation – during my ride I’ll likely encounter temperatures in the 40c range. I’ll have to bike up to 130km a day in that heat – Bikram has taught me how to handle that heat and has helped prove to myself that I can actually exercise in it. The third aspect that Bikram has brought to my training is endurance. By endurance I’m referring to the root word – endure. Through Bikram I’ve learned that I can push myself to the very limit, and at that edge of supreme effort there is a moment of calm and clarity. A crystalline moment of thought that can only be achieved when you’ve pushed yourself to the limit. Yoga may have started as a physical element to my training regime, but now more then ever it has evolved into training for the mind. The mind is after all the strongest muscle in the body.

I've been lucky enough to have the support of Studio Sangha during my TDA prep. I am full of gratitude towards Peggy and the whole Studio Sangha crew – it’s really felt like a team effort to get ready for this adventure. It’s going to be an amazing experience, and thanks to my Yoga practice, it’s going to be an achievable dream.

if you live in Queenstown be sure to go and support Studio Sangha - you can find a link to their website on the righthand side of this page - if you're reading this from elsewhere in the world, have a look at http://www.bikramyoga.com/ for a class near you.

~Namaste
Scott

Tour d’Afrique – Giving Back

I’ve struggled for a long time to come to terms with my philanthropic strategy for my African adventure. My trip will pass through some of the most economically disadvantaged areas of the world – and there is no doubt that I want to do something to give back and help these people. And I want to encourage all of you to help. But where I encounter the rub, is the idea that I am somehow doing this trip for the sole reason to raise awareness or funds. To say that would be a lie, a lie that I couldn’t live with.

The first reason why I am doing this trip is for the pure adventure of it – when I first learned of the TDA I was blown away by the potential of it and that aspect hasn’t diminished one bit. This is wildest dream sort of neighborhood for me, this isn’t some exercise in deprivation for the sake of a charity cause. I’m not running laps at the local YMCA or starving myself for 48hrs to implore you to dig deep into your pockets and help those in need. I’m not going to strong-arm you into writing a cheque just because I’m going to ride my bike in forty degree heat. I’m choosing to do this; I’m not looking for your pity.

That’s not to say that I don’t want you to help out the cause – but I want you to help out for your own reasons. I want you to help those in need because it’s something you feel is important to do – not out of obligation. Too often charities do little more then open up their hands and ask for cash and offer too little in the way of accountability. Likewise, expeditions funded under the thin veil of charity head to the far corners of the globe to fight disease, but the reality of a fully funded expedition looms just below the surface. I’m not going to go down that road and I don’t want you to follow me.

The charity I’m working with on this trip is the Tour d’Afrique Foundation. Every year they raise funds to by bicycles for doctors, outreach workers, teachers and others of influence in need of transportation. With these bikes, these valuable members of the community can get into the far reaches of the countryside and help those in need of their specialized brand of help. It’s a fantastic charity that I hope you’ll support, for the simple fact that they are doing amazing work for those truly in need. It is my goal that through my adventure and the telling of the tale I can encourage you to see the value in this charity. It’s a fantastic organization that is really making a difference for those who really do need outside help in order to survive.

Have a read of their website and do what you can, not for me, not for you – but for them.

http://www.tourdafrique.com/foundation/projects.html

sk

I Am Buffman

This is a big shout-out to the fine folks at Buff headwear. They’ve been kind enough to offer team for the Tour d’Afrique sponsorship for our adventure! For those of you not in the know a Buff is a sort of scarf come neck gator that is a great little product for the wilderness. It protects you from the chill as well as the sun – which will be the big plus in the desert. They do a great job of blocking out blowing sand, shading eves for sunny naps and working as a emergency toque (I am Canadian after all)…

Cruise on over to their site and have a look at what they have to offer – they’ve been great to us, so if you’re looking for a stocking stuffer this Christmas; try and return the favour!

http://www.buff.es/en/index.php?p=NZL