2008 Infiterra Sports December Chill

Infiterra Sports was proud to host the 7th annual December Chill that was held Saturday December 6, 2008 at Island Lake Recreation Area, near Brighton, Michigan.

Results are Final. Please email Zac if you have a question about the scoring.

» Final Results - These results are official.

» Map #1 - 8.5x11 - 5.2mb
» Single Track Map - 8.5x11 - 370kb
» Race Instructions - 8.5x11 - 42kb

» Race Pictures

» Additional Race Pictures - From Wallphoto.org, click on "Sports Galleries" and scroll down to 2008 December Chill, or click here for direct link. There are a lot of nice pictures there, and they are available for purchase.

Please visit our message board to provide us with feedback on the December Chill.

Event Recap -

This was the seventh edition of the Infiterra Sports December Chill. It was by far the snowiest and coldest Chill yet as temperatures barely crept into the 20’s and there was between four and six inches of snow on the ground!

Before dawn and with temperatures only in the teens, teams dropped canoes and gear bags on their way into the park and then made their way into the registration tent. They hurried through registration and the briefing was among the quickest on record. After the briefing teams had time to look over the maps and prepare to take on the challenging course and the rough weather. The race started at 9:05am with racers taking off through the snow on foot after three checkpoints during the first section. After retrieving these three CPs in over about two miles of terrain, teams checked in at CP4. Team Nadds was the first back followed closely by Custer Cyclery, Jagged Edge, Lost in Paradise and Teamo Supremo.

Leaving CP4, teams jumped on their mountain bikes and headed off on some f Island Lakes great single track trails. CPs 5 through 7 were located right along the single track trail. After roughly seven miles of snow covered, but very rideable single track, teams popped out at trailhead and CP8. From the trailhead, racers would ride park roads or a paved trail another two or three miles the spillway at Kent Lake where they would get to their boats. Custer Cyclery and Jagged Edge were duking it out for the lead, while Riverside Kayak Connection and Team Jeep rode hard to make up time.

At the canoes and CP9 it was a short portage down to the put in below the Kent Lake Spillway. Over five miles of scenic and cold paddling on the Huron River ensued. Teams would work hard to stay warm in their boats. Bill Scanlan pushed hard to take over the lead while Riverside Kayak Connection was just two minutes off the pace. Custer Cyclery and Jagged Edge stayed less than 10 minutes back and Teamo Supremo, Lost in Paradise and Team Jeep were all right in the mix.

Twelve orienteering points remained in the race after the canoe drop at CP10 located at Placeway Picnic Area. To complete all points, racers would easily cover more than five miles. Points were located on all types of features, from hilltops to depressions, reentrants and spurs, at creeks and through swamps and thickets. CP21 was located on a side hill among some tall pines and it was the ropes section of the race. Teams would have to climb up a cargo net and punch the CP after moving across the net. Strategy and speed would come into play on this final section of the race as many teams were in contention for the win.

Congratulations to all the teams that came out and braved the conditions of the 2008 December Chill. Teamo Supremo would break the tape first, taking the overall and Coed win finishing at 1:48pm. Riverside Kayak Connection roared in at 2:03pm to grab second overall and first in the 2 Male division. Jagged Edge came in at 2:20pm and took the Solo Division win, and had third overall. Lost in Paradise and Team Chrysler were an intermingled tie for fourth and fifth, second and third in the 2 Male division at 2:28pm. Team Jeep was just a minute back at 2:29pm grabbing the second solo spot, sixth overall. Bill Scanlan crossed at 2:32pm to take third in the Solo division and seventh overall. Homebodies were two minutes back (2:34pm) for eighth overall and second in the Coed division. CG2 was two more minutes back at 2:36pm to come in 9th overall and the fourth Solo. Michigan Racing addicts rounded out the top ten at 2:42pm and took third Coed. All of the above teams obtained all 12 Orienteering Points on the course. The Dirty Filthy Tramps grabbed the 2 Female division win at 3:46pm, 40th overall and all 12 Orienteering Points. Who Gave the Polack the Compass took second in the 2 Female division and 50th overall at 3:42pm with 11 O-Points. Pretty Powerful rounded out the top three for the 2 Female division and 65th overall with 9 O-Points at 3:47pm. Treehugger was the lone Solo Female and she finished at 3:54pm with 8 O-Points and 78th overall.

A big thank you goes out to all of our Sponsors! We had great representation from Salomon & Suunto, REI, Jeep, Hammer Nutrition, Rail Riders, Seal Skinz, Zanfel and Superfeet. We would like to thank our fantastic volunteers that came out to support this event too. We had a relatively small, but very dedicated core of volunteers that braved the cold and helped the race go off as big success. We would also like to thank Island Lake Rec Area for being so cooperative and easy to work with. And thanks to Heavner Canoe Livery for supplying and transporting boats for the race.