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2008 PRESS GUIDE XTERRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SPONSORS The XTERRA World Championship is presented by Paul Mitchell, XTERRA Gear.com, Hawaiian Airlines, the Maui Visitors Bureau and Maui Prince Hotel. Sponsors include GU, Gatorade, Zorrel, Breeder’s Choice, Kona Brewing Company, Rodale, and the Hawaii Tourism Authority. THE 13TH ANNUAL XTERRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP . The XTERRA World Championship is the final stop on the XTERRA Global Tour - a national and international series of 100+ qualifying events held in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Saipan, South Africa, United Kingdom, and United States. The course, considered XTERRA’s toughest, consists of a 1.5-kilometer rough water swim, a grueling 32km mountain bike on the lower slopes of Haleakala, and a 12km trail run. The field is limited to 550 competitors, including 80 pros, who represent the best off-road multisport athletes on the planet. They come from more than 20 countries & compete for one of the richest purses in multisport at $130,000. The award-winning TEAM TV crew will be on location to tele- vise all the action for a one-hour sports special that will air across the U.S. via national syndication starting in January of 2009. You can watch last year’s race show now at www.XTERRA.tv and get live coverage from Maui on raceday, Oct. 26th at 9am. TABLE OF CONTENTS Media Information . .4 Schedule of Events . .5 How to Watch Guide for Spectators . .6 World Championship Quick Facts . .7 XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run . .8 XTERRA University, Paul Mitchell Cut-a-thon, GU Eco Team . .9 Maui No Ka Oi translates to Course Description and Course Map . .10-11 "Maui is the Best" Pro Start Lists . .12-13 Kahuna Dave’s Pro Race Preview . .14-15 With 120 linear miles of Men’s Profiles/Women’s Profiles . .16-33/34-43 shoreline and more miles of Pro Prize Purse Information . .44 swimmable beach than any Hawaiian Airlines Double Information . .45 other Hawaiian island it's no surprise that Maui has been Past XTERRA World Championship Results . .46-51 voted "Best Island in the 2008 XTERRA America, European Tour, and Global Tour Results . .52-54 World" by the readers of 2009 XTERRA Global Tour Schedule (Tentative) . .55 Condé Nast Traveler maga- XTERRA Hall of Fame, Warrior Award and Misc. Notes . .56-57 zine for 13 of the last 14 years. XTERRA Winter Worlds and the Fire and Ice Award . .58-59 Come see it for yourself, and 2008 XTERRA Trail Running World Championship . .60-61 to learn more log-on to XTERRAGear.com and XTERRA Eco Team . .62-63 visitmaui.com. How XTERRA got started and all about the XTERRA Planet . .64-65 About TEAM Unlimited and TEAM TV . .66 Join Hawaii’s premier commu- nity of outdoor adventurers at Appendix (2008 Amateur Start List & XTERRA World Championship results 1996-2007) ActiveHawaii.com For further information contact Trey Garman at 808-216-8606 (cell) or [email protected] MEDIA INFORMATION The XTERRA World Championship Press Guide was designed to provide the media with useful information about the 2008 race, the pros competing in it, and XTERRA in general. Below are additional items of interest: - The XTERRA pressroom is located in the Ilima Room (#113) on the lobby level of the Maui Prince Hotel. - For credentials contact Trey Garman at 808-216-8606 or stop by the Ilima Room. - TEAM Unlimited will record full race results and distribute after the event. - During the championship race TEAM Unlimited will escort interested press members to key strategic locations throughout the course to track leaders and course happenings, and to get the best possible photos. You must reserve your seat in the press van in advance. - A press pass is required on race day for admittance to finish area. - Seating is limited for the “Night of Champions” dinner Saturday and the XTERRA Awards Dinner on Sunday. Media passes for these events are subject to availability. - Log on to XTERRAPlanet.com for complete race coverage beginning Monday, Oct. 20. Up to the moment text updates begin race day at 9:20 a.m. with photos, news briefs and race splits. A complete event coverage schedule will be available at xterraplanet.com. - Professional, high-resolution, full-color images from the race will be available to the media after the race. Contact Trey Garman with photo requests. How to Cover XTERRA: Please note that XTERRA is produced with the cooperation of landowners and we respect their privacy. The following outlines the access policy for this year’s race: - There is no pre-riding of the bike course by competitors or media, it is ridden blind on race day - Access to the bike course on race day is provided by chauffeured press van/SUV ONLY. - Space is limited so you must reserve your seat in advance . - Photographers will be advised of any restrictions on inclusion of specific landmarks. - Press may ride the three-mile loop bike practice course on their own bikes by presenting your press badge to registration and paying the $10 one-day USA Tri License Insurance fee. - All riders must display a practice plate on their bike and wear a helmet. DIRECT MEDIA INQUIRIES AND REQUEST FOR INFORMATION TO: Trey Garman, Vice President 808-216-8606 (cell) or at the hotel 808-874-1111 (ask for the Ilima Room) [email protected] www.xterraplanet.com TEAM Unlimited - 720 Iwilei Road, Suite 290, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 4 2008 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS All events are at the host hotel, the Maui Prince, unless otherwise noted Wednesday, October 22: 9am-2pm Registration and Packet Pick-up 10am-3pm Practice Course Open (off-site, riding distance) Thursday, October 23: 9am-2pm Registration and Packet Pick-up 9am-3pm Practice Course Open (off-site, riding distance) Friday, October 24: 9am-3pm Practice Course Open (off-site, riding distance) 9am-5pm Registration and Packet Pick-up 10am XTERRA University, presented by Paul Mitchell - Swim Clinic hosted by Christine Jeffrey and Craig Evans 11am XTERRA University, presented by Paul Mitchell - Training Clinic hosted by Jimmy Riccitello 11am XTERRA Eco Team volunteer clean-up (Makena Beach/Spooky Forest) 2pm XTERRA University, presented by Paul Mitchell - MTB Clinic hosted by Mike Vine and Shonny Vanlandingham Saturday, October 25: 6:30-7:30am XTERRA Trail Run Packet Pickup 8am XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run Start (5km Run/Walk & 10km Run) a benefit for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui County 9am-5pm Registration and Packet Pick-up 10am-3pm Practice Course Open (off-site, riding distance) 10am XTERRA University - Art of XTERRA hosted by Julie Dibens, Nico Lebrun, Melanie McQuaid, and Conrad Stoltz 5pm Champions Forum - featuring current and former World Champions Melanie McQuaid, Nico Lebrun, Jamie Whitmore, Eneko Llanos, Conrad Stoltz, Michael Tobin, and Jimmy Riccitello. 6pm Mandatory Competitor Briefing 6:30pm Parade of Nations and Night of Champions Dinner (Luau Gardens) Sunday, October 26: 7am Transition Open for set-up and Body Marking 9am XTERRA World Championship Start 10am-2pm Paul Mitchell Cut-a-thon, a benefit for the Challenged Athletes Foundation 1pm Cut-off at T2 1:30pm Pro Awards (finish area) 2pm Race Finish 7pm Awards Dinner (Luau Gardens) 9:30pm Halloween Costume Party All events are at the host hotel, the Maui Prince Resort, unless otherwise noted. Schedule is tentative and subject to change. 5 SPECTATORS GUIDE ON HOW TO WATCH THE RACE Maui’s World Championship XTERRA course is a classic Point-to-Point, covering 27 miles of unyielding terrain. The experience is a sensory riot – crystal clear Pacific waters, fragrant breezes, bright sun, fine volcanic dust, needle-like kiawe thorns, soft white sand, cool green lawns, and lava rock of every shape, color, and size. Start and Swim: Located at Maluaka “Prince” Beach fronting the Maui Prince Hotel, there are plenty of great vantage points to watch the mass start from the lawn above. Pros are easy to spot with their identifying swim caps - men in blue and women in pink. A short beach sprint mid-race between two 750-meter laps of a triangular course gives spectators a chance to pick out their friends and family from the field. T1 and T2 - Bike and Run Transition: Located a few yards from the swim start in a big grassy area at the lobby level of the Maui Prince Hotel. The transition area is for competitors only, however, spectators may view the change-over from any position around the boundary. Bike: The bike course is not open to the public and cannot be pre-ridden by competitors. Run: Most of the run course is also on private lands and closed to the public with the exception of a long, leg-burning section of sand at Makena Beach, aka “Big Beach”. Finish: The Maui Prince Hotel at Makena Resort is the place to be for both transitions, the finish, live race reports, and big screen TV action with a continuously updated leader board. There’s food booths, XTERRA Gear shop, the Kona Brewing Liquid Aloha Lounge, and a front row seat to one of the greatest spectacles in all of sport - the spontaneous, ecstatic, and sometimes tear-jerking displays of emotion at the finish line. You can even get a professional haircut in exchange for a donation to the Challenged Athletes Foundation at the Paul Mitchell Cut-a-thon. Friends, Family and fans that are not able to attend the race can watch the action unfold in real time on the internet at www.XTERRA.tv. The race coverage, with live streaming video and text updates, will begin just before 9am Hawaii time (12 noon PST, 3pm EST, 9pm in Europe, 5am in Sydney, Australia, 8am in New Zealand, 4pm in Brazil).