Let the games begin!

“Getting ready to watch the start of Eco Challenge



Mapleleaf(pass word hell)”

“Stop showing those yukkie feet!”

“who is the cutie guy with the playboy bunnies?”

“ok I think I ment the guy with the Brazilian team


mapleleaf”

“OH YEAH! He is a babe!”

“Makes me wish I had cable or satellite. Sort of.”

“well the fist leg of the race is over.
well I liked it. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. At least they did not just talk about the reality team.

Very cool
I like team Mud River.”

“eco challenge rocks! beats the hell out of all other so-called "reality" shows.....survivor, the great race....pffft!”

“i agree with you

(mapleleaf)”

“I can tape it and send it to you.”

“yes, I also am taping it. so if anyone wants a copy just ask

Maple”

“so what did everyone think of this years Eco Challenge?”

“Yeah, me too treebait. Almost.”

“I watched the 1st show last night and thought it was good. One thing I did learn so far is that I wouldn't want to be the navigator. Everyone's fate on your team (and others who follow you) is in your hands.

You have to hand it to the camera men who stay right with these groups. I am assuming these guys change up at every check point. It has got to be tough carrying the camera through all of that.”

“Yah! Navigating sucks! I betcha that Jason on team Eco-Internet goes postal by the end of the race and kills his team mates. He made one little mistake and now the rest of the team is second guessing him.

To bad team spie(SP) had to beg for help from the locals. A bunch of French weiners asking for help, now where else in history has this happened? Hum?”

“good point Ewker, I was blown away by the fact that 30 mins into the race, Jason got lost.
Then he let everyone talk him into following the other team (cant remeber the name)
and they got lost.

what about the girl who cracked her foot? man that must hurt so bad and then still have to keep going.
Im not sure if I could have jumped off the 40 foot water fall.
ummm no thank you!”

“That jump off the waterfall did not look like 40 feet to me. I have jumped off of cliffs in Canada that were much, or at least seemed higher. They were not in the middle of the woods though.”

“still that would freak me out not knowing what was at the bottom. sharp rocks......”

“Yes, that is true. We still don't know if Robin actually jumps, right? I am not sure if I like the choice of David D. narrating. I need to hear another episode.”

“biggest problem about jumping off the waterfall was knowing that you were going the wrong way and that Jason (Eco-Internet)was the only one who was telling them they were going the wrong way. The Aussie didn't even want to hear that he screwed up, he just jumped off the waterfall.”

“oh man Im with you on that one. not really an x-file fan...

I got grossed out by the raw feet.

EEEKKKKK”

“Raw feet is cool! I like seeing pictures of peoples feet after a walk in the woods.

So far up to this point, does anyone have a guess as to who may win this one?”

“1st guess

2nd guess”

“oh well,


1st guess=TEAM AXN ATENAH BRASIL


2nd guess=TEAM GOLITE/BALANCE BAR”

“WK, looks can be deceiving on camera. That may well have been 40 feet. Even if it wasn't, I'm with Maple on the psych factor in jumping and not knowing what you will land on...”

“Well that sucks! Why would they post this?”

“??”

“I agree tree. But after seeing 2 other teammates do it, I would think it take some of the fear away.”

“Well that sucks! Why would they post this?"
Wounded Knee
10:39:25 AM
05/06/03


WK, what did this mean?”

“true dat, Knee!”

“Maple, the link you submitted, di it not show who the winner was? Have I been drinking to much this morning? Am I OK?”

“My only complaint so far...TOOO MANY COMMERCIALS. I am taping too. This is my inspiration. Also, I'd like to have seen a little more background on how some of these teams qualified. I mean...Anika (sp?) Skywalker??????? How much real training did a team like that do?”

“I didnt even see that. i tried to post a link just for the names of the teams.
sorry if I messed you up. didnt mean to.
so DONT LOOK!!! be a good boy like me and keep guessing!
thats the best part.
all the years ive been watching, i have never known who the winner was before the end of the race.”

“Hutch, If I remember right, they will mention stuff like this here and there throughout the series.

My guess on Mr. Skywalker is that he had no, or very limited training. He mentioned that he just got done shooting a movie. I bet his sister and brother trained a bit more.”

“OK, thanks maple! I have the team in mind that I think will win. I hope the Playboy Playmates win and take it all off at the finish line! Sweet!!!!!”

“I did like the show better when it was on the Discovery Chanel. before it moved to the USA chanel.”

“WK, too funny


hmmm im hoping that the Brazilin team wins and that cutie guy takes off his eeerrrr shirt.”

“The suprise ending is great!! In it, I appear with 3 cabbies that I recruited at the airport, and we score a major come from behind victory on the last day.”

“

I didnt even see that. i tried to post a link just for the names of the teams.
sorry if I messed you up. didnt mean to.
so DONT LOOK!!! be a good boy like me and keep guessing!
thats the best part.
all the years ive been watching, i have never known who the winner was before the end of the race."
mapleleaf
10:48:09 AM
05/06/03

Mapleleaf, is there something you've neglected to tell us?”

“Perhaps you can fill ME in on this, Maple!”

“Yah! They did a better job.

You and me baby, ain't notin but mammels, so let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel!”

“LOL

NO nothing to tell anyone anything about anywho!”

“Bring on that Brazilian boy!”

“I think this has been one of the better races yet. Even the top teams are struggling to make it.”

“last nights show was very good.
I was also surprised about the lead teams. I got a kick out of the fact that 60 miles into the race you finily heard someone other then Ian(golite) speek. LOL

I also liked that they are allowing us to get to know the other teams more.
poor Mud River team. time to cut your 15 mins of fame down to 10 mins and go home safe.

How about that rescue?

WOW, id be freak out if I got stung by an eel and had to get choppered out of the jungle”

“I would have bagged the eel, taken it back and cooked it up!

It is nice to see someone other that Ian get some airtime. That guy is a douchebag!”

“teams like Mad River, the one with the actor who played Skywalker have no business being out there. I am sure there are other teams which are getting no TV time that shouldn't be out there also.

Do teams have to qualify or as long as you have enough money for an entry fee you are in.”

“it may be a money thing. but look at the sponsers...

ice smiroff AKA playboy bunnies..

everyone is wearing prduct names on there clothing”

“Excerpts from the rules:

The competitors must possess a wide variety of outdoor skills including expert navigation and the technical skills associated with each year's race disciplines.

The course remains secret to all competitors until approximately 24 hours prior to the start of the race. Teams are told only the disciplines and skill requirements they must possess in order to compete. All competitors must pass a series of skills tests before they are allowed on the course.

The race takes between 6 and 12 days to complete. The concept is simple: teams leave the starting line and navigate through numerous mandatory passport control points to the finish line as quickly as they can. To be considered officially ranked, all team members must cross the finish line together. Often several different routes may be taken; the teams choose their own course as long as each passport control point is passed in order. Therefore, strategy and intelligence are as important as physical endurance.

.....


Every competitor is solely responsible for his/her involvement in the competition. He/she is the sole judge of whether he/she should begin and continue competing or not. Furthermore, the panel of judges reserves the right, with or without consultation of a doctor, to bar a competitor from starting or continuing the event. Every competitor must sign a copy of the rules, a liability waiver and an image release before being allowed to compete.

The competitors are responsible for familiarizing and preparing themselves for the legal and health requirements to enter and participate in the regions where the event takes place, including obtaining visas, vaccinations and other requirements.

The event organizers are not responsible for the behavior of event participants infringing the laws of the states/countries visited.

All team members must be at least 18 years of age.

All team members should also strictly adhere to the Nationality Rule.
Nationality Rule (established 1998)
Each team must race under a single country flag; accordingly, all members of a team must have either:
Citizenship of that country; OR
Proof of 5 years continuous legal residency (not simply a work permit, but the equivalent of a United States Green Card).

NOTE: Competitors who either have dual citizenship or hold legal residency for more than one country must choose to race for one. Once that country is chosen, in all future Eco-Challenges that person must race under that previously chosen country flag. These nationality rules were created after careful consideration and upon an in-depth review of the Olympic and Paralympic Nationality Rules. This rule is in keeping with the future direction of Eco-Challenge as an "Olympic-style" global competition.”

“I was blown away by the fact that the FIJI team had never realy rode on a bike before.
then he went over the ledge, and then got hurt and they are out of the race.
i think if im going to be in a race like this im going to be sure that i know how to
climb
run
swim
paddle
rock climb
bike
throw up in front of the camera
cry and still look pretty
learn to hide the fact that im about to kill my team as soon as the cameras are off of me.

yup, id have all bases coverd!”