The 1st Annual Osprey Biijigigwane Adventure Race Series, presented by Beaches of 59 and South Beach Casino & Resort, is coming to our region on May 24. Residents are invited to grab their gear and take part in this fun and challenging quest through one of our region’s beautiful parks.
“What an adventure race is, and how ours is designed, is it’s geared to beginners. People who have done adventure races would definitely still enjoy it, but it’s definitely a beginner course. There will be canoeing, biking and trekking that you have to do, and you’ll be using a compass and map to get to different checkpoints throughout the entire course. So, how we score it is, basically there’s a three-hour cut-off, and whichever team gets to as many checkpoints in the least amount of time is the winner. It’s not just (competitive) some people might join who just want to be outside for the day and have a fun time with their teammates. Some people might take it quite seriously and want to finish first, but either way, it will be a really fun time,” said Aurora Debreuil Marketing Coordinator for Beaches of 59.
The Beaches of 59 is a local tourism organization which shares the offerings of the East Beaches. In this case, they are encouraging residents to get out to Grand Beach Provincial Park and check out the area’s amenities. This year is a great year for something like this especially as the province has removed provincial park fees.
Debreuil explained that this race isn’t a standard go from one point to another but encourages residents to chart their own paths.
“At the start, all the teams will get a map that shows the different checkpoints in the entire course. So, within that, that includes the water portion, the trails and the beach, and teams can decide how they want to go about this. That’s another fun part of adventure racing. It’s a lot of strategy and team coordinating and problem-solving,” she said.
The Osprey Biijigigwane Adventure Race Series is a two-day event with the first day being an adventure for the Manitoba High School Adventure Race Championships. The second day of the event, May 24, is going to be the day that residents will want to mark on their calendars as that’s when the public adventure race takes place.
For those that want to participate, the registration fee is $40 per person and each team must have a minimum of three racers. Teams also need to bring a canoe that fits all racers as well as a personal floatation device for each person, paddles, a water safety kit, a compass, and a mountain or gravel bike and helmet for each person. They should also make sure to dress for the weather as this is a rain-or-shine event.
“You can be of all different ages. You can be female, male that doesn’t matter, but we do try to get teams of three. If you have a team of four, just send us an email. We’ll see what that would look like. We do require that you have your own equipment, but if that is a barrier or you’re maybe missing one canoe, but you’ve got everything else, again, just send us an email. We’ll do our best to try and connect you with someone or provide you with some rental options” she said.
Debreuil said that the idea for an event like this came from Race Director Dean Kriellaars.
“He had pitched the idea as a great day. Grand Beach is such a perfect spot for it because there are so many incredible trails. There’s the lagoon area, the beach area, it has all of the elements that make for a perfect course,” said Debreuil.
People who might be interested in taking part in this event would be people who like adventure.
“I feel like this is a really good race for anyone who just likes being outdoors. Especially in this area, everyone loves nature but it’s nice to have an excuse to spend the whole day outside with friends and with family,” said Debreuil.
She also wants residents who sign up to know they aren’t expected to be a professional to take part.
“I don’t want to scare anyone off. Don’t think you need to be a professional mountain biker or professional canoer or anything like that. You really just, if you love (being active) it will definitely be a fun event.
For those who may want to support this effort financially, businesses and individuals can make donations to support this effort at https://www.beachesof59.ca/osprey-checkpoint-sponsor.
Until May 17 you can register a team at https://www.beachesof59.ca/adventure-race-public-registration.
Debreuil welcomes residents from our area and beyond to register and take part in this event.
“Sign up. Like I said, it’s a great way to connect with other people who are interested in these outdoor activities, and it’s such a unique way of seeing the area. Grand Beach is obviously known for its beach, and it is an incredible beach, but the trails in that area are honestly some of the most incredible trails that we have in the province, and getting to experience them in this unique fashion, where you’re looking for checkpoints, you’re using a map, you’re using a compass, you’re running around, it really will be such a unique experience for people,” she said.
