It's all happening now! I've had my final cross country sunset flight with my amazing team at Paradrenalin in Arizona. My motor and wing are completely packed up, my spares loaded and I have a full tank of gas to start trucking my way to the start line. First stop LA!
Race time is quickly approaching so Ryan and I decided to have a little weekend R&R. We went sky jumping! Just call me freefly fisch!
Only a few more days and I'll be packing up the van and starting my trek towards Seattle and the start line. Two weeks to go! After a loooong journey back to arizona I finally got to get my feet swinging in the breeze this morning and I'm stoked to be back! I had a rad hour and a bit of chasing rabbits, exploring canyons and tailing the Paradrenalin team around the skies!
Unfortunately though, like anything with aviation, it's not always fun flying, now I have to sit back and flight plan for the race! Icarus trophy here we come! Awesome news! REIZE has joined in on the action to support me on my adventures and shenanigans around the world. I'm super stoked to have an all Aussie adventure lifestyle brand behind me.
I've always had the mantra that if a "little is good then a lot's better". I found it fantastically amazing that their very own ideal is "everything in moderation is good, then everything in excess is great." I can't wait to push harder and further now with REIZE by my side! I'm stoked to announce that ICEdot will now be looking after me both during my race and for the foreseeable future. Just think of having a bright yellow guardian angel on the back of your helmet at all times that can call out for help when you can't! One more week and I will be leaving for America to make my final preparations and flights before the Icarus Trophy begins. Things are definitely spiraling forward fast and this is an incredibly exciting time.
So far this has been 10 months in the planning and I'm stoked to see it all finally coming together and seeing the fruits of my work. Routes have been planned, gear checked and trialed and a hell of a lot of fun has been had along the way. So remember to check in regularly as more information will be coming up right here over the coming weeks and you can check out some of my mini badentures before the race. Sometimes we just get too caught up in working, working and working. I try to always make sure that there is always a little calm amongst the chaos in my life. For me, calm on a Friday afternoon is lobbing out head first from 4,000ft and letting the world blow by. Up there, nothing else matters and all you have to do is smile and enjoy! Happy Friday!
With only a month now til my return to the USA and just under 2 months til the start of the Icarus Trophy, things are certainly heating up and getting exciting!
Banter is building amongst the competing pilots, rules are being established by the race organisers and I am feverishly route planning and scheming - I just can't wait to start! There are some massive hurdles to plan and consider for. Not only are we starting an aerial race in a predominately foggy region of the planet but we have to plan to cross some of the largest mountain ranges and volcanoes in the country. All of which bring about their own unique weather phenomenon which pose their very own risks and hazards. This is no simple race from point A to point B. We all have to consider and weigh the risks of both the routes we choose and the bugout plans we make. Of course it should go without saying but there is some of the most beautiful terrain on the planet that I intent to explore, cover and experience during this journey. Because this is more than just a race, it's an experiential adventure too! In the meantime though it's back to adventure guiding amongst extinct volcanoes, throwing myself out of planes and exploring and adventuring away like I always do. 1 month and counting... 6000km, 3 adventurers, 2 motorcycles and one dead kangaroo...
We survived the crossing of the Strzelecki desert and had an absolute blast exploring the amazing country that is Australia. Teddi, Nickers and Fisch set off late on the evening of the 20th of June with the goal to cross the desert, track south through the Flinders Ranges and then explore the south of Australia during winter on a motorcycle. The trip was full of hidden surprises and adventures and certainly started with a bang - with Fisch and Teddi collecting a kangaroo at full flight at 120km/h on the motorcycle. They were lucky enough and quick enough to kick the kangaroo before it could get under the front wheel and really ruin their evening but it was certainly a close call. Later they would find hair from the kangaroo still stuck to the front engine guard (that's ridiculously close...). But rather than narate a full story of adventure, check out their photos and see for yourselves the adventures the trio undertook! The anticipation is building, with 10 days and counting until the crossing of the Strzelecki Desert! Ready to adventure on this journey is Fisch, Teddi and Nickers and 5 thousand kilometers of cold winter desert and everything we can fit on the back of our motorbikes for the next three weeks.
We have checked our list twice and we can't wait for the fun adventures and shenanigans awaiting us. We have route planned and collaborated together to discover a multitude of places to explore and discover throughout South Eastern Australia. Weather these next few days calls for rain, however that doesn't slow any of us down. Fisch will embark on a 10 day expedition for mountain biking and exploring with a youth at risk program up till the very last day before departure. Meanwhile Teddi and Nickers will be busy seeking fun and adventure by way of skydiving, climbing and hiking prior to leaving. What we are most excited about right now are all the new goodies and toys we have coming from our greatest supporters. A massive thank you to XTM Performance for our insulating layers,gloves and merino, to Gondwana Outdoor for our technical clothing and outer shells, to Kaos Snow for our uber, warm, soft and fluffy beanies, 1LN for our rad street clothes and finally Globetrekker for our fancy new tents from Vango. |
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