The qualifying round for the Fulda Challenge held in Sept. 2007 gave spectators and participants a taste of what they’ll get at the real event in Canada at the end this month. The extreme challenges competitors must overcome in the preliminary competition make the event, held in Germany, as legendary as the Challenge itself.
At the Sulden Ski Resort, nestled in the Tyrolean Alps, 20 German challengers exerted their best efforts to compete for five coveted starting positions in the eighth annual Fulda Challenge, pushing their endurance to the limits in five alpine disciplines -- including a tree-climb, a tire obstacle course, a mountain biking race, an off-road drive and a mountain run -- for a chance to win a ticket to the finals. Fulda Tires, the event organizer, didn’t go easy on participants either.
Challengers were given only seconds to climb to the top of trees using climbing spurs and harnesses. They had to run through an obstacle course burdened by the weight of tires on their shoulders; after a short while participants said the tires seemed to weigh tons.
During the off-road vehicle challenge, they had to prove their driving skills behind the steering wheel of a Toyota RAV4. Despite slippery conditions, contestants were able to count on the performance of the Fulda winter tires to drive them to the finish.
Finally, the mountain run, which usually brings the contest to a close, had crowds buzzing with excitement to the last second as athletes had to run up a course that peaked at more than 2,500 meters (8,200 ft.). Unlike other events, this segment of the competition relied less on physical strength and more on fitness and endurance.
Those who prevailed in the competition will team up with athletic celebrities and a Canadian crew to take on a breathtaking adventure in the land of the Klondike Gold Rush. Like a set of Fulda Tires, each team must prove their high performance capabilities on snow and ice. Participants perform under frigid conditions, at sub-zero temperatures around minus 50 degrees Celsius (-58 F), making the Fulda Challenge one of the most fascinating sporting events in the world.