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Home / Rotorua Daily Post / Sport

Thrills and spills at Day Night Thriller

By <b>CHRIS BRAMWELL</b>
Rotorua Daily Post·
3 Oct, 2005 02:55 AM2 mins to read

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To combat chills after a drizzly start to the Powerade Day Night Thriller, what better than a quick soak in a spa?

Taupo's Huka Jet/Kaimanawa Heli-biking team decided that bubbles were the order of the day and set up a spa on a trailer next to their tent.

Team member, "Lightning" said they could get up to sixteen in the pool, but were waiting for the cover of darkness before they started turning up the heat.

"This event about having fun, far more important to be social than serious. There are so many people on the track, you couldn't take it too seriously anyway," he said.

Lightning said he wasn't sure if the spa improved his riding, he reckoned it was more about being "porno".

Wandering about the tent city on the day it is pretty obvious that fun is certainly one of the main draw cards for most competitors.

Dressed as a Hawaiian dancer, and apparently not feeling ridiculous at all, Mark Meyer from Wellington said his team made the drive up solely because it was such a fun event.

"We're never going to win this event, so it's all about fun for us. It's great to see so many people having a laugh, and getting into the spirit of the day," he said.

In its sixth year, the 12-hour event has become the largest race of its kind in the world, attracting nearly 3000 riders.

The event is a relay race where solo riders or teams of up to five riders complete as many eight-kilometre laps as they can in the 12-hour period.

The laps take the average rider about half-an-hour, and are designed to cater for all abilities.

The track runs over fast open park grounds and forest tracks at Spa Park, alongside the Waikato River.

As tipped, Rotorua's Bikefix dominated the event again, with their cycle shop team racking up an impressive 38 laps, the Older Dudes 37, and the Juniors 36.

Event organiser Ingrid Fleming said the day ran extremely well, with drizzle clearing around lunchtime and coming back just before prize giving.

"The competitors were absolutely fantastic with their courtesy towards each other, we were really impressed with how the course was running.

"There are ways of saying 'I need to pass now', and everyone was very courteous, we were rapt with the crowd," she said.

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