Lakeshore Advance, 2013-10-09, Page 17Wednesday, October 9, 2013 • Lakeshore Advance 17
Local amazing race challenge Includes a stop at lceculture
QMI Agency
'Ihe Amazing Race is a highly popu-
lar television reality show attracting
millions of followers. Versions of the
series which chronicles the trials and
tribulations of participants trying to
reach their assigned destination as
quickly as possible is being shown in
many different countries around the
world.
And what better place to look for
clues than IceCulture in I lensall.
Now, closer to home, a local group
has developed their own model of the
award-winning television series.
Every year, from the idea's inception
on New Year's Eve, 2002, this Kings-
ville, Ontario -based group of enthusi-
asts has welcomed more and more
teams eager to take up the challenge.
K.A.R. -The Kingsville Amazing Race,
as the group has coined Itself - has
grown by leaps and bounds and this
year there are 21 teams of four taking
part.
Originally, 16 friends were invited
'Mo meet the organizers at a particular
ocation by completing a series of
Truths, Dares and Double Dares with
the objective of becoming more active
and challenged, and most of all, hav-
ing fun.
Contestants travel all over South
Western Ontario. And the event has
become so popular there is a waiting
list of people eager to participate.
Says Louise Sala, who ranee up with
the Amazing Race concept with her
husband Tim, "We are not an official
organization , and all entry fees - $50
per person covers the expenses of
running the event. We certainly don't
make a profit. 'Ibis year we had 10 vol-
unteers to help us in addition to many
business and store owners who enthu-
siastically joined in the fun at various
destinations.
Our mission, first and foremost, is
to allow adults enjoy being kids again
and have the opportunity of visiting
places all over this part of the prov-
ince - something they might never do on their own."
The teams all set out from Kingsville at 7.3() am armed
with only enough information to reach their first destina-
tion. In the past, the event has taken contestants to Elora,
Goderich, Simcoe, Paris, Ingersoll, Brantford, Sarnia,
Woodstock, Guelph and London, and this in their 11th
year, to Stratford.
Every year, teams have to decipher crosswords, crypto-
grams and wooden puzzles, in addition to dealing with
other challenges. Typical of the activities are horseback
riding, acrobatics, surto wrestling, lighting fires with flints,
braiding cow tails, being blindfolded while walking
through a corn maize, archery, Indian rain dancing and
re-enacting the War of 1812.
"'this year, we have based the event on the game of Clue.
'Ihe story is William Shakespeare has been murdered and
teams will have to visit 41 locations or more in their quest
for clues," says Sala.
'1'he first stop for the contestants was at Iceculture in
Nensall, north of London, After signing in, they had to chip
a pair of dire embedded in a block of ice (game of chance).
'then they walked through the ice manufacturing plant and
visited the ire lounge where they received the next clue to
take them on to the next destination -- Stratford. They
stayed long enough in the lounge to receive a souvenir
team photograph.
Before leaving Iceculture, it was on to the display freezer
where one team nnl'nnber was required to slide down the
50 ft long ice slide too tempting for some of their col -
leagues who simply had to try the slippery slope.
Organizers cleverly did not place a clue at every destina•
tion along the way, but it was necessary for each team to
make a stop just in case they missed a clue. It was all an
integral part of the murder mystery investigation process.
Teams had to use an ice pick to chip out a pair of dice
which had been embedded in a 18in high x 10i n wide x Sin
deep block of ice. 'Ihe ice holds the key to the next stage of
their journey to solve the murder mystery.
'the winning team - by process of elimination will have
to discover who murdered Shakespeare, what murder
weapon was used and where the murder took place. Only
then will they he declared winners of the Kingsville Amaz-
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Ing Race (K.A.R.) 2013.
What's in store next year ? Sala
explains, "1 already have people say-
ing they cannot wait until 2014 to do
it all again. We had 84 participants
this year, more waiting so 1 can see the
event growing once again. It is a lot of
work to organize and plan , but
despite that, it is great fun and 1 love
it':
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