Starting a Start List

Howdy all,

I'm starting to think about where we source the SPOT trackers from. There are 20 readily available in NZ (if booked at least a month out, cost is $65 per week). If we need more than that I need to look offshore (turns out that Scott Morris from Bikepacking.net and Matthew Lee from Tour divide have some demonstration units - might be cheaper).

The upshot is that I'd like to get a feel for how many riders will be starting.

As an incentive to get your name on the start list, we'll dish the cheapest SPOT trackers out to the first people to notify us of their intention to start.
Also, given the total number of SPOT trackers available is limited, we might have to cap the event at about 50 riders this first time (not that we're expecting that many fools!).
One other thought, if you're under 18 years, probably best to wait a year or two. You'll enjoy it more when you're arse is starting to get hard and crusty.

Please email simon at kennett dot co dot nz if you are likely to be lining up in Blenheim on the 6th of Feb.

There's no entry fee, but you will be expected to sign a waiver (and have a SPOT tracker) before entering the private land north of Lees Valley, and pay your share of the SPOT hire (or turn up with one of your own).

I'll add to this list as we go. So far we have:

John Randal
Jonty Ritchie
Laurence Mote
Guy Wynn-Williams
Mike Thompson
Mike Anderson
Dave Rudge
Trevor Woodward
Barryn Westfield
Rob Garden
Thomas Lindup
John Morris
Jasper van der Lingen
Simon Kennett
(As of 3rd Nov)
Claude Dabaliz
Barry Bryant
Chris Gilbertson
(As of 4th Nov)
Willi Borst
Andy Reid
Gordon MacDonald
David King
(As of 6th Nov)
Ross Friedrich
Chris Charles
(names above, as of 8th Nov)
Ed McDonald
Joel McFarlane Roberts
(as of 9th Nov)
Ash Brown
Nick Treadgold
Brenda Clapp
Chris Burr
Jo Holden
(as of 11th Nov)
Chris Sherwood
Mark Rayward
Tony Bateup
Lisa Savage
Peter Maindonald
(as of 15th Nov)
Mondo Kopua
(as of 17th Nov)
Oliver Whalley
Mark Hearfield
Bill Brierley
(as of 18th Nov)
Matt Gerstenberger
Shelley Gosse
Andrew McLellan
Micki Speck
(as of 24 Nov)
Nathan Mawkes
Jeff Lyall
John Mote
(as of 29 Nov)
Ian Gordon
Scott McLachlan
Phil Byron
Pat Hogan
(as of 6 Dec)
Marquita Gelderman
James Dick
Phil White
Anne Mortimer
Dirk Naish
Helen Van Hoof
David Bailey
(as of 24th Dec)
Jan Witkowski
Brett Porter
Tina Bayer
Tim Mulliner
Rodney Hansen
Charlotte Ireland
(as of 6th Jan)
Chris Tennent Brown
Jakub Postrzygacz
Darren Tatom

NB: Total of 65 names (incl 10 women).