The Media Challenge
After watching off-roaders battle it out on the various Special Stages, it was time for the media to try their hand at the sport. As many as 21 media houses had to battle it out on two of the Terminator SS courses in Polaris RZR800s. This was the first time I would be driving a Polaris, and I was a little sceptical about how I would perform, but, nevertheless, I was pumped up and ready to rock and roll.
To complete the first course, we had to drive down a pretty steep hill, followed by a zigzag path through the coconut trees, take a U-turn and race back up to the starting point. I jumped in, strapped myself down and waited for the marshal to give me the go signal. I stepped on the pedal and made the descent, took the turn and powered through till I reached the zigzag path. I quickly changed to 2WD as it helped me slide the Polaris through the turns, saving me valuable seconds. Slipping and sliding, I made my way through the trees, took the U-turn and was out again. Once again I changed back to 4WD just before I could power up the slope, as it would offer me stronger traction. The inside line was a little slushy so I took the outer line to get up. Since the ATV was pointed upwards, I missed a cone at the start for which I was penalised. Despite this, I completed the course in 1.34 minutes, including the penalty.
The next course we had to do was basically a mud bath. It involved going down a short slope, then powering through a long straight full of slush and water which led to a stream. After driving through the stream we once again had to take a U-turn and come back the same way.
