All About SOAR
The Beginning
Matt Steffler and Paul and Glenna Pengelly got together in late 2003 to begin the plans for an
Amazing Race in 2004
for their friends and family. The race was to take place on the August long weekend and
span two days ending with a big party. Glenna got the idea to get a local charity involved and because
of Matt's father's involvement with The Children's Aid Society, we contacted them and were directed to
The Children's Foundation of Guelph and Wellington.
The event had an entry fee of $150 and although it was talked about by potential racers throughout the spring and summer, the applications didn't come in by the time the deadline came around. The directors decided to chalk the poor attendance up to the scheduling conflicts of the long weekend. So, the date was switched to September 17-19. 14 teams raced in the first event that never even left the City of Guelph. In fact, all 14 teams camped in Paul and Glenna's backyard!
Since that first year, with the date now firmly set on the first full weekend in June, 100 teams have been put up against over 100 unique challenges in 15 different towns and cities. Teams have lodged at farms, conservation areas, scout camps and even stayed in a hotel!
SOAR has handed out one $5000, three $3000, and two $1200 travel vouchers, two return plane tickets to anywhere, 4 BBQs, camping packages, cd and dvd packages, and much more.
The Race
The Southern Ontario Amazing Race (SOAR) is a two day adventure competition modelled after the TV show The Amazing Race.
20 teams of two race around Wellington County and beyond competing in challenges of all sorts that test racers' mental and physical strengths.
A sample of challenges:
Tube the Elora Gorge
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Solve a giant sudoku
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Chisel free a glass bottle
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| 40 foot high suspended ropes course | Transmit a message using Semaphore | Complete a pole dancing routine |
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Teams must travel by one of the many methods provided (canoe, bike, helicopter, bus, car, train, foot) to get from challenge to challenge. To date, the race has travelled to the following locations:
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The Cause
Racers collect pledges prior to the event for The Children's Foundation. The teams that bring in the most pledges are given tokens that help them during the race. Shortcuts allow teams to skip an entire challenge, Tune-Ups give teams a hint or head-start at a challenge and Yields allow a team to force a following team to wait 15 minutes at the Yield sign. In the 6 years of the races existence, teams have raised over $250,000 dollars.- 2004 - $9000 (Top Team - Wayne and Kristen - $1600)
- 2005 - $34,000 (Graham and Michelle - $4900)
- 2006 - $45,000 (David and Michelle - $9050)
- 2007 - $49,000 (Carrie and Kim - $9400)
- 2008 - $62,000 (Carrie and Kim - $9570)
- 2009 - $65,000 (Eric and Michael - $8007)
The Crew
Matt Steffler - Director - Media Coordinator
Matt is a Sales Rep for Dupont Canada Inc.
Most Memorable Race Moment: Having the string break on Splintersection in Year Two. I can't say it was my favourite moment, but it's still outlined in vivid memory for me.
Top Three Race Challenges:
Silent Rainbow Connection - teams have to use food colouring to create a series of coloured containers, based on drawings from their partners. One of my personal favourite challenges that just came into my head, fully realized.
Log Driver's Waltz - Move a volunteer from the community across a field and back, rolling them along lengths of telephone pole. This one has it all for me - real physical effort, some skill, the community aspect, making great use of donated supplies - and great use of an annoyong song, repeated endlessly.
Blind Man Tango - Blindfolded, one team member follows the other's instructions to assemble several tangram pieces. Then, together, they make a randomly selected tangram shape. Uniquely among our Year One challenges, this one stands up to any we've created in subsequent years.
Favourite Planning Task: Actually building the challenges - and seeing the whole Race lined up in front of us in one room, the back of one truck, wherever.
Thoughts for the Future of SOAR: I'd love to see us make another big leap in the scope and size of the Race, as long as we could do it without sacrificing what makes SOAR great now. That - and I'd love to see a truly working Hexagone Overboard in action.
Glenna Pengelly - Director - Sponsorship Coordinator
Glenna Pengelly is the Coordinator, Major Special Events for The Children's Foundation of Guelph and Wellington.
Most Memorable Race Moment: Waiting at the final pit stop in 2005. The top 3 teams were so close that we had no idea who was running across the field towards us until they were in sight. True excitement!
Top Three Race Challenges:
PicasSo Far - Teams had to match up kids' drawings with the artist. I was a "test racer" for this challenge and man was it frustrating and I love frustrating challenges!
Summer Camp - It was simple but so adventurous - archery, canoeing, and high ropes.
ROTF - I've always wanted to do a challenge with slingshots and we finally made it happen! Plus, I have a soft spot for the Survivor-esque challenges. Teams had to break targets to earn their puzzle board and then solve the puzzle.
Favourite Planning Task: I love the week before the race when we sort all of the challenge props into containers by challenge. It's a sense of completion and anticipation all at the same time.
Thoughts for the Future of SOAR: To keep the race fresh & exciting every year.
Paul Pengelly - Director - Webmaster
Paul is a GIS Analyst for Golder Associates
Most Memorable Race Moment: In year one there were 12 volunteers in total (including Race Directors). Ed Griffith (Racer 2005) was volunteering without a car and so I had to drop him off at his challenges before getting to mine. It was utter chaos.
Top Three Race Challenges:
Petrified Clue Inside - clue was hidden in bottle that was incased in stone.
PicasSo Far - teams had to match grade school artwork by the artist based on the drawing styles
Rewriting History - teams had to order the challenges completed so far and place them in the city they took place in.
Favourite Planning Task: The Volunteer scheduling. Each volunteer gets their name on little cards and we shift them around on a big
wall timeline of the race. Logistically it is crazy, but satisfying when we get every challenge covered by enough marshals.
Thoughts for the Future of SOAR: SOAR is the SOUTHERN ONTARIO Amazing Race. I would truly like to see that happen. In the past we have been restricted geographically to the Guelph, K/W area, and I look forward to the year when we can actually use all of Southern Ontario.
2010 Coordinators
Emily Boms (2004 Racer) - Volunteer Coordinator
Darren Farry (2004-2006 Racer) - Insurance Coordinator
Ilona Farry (2004 Racer) - Food Coordinator
Albert Klein (2005-2007 Racer) - Safety Coordinator
Kim Logan (2005 Racer) - Financial Coordinator
Burke Thompson (2004 Racer) - Construction Coordinator
Lilly Clattenburg (2008-2009 Racer) - Racer Coordinator
Jason Clattenburg (2008-2009 Racer) - Construction Coordinator
Jocelyn Wessels (2008-2009 Racer) - Transportation Coordinator
Laura Cassian (2006-2009 Volunteer) - Story Coordinator