10TH RALLY EDITION: OCTOBER 8 – 18, 2025

January 2023 Newsletter

Mapbox Partner Profile, Team Feature, Iridium News, & More

January 30th, 2023

The People Behind the Maps - Part I

What goes into becoming the leading real-time location intelligence provider? You’re about to find out. We recently sat down with Official Mapping Partner Mapbox to take a deep dive into all things mapping and what it’s like to join the Rebelle crew for ten days – courtesy of Marena Smith, Mapbox Customer Community.

Rebelle U Starts in March

Rebelle U is officially launching next month with a classes for anyone – at any level!

Join us for a one-of-a-kind training that combines a unique curriculum with top-notch instructors and hands-on learning – all wrapped up in a memorable experience in the Southern California desert.

And remember, don’t wait until the last minute to train! Participating in Rebelle U early on helps future competitors identify things they need to work on, and gives them the skills to train back at home and on their own. Success rewards those who prepare, and preparing early is part of that preparation.

Partner News: Iridium

TOMORROW Iridium will reveal their newest product – an upgraded smart companion for your smart devices. Join them tomorrow, Tuesday January 31st, 2023 at 7-8am PST to watch their announcement live, hear from Iridium executives, partners and field users, and ask questions during the live Q&A.

We count on Iridium as the backbone of the rally – from scoring, safety and comms – rerunning and adventures in remote locations. We can’t wait to see what’s new.

Date: Tuesday, January 31
Time: 7:00-8:00 am PST

Hot Off the Press: Tackling the Rebelle in a BMW X5

2022 brought many firsts for the Rebelle Rally, including the first BMW to cross the finish line. If you’re a fan of BMWs (or the Rebelle for that matter) this is a must read, first-hand account from rookie Rebelle competitor, X5 owner and shop owner Kelsey Stephens. Learn about how Kelsey prepped her vehicle, handled the terrain and pushed outside her comfort zone:

Team Feature: Team #108 Karen Hoehn & Dana Saxten

The only team to compete every year together since 2016 – Meet Team #108 Karen Hoehn and Dana Saxten. Karen and Dana are two San Diego residents who are not only role models for effortless teamwork and keeping cool under pressure, they also happen to be excellent competitors. Read on to get to know the duo, and what keeps them coming back year after year.

Parting Shot

In 2021, 4x winner Teralin Petereit navigated the roughest day to date on course – in the midst of a 70 mph wind storm.

How did she did it? The same way she tackled every day – clicking off one checkpoint at a time. Here is the final CP of the day before coming back to a shredded base camp. Undeterred by the roadblocks and the storms.The next day when the storm subsided, she did it again, one checkpoint at a time.