Rebelle Rally Field Update: Day 5
October 16th, 2024 (Soggy Lake, Johnson Valley, CA)
The competition is heating up as Rebelles left Dumont Dunes today to made their way further south to the final basecamp on Soggy Lake, nestled down in Johnson Valley, California. The teams started their morning with a long on-route enduro heading south through Rasor OHV and, ultimately, ending up in the iconic Johnson Valley OHV area. After they passed through Rasor, the 4×4 competitors had both a regular and X-option. The X-option was shorter but rougher terrain that took returning Rebelles to a new section of the course for competitors.
Once the teams reached Johnson Valley, checkpoints could be hunted out of order. There were X-options for both the 4×4 and X-Cross this afternoon, which once again were rugged terrain but designed to challenge all the teams, especially the higher-ranking ones competing for the podium.
As teams head out on their final marathon stage tomorrow, competition is fierce, and as we have seen in the past, the Rebelle isn’t over until the end of DAY 7!
Follow along for real-time updates, live tracking, live scoring, and team bios by visiting the official Rebelle Rally website at rebellerally.com. The Rebelle Rally LIVE Webcast, presented by Toyota, includes daily competition previews and evening recaps and can be watched via rebellerally.com, YouTube, and Facebook.
Competition Quotes
#108 Karen Hoehn
On how they are the only team to stay together for nine years, “I think we want the same thing out of this. We pretty much agree on the plan of the day. ‘You want to leave those checkpoints up there and not do that. You want to go for this. Let’s do that’. We are like-minded in what we want out of the Rally. We’re not disappointed with one another. If I get the car stuck or something, she’s (Dana) is very gracious.”
#133 Mali Vander Leest
“We work on the code for the Iridium satellites that we’re using here at the Rebelle. It was created before we were born by some of our lovely coworkers, but we are fortunate that we get to contribute to it and help create the new features on the satellites.”
“Our first mentor was Susie McBride (former competitor), our COO. She’s a mentor in 100 different ways, even outside of the Rebelle, in terms of how she started off in engineering before she was management. Now, she’s our COO. She’s definitely a role model in terms of leadership and women in STEM. Nena, she did a lot of training with us because we’re renting a Jeep from her. There are lot of seasoned pros here that we’ve been lucky to learn from.”
#144 Liza Tough
Describe how you are feeling after today
“100% it was absolute torture. We squabbled, we made up, we hugged, we held hands, we cried, and then we got to base camp and found out we had a flat, but we made it on time for base camp.”
What happens on course that it breaks you down to where you might start arguing?
“Part of the breakdown was we were hunting for 15 blue and obviously it was not there, and we were doing this and that. That was kind of the moment. But by the time we hit Camp Rock Road, coming out, we talked, we held hands all the way back to base camp, and she got me to base camp with 45 seconds to spare..”
Partner Highlight: Yeti
Hydration is essential. It is the key to peak performance for all competitors on the Rebelle Rally, which is why YETI has partnered with Rebelle under a multi-year contract to keep the teams and staff healthy. This year, competitors and staff will be using YETI’s Rambler bottles in their new signature Sandstone color, inspired by the Valley of Fire and launched with the help of Emily Miller and the team at Rebelle Rally.
YETI’s philosophy extends beyond just building great products; it’s about protecting the places that inspire them. The company’s initiatives, such as YETI Rescues™ and the Rambler™ Buy Back program, are designed to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainability. YETI’s commitment to conservation and outdoor access aligns seamlessly with the Rebelle Rally’s dedication to reducing waste and promoting responsible outdoor practices.
About the Rebelle Rally
The Rebelle Rally is the longest competitive off-road rally in the United States. Traversing over 2,100 kilometers through Nevada and California’s iconic terrain, it is an endurance competition for women consisting of precision driving and navigating – not fastest speed. The competition is innovative and unique, using maps, compass, roadbooks and strategy – known as Rebelle Format. GPS and other electronic devices are strictly prohibited. Remote and off-grid for eight competition days, the Rebelle Rally is considered a providing ground for people, products and stock manufacturer vehicles.
