Geoff Wilson - Team Leader. Buggy Pilot.One of the four buggy pilots, an African born Aussie, veterinarian/adventurer – obsessed with all things wind driven. Geoff has just completed “Calypso’s Odyssey”, a documentary capturing the adventures of Geoff and his family about Calypso JJ, a 54ft sailing yacht. In this adventure the family learn to sail and 6 months later depart on a 25,000km sea voyage over 367 days that passed through Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and P.N.G waters. Geoff is now focusing his energies on completing his dream to cross the Sahara desert assisted by wind alone.
Geoff is a proud father of 3 and is married to wonderful, understanding Sarah also of African stock. Geoff brings to the team a dogged determination to get the job done, continual ever-ready battery energy and considerable African experience (including a prior traverse of the Egyptian Sahara by bicycle!)
Craig Hansen - Design/equipment. Co-owner Peter Lynn Kites. Buggy pilot. Craig is a recycled Zimbabwean now Kiwi. He is also the co-owner of Peter Lynn Kites based in Ashburton, south island New Zealand. He has been flying kites since he was 10 years of age. Craig has a passion for kite traction and wind assisted travel – specifically as a means for journeying.
He brings to the team immense know how, technical knowledge and kite flying skill. Craig and Peter Lynn have developed the “Big Foot” buggy and its Saharan adaptations for the May Way South.
His positive attitude and drive combined with aggressive kite flying will ensure we complete what we have set out to do.
Steve Gurney - Motivator/team driver. Buggy pilot. Kiwi born and bred. Ex-professional Adventure Racing athlete, Steve was at the top of his game for 16 years, with 9 Coast to Coast wins, numerous Adventure race team wins, twice representing NZ at the world Mountain-biking Champs, staged a dramatic comeback after near-death Leptospirosis and has invented some radical racing equipment, a bike pod like a wing, anti-gravity paddles and the like!
Steve has an mechanical engineering degree, is a member of NZ Order of Merit and twisted and twirled on Dancing with the Stars. He is a published author, an NLP Master Practitioner and is sought after as a motivational and humorous keynote speaker. He no longer competes, but is racing to seek “green” and sustainable adventure options such as this crossing of the anything-but-green desolation of the Sahara desert! Steve’s motivational skills and drive will be fuel enough driving us forward over the testing terrain on to our destination, Dakar.
Garth Freeman - Navigation/Router. Buggy pilot. Aussie born and bred Garth is the youngest member of the team. Despite this he brings many man hours flying kites and considerable expertise to the mix. Garth is a professional kite instructor and flew his first kite at the age of 12. Kite flying has been an obsession since then and hi now makes his living passing on this passion to those around him.
Garth is a driven young man and will need all that drive to guide his buggy and the team through the miles of tough and hot terrain ahead. Garth will navigate us through the desert and attempt to find the best winds possible to get us from Agadir, Morocco to Dakar, Senegal inside 30 days. He also is responsible for ensuring that Geoff has all the kite flying skills he needs to survive the journey!
SUPPORT CREW
Guy Lankester - Guide, Security and Advisor.Zimbabwean born now resident in London but more often than not found in the deepest corners of Africa. Guy runs a company called "Fromhere2Timbuktu" - he has been guiding tourists and thrill seekers from some years through the very territory that MadWay South intends to cross. The regions he works in are off the beaten track and need local know how and savvy to safely pass through. MadWay South will rely heavily on his expertise to ensure its safe arrival in Dakar having crossed 2,500 km of harsh desert terrain. With Guy as our guide we hope he can minimise hassles as we travel
through North West Africa - allowing us total concentration on the kites and
buggies - increasing our chances of success. Guy has had a lot of experience in
Africa and his guiding company FromHere2Timbuktu regularly does trips for
adventure tourists deep into Africa
Eric Pearson - Leader Support Crew.
Eric is another old Africa hand - born in Capetown he now resides on the Gold Coast, Australia working for the very Eco - EcoVillage at Currumbin. Eric's partner Estelle understands his love of adventure and has let him off the leash to get a serious dose of MadWay into him. Eric brings to this team a great understanding of kiting (also a wind fanatic), calm demeanor, mechanical savvy, and a sheer determination to get the job done. His role will see him coordinate all daily race activities, reconnoitering best routes, organising rosters, setup camp and breaking camp daily. In short Eric is a Godsend and vital to the success of this expedition.
Alan Wilson - Communications/Book keeping
An adventurer from way back - Alan's most notable achievements include flying a single engine aircraft from Uganda to Townsville to escape the evils of Idi Amin, surviving landing that aircraft during a cyclone in Rangoon, freefalling over the Arabian Desert with a blocked fuel line in that same aircraft, sitting out several military coups and multiple scrapes that only his Irish gift of the gab got out of. Alan's role includes all communications within the expedition - radio and satphone and external communications - website blog and media updates. His gift with figures and finance has also landed him the job of balancing our books and budget !
Nigel Milnes - Quarter Master/Camp Cook/Logisitics
Nigel is UK born and now dinky di Aussie - Currently in Real Estate but with a firm background in marketing and organisation - Nigel's tidy ordered mind is perfect antidote to Geoff's frantic pace. Nigel tidies up the paperwork and ensures all the expedition details are finite, done and ordered. Camp food was in danger of being prison like pre Nigel, the menu plan now reads like a cordon blue menu - no roughing it on this one. Nigel will double as backup driver when needed but in general his responsibility will involve making sure all expedition members are well fed, rations make the distance and that camp is orderly and well run. The perfect man for the job with the perfect tincture of toughness to make 30 days in the worlds hottest desert.
Lance Martin - Driver 2nd Vehicle/Sand Board Crash Test Dummy
Owner of Gnarly Sandboards Australia - Lance has made his life Sand ! Lance makes sandboards for a living and whilst he is driven to support this World Record attempt to cross the Sahara - one eye will always be on he lookout for the biggest sand dunes he can find and ride on film as part of the adventure documentary series. The trip will also serve to showcase Lance's boards and expose sandboarding as another desert and beach activity for the young at heart ! Lance is as Australian as you can get, a "Tru Blue" Aussie, he has a heart of gold and will be another key to this expeditions success
Derek Wilson - Water Procurement/Morale Officer
Derek also an old Africa hand, born on the Dark Continent whilst Dinosaurs still roamed free, Derek is of good Irish stock and is now based in Northern Ireland in between adventures. Derek's greatest skill is to retain good humour under the heaviest of fire, the tougher a situation gets the more Derek thrives. Thus he is in charge of two very important roles on the expedition - Morale and Water - without either we shall fail - No pressure ! Derek is up to the task and we look forward to many laughs around the evening table holed up in sandstorms or other stresses that this the harshest of all environments will throw at our team.
Lincoln Williams - Producer/Cameraman I
Lincoln being dragged into this expedition had a lot to do with his long term friendship with Geoff or in other words being in the wrong place at the wrong time ! However having said this, Lincoln is a cameraman of great talent - being able to capture an event in a unique and interesting way rather than blandly telling a story, he is able to create and use his imagination to enhance the story and improve it in its telling. His brief is to cover the story from start to finish - this world record attempt at the longest kite assisted journey ever and trans Saharan crossing. Lincoln is owner and operator of Fotomedia a Gold Coast based film company that has runs on the board regards dealing with digital media. Physically fit due to his active, boyish lifestyle, his fitness will be put to the test as he films in the worlds cauldron - the toughest environment he has covered to date.
Matt Hooker - Cameraman II/Stills Photographer
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