Summit Adventure Racing
the Adventure Spectrum LLC is the proud sponsor of Summit Adventure Racing &Team Commie Bar. Summit AR is a nationally ranked adventure racing team based in the epicenter of adventure sports Deep Creek Lake, MD.
The team competes in expedition and multi-day adventure races around the globe and has a roster of athletes from both the USA and Europe.
Summit AR is ranked #1 in the North American Adventure Racing Series (2013 & 2014) in the 3 man elite category and in head to head competion at the United States Adventure Racing National Championships finished on the podium in 3rd place (same category) in 2013.
In 2015, the team competed and finished the Adventure Racing World Series event Raid in France which was a 4 day race of non-stop mountain biking, trekking and paddling in the pre-alpes of France in September.
Meet some of the team below:
Todd Copley
Team Captain
Lead Navigator
Home: Deep Creek Lake, MD/Lyon, France
Amateur Adventure Racer & Ultra Endurance Athlete for over 15 years competing in the United States and Europe. An ex-Army Special Operations Commander, Todd not only heads up Team Commie Bar but also the owner and principal of The Summit Brands LLC. Todd was the adventure racing coach at the Adventure Sports Institute and also heads up Expedition Planning for Lindblad Expeditions, a renowned adventure travel company, and the National Geographic Orion expedition vessel. Previously he was the Executive Director of the Whitewater World Championships. Todd will lead the team at Raid in France
Kimberly Owens
Ultra Racer
Home: Grand Rapids, MI
Race Director and Ultra runner, Kim Owens joins Summit AR/Team Commie Bar this year as the first female EVER on the team. She has successfully completed numerous ultra running events and 24hour adventure races..... She runs all winter in Michigan.... what more do we have to say...
2014 Michigan Adventure Racing Series Champions-2 person Female
2014 Promiseland 50k Female Masters Winner
2013 Uwharrie Mtn Run 40 Miler-5th Female Overall
2013-Iceman Cometh Challenge 4th Age group
2013-Peak to Peak Mtn Bike Race-2nd Place Expert
2012-Xterra Last Stand Duathlon-2nd Female Overall
2011-Infiterra December Chill AR-Female Solo Winner
2011-Terrapin Mountain 50k-1st Age group
2010-Dances with Dirt 50k -3rd Overall Female
2009 and 2010-Spring Fury 8 Hour-1st Female Coed
2008-North Country Trail Marathon-Overall Female Winner
2008-Thunder Rolls AR 12 Hour -1st 2person Coed(My first Adventure Race)
Dan "Bait" Schaefer
Jon Gamm
Team Mule
Home: Denver, CO
2 times Colorado Colfax and Pikes Peak Marathons
20+ Xterra off-road tri's to date and counting
3x Harvest Moon Half Ironman
1x Panama City Beach Full Ironman
Numerous 10k's, half marathons and multiple ultra distance Italian Marcie & German Volksmarches performed at blood alcohol level greater than 0.02.
West Point graduate
U.S. Army Airborne Infantry officer
Computer geek that loves long walks in the woods, grappa & hallucinations.
Jon will be part of the Raid in France Team
Guillaume Calais
Team Logistics
Home: St. Victor sur Rhins, France
Raids Longs
Raid in France : 2010 (7ème), 2011(non classé), 2012, 2014 (16/28)
Aventure Catalane : 3-4j
Raid Millet 4j (8/40)
Raid 74 : 40h non stop
XA Series France Italie en 2000
VTT:
Chemin du Soleil 2011,2012
Tourelloise,
Trails :
UTMB 2006 (420eme), 2007
P’tite Trot à Léon: 240 km/D16000m (autour du Mt Blanc)
Les Templiers
Diagonale des Fous (en préparation pour 2015)
Chris Farrell
Home: Madasgar and Western PA
Dan Schaefer decided to be a Commie Killer at age 11. The son of Missionaries stationed in the Communist “Peoples Republic” ofMadagascar, young Dan spent his days dodging military check points and making improvised weapons. Although new to Adventure Racing, Dan is no stranger to adventure. He’s traveled the world and hiked on three continents. Dan has canoed with gators in Georgia and been rescued by some of the toughest hillbillies north of the Mason Dixon line, and spends an average of 30 nights a year sleeping under the stars. He’s currently a Police Detective in Suburban Philadelphia and is a member of and Physical Fitness Coordinator for his department’s SWAT team. He also successfully initiated and ended a high speed vehicle pursuit while on a Police mountain bike (yes, he chased down a car while on a bike—for a littering violation).
Andy Hershey
Home: Deep Creek Lake, MD
Director and lead guide/instructor Andy Hershey has climbed and backpacked throughout West Virginia and the United States, and has been employed as a professor at the Adventuresports Institute (ASI) ofGarrett College since 2005. Among other things at ASI, he coordinates the program’s academic backcountry and climbing related curricula. Since acquiring a bachelor’s degree in Park and Resource Management; and master’s degree in Sport Management, Andy has worked as a backcountry ranger in Yosemite National Park, worked in an adventure setting with youth-at-risk as an Adventure Specialist and Program Coordinator at the Yellow Breeches Educational Center, and with a variety of other outdoor education programs and guide services
Home: Long Island, NY
Chris has raced around the U.S. and in expedition races in the Western US. He was part of the National Championship 3rd place team.
Chris is a supreme navigator and has raced with Summit AR/Team Commie Bar since 2010
Scott Mead
Home: Berthoud, CO
Partner in a software design firm, Scott is another anchor in Summit Adventure Racing West. He will be on the Equinox 48 hour team and will be an alternate for Raid in France.
Bio
Running:
San Francisco Marathon
2x 24 hour Colorado Relay
24hour Wild West Relay
Cycling
2 x Courage Classic
2 x 120 mile Colorado Triple Bypass
Adventure Racing
AXS Moab
2 x AXS Buena Vista
9 x Colorado 14ers