At 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 17, 30 international teams representing 11 countries stood anxiously at the starting line of the Salomon X-Adventure Raid Series, wearing inline skates and ready to kick off the U.S. stop of the otherwise European tour.

The race would begin with a 9-kilometer skate, followed with a 16.6-mile hike/run that would include a 200-foot rappel and a grueling elevation gain of 2500 feet. Teams would then canoe 5.5 miles on Caples Lake, ride a technical 22-mile mountain bike section, canoe again for 5 miles, and mountain bike again for 25 miles (in the dark) before concluding day one of the race.

The faster the teams would finish Saturday's stages, the more sleep they'd be able to bank before setting off at Day 2 at 5:15 a.m. Sunday morning for another day of heated competition.

Twenty European teams traveled to Kirkwood, trying to add more points to their overall standings in the Raid Series and eventually qualify for the Raid Gauloises. Ten U.S. teams were there to fight for three instant qualifying spots.

The 5.5-mile inline skate saw Swiss team Allianz Salomon at the front of the pack, cruising in to first place in roughly 15 minutes. Midway through the skate, two members of French Team Spie collided with each other, throwing both Beatirce Piolat and teammate Benjamin Midena to the hard asphalt. Piolat was badly cut and suffered possible fractured ribs, but continued on as her team finished third in the skate. Karina Bacha of Team Atena Brasil also took a tumble, and was badly bruised but continued on.

Team Salomon USA (Dave Mackey, Adam Chase, Julie Hansen, Darren Eisman) was the first U.S. team to complete the first stage, crossing the line 4th behind the Europeans.

From the skate to the mountains...As three teammates race at a time in the Salomon X-Adventure Raid Series, one teammate sits out and strategy plays a part. The 16.5-mile foot section sent teams straight up Kirkwood ski resort, along a ridgeline that circumnavigated the area and offered spectacular views, and down a thousand feet before heading off into the granite-laden woods.

Teams sent their strongest runners off on foot, saving the fourth member for canoeing and mountain biking later in the day. The rules state that each team's woman can only sit out three of the 11 stages of the race, making strategy and planning important in maximizing team strengths.

As teams paddled and mountain biked twice until late in the night, the lead changed hands throughout the day. U.S. Team GoLite (Ian Adamson, Michael Tobin, Monique Merril, Mike Freeburn) gained time on both the canoeing and mountain bike sections, threatening to take the lead from the Swiss Team Allianz Salomon and battling with French Team Spie.

GoLite banked the fastest time on the water, resembling a professional outrigger canoe team as members handled the three-person inflatable with ease, incredible power and efficiency.

At the end of the day, Allianz Salomon led the pack, followed by U.S Team GoLite (11 minutes off the lead) and French Team Spie.

U.S. Team Montrail (Rebecca Rusch, Patrick Harper, Novak Thompson and Matthew Weatherly-White) finished the day in 7th place, but secured the second U.S. spot and a place in the Raid Gauloises.

—Lisa Jhung, MountainZone.com Correspondent