Staff Writer
HOULTON – Many local residents pass Houlton’s Larry Tonzi on the roadways either running or cycling. But in the summer of 2006, Tonzi stretched his athleticism while competing in the Sea2Summit Adventure Race.
Larry Tonzi and his son Adam during the adventure race.
“Over the years, my family has been my support team in numerous running events in more than eight states from coast to coast,” Tonzi said. “My son, Adam, has been a great supporter at these events. As time has passed, it has become my job to be a member of his support team.”
Adam moved to Fox Island, Wash., which is a short distance from Tacoma, more than 15 years ago and began adventure races with a friend he had met.
In 2002, Adam participated in the Sea2Summit Adventure Race in 2002 near Whistler Mountain in British Columbia. The challenge consisted of open ocean kayaking, running, trekking, mountain biking and orienteering. Adam’s mother, Barbara, and his father served as part of his support team, which was required by all participants.
“We spent two days offering food, liquid refreshment, dry clothes and whatever he needed to complete the tasks that went before him,” said Tonzi. “As the days drew on I got to thinking, ‘I could do this. What if Adam and I could do it as a father and son team in 2003?’ At first Adam was hesitant, as he had some tentative plans to do the 2003 event with his friend. But, later he called me and said ‘Let’s do it dad.’”
The Tonzis spent the next year communicating by phone and Internet on how they were doing training for the event.
“I spent all summer that year kayaking, running and biking to prepare,” explained Tonzi. “No one knows just what type of challenges that lay ahead. Participants find out the night before the event at the annual orientation meeting [what the challenge consists of].”
PADDLING- Part of the Sea2Summit Adventure Race was kayaking 11 miles, before changing to orienteering.
Tonzi said he felt as though he was in the best shape of his life and he was psyched to do the adventure race. But, as time drew closer, forest fires in British Columbia broke out and the race was canceled and rescheduled.
Though he had a great visit with his son and family, Tonzi couldn’t help but return home disappointed. The twosome planned to do the following adventure race in 2004. But, as fate would have it, the challenge would be pushed off yet again.
“As my training began that spring, I received a phone call from Adam,” recalled Tonzi. “He said he was playing indoor soccer and tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The 2004 Sea2Summit had to be cancelled in our book.”
With Adam rehabilitating, plans for the race were shifted to 2005. But, again, those plans would be postponed.
“At the end of 2004, I came down with a very serious intestinal problem out of the blue,” Tonzi said. “The Sea2Summit 2005 was out of the question. After three surgeries and rehabilitation, and I must say, lots of help from my friends, I was ready to try it again.”
Tonzi told his son six months from his last major surgery it was going to be “now or never. Let’s do it.”
The Sea2Summit Adventure Race is two or three days long and each day participants average six to 12 hours of paddling, trekking, mountain biking, orienteering, ropes and some surprise challenges along the way.
The Tonzis trained independently prior to the race and met in Washington State. Taking advantage of their time together in Washington, they visited Victoria Island, and attended a wooden boat show and took in a jazz festival.
The second day of their visit to Victoria, Adam and his father decided to go for jog. Then misfortune struck one mile into the easy jog … Adam pulled up lame.
“He had hurt his lower leg. A slight pull of his calf muscle,” said Tonzi. “He limped back to the hotel. We iced his calf and did some gentle stretching. We did not know if he would be able to do the adventure race at that point. We were beginning to believe, maybe we were not meant to do this thing.”
BIKING- Adam Tonzi competes in biking trek of the Sea2 Summit Adventure Race.
Resting the next couple of days, Adam recovered enough to participate. With running being his father’s strength, Adam would have to rely on him, while kayaking and mountain biking were Adam’s strengths, which in turn, Tonzi would have rely on his son.
“Together, we felt we could help each other through,” said Tonzi. “Little did I know that Adam was the one who helped his ‘old man’ through it all.”
The Sea2Summit Adventure Race started 40 miles north of Whistler Mountain Resort and the first event was 15 miles of kayaking in a river fed by water from a melting glacier. The Tonzis readied their borrowed K2 and received their instructions.
“We didn’t know if the event leader had a “trick” event we had to do before the actual kayaking,” explained Tonzi. “They often have little surprise events mixed in that need to be done, which are not spelled out in the instructions or orientation meetings.”
This day, no tricks. The leader looked at the participants and simply gave the command …. “Go.”
The Tonzis struggled to get into their boat and were nearly at the end of the more than 100 kayaks in the water.
“Our goal was not to win, but rather to complete the challenge,” said Tonzi. “Yet both Adam and I are quite competitive, so off we went to catch up with the flotilla of kayaks and canoes ahead of us.”
The Tonzis’ hard work and fast boat paid off and when they reached the second leg of the race, they were in 10th place. But, Tonzi said then the “agony began” for him. They had to mountain bike 35 miles of technical and unforgiving terrain, he said.
Even though Tonzi had biked around Drews Lake trails and some of them seemed quite challenging, he wasn’t prepared for the task that lay ahead. The trails were not designed for the faint of heart, but for the gutsy and daring. The trails climbed to an altitude gain and converged to narrow ledges with steep dropoffs. Riders lugged their bikes down 25-foot cliffs, over logs and down steep mountain trails with minimal visibility.
Last year’s winners did that leg in about four hours. During the race, it took the winners seven hours to traverse the terrain, with the Tonzis completing it in nine hours.
“Adam could have done it in less time, if not for helping me along,” said Tonzi. “When we were finished, there was not a muscle or piece of my flesh that was not sore, scraped or lacerated. I lost track of the number of times I fell.”
Learning how to carry a mountain bike three different ways, Tonzi spent the evening in a hot tub, hoping to revive his body. However, Adam was nearly unaffected as he went out with friends.
The next morning, the Tonzis rode their bikes on more hospitable mountain logging roads.
“The altitude gains were hard, but the riding was less technical,” Tonzi added as he avoided falling. After the four-hour ride, the next leg of the race was back to kayaking and an 11-mile deadwater lake paddle.
“We had no current to push us,” said Tonzi. “We were told to keep to the left on the lake for our safety. When we asked “Why?’ We were told that the lake was used as the resort’s airstrip. Seaplanes were landing every half hour of so.”
After the 11 miles of paddling, the race changed to orienteering — a combination of running and finding hidden items — using a map and compass. But, Tonzi was happy because he could finally run, but as Adam started to run, the strain of his leg injury a few days before became apparent.
“Now it was my turn to help him a bit,” said Tonzi.
The duo found all the items they needed and as they got closer to the finish, Adam had to rest because of his sore, painful calf muscle strain. After a timeout, the Tonzis ran the last 100 yards together.
“We were elated to have completed the adventure race as a father and son,” Tonzi said. “ I’ve competed in many running events, and I have to admit, this is the hardest thing I have ever done. But, I’m glad I did it.”
As the Tonzis sat recovering at the Whistler Resort, Tonzi said he turned to his daughter-in-law and simply said, “You can have my mountain bike.”
The Tonzis finished midway through the pack of competitors. Adam was scheduled to participate in the 2007 Sea2Summit Adventure Race, but there was no news of the event.
“As far as he knows, 2006 was the last one to be done,” Tonzi said. “So, we did it. We persevered and I think accomplished something on a grand scale. I had done what I had come to do. I would not do it again.
I was the oldest [athlete] who competed. But, the most important part, is that we did it as father and son.” 
