If you wake up in Mexico but you had no intention of going there the day before, chances are you’re involved in some kind of trouble–or you signed up for Questival. As your annual race calendar fills up, you may want to leave room for the third annual Cotopaxi Questival Adventure Race in Salt Lake City.
(1) What is Questival?
Questival is a self-guided adventure race (see: grown-up scavenger hunt that is also kid friendly) where teams compete to complete the most of the 300ish challenges provided by the Cotopaxi team via smartphone app. Participants can download the free app anytime, but the challenges are not loaded until the race begins. There isn’t a requirement to do the full 24-hour event in order to qualify for prizes and to have a great experience. You can make the race as short as you would like it to be, so kids can join in the Tom Foolery.
Challenges usually involve anything from posting silly selfies and volunteering at local charities to hiking and eating bugs. A 2015 challenge included reenacting the spaghetti scene from Disney’s Lady and the Tramp. Fair warning to the residents of Salt Lake City and surrounding areas: Many of the challenges involve a surprising amount stranger cajolery–innocent bystanders who happen to be going about their lives near Questival participants.
Teams win prizes by completing tasks in creative ways. Team rank is based on the number of points they complete and how well they impress the judges. The judges are peers, Cotopaxi staff, charity partners, city representatives, and past Questival participants from other cities.
Even if you’re not in it to win it, there’s plenty of motivation to take part. Who wouldn’t want to spend a Saturday attempting to have the most fun you could possibly have
(2) Who does this?
You, that’s who! Groups of two to six people create teams to complete the tasks.
Smart teams from last year’s event created hashtags for team names so they could keep track of everything they did on social media.
The festival is open to the public, but participation in the scavenger hunt, swag bag (backpack, stickers, temporary tattoos, etc.) and access to the race challenges on the smartphone app is dependent on registration.
(3) When? The Questival Timeline
Thursday, April 7, 2016
7:00 PM: The Challenge List is emailed to Questival participants. The Questival App will not be populated with those challenges until the launch party 24 hours later. Teams can use this time to determine their strategies and carb load, or whatever.
Friday, April 8, 2016
9:00 AM: Registration Booth Opens. 24-Hour Challenge Participants can pick up their event gear, which will include your team’s totem.
5:00 PM: Check-in begins. Participants who have signed up for the 24-hour Questival event meet at the Sandy City Promenade to pick up their swag bags. Festival goers can compete in on-site challenges at the festival games at the launch party prior to the official kick-off.
7:00 PM: The Questival App populates with challenges. This ensures that teams can’t get started on the challenges through the app or submit anything before the race starts.
7:30 PM: Official Kick-Off!
8:00 PM: Check-in ends. Questival participants for the 24-hour event have checked in and are actively competing.
Saturday, April 9, 2016
7:00 PM: Questival App will stop accepting challenge completions.
7:30 PM: The Questival Adventure Race ends. Post-event lounge party begins at the Adventure Gear Expo in Sandy.
The winner will be announced a few days later at Salt Lake City’s Bohemian Brewery.
(4) Why would someone participate in these kinds of shenanigans?
Do some good and have fun doing it. Oh, and there are some pretty neat prizes, too. Prizes include Cotopaxi gear and gear from Questival race partners, and the winning team from each Questival will receive more than $10,000 in prizes, including an international travel voucher for each team member.
Seth King, VP of Events for Questival, says this event is unlike any other in the world. “It’s a way for people to be inspired, to get outdoors and familiarize themselves with the environment around them, which can go unnoticed. Doing outdoor challenges and activities under the guise of a ‘presented challenge’ lowers the barrier to entry. It gives people the gumption to try rock climbing, camping, hiking, canoeing, etc. It doesn’t force their hand, but strongly encourages it.”
(5) Where does Questival start?
Sandy City Promenade
10000 Centennial Parkway
Sandy, Utah 84070
(6) How do I enter Questival?
Visit Cotopaxi.com
Depending on when you purchase your tickets, they are around $30 for adults, $15 for kids. Kids and adults of all ages are welcome to participate. Early Bird discounts are available.
(7) How do I Win Questival?
The Rules
- Complete as many tasks on the list provided as you can.
- Document each task completion via the Questival app.
- Have fun!
The more points you accrue by completing tasks, the better chance you’ll have to win. The more difficult the challenge, the more points your team will earn. To be judged, your team must rank in the Top 10.
Points only matter until you get into the Top 10. Once you’re in the Top 10, it’s up to the judges. The key is to stay in the Top 10 where points are concerned AND to win the affection of the judges by cleverly completing your challenges.
(8) What is Cotopaxi?
Cotopaxi is a local company that creates innovative outdoor products and experiences that fund sustainable poverty alleviation, move people to do good, and inspire adventure.
Cotopaxi funds solutions that address the most persistent needs of those living in extreme poverty. Giving is core to their model. They focus their efforts on global poverty alleviation and give targeted grants to advance health, education, and livelihoods initiatives around the world.
To learn more about Cotopaxi visit Cotopaxi.com
