Growing up in the countryside and being exposed to the outdoors from a very young age, adventure racer Louie Burger spent much of his high school years adventuring with an active group of friends. As they grew together as a team and became increasingly competitive, Louie stepped up to longer events in his final year of school. After entering in a handful of expedition races that year, he well and truly caught the adventure racing bug.
Since then, Louie has competed in major races such as Expedition Oregon, The Magnificent and GODZONE. However winning the Hillary Challenge felt particularly special. As New Zealand's national secondary school adventure race, the five-day event is unique in that teams consist of four male and four female athletes. To perform well, everyone needs to work as a team, making the victory even more rewarding.
Reliable gear is paramount
For Louie, reliable gear is paramount, especially during a race. "There is nothing worse than having a piece of kit fail or not do its job properly. Most of the time, you still have to carry it anyway, and depending on the conditions, unreliable gear can also be quite dangerous."
His absolute essentials are his Fenix headlamp and a good waterproof jacket. "Even if it's a nice, sunny day mission, these items usually come with me. Adventures often last longer than expected, and the weather is unpredictable, so I'm often grateful to have packed them."
Adventures of all kind
Inspired by his friends and teammates, driven by his competitive mindset, and always keen for a great adventure, Louie is constantly training or looking ahead to his next challenge. One day, he'd love to tackle a 100-mile race, while also expanding his technical alpine and filmmaking skills. Whatever comes next, you can count on Louie to embrace it with curiosity, commitment and the determination to be at the top of his game.
