Day 1 of the first PKRA stop in Dakhla, Morocco, provided the PKRA and its competitors with little wind and abundant down time, only heightening the anticipation for the beginning of the first official event of the year. The desolate location of this tour location, combined with intermittent Internet connectivity, and limited access to much beyond the camp, contributed to the interesting pace of the day – compelling riders to get creative with their time. While many competitors ventured beyond the Dakhla Attitude camp, finding endless dunes to instigate an unlikely kind of “desert fun’, others stayed close, taking advantage of things like ping pong and hammock lounging. Additionally, riders enjoyed the well-prepared Moroccan meals, a few dips into the comfortable 70-degree water, and some pre-competition down time, matched with card games, computer time, and music.

Fine-tuning of the live scoring system also represented an important aspect of the day. With the challenge of integrating this method in such a desolate location, the refinement of the system stood out as one of the major focuses for the windless morning and afternoon.

Today, wind is expected to arrive mid-day, and competitors anticipate the beginning of trials as soon as conditions permit. Moroccan competitors will take part in the first trials, and round 2 is scheduled to commence shortly thereafter. The Moroccan trials will include ten participants, with the 2 best riders making it to the finals. The eliminations for the remaining competitors will be divided into 4 initial heats, based upon overall impression. The losers of each heat will go on to compete in a final round, eliminating 2 of the total 16 competitors. The main event will therefore commence on Friday, March 30th, at which time the wind forecast looks good for strong wind through at least Saturday.

Watch more photos of this first day after the jump