National Public Radio, KDLL: “Offroad duo races to the top”

Published September 24, 2024 by Hunter Morrison

Trista Smith and Karisa Haydon at their first Rebelle Rally in 2022

Karisa Haydon and Trista Smith’s friendship began with a dead Subaru alternator on a rainy evening near Portland, Oregon.

Fast forward 15 years, the friends are gearing up for their third year of navigating through the desert of Nevada and California in a Ford Bronco. They’ll be one of 60 teams competing in the Rebelle Rally, an eight day off-roading competition exclusively for women. Participants must navigate checkpoints using maps and compasses – no cell phones or GPS devices are allowed.

The duo has never been the type to shy away from a challenge. Their previous feats include triathlons and 24-hour mountain bike races.

Two years ago, they spent a few weeks training for the Rebelle Rally in and around Soldotna – Haydon’s hometown. Her husband sent the team to different coordinates in the area, like the mouth of the Kasilof River and the now-demolished Good Time Charlies.

Haydon piloted their vehicle.

“We were out and about, we got maps of the area, and we did a little checkpoint hunting in Soldotna just to kind of sharpen our skills in a vehicle with a map," Haydon said. "Hunting random checkpoints of places we had no idea where we were going.”

That training proved valuable for the duo, which now races as Team Velocity. In 2022, the team was named Rookie of the Year and was the highest scoring team during one of the race days.

They competed again in 2023 and placed 6th overall. The Ford Motor Company supplied them with a new Bronco Wildtrak for that race, which they plan to use again this year.