Penang Jamboree (Kayuh Lasak)

1-(2002)
The initial event billed as the “One Hill Ride” took place on 26th & 27th October 2002. It was open to the general public and received overwhelming response with riders coming from all over Malaysia and Singapore, including many expatriates from USA, UK, Germany, Denmark & Australia. By the closing date, a total of 278 entries were received which was way over the initial target of 150 riders, with many being turned away due to late entry. This overwhelming response indicated that there is a big market potential for sports tourism through recreational mountain biking adventure events. Thus was born the Kayuh Lasak Penang.







2-(2003)
The second in the series was aptly named “Expect the Unexpected”. It took place on 4th & 5th Oct 2003 amidst landslides as a result of unrelenting rainfall during the preceding weeks. The event consisted of a warm up ride at “The Sunset Boulevard” at 4.00pm on Sat, 4th Oct 2003 at Pulau Betong.
The main event featuring “Expect the Unexpected” Ride took place on Sun, 5th Oct 2003 at the Penang Municipal Park. Participants were required to take the “Pain-nang Hill Challenge” and test the limits of their pain threshold at the mother-of-all-hill-climbs, enter the “Labyrinth” and explore the network of historical trails in the dragon’s lair in Bukit Bendera and exit through the “Moongate Descent and Staghorn Trail” finishing off at the Penang Municipal Park.
Altogether, a total of 350 participants took part, creating a new entry in the Malaysia Book of Records as the largest mountain biking expedition in Malaysia.




3-(2004)
The 3rd edition of the mountain bike jamboree introduced a new additional event called the Penang Food and Heritage Cycle Hunt which gave special emphasis to the FOOD and HERITAGE TRAILS not only in the hills of Penang, but also in the inner city of Georgetown.Based on the concept of Food, Fun and Fellowship, the Kayuh Lasak Penang Mountain bike Jamboree 2004 featured two mountain bike rides and a grand Jamboree Dinner:
1. A bicycle tour cum food and treasure hunt along the Heritage Trail in the inner city of Georgetown entitled “Penang Food and Heritage Cycle Hunt” on Sat morning (4-Dec-2004).
2. The “See You Dare!” cross-country ride on Sun morning (5-Dec-2004), which started and ended at the Penang Municipal Park (Youth Park) and taking riders up “Pain-nang” Hill to explore the many heritage trails and bridle paths that criss-cross Bukit Bendera and the surrounding hills. This ride is made up of 3 segments;The “Pain-nang” Hill Challenge, The Pusing-pusing trails in Bukit Bendera and The Moongate Descent to the Penang Municipal Park, via the Staghorn Trail.

3. A Jamboree Dinner was hosted by the Penang Tourism Action Council at the Penang Municipal Park, where participants got to savor the culinary delights of Penang Hawkers, took part in fun games and winning attractive prizes in a lucky draw. A total of 450 riders took part breaking the previous year’s record and winning another entry in the Malaysia Book of Records.



4-(2005)
Growing from strength to strength, the 4th edition of the Penang MTB Jamboree took place on 3rd & 4th Dec 2005. The first event on December 3rd was the Penang Heritage Experience on Wheels (PHEW). Riders took to the streets of Georgetown looking for the unique trades and handicrafts of Penang that are slowly dying out. This was a very unique experience for all. To add more spice to the event, riders were treated to a Penang Heritage lunch featuring Nyonya food at a premier heritage location.
On Sunday December 4th, riders climbed up to Penang Hill from Air Itam Dam for the “Painang Hill Challenge”. This was the 4th running of the notorious tough hill climb which had attracted die-hard mountain bikers from far and wide. Riders slogged for up to four hours to climb Penang Hill, followed by an exhilarating plunge through the tropical rain forest down to the Penang Municipal Park.
Again, the Malaysia Book of Records was broken with 555 entries from all over Malaysia and Singapore with riders of various nationalities like Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, France, US, UK and Australia besides Singaporean and Malaysians taking part.


5-(2006)
For 2006 KOTRT’s Pursuit of Excellence continued. The Knights pledged to make 2006’s Jamboree better than ever with a targeted turnout of over 550 riders. The original goal of promoting Sports Tourism and showcasing what Penang has to offer as a mountain biking destination stayed the same with everything else given a new twist:
· For the Saturday event, in it’s 2nd year, the popular Penang Heritage Experience On Wheels (PHEW) was maintained. Riders scoured the streets of Penang in search of the endangered trades and living heritage of the island. A Halal Nyonya lunch at the Convent Light Street was also provided to really fill up the riders with the food and heritage wonders of Penang. Participants even got to take part in a fun dance along Boria gig under the surpervision of Malaysia’s Living Heritage, En Baha.
· The Management Committee although small, consisted of 20 very passionate & committed individuals from a varied field of profession. For 2006, more new ideas were hatched by this enthusiastic committee. Marshalling and safety controls were also given a revamp.
· The Jamboree’s logo “Can U Survive?” challenged and gave our guests a lot more in the way of adventure riding. The route up Penang Hill was long and a winding one via Air Itam Dam and Tiger Hill with magnificent scenery and rainforest. The downhill was equally thrilling and challenging, the trail finally ending at the Penang Municipal Park which was covered with sponsors’ stalls and tents, riders, friends, supporters and bicycles in all shapes and sizes.
· The Dinner ala Hawker Fare and Finale featured a memorable evening with enticing lucky draws that was the talk of the mountain biking community.
Apparently the cycling community felt that nowhere else has such an event combining Food, Heritage and Adventure riding ever been conceived or attempted. This collective sentiment certainly helped put our island as the brightest spot on the mountain biking map of this region.
The Kayuh Lasak Penang Mountainbike Jamboree has been recognized as one of the toughest events for Mountain Biking in Malaysia and yet it is fun-filled to ensure more riders keep coming back to Penang for a taste of that special magic our State has to offer. The first Jamboree in 2002 attracted 270 participants, over the years we have attracted a faithful following with ever increasing participants year after year. This year's figure was 750. This was a testament to the quality of Mountain Biking in Penang and the overwhelming support of the authorities, sponsors and cycling community alike.

For more info pls visit http://www.kotrt.com.my/about%20us.html