Credit:
Matthew Molter
A rock counts as a tool.
Credit:
Matthew Molter
In the end, Wolff was able to get his car drivable by hitting the steering components with a rock and using a ratchet strap to hold it in place. He then manhandled the heavy car to his pit, where his team worked to get his rig back on course.
Benefiting the fans and the sponsors
Unfortunately, Wolff timed out of the race and was officially DNF–Did Not Finish–but he won the hearts of many fans. The team’s merchandise purchases increased tenfold, he’s the talk of the off-road Facebook pages, and Wolff’s sponsors, especially Warn winches, couldn’t be happier.
“King of the Hammers is a huge deal for us,” said Jake Petersen, VP of marketing for Warn. “It’s the hardest race in the world where competitors have to winch around obstacles. Paul is by himself, and he had our new Zeon XC winch that we launched the week before. StarStream makes the Warn platform that much bigger. Fans can see the brand and watch the winch in action.”
The system isn’t perfect, though, especially when the Starlink antenna is obstructed. Wolff’s stream had plenty of unclear sections thanks to the narrow rock canyons the course goes in and out of. Without a clear view of the sky, the Starlink struggles.
Credit:
Paolo Baraldi
After the canyons of King of the Hammers (seen here), Wolff is off next to Moab, Utah.
Credit:
Paolo Baraldi
StarStream doesn’t come cheaply, either, although when factored into a pro race team’s overall budget, it’s fairly reasonable. The box, cameras, and cords are $3,600. You’ll need a Starlink Mini antenna for about $300, and you need the $250 per month Global Priority service plan. I bought my rooftop mount for $220 from Savage UTV. You’ll also need sturdy mounts for the cameras and a mount for the StarStream box.
Paul Wolff is back home now, no doubt resting his foot and tearing down his car in preparation for the next crazy rock crawling event on the red slabs of Moab, Utah, on March 31. He’ll be far from civilization, but his livestream will be right on your computer.
Leave a Reply