The Toyota Fortuner Challenge sounds like it's a lot of fun centred around the Fortuner, but it's a lot more than that.
It's heaps of fun on the day, probably more so for the spectators than the participants as they sweat it out to earn the right to drive off with a Fortuner that evening.
Each competitor gets teamed up with a "hero/celebrity" by means of a draw out of a hat on the morning of the event, and the two of them spend the rest of the day trying to outwit and outcompete each other via a strict points system.
When all the challenges have been completed, the points are added up and audited before the winner of the Fortuner is announced.
Entrants need to be active in the Fortuner lifestyle and not just good at the actual 4x4 bit, which is only one of the disciplines needed. You don't need to be a big, strong, tough guy, as shown last year when commercial pilot Anneri Kemp and Giniel de Villiers won it.
Being physically fit and mentally strong goes a long way to having the right stuff to ensure that the Fortuner is yours to keep in the garage.
If you've ever built a raft with logs, rope and drums, that's likely to stand you in good stead, so being comfortable in water is a must.
If it was me, I'd brush-up on my navigation skills, seeing as Garmin will this year again be a partner. Finding various waypoints to collect the equipment needed for the next challenge has been the difference between winning and losing.
Specialized Bicycles will again be one of the sponsors, so if the last time you rode on your bike was in high school, getting on a bike in the gym or dusting off your trusty two wheeler that's been gathering dust is certainly a must.
If you're a regular winner at Trivial Pursuit or good at puzzles that's likely to help, or brush up on your African continent knowledge, especially which country fits in where.
Some gaming WRC driving may come in handy too, because you're never sure what the organisers may come up with, but rest assured it will be tough, and ultimately a worthy winner for sure that gets to own a Toyota Fortuner.
