Robin Judkins

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Robin Judkins
ONZM
Judkins in 2016
Born (1949-05-10) 10 May 1949 (age 74)
Geraldine, New Zealand
Known forFounder of Coast to Coast race
RelativesAnne Judkins (niece)

Robin Austin Judkins

ONZM (born 10 May 1949) is a New Zealand sports administrator. He created the Alpine Ironman and the Coast to Coast,[1] races that are often credited for being the origin of adventure racing. He has published an autobiography
, Mad Dogs: Life on the Edge.

Early life

Judkins was born at

Christchurch Teachers' College to become a teacher, but he failed "miserably" because he had not learned how to swot.[2]

Young adulthood

In his early 20s, Judkins followed the winter whenever he had money to travel, and skied in North America and New Zealand. He competed in ski racing and his best result was a tenth place in the New Zealand nationals in 1973. He had a variety of employers and never stayed anywhere for more than two years. He wrote a book of poetry for which he could not find a publisher in New Zealand, but moved to Australia and utilised the 50% subsidy that

McGraw-Hill Publishing and the luxury of having an expense account turned him into a chronic alcoholic. He refused further travel to stem his drinking and lost his job. Judkins has abstained from drinking any alcohol since.[5][6]

The redundancy money from McGraw-Hill Publishing paid for a relocation of Judkins and his girlfriend Lorraine to London. They returned to Sydney by 1977 and he became self-employed as a house-painter. In 1979, he moved back to New Zealand.[5] Judkins and his girlfriend got married, and they had two daughters.[5] He split up with his wife in 2002.[6]

Sports administration

Judkins organised his first sports event in 1975, the Coca-Cola Freestyle Skiing Contest. He fell out with his two partners and proceeded alone, vowing to never again team up with others for organising an event.

West Coast, so that the expedition went from coast to coast. It was the nucleus of the idea for the Coast to Coast adventure race that began several years later in 1983.[8]

Judkins decided in 1982 to organise the Coast to Coast race, and had secured sponsorship from

Ohau skifield, but it was taken out by a major avalanche on day 13 of its operation.[10] In 1987, a television documentary was produced while Judkins held the Alpine Ironman. A lifelong fan of English singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Rea, he took the opportunity to meet with the Brit while he was on a concert tour. The outcome of this was permission to use three titles from Rea's album Wired to the Moon to be used for the soundtrack.[11] 1987 was also the year that the Coast to Coast became a one-day event.[12]

1992 was very challenging for Judkins. He organised the Coast to Coast, tried to get a Scottish version of the event up and running, tried to find sponsorship so that he could repeat the 1990 Xerox Challenge, and he organised a mountain marathon to be held on the Milford Track – the Milford Mountain Marathon. The latter event was most contentious and caused much angst, including death threats, physical attacks and anonymous phone calls. Judkins fought a very public fight with politicians and conservationists, including Gerry McSweeney, and obtained all the approvals and permits, but cancelled the event. He was exhausted and disillusioned.[13]

He sold the Coast to Coast event to Queenstown-based Trojan Holdings Ltd on 10 May 2013 on his 64th birthday.[14][15] He acted as race director in 2014 for the final time at the 33rd event.[14]

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit by the governor-general, Sir Anand Satyanand, at Premier House
, Wellington, on 1 September 2009

In the

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to sports administration.[16]

Notes

  1. ^ "Multisport: Judkins lays bait for race originals". The New Zealand Herald. 16 May 2001. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  2. ^ a b c McKerrow & Woods 1994, p. 13.
  3. ^ a b Mitchell, Charlie (14 March 2015). "Milestone met with ready wit". The Press. p. A5. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  4. Stuff.co.nz
    . Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d McKerrow & Woods 1994, p. 14.
  6. ^ a b Rattue, Chris (9 February 2007). "Multisport: Still crazy after all these years". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  7. ^ McKerrow & Woods 1994, pp. 14–16.
  8. ^ McKerrow & Woods 1994, p. 16.
  9. ^ McKerrow & Woods 1994, pp. 17f.
  10. ^ McKerrow & Woods 1994, p. 18.
  11. ^ McKerrow & Woods 1994, p. 20.
  12. ^ McKerrow & Woods 1994, p. 64.
  13. ^ McKerrow & Woods 1994, p. 23.
  14. ^ a b Egan, Brendon (18 February 2014). "Rockin' Robin ready for life's next adventure". The Press. p. A3. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  15. Stuff.co.nz
    . Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  16. ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2009". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2020.

References

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