Survival at Zombie Apocalypse

KONQER Saipan: Zombie Apocalypse organizers and sponsors pose for a group photo during yesterday’s press conference at the Chambre Bar of the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan for this Saturday’s obstacle course event. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The obstacle courses are doable, but watch out for “dead” people.

This is KONQER chief experience officer Kaz Endo’s reminder to participants of tomorrow’s KONQER Saipan: Zombie Apocalypse.

The kick-off leg of the KONQER Apocalypse Tour will start at the American Memorial Park and will have four more checkpoints—Eloy S. Inos Peace Park, MIHA Housing in Garapan, Paseo De Marianas and Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan (beachside)—with “humans” and “zombies” both fighting for survival at the course.

At the AMP, participants (individuals and teams) will be randomly selected as “humans” and “zombies”. The “humans” will have to negotiate the 5-kilometer course from AMP to the Eloy S. Inos Peace Park and avoid getting tagged by “zombies,” who will trade places with “humans” if they steal the “humanity flag.”

From AMP to the four other checkpoints, “zombies” will be around, and to avoid them, “humans” must have their two feet off the ground, or to be safe, they should have started any of the obstacle courses, which are all located at the MIHA Housing.

“You can climb on a tree or pole if you must to evade the ‘zombies’. You can also have a bathroom break along the course, but not for long because the hungry ‘zombies’ will be waiting for you outside,” Endo said.

“Movement is life. This is survival of the fittest,” he added.

You can only complete the entire course as “humans” and five checkpoints bands will be given to those who complete each stop. For participants in the team event, members may split up along the first four checkpoints, but they have to be together when they cross the finish line at Fiesta Resort’s beach side.

“No cheating or you will do the dead-man pull (hauling a gigantic tire) as punishment,” Endo said.

Over 500 have registered for the weekend event and KONQER president Kelli Wedd said they are expecting more will sign up this Saturday, as registration is free for individuals in the U17 age group.

Majority of the registered participants are locals/on-island, but Endo is confident that the event will draw more tourists in the future.

“The best product for tourists is the one that the community embraces. We are building the foundation by encouraging the members of the community to join KONQER. Tourists will hear from community members and will be encouraged to try it out,” Endo said.

This year’s KONQER Saipan: Zombie Apocalypse is presented by the Marianas Visitors Authority and supported by Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, Bank of Guam, IT&E, American President Lines, Coors Light, Marianas Variety, Roil Soil, Saipan Brewing Company, Marianas Health, Tribe Marianas, Paradise Awnings, DR LLC, Vantage Advertising, GoPro (F&M Distributors), TriVision Media Group, Saipan Global International Group, RNV Construction, and Imperial Pacific Inc.

Besides the Saipan stop, KONQER Apocalypse Tour will also head to Guam and Palau (two legs), while a finale is being mulled on Rota.