If you have not scoped the basic idea for the Laam deTour, I suggest you give it a quick perusal, Click Here. We have the basic idea together and as expected it sucks less than most of our ideas. Now it is time to start figuring out some of the details. Over the next few weeks I am going to be in brainstorming mode and will throw up some pretty raw brain dribble here for your refinement.

This idea deals with the issue of promoting the rally and supporting the costs (you know quick shrink t-shirts and orange slices along the roadside to keep the ralliers going).

The basic idea is a viral video vlog off (Vvvloff for short). In the month following the rally, teams will be allowed to upload a total of 5 short videos to the website designated official entries. They may upload as many other non-entries as they wish. The videos must be at least 30 seconds long and no longer than 5 minutes. Prizes will be awarded based on three categories; most viewed (The Laamest), highest rated (The One that Sucked the Least), and organizer's pick (Those that Sent a Big Bribe).

The sponsorship opportunities are very real with this approach. First you can get a media outlet like Current TV or the Gameshow network to kick some coin our way. Next one of those vid sites trying to be the next big thing would probably have some interest. You could go after a gang of different options for prizes and ching such as vid camera companies, computer companies, and sauerkraut manufacturers. There really are a host of viable options. Alright hosers comment away.

This idea is protected under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License and a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 UK: England & Wales License. Which means all you other rally organizers that troll this site looking to poach our wisdom have full access to this idea so long as you tell every person you meet that you thieved it from bad colonies. Have fun.

Here are the parameters as determined by massive polling of the community and in depth debates whilst eating burgers and drinking guinness (a theme, yes/no)

Name: The LAAM deTour or The Tour of Latin American and America if you are not into the whole brevity thing.

The Timeframe: Summer 2009

The Route: Start in LA and head for New Orleans, take an immediate wrong turn, drive all the way to the Darien Gap (Panama) before realizing, turn around and drive up the Gulf side while avoiding guerillas, end up in New Orleans. Total distance around 7300 miles.

Rally Size: 30-50 cars

Ideology: obviously I am hellbent on getting rich, but this is not Nam there are some rules. The primary goal is to raise some coin for charity. In that vain, if there are entry fees, they will only be used to support the organization. To put this on record, the site has taken approximately 30,000 hours at a rate of $120 per hour. Outside of rally expenses, people will be free to profit as they can so long as the following CC license is adhered to:




This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

The Rest is up to you. There will be a forum shortly to facilitate discussion. If there is something you want to add, just do it, take the proverbial bull by the horns, kick some butt, because if you wait for us to do it, it won't get done.

Some Areas to Concentrate On
1. Promotion - basic some gimmick to make it the biggest idea since Razor scooters.
2. Environmental - inherently a rally is not a good thing for the planet, we need to figure out a way to minimize the impact on the earth while capitalizing on the limited press to promote better practices.
3. Charities - pretty obvious, the focal point of the rally will be raising money for charity, we need to figure out which ones.
4. Logistics - the route, the vehicles, the disposal of the vehicles, the burritos, etc.

A recent interview with a Sunday Paper about the Mongol Rally allowed me the chance to promote the Pan-Am.

Great racers go mad for charity by Caroline Smith, The Sunday Sun

"In Kazakhstan the terrain was very rough, there are basically no roads and we were trying to change tyres to help the suspension but the jack slipped out and almost punctured the fuel tank.

"We were dirty and smelly and had long beards."

Let's get the show on the road!

Only 18 months or so to go, so let's get the show on the road!

a) What vehicles should be used? $ limit?

b) Intended month of departure?

c) we could have the launch on Hollywood boulevard, anyone good friends with Arnie?

d) possible charities to raise money for?