After more than 10 years of tripping the Wild Coast coastline, Glen and Steve had mixed feelings about being coerced into creating a structured event along the route. Their love of the region was in strong conflict with their competitive instincts. The resulting compromise was the creation of the IMANA Wild Ride - a fantastic end result for all those taking part, summed up by their mission statement for the event:

Our three-fold purpose, in creating this interesting event, is to:

1. Organize responsibly an Eco-adventure sporting event that will attract the interest of local and international competitors, bringing this multi-disciplined challenge within reasonable reach of all levels of athlete.
2. Initiate, through associated sponsorship and media interest, a fund to promote conservation and tourism of this ecologically-sensitive coastline.
3. Develop, by co-involving the local population, improved awareness of the natural assets of the Wild Coast and a strong interest in its preservation.