By Crystal Chan

THERE are more adventure seekers keen on a 'dirty' weekend than there are places.

Less than a week after registration opened for The New Paper SUVival Challenge, all 120 slots have been snapped up.

About 20 potential participants are now on the waiting list.

Singapore Press Holdings' assistant vice-president for product branding and promotions, Mr Danny Yeo, was pleasantly surprised by the response despite the recession.

He said: 'We expected the slots to be full, but we were surprised that it happened really fast. We started calling for registrations only last Sunday.'

Maintained popularity

It is the first time all slots have been filled within a week of the launch.

Mr Yeo thinks the event has maintained its popularity because it is the only one of its kind in Singapore.

He said: 'The SUVival challenge has built up a reputation over the four years and it appeals to SUV drivers because they don't get the chance to drive in rough terrain in Singapore.'

Will others get a chance at being included? Mr Yeo said his colleagues are checking with Swiss Garden Resort, where participants will be housed, to see if it has enough rooms for extra participants.

Mr Yeo said: 'On average, one team is taking two rooms. We're checking over the weekend with the resort to see if it can release more rooms. Only then can we allow those on our reserve list to take part.'

This year's champion walks away with $2,500 in cash and a Pioneer in-car entertainment DVD unit worth $1,000.

There will also be prizes for two winners of the Best Decorated SUV competition and a lucky draw.

For the lucky draw, we are giving away three Holux GPS navigation devices, five $100 shopping vouchers and 10 Pioneer CashCards, each with a value of $40.

This article was first published in The New Paper.