After a long season on the Dendix, the final ‘summer’ race league event took place on 3rd November. Ironically, autumn produced a fine day where the summer had been uniformly miserable.
Pre-race impressions were that everyone was feeling the pace. The Tignes week had been exhilarating but back breaking hard work, and the intervening 5 days had not provided any recovery time for many of our number. Still, there was a job to be done.
TSP A was the youngest of the year. Creagle Marment and Lauren and Simon Holdsworth had forced their way into the 10, joining regulars Robyn, Kieran, Iain, Fraser, Chantelle and Rorie. Mad Max Till had also left his secret lab for the day as the Team’s permitted last-race-guest-star. James Howells was skulking in some pretentious Californian vineyard but had sent a team of private dicks to report upon any potential infringements to his image rights.
Phil Gardner, David Innes and Chris Gardner swelled the ranks of the B’s along with Olivia, Jack, Robbie, Shannon, Zac, and Mike. Readers will know that Dave Brenan had had to be destroyed a month ago after sustaining a leg injury playing football. He hadn’t recovered (!) and as ever Karen stepped in to fill the breach – she’s done this any number of times and never lets TSP down. Karen, you are a Manager’s dream, and I’m delighted to record my thanks on the Team’s behalf. So would the inexperienced A’s be overhauled by the strong B’s line up?
7 TSP racers turned out for KAT, the 3 Henrys, Oliver Andrew, Amelia Till (better known to her adoring public as Millie), Briony G-J and Alex Shranz on debut. (Keep this to yourselves, but I happen to know that Alex’s dad Kurt is a super-famous Austrian racer who’s just itching to get an opportunity to try out for TSP in the Summer Race League. 2008 will be his year!). Krazy Kid Ieuan Davies and Carmela Roberts from Western Counties made up the 9, Jordan Nugent having been whisked away to Gloucester B’s.
After the morning’s timed runs, the A’s found themselves under a bit of pressure. Kieran, Iain and Robyn did well in the deadly under 10 group (no less than 46 racers) with 6th, 8th and 11th place. Creagle is in the form of his life taking 10th in the under 13’s heading Fraser who was bravely skiing despite a leg injury.
But forever sweet natured Lauren had awoken on Saturday with her extra-mellow head on. She sauntered down her first run in the character of Maria Von Trapp, musing about whiskers on kittens and all of her favourite things. In the second run she was in a Snow White animation skipping along accompanied by bunnies, puppy dogs and songbirds. Exhausted, she flopped down on a bed of daisies and fell asleep for one thousand years.
Mad Max did his bit to claim 3rd in the under 13’s, Chantelle topped the under 40’s with the minimum of effort, and Simon maintained his consistent improvement with 4th behind Chantelle. Rorie finished an unaccustomed 6th in the under 30’s, suffering at the hands of guest aces in the other teams.
Later, it was reported that Rorie had put his indifferent performance down to premature squirting. It takes a strong man to admit to this, and fortunately TSP’s retained agony aunt Deidre contacted me to pass on these words of advice:
“I’m sure that Rorie’s problem is anxiety related. I suggest he relaxes more before launching himself. Perhaps he should think of boring subjects to reduce his growing excitement? You know, Belgium, Ikea self assembly furniture, Newcastle United, that sort of thing”
Wise words indeed. Moving on, the B’s gave a confident display. Jack, Olivia and Robbie held their own in the under 10’s (no reference to Rorie intended) as did Shannon in the under 13’s. Phil Gardner blasted to 12th fastest time of the day, 5 hundredths behind Rorie, with Zac only half a second back from them, closely followed by Mike. Chris Gardner won the battle of the senior generation clipping a tenth off Mike’s time, followed by Dave and Karen.
Alex Shranz was top dog in KAT with 15th in the under 13’s. Although new to plastic, Alex is a well sorted skier and will be very competitive in 2008 if he maintains his rapid improvement. Oliver, Briony and Luke Henry also took the eye, all finishing well up in the large under 10 and 13 groups, whilst Millie, George, Oscar and Carmela raced with real verve and enjoyed themselves enormously.
At half time, the A’s had amassed 131 points to the B’s 96 and KAT’s 13.
TSP has gone from duffer to dare-devil in the dual slaloms. The afternoon’s courses were a tad strange, odd, set such that the red course was turnier than the blue. Undaunted, the A’s claimed an astonishing 19 wins from 30 races in posting 67 points, the B’s 16 wins, a dead heat and 63 points, and KAT 14 wins and 52 points from only 9 racers. Stirring stuff. The individual performances bear examination.
Pride of place in the A’s goes to 9 year old Iain. No one in the team reacts as quickly to the starter’s “go” as he does, nor did any of his 3 opponents come close to beating him. Max won 3 times too (with a bit of help from Chris) as did Chantelle. Creagle was unlucky not to triumph 3 times, and Fraser’s 2 wins were born out of determination overcoming pain. Meanwhile, Lauren had awoken from her lunchtime slumbers as a fire breathing monster, devouring and spitting out the entrails of 2 racers before succumbing to the red course in her final run. Sorry Guys, but I have to record that Rorie and Phil were beaten by a (tall) girl’s blouse – Rowan Vernon. Yet no shame in that.
David was the B’s star with 3 wins, Mike had 2 plus a dead heat, and Zac, Phil, Robbie and Olivia took 2 apiece. Phil took the TSP bragging rights with a blue course assisted win over Rorie. I have to admit to a defeat to a short girl’s blouse.
For KAT, Briony scorched to 3 wins, Millie, George, and Carmela twice. George would have had a clean sweep and Oliver 2 wins had not generous dead heats been awarded to their opponents.
The A’s top scorers were Chantelle on 29, Max 27, Iain and Simon 22, Rorie 20, Kieran 19, Robyn and Fraser 15 whilst Lauren had recovered to 11. Total score 198 for 4th on the day.
The B’s were led by David with 28, Chris 25, Phil 22, Zac 20, Karen 19, Mike 17, Olivia and Robbie 8, and Jack and Shannon 6. Total score 159 for 5th on the day, not quite enough to overhaul the A’s.
KAT were headed by Briony and Luke with 10 apiece, George 9, Alex, Carmela and Millie 8 and Oscar 5. Ieuan had taken a liberal interpretation to the gate settings and failed to trouble the scorers.
Thus the season ended on a high note as TSP A finished in first pole position, 49, 66 and 81 points clear of their excellent rivals Gloucester, Midlands and Western Counties. Another year in which the standard of racing has increased markedly but not at the expense of good sportsmanship.
The B’s finished 8th and had they not suffered from no-shows in the early races, might have threatened 5th or 6th place. KAT took a creditable 13th just behind Midland Hawks.
Naturally, these columns enjoy national, even international circulation. So let me thank again all those who’ve supported TSP and KAT, our good friends in the other 12 teams and Gloucester Ski Centre for staging the events. Now lets get a breather until May 2008.
Chris Gardner
