You Don't Have To Be Mad......

British Dry Slope Championships
September 28th, 2008
Pontypool


You don’t have to be mad to be a ski racer but it most certainly helps. Indeed, secured upon on a couple of wood & plastic planks by a spring that’s designed to release when you get into trouble, whilst achieving speeds that make Usain Bolt look sluggish, the commitment and belief in their own ability that every dry slope racer requires and displays on each and every summer weekend is, in truth, utterly mind blowing.

And whilst madness is not a compulsory component in the career of a dendix ski racer, a high pain threshold, the ability to recover quickly and, often quite literally, bounce back after a high speed collision with that synthetic brillo-pad underneath your boots, are characteristics that no ski racer can survive or prosper without. Bravery and bottle only tell half the story whilst the word fear doesn’t even come close to the equation.

So when, only 14 days earlier, Gerard Flahive’s skis rebounded at full velocity and catapulted the young Hemel racer into virtual orbit before gravity took over and smashed him back onto the most unforgiving of surfaces, his chances of making it to the top of Wales’ premier ski slope in order to challenge for the 2008 Cadog British Dry Slope Championship probably looked thinner then the sheet of skin the matting had just left on his back. The fact that less then 30 seconds later he was back in a vertical position, albeit slightly dazed and on legs that made Amir Khan look rock solid, was testimony to how tough these athletes truly are. Not only would he be back, he would be back to challenge.

And what a challenge. Indeed, as he powered his way through the demands of speedily dealing with Championship level offset gates down the daunting Pontypool steep section, amid the pressure and tension of the British Dry Slope Championships, he could have surely been forgiven for a momentary negative thought and to consider if he really did want to risk putting his body through another bone crunching meeting with the matting.

If the negative thought came, it certainly wasn’t acted upon. Indeed, if anything, this young, hugely talented racer accelerated through the demons of a fortnight earlier and, in producing a flawless second run display of power and precision, he magnificently brushed aside the challenge from each and every one of his piers.

And whilst Flahive’s devastating afternoon run proved the conclusive difference between himself and the rest, the pressure placed upon him in the start gate should also not be underestimated. With runner up Alex Jeal squeezing just inside the combined time of third placed Benn Hall, Flahive would have been fully aware that room for mistakes was non existent. To then produce a time fully half a second inside that of any other racer showed a great deal of mettle to accompany his undeniable abilities.

In the categories Andrew Crawford again confirmed his status as a master of tricky conditions, with a well deserved 4th pace overall and 1st in the seniors with Ben Clark and Jonathon Powell joining the Swansea racer on the podium. In the Masters David Blackwell and Rob Hales again produced another fierce battle for supremacy, Hales eventually overturning a first run deficit to claim the category spoils and 6th place overall. In Jun 2 James Crowther joined Jeal and Hall on the podium, whilst Cardiff racers Andrew and Colin Davies joined Flahive in 2nd & 3rd respectively in Jun 1. James Grant triumphed in a fascinating battle for Chi 2 with Timothy Dannatt and Kaigan Witts not far behind and in Chi 1 Ashley Breese capped an absolutely fantastic season in top spot and 13th overall with Daniel Poth and Luke Seymour also claiming podium positions.

In the ladies race Rachel Adcock provided the Arrows Race Club with a fitting conclusion to their racing activities in producing a breathtaking afternoon run that turned the tables on a number of her rivals and catapulted her up onto the top spot on the podium. Indeed with first run leader Alice Hales, the precociously talented Emily Evans and warhorse Abby Clifford all in front of Adcock prior to run 2, the situation certainly required something special.

Again, like Flahive, Adcock found time in the afternoon course that none of her compatriots could, producing a wonderfully smooth, controlled second run that was half a second quicker than the rest of the field and this proved more than enough to leapfrog Adcock to victory.

Hales eventually claimed the runners up spot with Evans comfortably keeping the rest of the field at arms length for 3rd place overall. Abby Clifford ended up settling for 4th overall just in front of Cardiff racer Jeni Thomas and her rapidly improving Telford team mate Charlotte Gould in 5th and 6th respectively.

In the categories; Alice Thelwell made it an Arrows 1-2 in the seniors with Aimee Broughton completing the podium. In Jun 2 Emily Dawes claimed runners up spot in front of 3rd placed Niamh Lyons. Jun 1 was dominated by the Hales, Thomas & Gould triumvirate whilst Emily Hopkins and Stephanie Davies followed Emily Evans home in Chi 2. In the youngest category Kelly Greenbank justified the decision to re-embrace plastic slope summer racing by deservedly claiming 1st place in front of Georgia Hallet and Florence Bell in 2nd & 3rd respectively.

And as the racing concluded and the trophies and medals were being distributed it was impossible not to reflect upon the horror crash suffered by Charlotte Davies earlier that morning. Less than twenty four hours before that another nasty fall had rearranged the direction that her thumb was pointing. On that occasion she rose from the floor, removed her glove, realised the damage, put her glove back on and continued racing dual slaloms. This time was enough however to bring an end to her rather impressive season. As Gerard Flahive proved, she will be back though- injuries heal, whereas the desire to race, challenge and go even faster does not.

You don’t have to be mad to be a ski racer. But, blimey, it certainly helps!