GripSteeze 2.0 Flash Race – Results
Written By: Craig Harvey
15 May 2016 was a small turning point for the skaters in Jozi! We raced in the rain!
Everyone was a bit nervous about wet riding but we decided to run it anyway. With only 13 skaters brave (or stupid) enough to race in the rain, we decided to use the double elimination racing bracket with 2-man heats.
The first few heats were hysterical with everyone sliding on boards and body parts. There were a few upsets and some sneaky lines that gave the shivering spectators something to cheer about.
There were a lot of bails but luckily no serious injuries in the slow and wet conditions. Even so, it was a lot of fun and there were some surprisingly close finishes. The rain stopped halfway through all the heats and the road got a bit patchy towards the end making racing a bit more tricky. It is definitely better to be completely wet.
The double-elimination format meant that each skater had to lose two heats before they are eliminated from the race. Alic made his second chance count and won 3 heats in a row to make it back into the final to face Craig. Alic unfortunately high-sided on a dry patch in the first corner giving Craig a bit of room to take careful lines and finish comfortably despite Alic catching up a lot.
I think all of us progressed a lot in the conditions and at least the rain leveled the playing field a bit. Thank you to Longboarding SA and First Nature for sponsoring and helping with racing logistics, Ricki and Gunslinger for the wheels and making the trip up here to race, and Julian from the Black Sheep for everything you do!
Peace. Heal well all who bailed and thank you for attending!
P.S. Rain wheels don’t help that much… Or do they?
Final Results:
1. Craig Harvey
2. Alic Mabie
3. Lloyd Clark
4. Ricki Allardice
5. Callan Daniel
6. Yedidya Falkson
7. Elster Pieterse
7. Danilo Deletic
9. Jason Smith
9. Damien Krause
9. Nick Farinha
12. Mark Jansen Van Rensburg
12. Alexander Van Wamelen
14. Seb Schneider
Current Standings: http://www.longboardingsa.co.za/9-uncategorised/253-jlc-flash-race-standings-2016
