Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 00:11:18 -0800 (PST)
From: David Lambert <skater_nation@...>
Subject: FEB 25, California DH Series #2 Raging Waters - San Dimas, CA, FOCKE TAKES FIRST PLACE

 

I don't have all the specifics of the qualification
times, but this race was exciting as any have been! As
a disclaimer, I try to write this in good humor and
though I may poke fun at a particular strategy, I have
great respect for my fellow racers and know that on
any given day victory can belong to anyone.

With warm temperatures, Focke, Lambert, Peer and
Merkert set out to best each other in the slower, yet
some would say more challenging Raging Waters Course.

With only a two to three practice runs each, the stage
was set for Focke to run a nearly flawless race and
capture the elusive first place.

Qualifying finished with Merkert having the fastest
time of 55 seconds and some change, nearly two seconds
faster than Lambert, the next fastest qualifier. Peer
would qualify third fastest with Focke qualifying the
fourth fastest.

The debate is still raging over the effects of speed
suits and gets revisited at every race. Merkert and
Lambert qualified the fastest, without speed suits.
Peer and Fock were both equipped with speed suits and
qualified slower, this fact would not steal victory
from Focke this day.

With various configurations of skate gear chosen by
each racer, this day would come down to an excellent
sprint effort on the flat by Focke. For the race
Merkert would be equipped with his 3x100mm + 84mm,
Salomon frame configuration mounted on a Bont Speed
Skate boot and Speed suit. Lambert was equiped with
his Boen 5x90 frame mounted on a Technica boot and
speed suit. Peer was equipped with a Bont Sniper
5x84mm frame attached to Rollerblade soft boots and
two piece speed suit. Fock would run the race equiped
with his Maple 6x80 frame attached to a Rocces boot
and speed suit.

The first heat of the race set the stage for the rest
of the race heats. When the heat was started, Merkert
and Peer instituted a strategy to stay behind Lambert
and Focke with the intent of using the pairs draft to
pass them and take the win.

The strategy worked, or at least part of it, they
stayed behind Lambert and Focke, but failed to start
in time to get close enough to draft. With Merkert and
Peer far behind, Lambert and Focke stuck to their
strategy to start fast, skate fast and finish fast.
Pretty simple, skate your heart out and hope you win.
Lambert started out in the lead, but could feel Focke
right behind him, with that tell-tail warning tap as
they went into the hairpin, that despite Lambert's
best effort, Focke was right on his heels. Both racers
went through the hairpin without any braking and broke
into a run for the final 100 yard run before the
finish turn. Lambert maintained his lead until around
the turn, where Focke closed any remaining gap as both
racers extended their arms. Initially Lambert
announced as winning the heat, but video review
revealed that Focke had won the heat. Peer and Merkert
crossed the finish well after with Merkert taking 3rd
and Peer taking 4th.

On the second heat, Merkert and Peer believed their
stratgy of starting behind could work if only they
executed it correctly. Lambert and Focke maintained
their effort to start hard and finish hard, after all
the strategy seemed to be working pretty good, though
Lambert would have preferred to have been first.

Merkert made some effort to be closer to Focke and
Lambert this time deciding to run a little ways and
then wait for Focke and Lambert to get ahead, and as
you might expect it worked like a charm. With Merkert
and Peer well behind them, Lambert led Focke into the
hairpin and maintaining top speed hoping to shake
Focke, both racers were sliding through the hairpin.
Again both racers would run the last 100 yards and
again Focke's strong run would give him first place
and lambert second with a hands extension victory.
Peer and Merkert decided to switch things up, with
Peer taking thrid and Merkert taking fourth.

The final heat stood with Focke at 2 points, Lambert
at 4 points, with Merkert and Peer both at 7 points.
This standing guaranteed Focke a podium spot, but
Lambert could take the victory if Merkert and Peer
decided that the strategy of waiting at the starting
line was not working and started to race hard.

Not to be disappointed, while Lambert and Focke
started out leading the pack, the Peer Merkert train
would overtake them going into the hairpin. All four
racers came out of the hairpin close enough together
for anyone to take the heat. The group broke into a
run, with Focke and Peer, pulling ahead. Merkert
hoping to get around the two moved outside, but ran
out of straight and would not make the turn.

Peer quite rested from the earlier heats standing
start, took first this heat, with Focke taking second
and Lambert taking third. Merkert still trying to
brake the code on this course would take fourth in the
last heat.

The final point count stood with Focke earning gold at
4 points, Lambert earning Silver with 7 points and
Peer earning Bronze at 8 points. Merkert continues to
be frustrated by this venue being challenged by the
hey bales in the last turn four times now at this
location. Focke's effort is worthy of his well
deserved win, Lambert was no slouch and despite his
best efforts to win Fock's determination gave him top
honors, congratulations!

The IGSA made our efforts to attend the race
worthwhile awarding all three podium spots a set of
ten Hyper +G wheels each.

 

Both race courses are exciting and challenging in
their own way. Every time we have a different winner
and that's what makes it so exciting!

I hope that we will see more Inliners attending the
next  IGSA race, if not have to a great time competing to at least
support Inline Downhill racing. Schedule info can be found at "gravity-sports.com, " the IGSA's website of local and international gravity sports.