---

The Prologue

Gary Tompsett / 31.08.2004

So to the race. The Prologue was an entertaining, fair, competitive and surprisingly skills-ridden stage starting at 7.30 and running into the night, all based around the Grona Lund Fun park. In a sea of bright neon and music, and based at the main music stage, it was as if the thousands of members of the public were there for the C2. Racing around the prologue without mowing down the ice-cream wielding revellers would become a major feature of the running and …gulp, blading.

The start grid for the Prologue was decided using a Bumper Car qualifier, timed, and avoiding obstacles. Serious stuff I tell you – you should have seen the concentration on their faces. Nokia got the No.1 on the grid. Then at 1-minute intervals, in kayaks, they were off. The best thing about the kayaking (for the viewing public) was the access/egress point. It was over 1m above the water, on a pier with no side support at water level. Several people swam here, especially those with tippy racing kayaks.

After a brief out and back kayak, dodging numerous pleasure craft, and the wake from them (the 2 Russians swam here) the competitors negotiated the egress nightmare ready to attack the fun park. Now believe this ... shooting, roller coaster, climb and abseil over the Haunted House, drag a weight through the ‘Grease’ Fun House, build a human pyramid to reach a punchbag, and all of this was logged by Sport Ident. Then it got serious.

Back to the main stage, and time to don the blades. I was stunned at the skill. These guys were leaping off steps, turning on a sixpence, slipstreaming and towing, at great speeds, as fast as cycling. Needless to say the Brits were giving it the stiff upper lip, and nearly swollen upper lip, as they careered around the course, at night, avoiding cars, people, cobbles and trees, as most of the blading followed roads through the adjoining park.

This was shortly followed by foot orienteering, and now SSO, navigated by Bruce Duncan, started to regain some places. The final prologue discipline was the jumar ascent and transfer to abseil off the front of the main stage. Nokia won. SSO were 11th. There was little chance for rest, as it was time to prepare for the ‘Long Night’, starting well before midnight.

See All Stories On This Race