Eco-Challenge
The 2 Steves: I believe !
Steve W / 09.10.2002
Lordy, lordy…I can only hope we can muster a bit more humour than Dudley Moore between the two of us or all you Sleep Monsters will be better off waiting for the Fiji Eco-Challenge to reach the TV screens to find out what went on. And they haven’t even got round to showing last year’s race from New Zealand yet so that would be sad. Oh yeah, while we are on this subject, does anyone have any idea why Tajikistan, Ethiopia and Bangladesh et al get to see Eco on TV before us in the UK??? I risked life and limb to run down an icy Kiwi mountain as the heli-cam flew over just to get three-second appearance too. Disgruntled!
Anyway, being Welsh I’m the softer Steve who generally empathises with and cajoles each team member along the course, so don’t look to me for scathing criticism of Anna McCormack, or of her mum either. Nasty Steve does have a salient point about Team TNF Kona’s over-reliance on Pete for the navigation, which is the most exhausting form of concentration I have ever known, but the others aren’t navving bozos. Keith, Norm and Anna can all find north on a map and Keith has developed his navigation skills over the last year, so whilst they aren’t Tom Gibbs or Ski Sharp, they should do an OK job on the short sections where the team gets split.
With less than 24 hours to go to the start, the fact that the teams have still not been given the route is a blessing for some and a mushrooming concern for others. The more experienced teams will be sleeping easier, knowing that they can map out the route efficiently no matter how little time they get, whilst the rookie teams will be having kittens as the pressure builds on them. The Eco organisers openly enjoy putting teams on the wrong foot from the start, so if you have been there before it is no great shakes.
Sleep though is tricky for everyone at this stage. Mental kit checks go on through the night and the mind begins to picture the days ahead. Fiji may be a paradise holiday destination but it is going to be brutal on the racers. The heat, the jungle, the endless ocean…it sucks energy from you and only the mentally tough will prevail over the full course. Team TNF Kona sound in good shape and they will be confident of racing at the head of the field from the off. And with so much paddling facing them and four of the best UK ad racing paddlers on the team, I fancy a flutter on a top five finish for them.
Nice Steve
SleepMonsters
