SSDT's shiny happy people
By TMX Archives on 14th May 08
WITH the sun blazing down every day at The Scottish this year, editor JD found himself in big trouble with a backlog of daily reports why didn't it just rain for a day...? ON the first week in May, I usually find myself scribbling or keying-in this column (if I have remembered to charge-up the laptop) from somewhere along the route of the Scottish Six Days Trial on either Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Being an honest sort of chap, the real reason I often do this is not because I am mega concientious or suffering from guilt pangs for not being strapped to my desk, but because it is often chucking it down in the Highlands and I reckon on doing some ‘work' in the car as an excuse for taking a break from getting another soaking!
No such chance last week though as the weather was simply incredible. Apart from drizzle on Sunday, which meant flitting from awning to awning in the parc ferme, Fort William – like much of the rest of the country – was bathed in sunshine for the entire week.
This gave everyone, riders, officials and spectators alike the chance of acquiring a red face and a burnt neck as well as throwing my writing schedule right off kilter. As hinted, after collecting my printed results from the ever helpful, ever cheerful Mairi in the SSDT office late at night, I often do my daily write-ups for the T+MX report the following day from somewhere out on the course while attempting to avoid a heavy downpour. If it's a nice day and I miss the odd report while making the most of a full day outdoors it's usually not a big deal. It's sure to rain the next day and I'll catch up.
But last week was a real headache. With the sun shining from dawn to dusk it would have been criminal not to be out there on the hillside every single minute available. So it was early breakfasts, get out there and late finishes. And so the daily reports stacked-up. "Why not do them at night?” you may well ask. Well, by the time you've returned to base, sorted yourself out, had a shower and had something to eat it's time to head off to collect the day's results. After a chat with any members of the organising committee you can catch, about the the following day's play, you then owe it to yourself to do a bit of further socialising and washing the dust out of your throat – and suddenly it's midnight!
So this year it was actually Saturday morning before I finally had to bite the bullet, dig out the notebook, organise my pile of results and get stuck in. And still the sun was shining and I was cursing every single minute sitting in my hotel room instead of being round at Kinlochleven watching the early action at Mamore. And you think that we are up there enjoying ourselves...
It was, as ever, interesting to hear the views of a whole host of riders as they signed-off at the end of their week's exertions. The first thing is it is incredible the good that a bit of sunshine can do.
Smiling faces vastly outnumbered glum looks. Veteran Glen Scholey, who returned to the SSDT after a gap of some 18-years last year, had a huge grin on his face. "Look at this, a bit different from when I finished last year isn't it?”
As he signed off in disgruntled mood in 2007 I put it to him that there's always next year and he came back in a flash, "There won't be a next year – I can tell you that now!” Time, as we know, is a great healer and Glen was back for another crack – and with a nice dry week he enjoyed (almost) every minute of it.
Some riders reckoned that the sections had been harder then previous years, others that they found them more rideable.
Which only goes to show that it probably all depends on many factors: how fit you are, how much trouble you are having, where you are in the entry, which is your early day.
As I say, I asked riders of all abilities and got a variety of answers. Being dry, many of the sections offered more grip than usual, but there seemed to be a lot of sections with big ‘holes' in them. No probs for the top riders, they ride across the tips of rocks, those of lesser ability ride through the holes.
Whatever, it was a superb week's sport for all concerned and guaranteed that next year's entry list will once more be well over-subscribed...