Whatever the Weather
By John Dickinson on 12th Jul 07
THIS week, friends, it is all about the subect closest to a Great Britain's heart - the weather!
I lost count of how many reports in last week's paper began,''Because of the weather...,'' or ''Due to the weather...,'' or''Despite the weather...'' depending on weather (sorry!) whether or notthe event had gone ahead against all odds or, after the club stalwartshad explored all avenues, finally had to admit defeat and, with a heavyheart cancel before trudging, in their muddy boots, off to the pub fora pint - and a damn good moan about the weather.
The people behind last week's IMBA round must surely take the awardfor Best Effort last week. Kinver Auto had a real big decision to make.Given the recent weather, who would have blamed them for cancelling. Imean, when you hear that vehicles had to be towed INTO the paddock,never mind out, you know that they were in trouble.
But clearly, having put months of effort into staging theprestigious IMBA round, the good folks of Kinver obviously weren'tgoing to be put off by a drop(!) of rain. So, despite the threat offurther downpours, they simply knuckled-down again, created a newspectator parking area and proved that fortune really does favour thebrave as there was a fabulous day's racing. I take my hat off to themon what really was a brave decision.
There really is nothing like a spot of adversity to bring out the best in people.
But even with the best will in the world it's not always possible torun, however enthusiastic the organisers may be. Sometimes landownersmake the club's decisions for them by simply saying, ''Not on my fieldyou don't!''
Often, the reason to cancel has nothing to do with the state of thetrack (or the sections, if it is a trial) but more than likely thestate of the parking field. Again, nothing you can do about that.
Given the very nature of the weather in this country you would thinkthat we would have got over our surprise, or rather our disappoinment,when events are cancelled. OK, it's been a tad extreme this ‘summer'but rain is hardly something that we are strangers to is it?
Remember the Foxhill MX Grand Prix that was cancelled because ofrain? I was there, up to the axles and over the wellies in mud. Theytried, oh how they tried. Practise saw bikes virtually disappearinginto wheel-deep ruts and few riders could actually complete a lap. Intruth, that was the beginning of the end of Foxhill as a true WorldClass venue.
What surprised me at the time, and still does when I think about it, was how well the cancellation was accepted by everyone.
Along with a few others, I repaired to the local pub that Saturdayevening, slopping across the fields for a few well-earned beers. Whenwe eventually slopped back again, in the dark, slipping and slidingthrough the liquid mud car park, there was something of a Dunkirkspirit going on.
It was midnight, the rain was still absolutely hammering down and westopped for a while to dry off amongst a group of fans who had managedto get a good, roaring fire going in a 45 gallon drum. They werelaughing and joking and having a great time. I asked if they had susseda route out of the field for the morning and the reply was, ''We aren'tgoing home in the morning, we've come for the weekend so we'll stop forthe weekend, we've got a shipload of burgers and beer to get throughand we've made a start - have a beer - and a burger.''
So we did! And despite the sheeting rain, the oil-drum fire actuallydried us out and the burgers warmed us up. It could have been worse.
I've had more than my fair share of drownings in trials as well,spectating and riding. The heroes in those conditions aren't theriders, they are of course the observers. There's enjoyment to be hadriding a bike - even in a monsoon. But it's precious little funstanding still for four or five hours with frozen hands and the waterrunning down the back of your neck, and all for someone else's benefit.
So if you are out there toiling in the mud and rain this weekend,trying your best for other people's pleasure, I for one applaud yourefforts.