Sunday, February 04, 2007

National Toboggan Championships, Day Two

After the day's less than optimal run, Team Allen's Coffee Dandies regrouped over pizza last night to come up with some winning strategy for the second qualifying run. It was agreed that the forced dismount in the chute house had not allowed us to become settled on the toboggan, hence the various collisions with the wall on the way down (or "sustained contact with the wall" as Brian and Mike experienced). Also, it was decided that we would jettison the cold water surfboard wax in favour of Pledge furniture polish for the bottom of the sled.

Today's runs began a full four hours earlier, at 9am, and it was a weary team that assembled at Mike's for the journey over to the Snow Bowl. With our usual lollygagging upon arrival we had to respond at a brisk trot to the last call for four person teams or risk disqualification. A further internal team dispute about the length of the toboggan we planned to use (Rick correctly pointed out that his head would be in contact with the ice all the way down if we opted for the 8 footer over the 12 footer) meant that the only ride waiting for us at the Toboggan Shack was the dog of a sled we had used the day before. As Brian observed, it had a raised grain on the bottom that would work like a snow tire. Oh well- you dance with who brung ya, or something like that.

Into the chute and taking no chances, we collectively sat/lay stiff as a board and visualised not touching the sides. The result? A second run time of 9.19- slower than yesterday's disaster and not good enough to see us into the finals.

There's always next year...

The Dandies, in the chute...

...And after a spectacular crash finish, worth of "Sports Bloopers".

Captain Mike and our manager Kristin, who took magnificent care of her husband's stable of top-notch athletes all weekend (backpack is full of donuts)

The shameful tale of the tape

This dude was so proud of his injury...

Mike, less proud of his.

Possibly the best dressed team on the hill

This guy took pity on us back in the parking lot. He could obviously see we were bumming over our slowwwwwwwwww times, so he came and comforted us. Either that or he was sniffing around for a free cup of our coffee and a donut.

As we left today, slinking off before the finals began, there was already to talk as to what we needed to do to crack the top 75 in 2008. Watch this space: the Dandie's ain't done yet.....

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just have to say that was super righteous, great teammates, and beautiful weather. I took some pics of the wounds on my side that really are quite something. Dan - thanks much for putting up all the pictures and documenting the event for the world. Brian and I were checking out 'boggans on our way out for next year - I've got the bug.

Joe said...

I am saddened by your failure to make the finals of this historic event.

I wouldn't sweat the slower time. Different track conditions, different times. It's how you did compared to the rest of the league, er, competitors, that really counts.

It sounds like you guys pulled a Rex Grossman - you thought that you were ready for the big game, but you were disorganized failed to produce when it came down to it.

Your team doesn't look all that, ahem, aerodynamic, shall we say. Might I suggest wrapping yourselves in plastic wrap (to cut down the poofiness of the parkas) and spraying your bodies with Pledge (smooths out the bumps against the wall) next winter? And if you do, please please please post pictures? 8^)

T. Oklahoma Bandwagon said...

For what it's worth, Joe, I am not saddened by our slow time and urge you not to be. After all, if we went faster, we might have caught fire ... in Brian's case, caught fire more briskly. Don't cry for us, Argentina. We will always have Paris.

You should be able to see more photos of said event, including at least one you request, at my blog in about as long as it took us to make it down, dare I say, "shoot" the chute.

Wisdom Weasel said...

I knew we should have shaved our body hair.

T. Oklahoma Bandwagon said...

We're up! You're live camera two.

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