WHITES KICK BUTT!!!

(reporter: Sideline Spy)

22/9/05

In a long overdue and impressive showing off form, the Grizzlie Whites demolished the Golds on the lake today!!

The Whites started slowly in the four lap race (otherwise described as ladder up ladder down training) but kept turning the screws on the field and finished the session a good two hundred meters ahead of a jaded and fading Golds team

Coming off the back of some shocking performances in the sessions leading up to Molokai, the Whites found another gear today. Tiny Tim worked like a blacksmith in stroke seat and No Show Lowes illustrated the benefits of tapering, having lived up to his nickname again on Tuesday. The surprise package was Mystery Mann who has clearly benefited from a long taper. While typecast as a stroke or number two Mystery has been hiding his light under a bushel and put his immense girth to work in the number 3 three seat where the real men live! Well done!. Not on Your Nellie put in his yeoman council worker performance and was probably as vocal as usual. (This reporter was sadly out of earshot which is no small feat given the stentorian bellows usually heard all over the lake from Not on your Nellie) Stevie Wonder Muir continues to improve and is looking every inch a real paddler. The little Trojan Pistol Pete made a massive difference to his team form the steering seat today. Showing the other steerers that it is possible to actually paddle and steer a canoe he was seen to paddle so enthusiastically that timing became only a secondary consideration.

The early morning sunlight gleamed of the beaming smiles of the Whites and lit up the sad and sorry faces of the Golds as they returned, heads down to the loading dock, miles behind.

Looking more Old than Gold, the effects of consistent solid training sessions showed on the hardworking old boys. Matching the Whites for the first lap, the Golds looked to have their usual command of the race but tired early and faded right off the pace towards the end. The Energiser twins Elvis Dolan and Darling Daryl put up their usual indefatigable performances but Gorilla Gilbert, Rob the Bruce and Chopper Symons did not deliver the goods and the team was a pale shadow of their normal selves. A pale lemon actually! Evens Stevens Evans could not raise the pace of the boat and his clear controlled commands only served to invite dark suspicions about how he could sound so fresh.

As for F Troop another creditable third place.

Junior Gilbert in his first outing at stroke learned a lot about weight on the blade and Preacher Lord at two was short and sweet. The Jappie middle boat men, Stork Devries and Rangi Swanepoel tried to encourage the boys in the boat but their accents still interfere with clear communications and made no real difference to those around them.  Spoon Weatherburn at five was his usual energetic self but this reporter was distressed to hear former Grizzly great Bushy Richards descend to sledging about short courses to mask a clear lack of form and fitness on his part. Lets all hope he can get his girth down and recapture that competitive spirit!.

Bring on Molokai!!!!

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