Click
here for pictures from Friday
Click
here for pictures from Saturday
Click
here for overall scores for the weekend
We
rolled out of bed at 4:30am on a warm Thursday morning. I loaded the
truck and prepared for the long flight that was ahead of us. Mike, Chrissy
(Mrs. Syko), and myself were ready to go. We flew from Louisville, KY
to Dallas Fort Worth, TX. From there, we had an hour layover. Then we
flew from DFW to El Paso, TX. We picked up the rental and headed to
the hotel in Anthony, TX with the top down. It was a beautiful day,
the sun was shining and the sky was clear. We checked in and dropped
off the luggage and headed to Las Cruces. As we pulled up at the La
Qutinas hotel and all we saw was a sea of rigs. We spent most of the
evening walking around and talking to people. We met Bob, Sean, and
the Fat city guy Eric. I was ready for the event to start!
The
next day came way too early. We got up about 6:30am and headed to the
hotel to find the group. Once we got out to the courses, we ran into
a few guys from Louisville, Ky that were sitting at the top of the hill.
It’s was really cool talk to people from back home. The ground was so
loose, to walk down the hill was nothing more than a controlled fall.
Once we made it to the bottom we found a large rock to sit on and watch
the action. Bob and Lance were second to run on course B. On gate number
2, Bob laid the rig on its side. Between Lance riding the rig like a
Hobie Cat, and Bob driving, they made a great save and righted the rig
with minimal points. The last gate on course B was a large waterfall.
It was about 7’ with a very tight turn and a big hole at the bottom.
Bob and Lance decide to start the course in reverse and walk up the
opposite wall to make the corner without hitting the gates. The plan
worked very well and they walked the waterfall with ease. All in all,
course B was very tight. It had lots of switchbacks and tight turns.
I would say the first gate and the last gate were the best on this course.
We
then walked to Course A and sat at the large waterfall (Obstacle #3)
known as the Intimidator. This seemed to be the toughest obstacle of
both courses. Very few of the rigs that tried this obstacle made it
without winching. Some rigs couldn’t even get past the rocks that lead
up to the waterfall! This hill was every bit of 10’ to 15’ tall. The
steepness of the waterfall required the right line and a lot of go pedal.
After watching many valiant efforts on the waterfall, we decided it
was time to retire to the hotel room to rest up for the next day.
The
next day came around 6:00am and we headed back to the course. We had
learned our lesson from the previous day and packed a lot of beer, sandwiches,
and water. We decided to sit at obstacle #3 and watch everyone attempt
the "Intimidator". We got a good spot right on the edge of
the fall. We watched many rigs try the left line with no avail. A guy
sat his YJ on its tailgate but lucky for him, it didn't flip backwards.
There was lots of action going on at this obstacle! We watched the rig
that Eric was spotting for try this obstacle with no brakes. I was waiting
for a roll. They tried but just couldn't make it to the top with out
a winch. We were just about to leave when Bob and Lance staged to run
this obstical. The sun and the beer had almost done me in. My legs are
still burning! We decided to stay and watch them run it. I’m very glad
I did, since they made this obstacle look like cake. They made the tight
turns that lead to the waterfall without getting a single point. Lance
stacked a few rocks and Bob then proceeded to hit the right line. They
worked at it a little and then I heard Lance yell, “GET IT BOB” and
the propane was poured to it. It hopped and bounced up the hill. I think
they received the lowest score on this obstacle. It was an awesome run.
After that great show, we decided to call it a day and headed back to
town.
All
in all, I’m very glad we went to watch this event. It was a lot of fun,
and I’m working on plans for Cedar City, UT in July. My applause to
the judges and sponsors.
By
Syko AKA Shawn Fisher
