L a t e s t  n e w s ..... Rachel Adcock and Gerard Flahive win both races at Scottish Dry Slope Championships ...

'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams' (Eleanor Roosevelt).

The Exam season took its toll on the numbers but what they missed was the rarity of Pendle in the Sun. This rarity was outshone by yet another sizzling performance by one of the rising stars of British skiing. Pendle's own David Ryding was delayed on his first run by a gust of wind straight up the slope that saw him placed fourth after the first run yet if those watching thought that this was a changing of the guard, they were to be very disappointed as not even the challenge of Antony Heaversedge could disguise the fact that Ryding is in a class of his own on the plastic at the moment.  The Craig Ruddick set course was a challenge for some yet gave the racers something to think about.  In the female race, Rachel Adcock held off the challenge of Alessia Thomas Jackson. With no Jayme Baggio or Shanna Prince, two the leading dry slope racers of the last few seasons, these two were expected to battle it out for top spot - they did not disappoint. Thomas Jackson failed to live up to her own high expectations on the first two runs yet recovered to record a respectable time for the third run.

Despite the small-ish field the unique slope conditions that Pendle conjures up, gave the racers plenty to contemplate.  The rollers at the top followed by the long flat section at the bottom, meant the skiers had to work their skis: many failed to do this and scratched their heads as to why they were slow. Those that worked their skis all the way to the bottom reaped the awards. Pendle Ski Club have worked hard over the years to build the slope and club up and with the demise of the slopes at Llandudno and latterly Rossendale as racing homologated slopes, has meant that the catchment of racers now reaches as far as North Wales. Pendle's location saw a number of Scottish racers making the welcome trip down and the likes of Danni Polley, Lewis John and Louise Bain gave the more regular plastic racers a challenge.

The Women's race was as open as it was exciting. Adcock, who has spent time training at Pendle in the past, had just enough in reserve to hold on for a win. It will not be long before Thomas Jackson overtakes her but the youngster needs to concentrate more on her mental approach to racing if she wants to add to her two race wins already this season.  The change in attitude by the time the third run came about was noticeable yet Adcock's greater strength just saw her home.  Emily Goddard recovered from a poor second run to place third overall just ahead Abby Clifford and of the resurgent Alice Thelwell in fifth. Polley may be one of the rising Junior racers on snow but she was only able to place sixth overall.  In the age group placings, Bethany Widdup did just enough to edge out Nia Jenkins for the Children 1 age group with these two some way ahead of Sarah Lambden who took third.  Thomas Jackson won the children 2 age group ahead of Emily Whitelock and Jeni Thomas taking the remaining places on the podium. Dani Polley took the Junior 1 age group ahead of Katie Adams and Kirsty Hatcher.  In the older Junior category Abby Clifford took the spoils ahead of Rowan Vernon and Hannah Parker.  Louise Bain made the long trek to Pendle and finished with tenth place - the only top ten racer to go home not on the podium in her age group as she placed 4th in the Children 2 age group! Adcock from Goddard and Thelwell was how the Seniors ended up with Janet Earnshaw Hamilton wining the Masters age group from Judith Hughes.

While Ryding was at his supreme best, the rest of the field could only watch and learn from the master. Ryding is fast and the silence that descends the sides of slopes as he blitzes the courses demonstrates how the rest are watching and learning. The number of video cameras that record his runs to be watched later shows that the rest of the field want to learn from him rather than exclude him from the races. Not even the blust of wind that slowed him down on the first run could upset the eventual outcome and despite the best efforts of Heaversedge, Ryding destroyed the rest of the field.  Benn Hall took third with Lloyd Papantoniou taking fourth after edging out Dan Curtis. As Ryding demonstrates his supreme talent, the rest of the field are having to raise their game to try and catch him up (not to mention keep their seed points in tact!). Shaun Blyth followed up his win in Norfolk with another victory ahead of local favourite Jake Morgan with Ashley Breese taking third. Ashley Hill showed that he too can transfer his ability to the plastic from the snow in taking the Children 2 age group ahead of Dan Evans and Ryan Edge. The strength of the Junior 1 age group was evident as all three podium placed racers finished in the top seven overall! Dan Curtis took the age group spoils ahead of Gerard Flahive and Ian Williams. Benn Hall won the older Junior age group ahead of Lloyd Papantoniou with Stuart Riches not quite on the form that saw him place in the top five at Norfolk. The top two overall, Ryding and Heaversedge,  took the senior places with Jonathan Powell taking third. The Masters age group was won by Jim Gibb with Andy Dawson second and Keith Parker taking third.

The Mini's race showed just how far Megan Jenkins is in front of the rest of her peers. Having set fastest times on both the first two runs by over seven seconds, Jenkins had the luxury of being able to have time to hike up to a gate after a mistake and still win.  Martha Bradley from the Ravens and Imogen Yardley (Sharks) gave chase to the flying Norfolk racer but were unable to live with her pace.  In the boys race Robert Poth comfortably took wins on all three runs despite second placed Dougi Whitelock having local knowledge of the slope. Jordan Fellows and George Richardson fought out a tight battle for third place with Whitelock yet it was Fellows who took third after the three runs.

With race having been run in almost perfect conditions, the question was asked whether the rain predicted could hold off for one more day! Two days at Pendle without the the rain....no chance!

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