There is a new wave of talent coming through the ranks on the Scottish dry matt scene. Adam Hay lead the way last year in winning the Scottish Championships and at the Twin Peaks Hillend race in 2017 it was Scott Waitt who stepped up to take the race win. Adam Hay took second and Duncan Greenshields benefited from Stuart Waitt skiing out on the second run to take third. Joe Grieve and Robbie Anderson took the final places in the top five overall.
With some of the recent winners and stars of races at Hillend, like Zak Vinter (winner of the first leg of the Twin Peaks race weekend), Owen Vinter, Euan Kick, Duncan Kuwall and the Henderson brothers, Callum and Paul, not racing at Hillend, there was an air of new names around the mens race. This was an opportunity for the new faces to make their mark on the race.
Scott Waitt rose to the challenge and posted the fastest time on both runs ahead of Robbie Anderson after the first run by just over four-tenths and Adam Hay by over half a second with his brother Stuart in third after the first run.
The second run saw Stuart Waitt ski out and Anderson drop off the pace and down to fifth overall at the end of the race.
With few of the English contingent staying up for the second race of the weekend, citing the late start time, the quality of the penalty was affected. Adam Lee, a 42 point Senior racer from the Midlands Club placed a respectable 8th place overall yet scored just under a 120 point result once the penalty had been calculated in. Lee has raced at Hillend and number of times and is well versed in the undulations and steepness having raced on the hill many times during his University career. Until either more of the better / lower pointed English and Welsh racers head north or the Scots head south, this anomaly will remain. Hillend will find out the true value of the racers whence they meet on the hill!
The age groups were won by Ryan Pye (under 14, 14th Overall), Duncan Greenshields (Under 16, 3rd Overall), Scott Waitt (Under 18, Race Winner), Edmund Wood (Under 21, 11th Overall) and Adam Lee (Senior, 8th Overall).
Full results
Action pictures are available on www.racerready.zenfolio.com