Kings Series round one round up

The 12th of October marked the beginning of our 2024 season with the Northern and Western leagues joined by the newly established Scottish regional race. Due to our teams being predominantly university students, the first round is especially interesting for the new racers we get to see and the potential upsets to previous giants.

The Northern races, which ran at the Silksworth Sports Complex, had their fair share of challenges thanks to some angry weather. Gale-force winds made for some unexpected drama, as a gazebo decided to free itself from its fresher pals and went flying into one of the York University racers—thankfully without any actual injury. Despite this, everyone showed incredible perseverance, and we finished the day with plenty of smiles (and maybe a few good stories to tell) and a neck-on-neck finish between the Liverpool and Durham ladies’ teams, to be decided at the start of round 2.

The Scotland Universities had their first taste of Kingsing at the Glasgow Ski and Snowboard Centre, Bellahouston, with teams coming from across the Tartan Glens. We also found ourselves working with wonderful people from the Scottish Alpine Student Committee for the first time. Nine uni ski clubs and one private team fought for the accolade of being the ones to hoist the traditional prizes of fake champagne and flashy t-shirts. Much to the chagrin of those in attendance (apart from themselves), the “Glasgow Ski Squad” were the winners of the mixed category.

Down on the top of Mt. Gloucester, our Western League returned under the knowing hands of our wizened officials to run potentially the most efficient racing ever seen. Finished with plenty of time to spare the competitors and volunteers both harnessed the power of their sunny weather to enjoy some very well-deserved praise from all corners of the country.

This past weekend, we saw the Midlands and Southern leagues complete our first bout of races.

The Midlands race at Swadlincote Ski Centre couldn’t have been more different from the Northern round. With sunny skies and temperatures reaching a rather unusual 14 degrees for October, it felt more like skiing in the Sahara! Under new leadership from our newest league head, and a visit from one of our competitor’s four-legged friend, the conditions were perfect. Fierce competition and a chipped tooth aside, the racers saw particular upset with several clubs having the embarrassment of their 3rd teams finishing higher than their 2nd teams. Highlighting the ethos of ski racing everywhere, dsq’s matter.

Meanwhile, down at Brentwood ski slope, the Southern race ran smoothly, as expected. With the largest number of competitors within the first round of Kings 2024, the clubs brought their A-game. A singular biggish crash could do little to harm the morale of the teams, with the Southerners enjoying the presence of a crack squad of officials to finish up their competitions with the rivalry that comes from decades of competitive sporting.

Overall, Kings Ski Club’s first round of the season was a great success, and it was a joy to see so many students from all over the country coming together to enjoy the sport we all love. Though we’ve been around for over 40 years, the energy at these events only grows yearly. With three more rounds before our Finals competition at the end of Easter, expect more thrilling competitions and even more reminders how hard it is to keep up with the lingo of the next generation.

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