On Saturday 30 November, Team UOP Snow Sports Club proudly sent 27 racers to Brentwood for Kings Round 3. With four mixed teams, three ladies’ teams, and one boarder, the group embarked on the journey with high hopes and a determination to shine on the slopes. This is the story of their day.
“On Saturday, the 30th of November, we took 27 racers to Brentwood for Kings Round 3. Bringing four mixed teams, three ladies’ teams and one boarder, all with high hopes and spirits of the day to come.
After leaving Portsmouth around 11 for our long drive to Essex, we arrived in Brentwood around 3:00 and set up our tent and speaker in a perfect area to watch the races. The warm-up started at 3:00, and the races started at 4:00, ending at 9:30 pm.
Racers have three rounds to get their position on the table. The first round is seeding, where each team is put into a pool with at least 3 other university teams and from there do a round robin against these teams. Depending on how each team does, places them into the second round where top-placing teams race against each other. This determines your place in finals. Unfortunately, if you crash out or lose in the first two rounds, you cannot come higher than 16th; this is always a catch on race days.
Our Mixed 2s had an unfortunate day with two crashes in round one, which didn’t allow them to place higher than 16th. Then, in the second round, a crash caused them to contend for 19th place in the finals. This race was the best of their day, winning the race with a large margin. The team performed amazingly that day with racers trying their hardest, but unfortunately, it was just not their day. The Mixed 3s had an amazing day, winning most of their races, and they ended up in contention for 9th in finals. They smashed QMS in the finals and won their race, placing their highest this season. The 4s had an equally good day; however, a strong pool in rounds 1 and 2 left them in contention for 21st/22nd in the finals, which unfortunately didn’t go their way and put them in 22nd for the day.
The Ladies were in exceptional form, with our 2nd and 3rd teams finishing 5th and 7th overall. Despite a smaller field of teams, they delivered standout performances, skiing at their best and exceeding expectations. Our boarder also had an incredible day, narrowly missing out on victory in several of his races. He finished 6th overall, competing against a highly talented group from across the universities.
Our Mixed 1 team stormed through the first two rounds and put them in contention for first after beating both Southampton (2s) and Surrey. Their final was against Southampton, who have been hard competition this season. They were no match for our amazing team, and we unanimously beat them in the finals, securing our first win of the season!
Then came our Ladies 1s, who had an equally amazing day. Breezing through the first two rounds, again beating Surrey, Southampton, and UCL, they went into the finals with their heads held high. Redoing their race again with UCL, they managed to win once more and found themselves, too, at the top of the leaderboard, again for the first time this season!
I cannot express how proud I am of how my teams raced this day and how well everyone performed. As a team, everyone has improved this season, and it is showing in our results. We cannot wait for our next race in March, and we hope to do equally as well next round and secure our places in Kings Finals!”
- Helena
The achievements at Brentwood were a testament to the skill, determination, and spirit of Ravelin’s racers. As Helena beautifully articulated, the hard work and progress of the season are paying off, and the results speak for themselves. The team eagerly anticipates their next challenge in March, with sights set on continuing their momentum and achieving even greater success at the Kings Finals.
