Day Three: The Huckfest
By Ken Whiting and Kevin Varette
June 27, 2001

This report is coming to you just after mid-day from Sort, Spain, where we are just beginning the 14th heat of the Men's K-1 preliminaries and the action is HOT!! Things are going pretty much as expected, with all of the top athletes coming out with the rides they need to make the cut to the top 40 for the quarterfinals. After SICK rides yesterday evening from Canada's Ken Whiting and USA's Eric Jackson, this morning's heats have had some big shoes to fill and are doing a pretty good job!

So far, the highest scoring ride has come from Canada's Billy Harris, who threw down enough vertical mixed with enough variety to rack up over 415 points!! With his second ride of over 320 points, Billy is now sitting in first place, about half-way through the prelim's. France's Nico Chassing and David Arnaud, Italia's Mossimo Benetton, South Africa's Corran "Aerial" Addison, Canada's Brendan Mark and Kevin Varette and New Zealand's Kenny Mutton have had the top rides in their heats so far and will likely be advancing to tomorrow's round. Australia's Aaron Hemmerle lost his paddle during his second ride, but managed to continue hucking about 20 vertical ends flowed by a huge loop to give the lively audience one of the most entertaining rides so far!!

The action is as hot as the weather and the crowd is getting into it, with each country's amazing effort to support their athletes. Special mention MUST be made to the Canucks, who are giving a lesson in audience participation!! We're heading back down to the hole now to continue covering the men's heats….more news coming later today.

OFFICIAL RESULTS FOR THE DAY (care of the Spanish scoring system):
MENS K1 PRELIMINARIES


Competition Day 1 Videos:
Aaron lost paddle, Aus Mens K1 (1.2 MB)
Brendan Mark, Can Mens K1 (1.1 MB)
EJ entry into loop Mens K1 (840 kb)
Ken Whitings big ride mens K1 (1.2 MB)
Kenny Mutton, NZ mens K1 (705 kb)
Billy Harris, Can mens K1(2.2 MB)
David Arnaud, FRA Mens K1 (1.3 MB)
Corran Addison, RSA mens K1 (1.5 MB)
Mossimo Benneton, Italy mens K1 (1.3 MB)
Kevin Varette, Can Mens K1 (1.4 MB)
Nicko Chassing, Mens K1 (1.3 MB)
Steve Fisher, RSA mens K1 (1.2 MB)
Andrew Holcombe, US mens K1 (1.1 MB)
Brad Sutton, Can mens K1 (1.3 MB)
Clay Wright, US mens K1 (1.4 MB)
Eric Southwick, US mens K1 (1.5 MB)
Jimmy Blakney, US mens K1 (1.4 MB)
Kaimoto, JPN mens K1 (821 kb)
Mikey Abbott mens K1 (1.2 MB)
Shane Benedict, US mens K1 (1.2 MB)


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