This event coverage from the South Florida Scale Crawlers is from our friend Kidd Kaos.

I had the opportunity to attend the first annual WinterFest TTC presented by South Florida Scale Crawlers.

The morning started early Sunday January 26, 2014 as the members of South Florida Scale Crawlers assembled at their Markham Park crawling course to have their morning pow wow before the competitors began to arrive. The tents went up the tables and displays were set and the day began….

The course was ready for the first seasonal event hosted by the club and with a moments look the competitors knew they had their work cut out for them. The group assembled on the south side of the course and drivers went 1 by 1 in 10 minute intervals through the first gate and up the side of a rocky climb then through one of the toughest sets of gates I have yet to see open a course.

Once inside the trails it was a matter of driving and maneuvering through the trail as quickly as possible making sure not to strike or miss any gates on your way to the next obstacle. The trail run was a very long and winding course that tested both the crawlers and their drivers as they had to follow through the trails which involved physically climbing the obstacles behind their rigs.

The competitors filed through the course over the next two hours and as some finished they returned to the tent area to work check out their gear and do any repairs if necessary in preparation for the next challenge; the switch back course.
One of the local clubs HiTech RC generously provided the trail bosses lunch and also made lunch available for competitors who graciously gave donations for their hospitality.

As the last competitors exited the trail run and had a quick lunch the group once again assembled and began the switch back course, a winding hill climb that involved both skill and speed.

While competing on the switch back course drivers made their way racing up the winding course to the top of the hill and somewhat blindly riding the ridge making sure not to strike the gates strategically placed on the blind side of the crawlers. They then had to descend again through another set of winding cuts down the side being sure to avoid the washouts as they filed through. As the competitors passed the final gate of the switch back course they rounded the hill to the south side for the last event; the hill climb challenge.

The hill climb challenge was an approximately 70 degree slope on the side of a sand hill covered in loose gravel. With judges perched along the side of the hill drivers made their attempt at the intimidating slope. The goal was to get to the top of 20 foot path up, but with the greatest distance achieved being 12′ drivers found this was not an easy challenge with an average of 4.5′ achieved overall….

The crowd finally assembled in the course entrance and as the trail bosses gathered and computed the final scores, competitors pulled out their tickets as door prizes, such as scale accessories, pull palls, scale decals, and t-shirts, donated by House of Power Hobbies, B.A.D. RC Graphix, ScalerFab Inc., Aquatic RC Straps, and Kynetic Photos, were awarded.

The tally was made and the scores were posted, after scale accessories and bonus sections were counted, scores and penalties computed and the time deductions for the hill climb figured the final scores were:

Left to right: 3rd Place Olen Price, 1st Place Bill Henderson, 2nd Place Robert Daubar

The SFSC crew outdid themselves with this event, the course looked great, and was extremely challenging. The club offered an Axial SCX10 G6 kit for first prize, a set of Pit Bull 2.2 Rock Beast II tires with foam inserts and a set of Axial Beadlocks for second prize, and a Spektrum DX2 radio, and receiver for third prize. Everyone had an awesome time and other than being a little tired from the days events left smiling and happy… And in the end that’s what it’s all about!-Kaos