Sydney Summer Series

OLYMPIC GAMES, BENJI ON THE BURST, GOODESY WITH ANOTHER SIX POINTER, LOTTY LEARNING LAWN BOWLS - WELL ANYTHING TO PASS THE TIME OF DAY TILL THE NEXT SYDNEY SUMMER SERIES!!

And yes sports fans, season 22 has crept upon us, causing Pork Pie to tighten the dressing gown cord and sit bolt upright. So listen in as we preview yet another fantastic series of running, thinking and navigating - all at the same time! Sydney, the town that put on the 'best Olympics ever', get ready to drag on your shorts, dust off your volleys and reignite that never ending quest for SSS glory (not to mention the elusive race for a Reschs) as we go for gold in season 2012/2013.

With the opening round less than eight weeks away, 'The Porkster' is once again working the two finger tango to ginger up the crowd and rev up those who have been in hibernation, but are drooling at the thought of action stations in the greatest 45 minute dash for cash the planet has ever seen! Bring it on is the cry, so let's cuddle up as your correspondent runs the blood shot over some of the highlights.

Once again we have 27 events, including the Sunday MiniGaine, with the best 12 to count for the prizes. We have new age group offerings this season, with a better alignment in the junior ages, and the anticipation of a classic battle of the walking frames, with the over 70's now out on their own.

We have a great mix of course setters - from elites to juniors - and a great range of areas - including one brand newie. Several familiar areas boast different start locations to give us another challenge, and we bring back a great area not used since the 1998. Sydney Harbour? yep: bushy stuf?, yep; the beach? yep again; come by tram? of course (well you can to event five at Glebe!). We have yet again devised a programme to showcase the best this great city has to offer the fan of 'navigation on the run' - try some of these for size.

Dan 'All Stations' Redfern gets us underway on October 3rd (before DS begins) at The Shrimp - a great place to blast off the dung from the Nikes and loosen the toupee. We then take up french lessons as Pierre 'The Guillotine' Francois works the lever at Forty Baskets, providing the perfect segue to 'The Lions Den' and his elusive gasper to Kurraba Point. Three perfect events to commence the court room drama and I'm feeling stuffed already!

Following on, we attack Bate Creek, Glebe Point and The Great North Walk in short order, hope Sue isn't too 'devilish' at Devlins, and enjoy young Dunk having fun with our bodies and brains at the wrong end of Woolwich. This should be a treat, as we reverse the normal take on matters here - approaching the Woolwich Pier Hotel from the west! Helen is starting at the well named 'Ron Routley' oval (I can already feel it boys) before 'It's a Try' has us gasping at Epping - and we round off the pre Christmas scene with Michael working the luna module at the Butchers Shop and Tezza holding the toastrack car in notch one as we descend to Balmoral and a night out with Serge Denserau.

Not one to surrender an opportunity, Ian 'The Hockeyroo' Jessup, has been persuaded to go big on Boxing Day. Think the tunnel, think the steep hills, think a nice swim at Freshie afterwards as we say big thanks to the Garingal star for this tummy flattener. Well, what else to do on BD? We then commence the back half in ernest, with The Incinerator (Dave Stitt working a daylight shift at the furnace) and The Bushranger (Alan in charge) 'Kissing'. Melissa is holding the reins at Putney, with dad Pete as guiding hand. Another great location and sure to please the discriminating SSS addict with attitude.

Matty will have the ointments and embrocations ready at Birchgrove (surely another super biggie), and Steve Flick (fresh from great results at WMOC) will take swabs at the Quarantine Station. Wayne 'Cracked' Pepper then sorts out the street kids with the long awaited return of Pennant Hills Park. This is an all bush venue not used for nearly 15 years! Be sure to note this one as Wayne and the BN crew plan a monster. "No that's not a bus shelter dad, it's a boulder".

An old favourite with a different start location fires up Wednesday Feb 13, as Graeme 'The Abacus' Hill kicks Telopea into touch. Greg 'Hydrocarbons' Barbour follows, and should test us at this newish Pymble puff playground before we loose all sense of reality as Jimmy 'The Potter' Merchant produces the wild card - The Clay Pan! There is enough here to confuse at MetroLeague level, even State League level, so keep the itch powder handy for Feb 27 - it's going to be a corker.

We then begin March with the Minigaine at Mosman, noting that we are only scoring the individual entries for SSS this time - not the groups. The course should be scenery plus as 'The Dictionary' piles it on around Bradleys Head, Clifton Gardens and the Zoo. Not to be missed, especially if you like a croissant and latte with your course. Following Teddy, Nerise will put the boot in at Parramatta, 'The Defecting Cameroon Olympic Team' shifts us back to the bushy stuff (yum) at North Wahroonga, Marina & Fedor reprise their last season classic at the Spit, and John 'Lights Out' Brayan puts us to bed at Macquarie with that classy mix of urban fun and Uni sprint O style running.

What an ending, what a season - again!! Start spreading the word. Good housekeeping should see the programme up on the SSS website by next week, and a pdf version available to download well before season commencement. Expect to see the Pieface once again sharpen the 2B and provide a weekly analysis as the season unfolds. The mysterious 'horse' naming may well feature again, especially if a new name for Lisa 'The Superstar' Lampe unleashes a burst of creativity from the old gent. Watch this space! Until next time. Rosscoe