Key Dougherty posting the fastest skateboard run in practice today, as the Maryhill Festival of Speed heated up, with temperatures rising all day and set to be blistering hot for the remainder of the event, hovering around 40 C (104 F). Fourteen practice runs meant all riders will be fully ready when timed qualifying times start being recorded tomorrow.
Patrick Switzer and Zak Maytum were right behind Key Dougherty with their times, and have the form and style to excel on this long and technical track. Swiss native Tamara Prader posted the fasted practice time in Women’s and Canadian Alex Charleson in Juniors.
With its long track and intense temperature, including pavement temperatures of 70°C (158 F), Maryhill is a true test of riders’ physical and mental strength.
But today’s times will mean nothing when qualifying starts tomorrow. The runs today will not count, and in any case were taken in groups, so drafting and other team tactics may mean the times are not a reliable indicator. Also, many riders, notably most of the large Brazilian contingent, did not wear their transponders today, leaving us guessing at their real speed.
