Blade Runners: Pre Drift & Switch

[ahmed77moharem]

Hi Almosters,

Blade Runners: Pre Drift & Switch was dedicated to the Intermediates, organized by @Scorpio and supported by the marshals @alshamsi_m, @Rashidjass, @optimus, @Ehab, along with the advance drivers @Mahmoodyasin and @Petr sweeping the convoy. @Mghoneim took a solid second lead.

The convoy was long and the pace was fast high dunes, clean switches, and light drifts that kept everyone sharp. A few second tries here and there, but overall the flow was smooth and controlled .

Everyone performed really well .

Lessons learned: Safety first Don t fight gravity.

Thanks @Scorpio for organizing the trip, and a big thank you to all the marshals and advance drivers for the strong support.

See you soon on the sand.

[Zoubeir]

As the name mentioned, we were literally "running" or sometimes I felt like "skating" on crests.
This trip was my first intermediate drive with Almost 4x4 after the exam. I had previously registered for 2 trips, but they were both cancelled due to work or health issues.
So my excitement level was sky high when the alarm rang at 4am on Saturday!

At the meeting point, I was happy to meet my fellow intermediate batch mates. It was long overdue.
After a quick briefing, the convoy was underway. The first few minutes of the drive felt like a nice level up for me. It was a lot of technical areas, but faster and higher than the previous level.

As the drive progresses, @Scorpio increased the level and tested us like he said he would do during the breaks. It was about finding control and the right balance while always respecting gravity. What I really liked was that there was "no shame" about turning back for a second, third or fourth try (like I did). Instead, the Marshal guided me when I was struggling after the break and ended the drive on a high.

I would like to thanks all the organizing Marshals @Scorpio @Rashidjass @optimus @Ehab and Shamsi (sorry don't know the handle) and Advance drivers for support. I am sooooo looking forward to the next one! It was one of the best Saturdays for me in months. Thank you!

[optimus]

Hi All,

Back in Sweihan for the Blade Runners series organized by @scorpio. This one brought back a lot of memories.

I first attended Blade Runners when I was still an intermediate and I still remember one particular dune where I got badly stuck on a very sharp crest after riding it for too long. At that time it looked impossible. Today, going through the same terrain again reminded me how much these drives teach you.

Blade Runners is one of those drives that really improves your control over the car. You learn how to keep the car balanced on the crest, drift properly on side slopes and cross sharp crests at various angles without fighting gravity.

Sweihan is still one of the best places to learn and push yourself.

things i noticed from my cockpit:

• Distance between cars — not too short, not too long. Just enough to keep the flow. I noticed multiple times when the front car had to brake for a 2nd attempt, the car behind was too close, had to brake as well, lost momentum, and ended up struggling on the same crest. Keep enough distance so even if the car ahead brakes, you still carry momentum. Distance is the password to keep the convoy moving.

• Radio communication — not up to the mark. This is something you guys need to work on. As marshals, we can guide, but we cannot manage comms for everyone. Inside the car, it’s you and your radio. Learn to use it properly and quickly. Timing is everything.

• Convoy order — too much waiting. When someone is doing a 2nd attempt, don’t hold the entire convoy for too long. If the marshal says “next”, that’s your green light. Keep the flow going.

In our next intermediate drive, we will focus on “last man standing” and buddy recovery training.

Lastly big thanks to all the intermediates who joined and pushed themselves. Thanks to my brothers @alshamsi_m @rashidjass @Mahmoodyasin & the leader & organizer of this series @scoprio for organizing another great blade runners drive!

Until next time!