World Cup IX
Dieppe France

When is the World Cup *ever* going to see decent flying conditions?

During the precision heat alone, we saw winds of up to 18 mph, sun, drizzle, rain and then no wind at all. Teams could only wait and watch and be prepared to drag everything they could think of into the arena for last minute changes. Some flew with vents and screens; others struggled with wet ultralights. It was a typical Cup.

AfterShock of Japan was declared the 1998 World Cup Team Champions. Second and third place went to Keops and LungTa (both of France) respectively.

AfterShock 's win resulted from a flawless six kite routine to theme music from the movie Godzilla. Tight original maneuvers, intricate multiple kite weaves, and smooth use of the music combined to present the strongest ballet I have seen in years. It needed to be strong. After score adjustments, the Japanese finished Precision in seventh. They had a long way to come back.

After finishing first in Precision, Keops flew to Broadway music in a routine reminiscent of retiring champions SkyDance. They finished third in Ballet. LungTa, in their fifth WC appearance, performed to original music composed specifically for the team. They edged out Keops in Ballet but a lower Precision score dropped them into third overall.

Both French teams flew clean, well-timed ballets, but failed to generate the excitement or anticipation of the Japanese contingent.

American readers will not be excited by the results. Chicago Fire, flying in their fourth Cup finished in 10th. Team Shanti stepped out of bounds and was disqualified in Precision. That zero score contributed to their last place finish overall.

Generally, the Cup was well run on wide grassy fields. Uneven wind and sporadic rain hampered performances which were already stressed by lack of practice space. The huge crowds that usually turn out for Dieppe remained mostly around the single-line fields.

For more informatin on the Dieppe festival, click here.

Here are some of my favorite kites from World Cup IX. Click on the thumbnail for larger image.
Flying Field Shanti Air Strategy Session Fire Gets Ready LungTa Practice More LungTa Practice AfterShock Raises the Flag AfterShock Takes the Field Scott Field Tunes his Rev
Wolfe Enjoys the Weather Chia Dressed for the Weather Frank & Christine Watch Marion Gets a Hug
Dissapointing Wet Crowds How Wet Was It?? Heading for Home Banza! For the Winners! Banza! For the Winners! Banners from Scott Hampton Schweiman's Fish
Big Spanish Cody

Listed below are the scores posted in Dieppe for World Cup teams. I originally reported these figures to rec.kites about ten minutes after they were announced on the field. However, the following day, Precision scores were "adjusted" by the officials. Steve Hammat was kind enough to provide an update. As he explains, his may be more accurate since he had "the comparative luxury of standing inside a portakabin instead of the wet and windy field when writing them."

Place Team Precision Ballet Overall
1 Aftershock 62.1 82.7 76.5
2 Keops 78.9 74.2 75.6
3 Lung Ta 72.0 75.2 74.2
4 Speed 68.7 67.2 67.7
5 Air de Rien 64.7 67.0 66.3
6 Fun Unlimited 66.4 65.0 65.4
7 Garuda 60.0 60.3 60.2
8 Punchline 63.9 58.2 59.9
9 Harlequin 55.1 58.8 57.7
10 Chicago Fire 45.1 55.7 52.5
11 Positive Lift 27.0 45.5 40.0
12 Shanti Air 0.0 45.7 32.0

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