This is the event most CITS wait their whole camp life for. They grew up watching fellow campers compete and win the Pioneering and Rope Burn races. They knew their time was coming and now it’s finally here.
Days before, the CITS had try outs to see if they would be capable in competing for pioneer and rope burn. Every CIT worked hard to show off their skills and determination to get chosen for the event. It was incredibly hard to choose the group of people who were going to compete this event. After hours of discussion, the leadership and OPT had finally decided who was going to be the Pioneering and Rope Burn CITS for 2019. They were ready.
On the night of Monday 5th, it was time. The Pio and Rope Burn CITS walked up to evening flagpole to introduce themselves to the rest of the camp. Alumni had already arrived and watched the new CITS do exactly what they did years ago.
Some traditions just never change.
The CITS stood at the top of the flagpole, all wearing grey and blue tracksuit bottoms and white tees.
Once the introductions started it was time to head to hill soccer, the sacred ground of rope burn and pio.
After the welcome speeches the alumni legends of IHC past were recognized, a special shout out was given to Shelley Tager for creating the girls pioneering event to stand alongside the boys event.
Then it was time.
The air had an energy that very few events can compete with.
The girls went first, lining up on the chalk white line.
3,
2,
1,
GO!
The girls sprinted across the soccer field to the pile of wood on the other side breaking the branches off in rapid succession, sprinting back to the builder who was ready with newspaper and a match to get the fire started.
Back and forth the girls ran, collecting more wood, as the flame lightly flickered under the flood lights the girls blew on the fire to get it going.
The next group of girls ran to their tent to pitch it as fast as possible, the tarpaulin flying out of the bag, the sticks assembled with such speed.
After a few minutes the tents were up for each team and the fire was big enough to put the pot of water over the flames. The crowds screamed as the game was neck and neck. Suddenly the water boiled and white had the lead, sprinting to take the tent down as fast as possible!
There was multiple lead changes but after a few frantic minutes White India seemed to have it in the bag!
But Blue Brazil stepped up with 30 seconds left to go and managed to squeeze their tent into the bag with that extra bit of speed and precision.
The tent was in, the bag was dropped and the girls sprinted back across the finish line for the WIN!
It was a game of seconds and inches, one of the closest fought Pio races in the history of IHC!
Congratulations to both teams for a spectacular race!
Next up was the boys Rope Burn event.
Anxiously the boys lined up on the starting chalk, this was the moment they had dreamed about their entire Camp IHC career, it was finally here and it was time.
The whistle sounded, the cleats dug deep into the grass, mud splattering up the backs of the white t-shirts, the screams of White India & Blue Brazil echoed around the darkness.
The boys grappled the twigs, snapping off the smaller ones to race back to the builder. The fires were quickly started and even.
As the minutes ticked by fires grew higher, Alan & Joel carefully watching to see the sticks were of the appropriate size.
Blue soon began to grow a lead, but not a comfortable one. The White team had a set back when their fire fell sideways and they had to quickly work extra hard to try fix it.
Just when you think Blue were pulling away in the lead the wind picked up and the fire blew away from the rope giving White a chance to catch up.
After 15 minutes the fires were nearly at the rope, tickling the edges, the sparks rising high into the darkness.
White was making a come back.
The runners were yo yo’ing back and forth to the pile of branches, grabbing the best they could find under the moth ridden floodlights.
The heat grew intense, the rope burn teams and their coaches screaming and roaring instructions at each other as they danced around the fire.
Watermelon Cantelope, oh baby burn that rope!
The crowd were on their feet, counselors were even crying over the intensity, their faces illuminated in the glow of firelight.
White was catching up, both ropes were browning but as the minutes went by the ropes didn’t seem to want to break.
The videographers anxiously jumping between Blue and White with no idea who was going to clinch it.
It was surely going to be any second.
But as the seconds ticked by it still didn’t break.
The screaming intensified, the campers sweat drizzling away the black charcoal on their hands,
It was anyones to win…
Then finally, the rope gave up the fight, the crowds cheered. Blue Brazil had WON Rope Burn!
It was so close!!!
An amazing fight that showed the amazing characteristics of the CIT’’s
A double win in the events pushed the scores to within 50 points of each other!
What a night to remember!
