Doing the Yao, as Song and Satnam blaze new trails

With the 2015 NBA and NHL championships done and dusted, it was recently the turn of the life-altering sports ritual that is the Draft. Essentially, it is the gathering of the best young talents for plum pickings by executives and bosses of both leagues’ pro teams. It’s a process that was quite fittingly likened to by an SB journo/blogger as being a “gathering of tribal leaders.” Strangely apt as she went on the describe how the leaders would pick the best talents to be their warriors who from the moment they don the tribal insignia, their identity changes.

Of course, the draft season is nothing new with the NHL and NBA drafts being a time-honoured tradition in American sports. It is the occasion that promotes the work of scouts who are always on the lookout for that hidden gem with them mad ball skills or the magician with the puck on ice. 

So why were the 2015 NBA and NHL drafts so memorable, and potentially relevant for us in Asia compared to the deluge of football stories we immerse ourselves in? After all, as Adriana Lima puts it, fútbol - NOT soccer - is a stratospherically larger sport with an influence that touches every square inch of this blue Earth. And probably enjoys intergalactic relations too, as I am convinced they play 11-a-side on Luke Skywalker's Tatooine and on Leah’s home planet Alderaan before the Death Star destroyed it… 

But rather than unwillingly dive into an socio-sporting anthropology debate one might not ever find a way out of, I think it’s worth pointing out the two significant pieces of news that emerged from both the NBA and NHL drafts this year. First, on June 25, India leaped onto the NBA map when the Dallas Mavericks selected the first Indian-born in the draft. Two days later, the New York Islanders chose the first Chinese-born player in the NHL draft. 

Reaching Out

Now it is worth noting that while both sports have had depth in international talent for some time, what is interesting is the diversity with Asia now providing its own, albeit smaller, share of talent to contribute to the draft pool. 

Yes, yes, the draft is all about scouting the best talent, but one cannot but be fascinated that the search is expanding beyond the traditional sphere of nations, particularly and especially for the NHL. But unlike their court-bound brethren in sleeveless tops and shorts, the NHL has almost always been and continues somewhat to be seen as being predominantly Caucasian, making this year’s draft all the more noteworthy. Compared to their lesser-dressed ball-dribbling hoop-hound brothers and sisters, it has been harder to break the ice in the NHL. Begrudgingly for someone who LOVES ice hockey way more than basketball, the NBA has been the more successful, making much bigger, bolder and faster global strides than their wrapped-up ice-hugging comrades. 

Moreover, the NBA’s international appeal is significantly well-spread thanks to the constant supply and export of mega personalities since the late 1960s and early 1970s. This thanks to names like Shaq or Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird before him; the magic Lakers era with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, and finally the extraordinary man who singlehandedly Space Jammed basketball to a whole new plane of existence. His was a reign so supreme that even marketing executives at the world’s biggest sport football, were taking notes and wanted to be like Mike. That Mike, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, is of course, none other than, Michael Jeffrey Jordan. 

His Airness and his extraordinary band of brothers of past and present, have practically redefined how we look, watch and understand basketball, inspiring a new generation of would-be NBA players. 

Doing the Yao, all the way from Punjab

In Asia, while we were drowning in the greatness that is his Airness, in walked the 7ft 6in Mandarin speaking prodigal son of Shanghai, Yao Ming, who was the 1st overall, 1st round pick for the Houston Rockets in 2002. For Asian athletes, it really does not get any bigger than Yao, cutting a towering figure both physically and symbolically. 

Granted Yao Ming is not the first Asian with other players like Wataru Misaka (the first non-Caucasian Japanese-American point guard selected by the New York Knicks in 1947), Raymond Townsend (the first and only Filipino-descent NBA player from late 1970s) and Wang Zhizhi, who all came before Yao. But unlike his predecessors, Yao’s phenomenal prowess on court had ushered in the Ming dynasty era for the NBA, coincidentally in the new millennia. He single-handedly legitimised Asian basketball players and cemented NBA’s bridge into the Far East, especially when one considers that there are now more NBA fans in China than there are people in the USA. Yao’s impact is monumental. 

Anyhow, Basketball's global appeal is an ever expanding one, hitting all-time highs with an international pool of talent especially when considering that the 2014-2015 NBA season had a total of more than 100 international players, from 37 countries and territories. That is nations from as far as Bosnia and Herzegovina, to the Joga Bonito footballing nation of Brazil; even to the rugby-mad outback of Australia and the land of the All-Blacks Kiwiland, New Zealand. 

Aside from that already impressive statistic, what took place at the 2015 NBA draft on the New York evening of June 25 is at the very least, defining. The Dallas Mavericks with the 52nd overall pick out of the 60-pick draft called out the name of a young 7ft 2in 19-year old from the small village of Ballo Ke in India’s Punjab state just east of the Pakistan border. 

His name, Satnam Singh Bhamara. 

His selection is profound in that he is the first Indian-born player ever to be selected in the NBA draft, made even more significant just three months after Sacremento Kings signed Canadian Sim Bhullar, who became the first player of Indian-descent to sign an NBA contract and play in an NBA game. 

What was also interesting is unlike the other draft candidates who make their way through the collegiate system, Satnam was a member of the IMG Academy and part of a scholarship programme with 28 other student-cum-athletes from his native homeland. That and his selection is groundbreaking because it has opened up a whole new pool of potential talent from India in the future. 

What is also fascinating is how it all started for Satnam who after being exposed to the NBA a decade ago started modelling his game off of Dwight Howard and, more importantly perhaps, Yao Ming. Once again underlining the impact Yao has had on Asian basketball. The big man from Punjab now has the opportunity to do what Yao Ming did, this time for the vast cricket-mad Indian sub-continent and with an impact that could potentially reverberate even further. But I am getting ahead of myself.. 

Skating to a new Song

From the warm, sweat-drenched Basketball courts, something else was brewing in the colder icier climes of the NHL ice. When we in Asia think of hockey, we think of field hockey, played on a green grassy synthetic astro turf. In some psyches, ice hockey is the poncey version North Americans, Northern and Eastern Europeans, Baltic and Nordic nations and Russia play in the absence of grass, albeit with significantly more speed. 

Compared to the NBA, change comes at a much different pace in the NHL. It is unfair to compare apples to ice-cubes, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that African-American players had already begun to appear in the NBA as early as the 1950s with Chuck Cooper (the first to be drafted in the NBA), Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton (the first player to feature in the NBA finals) and Earl Lloyd (the first to play in the NBA) amongst those blazing the way. 

By comparison, it would take more than 30 years before the first African-American appeared in the NHL when Val James played with the Buffalo Sabres in 1982, though Canadian Willie O’Ree holds the accolade for being the first to break the colour barrier with the Boston Bruins in 1961. But, statistically, in a 30-year period since O'Ree broke the ice, up to the mid 1980s only 15 African-Americans or African-Canadians ever made it to the league. 

That ice-scape has however changed dramatically in the last two few decades, with more players of African-descent now not only active in the NHL, but playing pivotal roles in their teams and for their nations, like Montreal Canadiens’ alternate captain PK Subban and 2015 Stanley Cup champs Chicago Blackhawks' defenseman Johnny Oduya, to name a few.

So: two days after Satnam Singh Bhamara became the first Indian to be picked in the NBA draft, and a year after the Washington Capitals selected Australian Nathan Walker -  when the New York Islanders chose the 6ft Beijinger defenseman Andong Song on a balmy Florida evening of Saturday June 27 as their 2015 NHL draft-pick; China had slapshot itself onto the media spotlight in ice-hockey countries and ice hockey hit the mainstream national Chinese media. That's big given that ice hockey had only up to that point been popular in the country’s northeastern-most province of Heilongjiang. The headlines were fitting with Song dubbed “po bing zhe” - the ice breaker. 

Now it is worth pointing out that Song is not the first Asian to break into the NHL. That merit belongs to a Chinese-Canadian named Larry Kwong who donned the New York Rangers kit in 1948. Though his shift lasted literally a New York minute, he left a legacy that has endured for well over six decades. Since Kwong, there have been others, notably Korean Jim Paek (the first Asian-born player to twice win the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1990s), Hiroki Miura (first Japanese player ever drafted into the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens in 1992, though he never actually played a game) and Yutaka Fukufuji (the first Japanese Asian-trained goaltender drafted by the LA Kings in 2004). 

That Song is the first Chinese-born player drafted to the NHL is significant and could not have come at a more opportune time for China. For this sports-crazed nation who incidentally is also bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Song’s NHL draft-pick has not only boosted their Olympic bid. It's also potentially ignited and lent the necessary weight toward the nation’s drive to diversify, intensify and amplify its winter sports portfolio, especially when compared to its neighbours, Japan and Korea who already have a solid winter-sports programme. Last week's draft-pick decision has been seen as an important boost to China's sporting ambitions. 

Whilst it is still a long way off before Song actually hits the ice in an NHL kit with Song looking to continue playing at another top prep school and earn a NCAA (collegiate championships) spot for the 2015/16 season, the impact of the decision is already leading some seasoned NHL observers and pundits to equate Song's potential influence and impact on Chinese ice hockey as being as profound as Yao Ming’s. 

While there is real cause for enthusiasm in China, it is a two-way street with some observers also suggesting that through these turn of events, the NHL is taking cue from its ball-dribbling basket-bound cohorts in wanting to size up what is potentially a very, very lucrative sports market in Asia's most populous nation. 



Stirred, not shaken

Admittedly the penetration of ice hockey into the Asia generally is not as strong as basketball, largely due to infrastructural and resource limitations, underdeveloped awareness and untapped interest. But that could all change now. 

While the growth potential of ice hockey is incomparable to the likes of badminton or football, in the prophetic words of the three stripes, impossible is nothing, given that Japan, Korea and now, China are leading the way for Asia. What's also interesting to note is that of the 72 member states in the International Ice Hockey Federation or IIHF (full, associate or affiliate), 16 are Asian nations (including Arab states, excluding Central Asian republics) with Japan being amongst the oldest members (1930). Korea and China are relatively recent additions having joined the IIHF in the early 1960s. 

Malaysia's Jazura Girls Ice-Hockey team after winning the Lion City
Ice Hockey Tournament in March 2015 (Photo: Team Facebook page)

And much closer to home, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are IIHF members too. In Malaysia, the administration and organisation is still at its infancy with little to none international competitive exposure, YET. But there is a promising pool of talent with our Malaysian girls who won the Lion City Cup Ice Hockey Tournament earlier this year. Now, with the path, however small, opening up towards legitimising Asian ice-hockey players vis-a-vis our NorthEast Asian neighbours, all this information is perhaps a nice boost given that the 2017 SouthEast Asian Games in Malaysia will feature two winter sports for the very first time - ice skating and, drum-roll please - ice hockey! Realistically, it is a dream but there are, at the very least, "what ifs" in the making. 

Bottom line, is it suffice to say that now that the NBA has drafted a player from India, and the New York Islanders have selected it’s very first Chinese-born player in the NHL draft is bringing both sports to the verge of a revolution? Perhaps not, but what it does mean is the continued shift in attitudes towards talent, to some extent, irrespective of where that talent springs from. Perhaps there are other considerations, like economics and global marketing rights expansion in the world’s most populous regions? 

Whatever the motivation, conversely these events could also spell a shift in attitudes towards certain sports. A more globally connected world at a click of a mouse or a tap of a keypad has had an influence on sports that might have been predominantly geographically and/or genealogically stereotyped, be it basketball, ice hockey, alpine skiing or whatever. That it has potentially paved the way for a greater embrace for diversity in sports - in as wide of a sense as possible, is to little naïve ole' me, really refreshing.

Somehow this sprung to mind - Veni, Vidi, Vici
So, go forth Song and Satnam!! 

more: the best moments from the 2015 NHL Draft
more: a review of the 2015 NBA Draft

Silverstone sizzler sets up stage for an epic WEC season

A couple of years ago, Allan McNish described the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the entire Formula 1 season in one day. It is the one race that I absolutely look forward to, love watching, even if it robs me of sleep and denies me of any rest. 

Goodness knows how the drivers who do their double, triple stints feel and my hats off to them all, in every category, seriously.. Now when i look back at that i am really glad that the folks that made it happen made the FIA World Endurance Championship happen, it’s like having a mini Le Mans all the time and having a great build-up to that incredible highlight race in June. 

Granted Le Mans is a really special race, one that I would dare go so far as to suggest as being incomparable to any other. That it’s historic, even legendary goes without saying, the 24Hrs of LeMans is glorious without being overtly ostentatious. It’s pure racing without the theatrics other than what’s delivered in terms of the drama out on track. 

I'd be lying if I said I don't miss working with Andre.

And when a few years ago a driver that I had come to know and adore by virtue of working closely with him in a popular Japanese race car series told me that he was going back to Europe to commit to a certain German automobile marquee to compete at LeMans and then subsequently in the then newly formed WEC, I had mixed emotions. At one end of the emotive spectrum I was sad, partly because my selfish self would no longer get to work and hang out with him, and at the other end I was elated with what was and is an incredible opportunity. Bravo André! 

I can never forget the look on André Lotterer’s face when he told me the news when we met up in Tokyo some years back. The twinkle in his eye was unmistakable. When he made his debut at the 24Hours of Le Mans in 2009 as practically one half of a duo* in a private team, his impressive 7th place had caught the attention of the Audi works team. The following year, André, along with another fellow gaijin driver from their time in Japan, Benoît Treluyer and Swiss driver Marcel Fässler took on the Audi works colours at Le Mans and finished 2nd. 

When the trio returned to compete at the 2011 edition of the race, their car would be the sole car flying the Audi flag in the race after the works team lost two of their other cars in spectacular fashion. It was to be one of the most sensationally extraordinary races I have ever watched. My heart was in my throat as I watched the final 30 minutes of the race with André at the wheel keeping Peugeot behind them. 

The gap couldn’t have been any closer - 13 seconds! When I saw an exhausted, emotionally and physically spent André climb out of the car with tears in his eyes at parc ferme, the waterworks turned on in my eyes as well. It was the one and only time I have ever cried (for joy!) for any of the drivers and/or riders I have ever worked with. 

The fight for the throne 

Anyway, it is hard to explain the fascination of Le Mans, suffice to say if you are a petrol head and a racing fan, it is a MUST watch. And when you now have the World Endurance Championship on tap, one really is spoilt for choice.. Well, at least I am. And when each race is described as embodying the spirit of LeMans, I get goosebumps. 

Though I will openly admit that I am not the best-schooled person in the intricacies of the FIA WEC, the complexities of its rules and regulations or the mind-bending technical information, I cannot deny the heightened sense of emotions that the racing aspect of the WEC gives me. And it was evident with the opening round of the championship at the 6 Hours of Silverstone. 

Prior to the weekend I was already drawing the rather obscure comparison to the protagonists in A Song of Fire and Ice (to those who have not read the books - Game of Thrones) to each of the different marques vying to rule over the WEC kingdom. 

In my warped sense of imagination House Audi were like the smarter, stronger, savvier and more together version of the Starks of Winterfell and the Porsches the precociously savvy and cunning version of House Tyrell. Then there’s the outsider, House Toyota akin to the Targaryens, resourceful, forceful, kinda cool and just waiting to pounce. 

Not forgetting the still work-in-progress Nissan whom I’ve decided to liken to House Martell of Dorne. They will join the cast along with the other three houses at Le Mans. And, you can't ignore the other players like the iron-born Rebellion Racing, a rather impressively strong-willed House Greyjoy. Like Nissan, Rebellion will be there at LeMans. 

And finally imagine if House Peugeot aka WEC's House Lannister were to return? They would probably say, "HERE ME ROAR!" I swear, one more and you would have seven players in the battle of the seven kingdoms.... 

It’s the epicness of it all, I tell you. 

A Fight to the end

OK.. OK... putting aside George R R Martin’s epic saga, the 6Hours of Silverstone was a real treat. To a large extent, it really did seem that the Starks.. I mean, Audi would be a strong contender this season having dominated the endurance racing programme for a good chunk of this millennia. As Giles Richards of the Guardian puts it, “after a difficult run in 2014, that [Audi] should come out of the blocks with a win was proof again, were any needed, that they remain the benchmark against which all other marques must test themselves."

And the Silverstone race was proof that 2015 is going to be an epic WEC season, with the trio of Lotterer, Fässler and Tréluyer putting the four rings back on the top step of the podium after a really closely-fought tooth and nail battle with Porsche and Toyota. 

Left to Right: Tréluyer, Fässler and Lotterer - Photo: Audi Sport Team Joest

Deep deep down I do have a bit of a soft spot for the four rings, bias perhaps but also because every time I watch them race, they always seem to have to work so damned hard to get it (cue the epic orchestral music). The fact that the gap to the chasing Porsche was so close at the end, it really was a tale of how Lotterer, Tréluyer and Fässler had to fight really hard especially after a poor start. Brilliant. 

What makes it even more exciting is that we know how strong Porsche is with their pace in testing sending rival engineers, drivers and team bosses scratching their heads as to how to beat them. 

The thing is, WEC is nothing like F1 with the contrast in the technical regulation being an obvious differentiator. The fact that there is considerably more room for regulation interpretation, the manufacturers take on different approaches. What that means is that each different manufacturer has different aces up their sleeves, enabling them to capitalise on their complicated systems to maximum effect where they need it. For instance, where Porsche may have the advantage on the straights, Audi is better able to make their tyres work for longer. 

Then there was the drama near the end with Audi holding on to a very slim lead, knowing full well that Porsche had managed to gain an advantage on fuel. That already slim lead was shaved even further when Fässler had to dive into the pits to refuel. 

That gap nearly became non-existent when the lead Audi was then slapped with a drive-through penalty for using more tarmac than was allowed while overtaking an Aston Martin. In my twisted imagination I could actually hear the evil queen Ravenna from Snow White laughing wildly. 

It was a thrilling run to the finish line with the Audi holding on to the lead with all their might. Congratulations Audi, the team that #welcomeschallenges. It’s frustrating that I had to “listen” to the race and rely on the youtube highlights only because it’s not broadcasted on the networks available to me. Perhaps that’s why my imagination goes a bit bonkers. 

The Forest beckons 

Now that the opening test of arms is done and dusted, the WEC Game of Thrones turns it attention to the next 6 hour battle that will take place through the Ardennes Forest at Spa Francorchamps, Belgium. Audi will definitely want to carry the momentum and fighting spirit from Silverstone, a difficult ask but one I think for a team that welcomes challenges, they may be happy to rise to the occasion. 

Porsche will want to tighten up their offensive strategy taking full advantage of the long, fast, flowing 7km Spa circuit and have already recruited the likes of current Force India Formula 1 driver Nico Hulkenberg in the No. 19 Porsche 919 to beef up their offensive. 

Then there’s Toyota, who will want to reignite the form that led them to victory in Belgium en route to claiming the Iron Throne.. damned.. I mean the WEC world title last year. 

With the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps touted as the 24 Hours of Le Mans rehearsal, the round is already expecting a bumper grid, which is always exciting to watch. It's perhaps a shame that we wont see Nissan or Rebellion until Le Mans. Regardless, if Silverstone is anything to go by in terms of what's on offer by the main championship contenders, the 2015 FIA WEC season is turning out to be quite a tantalising and tasty affair. 

Guess what, after Spa, it's the big one - the 24 Hours of Le Mans

I say: Bring it! And I will be watching with John William's Duel of the Fates playing in the background:

*there were 3 drivers signed up for the race but one was injured in a non-racing accident just prior to the race.

Desert Rumblings as MotoGP heads to Losail

Picture: Losail International Circuit

It really looks like it's gonna be one of those weekends again. Every season when I put the calendar together and see a MotoGP and Formula 1 clash on the same weekend, I just know something's gotta give. And here we are, it looks like the first race of the 2015 MotoGP season and the Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix is on the same weekend.. 

Undoubtedly, the latter race is a lot closer to home, especially it being held on my home soil and "could" potentially be the last one, depending on what's announced on Sunday after the race*. But, let's not go there. 

On the other hand, the first MotoGP race of the season is going to be quite exciting with the prospect of a much closer and competitive field in the premiere class. So it would seem. What makes it even more exciting is having four of my fellow countrymen flying the flag for Malaysia as they battle it out under the Qatar floodlights in the Moto2 and Moto3 categories.

Perhaps it is a no-brainer for those inclined to prefer getting stuck in the action that will take place at the floodlit Losail International Circuit, over the action at Sepang. I know where my attention could potentially go. Thankfully, I think we can avoid an epic remote control duel with one happening before the other. The one race is at 1500hrs, and the other from 2300hrs (all local Malaysian time).

Suffice to note that with all the attention on the Malaysian Grand Prix over the weekend of 27 to 29 March and the scintillating prospect of another 1-2 result for the Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 team, I thought I'd shift the focus slightly to the boys and gals on two-wheels. 


Rumble in the Desert

The MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar - on top of being the first and only circuit to host a night-time race, has also earned itself quite a reputation for setting a spectacular tone to the start of every grand prix season. It was where the current defending MotoGP world champion Marc Márquez began his stunning 2014 campaign, winning the desert duel against Yamaha's Valentino Rossi. After taking that win, Márquez then went on to record 12 more race victories en route to his second MotoGP World Championship title.

Qatar was also where another Spaniard, Esteve "Tito" Rabat started his winning campaign in the intermediate Moto2 class. He won that race, then eventually took home 7 race wins, 14 podium finishes, 11 pole positions and a record points total of 346 on the way to his Moto2 championship title. 

Going back into the archives, who could forget Casey Stoner outgunning Valentino Rossi claiming his epic win in the desert on his debut race with the Ducati's back in 2007? Back then, the commentator said, "watch the birth of a new superstar." 

Now, four months after the Valencia Grand Prix last November, one post-season test and three pre-season tests later; arguably the world's best motorcycle racers return to the Qatari desert for what could very well be - at the very least - an interesting start to a brand new MotoGP season.

No doubt, some detractors may argue that a certain 22-year old Spaniard aboard a really superior Honda may have rubbed the shine off MotoGP somewhat over the past couple of seasons. Really? This isn't Formula 1 guys.

Remember when a certain Italian from Tavullia dominated the sport with 9 world championship titles across the different classes, with 6 of those earned in the premier class? 

His dominance not only catapulted him into the same league as Apollo and Athena but also earned him the adoration, familiarity and allegiance of fans from literally every corner of this planet. And, I am 99.99% sure that they have at least heard of, if not know of Valentino Rossi in the Andromeda Galaxy, some 2 million or so light years away. His impact and influence is that profound. 

Whether Márquez can have quite the same effect as motorcycle racing's messiah, remains quite a debatable subject. So, let's just leave it at that. 


Catch and Match

The other thing is, it is also really hard to predict if Honda can remain ahead of the pack and how much the other teams have caught up and matched the reigning champs. With all the pre-season tests done and dusted, I don't think it's wishful thinking to say that fans may indeed be in for a treat. I won't go so far as to predict, but all indications are pointing in that direction. 

Picture: Movistar Yamaha Racing Team

At the first two pre-season tests in Sepang, it did look like Honda were going to carry the same momentum from last season into this season, with a very very quick Márquez demolishing the circuit record at Sepang on the final day of the first test. 

Though that was noteworthy, what was far more interesting for me was how far Yamaha's YZR-M1s had caught up in terms of how well it handled and rode. With all the upgrades, including Yamaha's seamless gearbox, both riders are looking determined and poised to bring the fight to Honda. 

Then what was even more fascinating was the confidence oozing out of what seems like a revived Ducati camp, especially with a very happy Dovizioso talking about the speed and handling of Ducati's GP15 bikes. 

It does seem that the Italian outfit has been busy pulling out all the stops to make themselves a lot more competitive. Judging from the final pre-season tests in Qatar, which was dominated by the Ducati Desmosedici, it certainly looks very promising, one that Yamaha team director Massimo Meregalli believes will bring the Red Dukes to the forefront come the start of the season. 


Then as if it wasn't already an exciting prospect - the return of Suzuki to the fold, the inclusion of a very very successful team from the intermediate class and a couple of young graduates from Moto2 and Moto3 - does indicate a much healthier MotoGP grid, with 14 teams and 25 riders. 

Picture: Suzuki 

Not only does Repsol Honda Team boss Livio Suppo agree with Meregalli that it's good to have Ducati back battling at the front, he also adds, "Suzuki are not doing too bad as well, so the rules that allow the teams that were a little bit behind to have an advantage seem to be working well."

Naturally, it is virtually impossible to tell where all the teams stand or if Ducati can mount a serious title challenge, until everyone kicks up the sand in Qatar. But, based on what we've seen so far, all indications point towards what can potentially be a really nice 2015 MotoGP championship season.


Revving up the Intermediate Classes

Typically, whilst the general attention does tend to lean more heavily on the contest in the premier class, I always feel that the action in the intermediate classes is quite spectacular, if not as good or better. The action is almost always as thrilling and often times becomes a nail-biting affair. That's especially true when you see five or more riders abreast on the same piece of tarmac heading into a tight hairpin or a corner in a battle royal for track position, on every lap. *Phew*.

Unlike their big brothers in MotoGP, the boys and girls in the Moto2 and Moto3 categories didn't have such a great pre-season tests with the weather playing havoc to the teams' carefully laid out plans. So, it was much harder to see who could dominate this season. All the better as that uncertainty just makes it far more exciting to watch! 

Sure, Tito Rabat will want to be up there fighting to defend his title. Now unlike past Moto2 champs who all graduated to the MotoGP class, Rabat decided to stick around. And this year, his challenge comes in the form of 14 of the top 15 Moto2 riders from 2014, as well as two of the top three Moto3 riders from last season. 

Essentially, we can expect the likes of Mika Kallio, Tom Luthi, Johann Zarco, Luis Salom, Axel Pons and Simone Corsi to be in the mix. Don't forget, we have another Márquez in that contender seat - 2014's Moto3 World Champ Alex Márquez. 

Triple Treat in Moto2
 

Now, for us locals, there are three Malaysians represented in the Moto2 class - Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and rookie rider, Zaqhwan Zaidi. Both Hafizh and Azlan are on the same machinery that the majority of the field will be using - Kalex, with Zaqhwan being in the minority on a Suter bike. 

If you're Malaysian and did watch that highly memorable 2012 MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix, you would know who Hafizh Syahrin is, and that incredible race he had that year as a wildcard rider. That race alone launched the Klang-born boy into the stratosphere.

Picture: Hafizh Syahrin's twitter @HafizhPetronas

He has come a long way since that one race. After two successful seasons in the CEV Spanish Motorcycle Championship, Hafizh then graduated to the MotoGP stage to make his debut in the Moto2 category as a full time entry in 2014. His first full season saw him finish in the points 9 times out of the 18 races that were held, enough to earn him 42 points for his debut season and the best result for the pool of Malaysians in the MotoGP. 

When I caught up with him before the pre-season tests, he was naturally cautiously optimistic to indicate that his performance last season serves a good baseline for him to achieve more, albeit realistic targets. And at the Valencia and Jerez tests, Hafizh's performance demonstrated where the young Malaysian wants to be in - within reach of the top-10 riders. But, there's always something about Hafizh and when he topped the timesheets in the wet, he at least lived up to his nickname Pescao. 

Meanwhile, for his compatriot Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, things might not have gone as planned in 2014. But one can't take away the fact that Azlan is one of the hardest working riders I know, especially getting to know him and watching him race through the ranks in the past. Like everyone else, the bad weather at the pre-season tests did throw a wrench into the works and affected everyone, even Azlan. As a baseline, I am hopeful he can improve on his 2014 results. 

The third Malaysian in Moto2 championship is Zaqhwan Zaidi. He was very optimistic when I spoke to him - coming off the back of an incredible regional and domestic 2014 season. But, the reality is that he is coming into a highly competitive level, one that he has not yet had any experience in. 

Being an unknown quality, Zaqhwan will be tested to the max at this level. It's good to see that level of confidence especially after winning the Malaysian Cub Prix championship, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship and the Malaysian Super Series. His talent is undeniable, but riding a machinery that is one of the minority makes this year coupled with the fact that he has not had as much time on the bike as he would like, will undoubtedly make his debut in Qatar more about gaining experience. 

Whatever the outcome is, Malaysians ought to take pride in the trio of riders who will be representing the country at arguably the best motorcycle racing championship in the world.



Moto3's YoungGuns

This is a category that is so incredibly fun and highly entertaining to watch with so much happening on every lap at every race. And what makes it even more fascinating is that of all the riders in this category, only four, yes, four riders are over the age of 21. No kidding! 

The youngest this season at just 15-years and 343-days old, and probably where most of the attention has gone to in the off-season is the Estrella Galicia 0,0 team's French rider, Fabio Quartararo. Already everyone in the media have begun comparing him to Marc Márquez, and this even BEFORE the lights go off in Qatar. Unbelievable. It's worth keeping an eye on this kid due to his undeniable talent.

Though the 2014 Moto3 World Champ Alex Márquez has graduated to the Moto2 category and vice champion Jack Miller straight up to MotoGP, the competition in Moto3 remain a hotly contested one, with several new faces to the line-up in 2015. 

What makes Moto3 pretty cool is the fact that there are two ladies in this category - Maria Herrera and Ana Carrasco, the latter unfortunately sustaining a broken arm in the pre-season tests.

What's also cool for us would probably be Zulfahmi Khairuddin back for another season in the Moto3, this time with a new team (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team), a new bike (KTM) and a whole new attitude. 

When I spoke to him, he was very much aware that he is already one of the veterans in this category as well as the pressure on him to perform. But, he was optimistic and quite possibly a happier man. But, like Zaqhwan, Zulfahmi did not get as much time on his bike as he would have preferred. So, like everyone else in the intermediate classes, heading to Qatar will be more of a learning experience.

At the end of the day, it is really hard to gauge where everyone is at the start of every brand new MotoGP season. We just have to wait and see what happens when the riders descend onto the 5.4km fast-flowing Losail International Circuit with its nice combination of medium and high-speed corners this weekend...... 

Holding my breath... 


Postscript - all the videos may not be viewable here, and will direct you to MotoGP's YouTube page. 

Snowboarding.. Shreddin' it Sideways

Geilo, Norway

"Why do you lot throw yourselves off mountains?" - was what a couple of friends asked me after my snowboarding trip to Austria. 

Technically, snowboarders don't throw themselves off mountains. That is the domain of the certifiably crazy cool adrenalin junkies called base jumpers. 

The vast majority of snowboarders prefer to say they surf or rather, ride the snow down the mountain. In my case, ploughing and barreling through the pow would probably be more accurate. 

Whilst I am by no means an accomplished snowboarder having only just reacquainted myself with it a few years ago, suffice to say, I am utterly and madly in love with it. Even if it really isn’t easy for someone like me who lives in the tropics. 

Most of the time, I get asked if my trips to snow-covered mountains is to ski.. and 99.9% of the time I am having to explain that I am going snowboarding and not skiing. I’ve tried skiing before, but the experience of a pair of really really bad boots and an unpleasant collection of multi-coloured bruises, plus the fact that I couldn’t walk properly for a month kinda put me off the two-planks. Anyway, I probably can ski but I just don't want to. 

Anyway, that I had had some (incremental, really) experience with snowboarding on a dry slope from another lifetime, the inclination was already there.


Snurffing out the roots

Where I come from, snowboarding is so niche that I would dare say that the majority of the population would not know it. It is a concept that is as detached as the abominable snowman. Well, I can’t fault them. After all we live in the equatorial tropics, where the heat is always at a constant +30 degrees Celsius (= 90 degrees Fahrenheit) and the closest thing to snow is what we find in the freezer.

But, like a big slap to my ignorant self, the makcik* taxi driver who picked me up at KL Sentral recently knew I was carrying a snowboard. I was so stoked! High-five makcik! 

Anyhow, by definition snowboarding is classified as a “recreational activity” by certain quarters, with a fuzzy history that potentially dates farther back than Wikipedia's referenced decade of the 1960s.

I say that because I recently discovered an image in a snowboard museum (yes, a snowboard museum, one that I will write extensively about in my next post) of a Vern Vicklund (or Wicklund) riding what looked suspiciously like the predecessor to today's snowboard, in 1939!

Even that's arguable after what snowboarding legends Jeremy Jones and Stefan Gimpl  discovered while on a film shoot in 2008. They had learned that residents from a remote mountain region in Turkey had been riding a lazboard for over 400 years. There are also tales of Austrian miners riding long wooden boards in the 16th century.

Anyhow, www.skimuseum.net references to a contraption called the "Sno-Surf" that brothers Gunnar and Harvey Burgeson and relative Vern Wicklund had filed for a patent in 1939. It came with an adjustable strap for the left foot, a mat for the right foot and a rope to control speed and to steer. Though the trio did go on to form The Bunker Company, they were not able to sell the boards and with the onset of the second world war, the idea of snowboarding would sit quietly on the back-burner for a couple of decades.

Then comes the story that you will find on Wikipedia with snowboarding commonly associated to its roots and inspiration from skateboarding, surfing and skiing. That story links snowboarding to an engineer dad from Michigan who bound two skis together and dubbed it the “snurfer” (the combination of snow and surf) for his daughter.

Fast forward a decade or so, in walked a surfer dude who invented bindings to secure his feet to a board for a snurfing competition. The birth of Burton in the 1970s also led to the use of the term “snowboarding” away from snurfing (thank goodness!!).

After numerous competitions, it would still take another decade before snowboarding would become a competitive sport following the first World Cup in Austria. The grunge years would see snowboarding competitions regulated through the founding of the International Snowboard Federation in 1991. ISF was eventually replaced by the World Snowboard Federation, which was formed in 2002. 

Fast forward 20 years and modern snowboarding has come a long way despite and in spite of the animosity the sport has tended to attract particularly it’s tumultuous relationship with the two-plankers.

Two versus One

These days, with the onset of the winter season, regardless of which side of hemisphere you’re on, snowboarding has well and truly etched itself a place into the winter sport culture.

Reading about and watching the videos of snowboarders vs skiers, I can’t help but giggle. But in all seriousness, having been on the wrong end of skiers' displeasure at “us” and having two-plankers plod, stomp and trample all over my board while waiting in line for the chairlift, is SO NOT funny.

And when one not very good skier ploughed straight into me, tipping me and my board 180degrees, face down, then started to scold me, I was like "DUDE, what the... ". Thanks to him, I pinched a nerve and couldn’t sit or walk properly for over two weeks. SO NOT cool.

HOWEVER, despite that rather unpleasant and quite frankly a rather inelegant consequence, those incidents, though irksome, are more the exception rather than the rule. I do respect the two-plankers and I have seen equal amount of respect from skiers towards snowboarders.

I also have an enormous amount of respect for competitive Alpine ski racers, freestyle skiers and ski-jumpers, and consider myself somewhat of a fan.

If I were to be seated on an aircraft next to either Marcel Hirscher, Felix Neureuther or Aksel Lund Svindal, I'd faint first, blame the altitude, then summon some inner power to recover some semblance of a cool exterior, before I could muster the courage to even consider talking to them.

I can say with absolute certainty that the first words out of my mouth would sound a lot like a mash-up of Klingon and Romulan.

Now if I were to be seated on a long haul flight with Travis Rice, Andreas Wiig, Torstein Horgmo, Terje Håkonsen or Kazuhiro Kokubo or even Silje Norendal, I would really have no inhibitions to start sobbing uncontrollably and hyperventilate. 

Back to reality, Farah.

As it is statistically improbable that I would ever get the chance to speak or interview either of these incredible individuals, my reality is that I still get to meet some equally amazing people whose lives and livelihood gravitate around snow, regardless of whether they are on a ski or snowboard.

Mind you though, I did get to meet an Austrian who had competed against the great Hermann "The Herminator" Maier!! *Gasp*! He was a skier and is now an amazing snowboarder.

Then more recently, I got the incredible opportunity of getting to know a truly wonderful and beautiful Norwegian family who welcomed me like an old friend. I would soon learn that the family are related to Norway's freestyle ski sensation, Winter X-Games multi-medalist supercool superstar, Andreas Håtveit.

Courtesy of my wonderful host, I knew I was in the presence of greatness, the one the X-Games commentators called the dimpled Viking. In those kinds of moments, it is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to keep one's composure, regardless if you're a two-planker or a snowboarder, cool is definitely in da house yo! I could feel the Klingon words flowing out of my brain.... *gasp*

Andreas Håtveit won gold at the 2008 X-Games in the Ski Slopestyle event

Cool Runnings 

Though I do prefer and love snowboarding, I cannot possibly choose which of the two is cooler, though some may argue that I would be automatically inclined towards one....

Back in 2013, at an unplanned, impromptu and accidental dinner with a rather famous Irish-born actor, we got to talking about winter sports. After declaring that he was a skier, his response to when I said I snowboarded was, "ooh, you snowboarders are really cool!" (Imagine that in an Irish accent.... #lol)

A comment to which I responded, "snowboarders are cool, yeah! Me on the other hand, not particularly, especially when I have mastered the art of tumbling down in the most uncool possible way!" We laughed and that broke the ice and we had a great dinner.

It's true though, snowboarders always give off that cool, laid-back, pretty chillax'ed vibe. But is it really confined to just snowboarders? After all, snurfing was such an un-cool name (sounds like the smurfs getting high on painkillers).

Somehow these days, whilst that grumbling between the two camps continues to exists, there was one thing I could not help but notice whilst I was up on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, or in the Graubunden valley or waist-deep in the Niseko pow or on the wind-swept Norwegian pistes.

picture from www.skiersrealm.com

In a bygone era, aside from the obvious equipment differences, it was still possible to tell the skiers apart from the snowboarders if you didn't look beyond the waistline. These days, there's been a bit of what I call a cultural overhaul, as the two disciplines become more and more enmeshed with one another. 

For instance, two-plankers - particularly the younger ones - are opting for that baggy, street-look "cool" ensemble perhaps typically associated with snowboarders. To which I say, perhaps they prefer to be comfortable?

And that's just it. Who cares what you wear when you ride or ski? Yes, it gets people's attention and to some extent influences people's perception and potentially buying habits. (Let's not stray there..)

But, I do actually think and believe "cool" is a state of mind and being. "If you're happy, you love what you do and you get to indulge in that passion, that's cool" was how it was explained to me. Ultimately, it boils down to what you enjoy doing and as 20-year old Canadian freestyle skier and Olympic champion Dara Howell puts it, "it's about keeping it fun." And that is cool regardless of whether you prefer to shred straight or sideways. 

On life support or on the back-burner, again?

Quite recently, I came across an article in a fairly widely circulated English language snowsports publication that had boldly declared that snowboarding is in its death throes. The author had made this proclamation based on an opinion that people were now preferring skiing as evidenced from observations made at various popular resorts across western Europe and North America.

Honestly, I don't know if there are companies out there that conduct surveys on who's on two planks and who's shredding it sideways. Me, I don't really sit at the top of the run counting the number of skiers vs snowboarders. All I want to do is enjoy riding my board. But, if I were to pitch in with a counter argument, I dare say, I don't think so!

I would then ask, define "death throes" and do provide us the evidence that drew the author to that conclusion. Is it purely based on observation or is there some kind of survey to denote a decline in numbers, sales or interest? I'd need to do some research and get the numbers from Burton, DC, Ride, Allian, Capita, Rome, Arbor, Salomon, Jones.. etcetera.

Perhaps it could also be argued that like all sports, snowboarding is evolving. Like at one point, inline skating was so popular, then people switched to cycling, but the fact that I still see inline skaters in my local park doesn't mean that it's dead.

Also, as I don't travel as extensively as the pro riders do, I am in no position to provide a commentary on whether skiing is more popular to snowboarding. 

But, in the few places where I have been lucky enough to ride my snowboard, I always see other fellow snowboarders - be it on the skibus, on the slopes, in the board shop or sharing a chairlift - even in the more traditionally "ski-friendly or ski-oriented" resorts.

In Japan, I dare say (and I do not have the corresponding survey numbers to back this up) that snowboarders outnumbered the two-plankers by a fairly big margin.

And, the snowboard camps in Norway are still as robust as ever with plenty of young kids, young adults and adults shredding it sideways. And the age range is pretty wide for these snowboarders, from as young as 4 to 60-years old.

Then there's this - while on the hunt for my snowboard recently, I walked into a number of shops that had seriously depressing number of new snowboards in stock. They all seem to agree with the argument that snowboarding is not as popular as before.

But while in conversation with a snowboard and ski instructor in Austria, could it be possible that the current economic climate in Europe was affecting sales and distribution of snowboards more than skis. Then perhaps it could be argued that the majority of popular snowboard manufacturers are US-based (Burton, Ride, Salomon), whilst the big ski-brands are European (Atomic, Rossignol). The economy might go some way toward explaining the decline in sales and therefore, perhaps interest? Maybe? I have no idea and this line of argument is totally going to give me a migraine. Suffice to say, perhaps it's an economic consequence. *shrugs*

The thing is, I recently hung out with a 13-year old boy who is well and truly on his way to being a future X-Games champion; and met a guy who showed me a picture of arguably the youngest kid I have ever seen at just over 3-years old snowboarding. I've hung out with snowboard instructors who are half my age and have a constant supply of eager students. I've watched the pros continue to produce unbelievable snowboard films at incredible locations around the world. All of which proves snowboarding is alive and well in my eyes.

And when you have 18-year old Yuki Kadono, 21-year old Mark McMorris, 14-year old Chloe Kim and 21-year old Silje Norendal throwing down mad crazy tricks on the big competition stages, keeping it cool and representing the future voices of snowboarding, dude, snowboarding ain't going anywhere.

So, to all my fellow sideway shredders out there: share the love brothas and sisters; live long and prosper! 

*makcik - a Malay word meaning Aunty, an affectionate term younger Malaysians use to address an older women.