The 2011 Sportsman Known Program

I am looking for the demon lurking in the 2011 Sportsman Known (compulsory) routine. I can’t find it! What am I missing?!?!! On paper the routine is easier. The total amount of points that can be earned dropped from 143 last year to 133 in the new routine. Where is the catch?

The routine is as follows:

1) 45 degree upline (same entry as last year)
2) One and a quarter rotation spin (almost the same second figure as last year)
3) Hammerhead with a quarter roll on the downline (figure 5 from last year)
4) Reverse wedge (figure 6 from last year)
5) Loop
6) Half Cuban
7) Pull-pull-pull humpty (figure 7 from last year)
8) Reverse Cuban (figure 3 from last year)
9) 2 Point hesitation roll: roll inverted – pause – roll upright
10) 270 degree turn

Out of 10 figures there are 6 that were in last year’s Known program. On one hand that’s great. I already know how to fly them but now I can polish them up and make them all sorts of pretty. Jim Wells advised me last year not to worry about box positioning or presentation as much as just flying the figures as well as you can. I’ve got an opportunity to do really well here. The highest points are going to be won, or lost on the hammerhead, wedge, and reverse Cuban. I scored well on all three last year minus the infamous idiot moment on the wedge in my last flight.

On the other hand…(say this with as whiney a voice as you can muster, and stomp your feet like your having a temper tantrum) but I like learning new stuuuuuffff. Waaaaaahhhhhhhhhh. (end whiney voice.) Not only that, but guess who else saw these 6 figures last year? EVERYONE THAT I COMPETED AGAINST. So, while it is really easy to sit back and say this is a piece of cake, you have to sit back and say “crap.” I’ve got a lot of work to do if I’m going to win this thing.

The 2011 competition season has officially started.  Ready…set….GO.