Sorrento Beach, Perth, WA, 8 Dec 2007: Confusion reigned supreme at the finish of the Perth World Cup when race leader Oscar Chalupsky failed to round the last buoy.  Instead he went to within a few metres of the buoy but turned before it and headed to the beach.  

What the problem was all about

Superb Conditions

Until that point everything had gone perfectly.  The deep water start off Rottnest Island had been clean; the conditions all the way across had been ideal - 20kt coming from the southwest with 1-1.5m swells.

Daryl Bartho said the runs were superb.  "They were V-waves," he said, "and you could hook first left and then right to stay on them."

Clint Pretorius - Fenn Hotspot winner

The night before the race, Clint Pretorius told his roommate Daryl Bartho that he was going to go for the Fenn Hotspots.  Daryl figured that Clint would burn out after that.  After all, Clint has been training only for about four weeks having recovered from a broken wrist.

True to his word, "I just wound it off the starting blocks and took the first Hotspot," said an elated Clint at the finish.  "Then I thought I'd just hang in there," he went on, "but about 3km from the second Hotspot, Daw, Daryl and Oscar and me pushed on and I caught a couple of runs on the left to take the second one."

An elated Clint Pretorius at the finish (Pic: Rikke Nesbit)

Clint lead for most of the race, in a tight front bunch with Oscar Chalulpsky, Daryl Bartho and Dawid Mocke.

Daryl was dumbfounded.  "I was waiting for him to burn out," he said, "but he's such a talent in the runs...  Towards the end of the race I realized, hey, he's going to win this thing!"

Towards the end of the race the front pack split up a little; Dawid going slightly further north; Oscar in the middle and Clint and Daryl on a slightly more easterly line.  Clint and Daryl moved more towards Oscar's line and found that he was slightly ahead - and that's the way it stayed until the end.  Dawid found that he'd gone too far north and had to bear further to the east than the other guys, and as a result started taking the runs from the side and he fell further back.

Oscar was two waves ahead of Clint, about 30-40m, when they reached the buoy and he turned in towards the beach.

Oscar's finish - Clint coming in behind (Pic: Rikke Nesbit)

"I thought Ash told me go to the right of the buoy," he said afterwards.  "I passed within 5m of it.  I was so far ahead that I didn't run up the beach; I walked.

"All the other guys agreed that I didn't gain one second," he added.

He said he accepted the decision of the race directors.  "But it's a fairly bitter pill to swallow," he said, "when you know you clubbed one of the best fields in the world; a serious field.

"They should have had two buoys so you'd pass between them," he added, "then there wouldn't be any question.  Also you shouldn't have to run up the beach."

So What Happened?

As Oscar approached the can, the escort boat saw that he was passing on the right of the can, instead going around the left of it.  They yelled at him to go around but by then it was too late and he was on his way into the beach.

When he got to shore, Oscar said that he had been told to pass to the right of the buoy by the race officials in the escort boat.

The latter stages of the race had been recorded on video, so the race officials were able to review what had passed between the escort boat and Oscar.  "There was no evidence that anything was said that suggested he go to the right of the buoy," Ash Nesbit said.  "The exact words spoken to him [as the boats approached Sorrento Beach] were ‘Oscar, there's a boat on the buoy.  It's to the right of the groyne.'"

(For those who don't know, a "groyne" is a jetty or breakwater that sticks out into the sea.)

At the race briefing, the competitors had been told to turn clockwise around a can laid off Sorrento Beach before heading in to the finish. 

"I think it was just an honest mistake," said Ash.  "I feel really sorry for him.  Oscar deserved to win this race.

"But having said that," he went on, "all credit to Clint Pretorius who was only 30m back and who took both hotspots.  He was so far ahead at both, the others didn't even try for them."

"It was clearly stated in the race briefing that the paddlers must have the buoy to their right as they went around it.  Even Oscar acknowledged that he'd understood that."

Penalty

"Once we'd established the facts," said Ash, "we approached the other top ten paddlers to get their opinion on what penalty should be applied.  It was unanimous that he should either be DQ'ed or take a time penalty.  We estimated the time we thought he'd gained by not going around the buoy, and doubled it."

The top 4: Oscar Chalupsky, Clint Pretorius, Daryl Bartho, Dawid Mocke (Pic: Rikke Nesbit)

Tomorrow's another Day

On Sunday the paddlers are doing an 8km race that has four Aus$250 Fenn Hotspots - and the sprinters are expected to go all out to take home the cash.

The next race on the circuit is the 56km Cape Point Challenge on 22 December, a 2-star race held in Cape Town that sees the competitors take on the massive Atlantic swells around the southwestern tip of Africa.

Top 20 Results

More results and photos to follow...

Comments (36)

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PFD's
written by Gavin Dickinson, December 08, 2007

Can you tell us if PFD's were compulsory (thought I saw Dean G with one attached to the back of his craft) - that is the 1st time I have ever seen OC in one.....and the other SA boys do not seem to be wearing them, other than Mr Mocke.

Do Elite paddlers in SA have to wear them in the local series now - along with all other guys?

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advertising
written by dale, December 08, 2007

I think the only reason Chalupsky had his on was for the advertising on his PFD, maybe they think he is bit of F1 machine??

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Advertising
written by Alain Jaques, December 08, 2007

Oscar is an incredibly good advert for BMW. He's doing great for 44 year old chassis with a million nautical miles on the clock.

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full results
written by Joe, December 08, 2007

amazing race when you consider that Michael Baker, who was 11th in Dubai, finishes 20th in Perth. are full results -- or at least the top 35 or so -- available.

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PFDs
written by Rob Mousley, December 08, 2007

The race rules said "PFDs and flares must be carried".

In SA, ALL paddlers currently have to use PFDs without exception.

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Full results
written by Rob Mousley, December 08, 2007

I'm hoping for full results sometime tomorrow. We'll put them up ASAP.

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Shocker!!
written by Mark Sandvold, December 09, 2007

Is anyone as shocked as I am to see someone clearly ahead of an incredible field only to loose the race from what I can tell was a clear misunderstanding at the finish and from all opinions would not of changed the outcome....

Odviously the Big O is a good friend of mine and yes I was only spectating online, but none the less I still feel that at the end of the day Oscar won the race and Clint no doubt would of been second.

I also respect Ash and the rest of the organizers for what must of been a difficult decsision to ponder but feel that to have the bouy thing decide who wins or looses is just plain sad for our sport!

Comments good or bad please!

Aloha,
Mark

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What A Race
written by michael baker, December 09, 2007

This race is the only race that ive done where you can paddle a shocker and still come out of it with a smile. Hats of to the old guys, us young okes got schooled haha and as bevan manson said to me after the race " we need to go back to the drawing board". But the race was the most fun ive had in ages and was so challenging trully what it is about.

With the so called controversy over the cutting the can, hats off to Oscar he is a legend and an indescribable paddler but we were told on more than 3 occasions, the night before at the race briefing and twice at the briefing before the race and the organisers said we must pass to the north of the orange bouy. So i have an amazing amount of respect for Oscar but it doesn matter how far ahead you are if you miss the can you must be penalised and its a lesson to everyone that you should pay more attention at briefings so this doesn happen.As a precedent Dawid missed the can in perth two years ago and was disqualified from the race entirely and missed out on everything, Oscar copped a 30sec time penalty so managed to retain world ranking points and a cheque for $1500 for third place so not to shabby.

What a great race and thanks to Ash, Dean and there wives for putting together a great race and to everyone for coming and stomping on my home turf hope to see more people here next year.

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rules is rules
written by nell, December 09, 2007

Sure, Oscar "would have won" had he not missed the can. But, in sport, you've got to play by rules. I can see that if 1/4 of the field missed rounding the can, then that's one thing, but if Oscar was the only one to have missed it, then there's really no argument there. Consider that if you let things like this slide once or twice, then you create big problems. For example, we're told that Oscar was only a few meters from the buoy, but what if he were 5 meters, 20 meters, 50 meters? You've got to draw the line somewhere, or else you kind of create a free for all. Consider another example of a slalom snow skier - they round marks, too. If even one of their skis misses 1 of the 100 gates by an inch, then that's a DQ. Surfski rules are absolutely minimal as they are, so having a start line, a finish line, and a buoy or two is not too much of a burden. Unfortunate for Oscar, though. Maybe next time he'll be so far ahead that he can go back out and round a can before number 2 comes in.

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...
written by Ben Hines, December 09, 2007

I can feel for Oscar. You work you're guts out to beat the world's best and do so 15years their senior. Run up the beach feeling like a million bucks only to be told............

I totally agree with everyone else as it appears Oscar does. The decision stings a bit and will no doubt keep the Big Man up at night for a week or so. However, rules are rules and if you miss a can you miss a can whether by 10 meters or 10 inches.

As Mike Baker said the can was mentioned on numerous occassions and demonstrates the need to listen at briefings. I know I don't (I just follow the rest of the field!).

Poor bloke.

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Messy.
written by Gavin Dickinson, December 09, 2007

In sailing once the race is briefed - you cannot speak to the comitee boat & they cannot speak to a compeditor. Briefing is EVERYTHING. In this race it was the World Champ saying 'they told me to go right - and the race boat saying - we said the bouy was 'right of the groyne' - messy. Rules are rules - but once you start giving insructions, advice, over a raging sea - to a man who has paddled the race of his life it go's wrong. Lesson for me is that there were only a few rules (start, turn bouy, finish) so why the need for 'chatter' on the ocean? The riders are briefed - and not spoken to unless saftey is an issue. Hard lines O - well done Perth boys (Ash) on a great event.

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BUGGER!!
written by Ruth Highman, December 09, 2007

I see the arguments from both sides regarding Oscar missing the last buoy & all I can say is BUGGER!! Having said that, I don't know what went down/ or the "discussions" that transpired in sorting out the whole ordeal, but come presentations, Oscar was very gracious in the "defeat" & thanked the organisers for a great race - it is great to see sportsmanship even in a messy defeat.
On a brighter note, having done the race for the past 4 years now, I can say say conclusively that the conditions this year were the best yet - can't wait for next years. If there is one race on the calendar that you don't want to miss - the Rottnest race is THE one - you ought to organize your whole season around ensuring that you get to paddle this race!!
And a word to all those who debate which molokai is the best - I did the race on my trusty spec ski & had the best fun carving it up out there (& a 2nd placing isn't too bad either).

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OSCAR YOU WON THE RACE
written by PARKSY, December 09, 2007

I believe the organisres erred by giving Oscar a 30 second penalty.Looking at the race commentry it does not look as if Clint wouls have caught him anyway.He should have been placed first and fined some of his prize money.It would have been different if Clint had been flying at the finish.I see 2 comments from the paddlers also highlighting this fact.Oscar would still have hit the beach first.My suggestion is that we do away with bouys etc and leave it to the paddlers to find the shortest quickest way between the start and finish.
What everybody is missing here is that Oscar is the other side of 40 and he is laeding the World log.My advice to the whipper snappers is to stop trying to find alternative ways of beating Oscar and put there paddling where there mouths are and beat him fair and square.

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Rules
written by Jasper Mocke, December 09, 2007

This is a comment from someone who was at the race and briefing. It was clearly stated to all paddlers to go "right hand side around the buoy". There was some confusion but it was repeated until there were no more questions. This was done on friday night and saturday before the race. The decision was a very tough one to make but full credit to Ash for making the call. It needed to be done. If this was overlooked, every critical call from now on would have been easier to overlook. It sets the bar for all world cup races to come. Oscar paddled extremely well, unfortunately i didnt see him paddle because.....well i was a bit behind. The fact remains though that he didnt complete the full course. Thanks for a great race to competitors and organisers. Ian Gray this is for you.............."eish!"
Jasper

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Water Chatter
written by Gavin Dickinson, December 09, 2007

All the guys who were there are saying the same thing...IT WAS CLEAR FROM BRIEFING AS TO WHAT TO DO AT THE BEACH BUOY!!. So why was the 'race boat' giving instructions on the water. Has there in any point in time in the history of the ocean paddeling been a guy who has shown how to win more. Oscar knows how to do it from the front & was within 5 mtrs of the bouy...it makes no sense at all - if he was disreguading the bouy - why go that close - there was miles of open beach to approach the finish line from. Rules are rules I agree - however nothing will convince me that directives should have been offered from the ski boat. He knows how to win guys, he also knows what a bouy looks like. The call was wrong to take time from him - the moment their was 'chatter' from the race boat. I would argue this point if this was Dawid, Dean, Lewis or any of the other Champs involved. It is wrong - and making surfski guys after doing 20kms with heart rates at 170 run up a beach is about as outdated as the best hit's from ABBA. SS.I need to dictate sensible rules to stop each and every race from having a diff set of rules. If you do not like it - drop out of the series. Amature night is over.

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As recorded by Tim Whitfield....you make your minds up now...
written by Gavin Dickinson, December 09, 2007

The 44-year-old Durban businessman, using all his years of experience
took a slightly different line to the finish and managed to eke out a
narrow lead. As they headed toward the beach he thought the lead boat
told him to go right of the final buoy. Chalupsky followed what he
thought was the race boat's orders and raced the final 500m to the
finish at Sorrento Beach and, such was his lead, was able to walk up
the beach to complete the victory.

A video taken from the lead boat and used as evidence in the hearing
after the race clearly showed the race official shouting to Chalupsky.
The exact words spoken to him as the boats approached Sorrento Beach
were: "Oscar, there's a boat on the buoy. It's to the right of the
groyne."

With the noise from the boat, wind, and his own paddling, Chalupsky
misheard the shout as an instruction from the race officials to go
right of the buoy.

It was clear the error was a genuine misunderstanding, and Chalupsky,
who was leading, was certain to win, and gained no race-changing
advantage, was given a 30-second time penalty that relegated him to
third overall.

Can anybody tell me why it was deemed OK to shout instructions over a raging sea...when the brief was so clear and repeated so many times on land?? No way this penalty was right - the moment the race boat started talking.

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who said what first?
written by nell, December 09, 2007

"As Oscar approached the can, the escort boat saw that he was passing on the right of the can, instead going around the left of it. They yelled at him to go around but by then it was too late and he was on his way into the beach."

It seems like Oscar was going to miss the buoy as it was by the above statement? Then the escort boat tried to correct him? and the instructions were then misinterpreted? Tough luck and huge bummer. BUT, the fact remains that the pre-race briefings are the official briefings for course instructions and Oscar should have been aiming for the left of the buoy, right. Everyone else went the correct way.

Maybe some thought should be given to converting bouys on a course like this to gates - like the Hotspots. Dropping another bouy on the left of that existing bouy would avoid problems like this in the future. Or, devising a standard marking system for bouys that dictated how they are to be rounded, i.e. yellow flag/tape = pass to the left, blue = pass to the right, etc. Make it self-explanitary. Pretty simple as it is, though.

While it would be nice to avoid bouys and course markers, we need them to 1) keep everyone on the same course 2) for safety to keep the fleet coming together at markers, and 3) for safety in beach landings, i.e. avoiding the reefs and dangerous surf.

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The Penalty
written by Graeme Trautmann, December 09, 2007

Pity a top race had to be decided like this but ultimately, hats off to the organisers for the way they handled the situation. Acting fairly and democratically after an event like that with some big egos can be a challenge. Well done Ash. Professional stuff, sounded like everyone had a world class day out.... except, maybe one ou.... called O.

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124 competitors ...
written by James Shortis, December 10, 2007

and only one went the wrong side of the buoy??

what's all the fuss about?

in order for the sport to gain credibility it needs (unfortunately for Oscar) issues such as this to be dealt with in a professional manner. Well done to Ash for doing so and bringing more credibility to the event and to the sport.


It's almost like saying to the police officer who pulled you over for speeeding "but sir, I was only doing 65 in a 60 zone!"

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missing the point (perhaps)
written by Joe, December 10, 2007

All of the competitors made it abundantly clear that you were supposed to keep the buoy of your right.

What makes this funky and open to debate is that Oscar went quite close on the other side BECAUSE he misinterpreted the instructions shouted to him by the lead boat. Had he been coming 2nd or 5th and no one said boo to him I assume he'd have followed the original instructions and passed as originally instructed.

So, yes, a rule is a rule and should be enforced but if an official tells you to do the opposite -- or you THINK that's what he said -- and you gain no advantage from their error, well, the prudent decision would have been to let the finishing order stick.

Maybe the lesson learned from this is to 1. have 2 buoys so that competitors go in between 2. don't shout instructions to the guys in the $ in the howling wind.

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A win is a win
written by Trautmann, December 10, 2007

Bottomline is that everyone knows that Oscar delivered the hurt, - rules are rules though and the officials had to penalise him - but that doesnt take away what the big man achieved - well done "O" - see you on the start line in two weeks time.
Just one question, re - the points allocation, how can the Cape Point be allocated such a low score for course??? surely this course is the ultimate overall test - headwind ,cross wind and 50% downwind ?? also geographically how epic is it to be able to say that you have paddled around the tip of Africa - lets get the Aussies, and all the other international competitors to come and paddle the race of races!!!!

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CAPE POINT IS NOT A RACE
written by PARKSY, December 10, 2007

the Cape Point is not a race but a serious Challenge.i speak from experience having paddled all but 2.this is the hardest one day paddle any where in the world.One way you are going to be paddling into the wind.Just recently over a beer with Tony Scott we both agrred that this paddle was probably harder than the PE_EL.
I personally dont think it should be included in the world rankings.
Which sensible overseas paddlers are going to come and paddle/race this mother of all mothers?

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Congratulations
written by Dean Beament, December 10, 2007

Before I get too involved in what was ultimately a fantastic race this week in Perth, I would like to congratulate the organisers of the event, Ash and Dean G for a smoothly and professionally run show(sometimes against adversity). From what I heard post event, most of the athletes were unanimous in their opinion that the race bought the best down wind paddlers in the world to our back yard.

To have the caliber of paddlers here in Perth and to not only see them perform but to be able to compete against them is a great treat for us.
Being relativly new to the sport of distance paddling, I can see the addictiveness of the sport. For those of you unaware Australia has a deep history of surf ski sprinting at Surf Lifesaving level but I am starting to hear and see a swelling undercurrent of enthusasium for the distance paddling in down wind.
We have a way to go to dominate this type of paddling like the South Africans do, but with so many of them living here it wont be long before we learn all your secrets.

Again congratulations to Ash, Dean G and their brides for staging a great event and congrats to all the paddlers who made such a big effort to come this far and give us your best.

See you in Hawaii and pray for wind!!!!!!

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PDFs
written by Zinzan55, December 10, 2007

Hi Rob
"In SA all paddlers have to use PDFs without exception"
Not entirely true Rob. Here in DBN during the last MH winter series most races were run with PDFs declared as "not complusary but advisory". Hence just about everybody did not. I did 5 of the short course races and never used one.

Regards

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PFDs
written by Rob Mousley, December 10, 2007

Hey Zinzan, I think you don't have the latest information.

On Billy's site:
http://www.surfski.co.za/seriesinfo.php?id=26

The very first rule there reads:

"All paddler are required to wear Lifejackets(pfd's) at All Races."

I just had an email from Billy/Butch. It reads:

"Confirmed

All races held under the auspices of the South African National Surf Ski Committee requires that PFDs be worn.

Rgds
Billy"


Cheers,
Rob

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Cape Point
written by Rob Mousley, December 10, 2007

Hey Parksy,
We had a poll (yes/no) on the site that came out roughly 50:50 in terms of the general readership. I polled a group of the top paddlers and the majority of them didn't want the race in the series.

The compromise is that the race is 2-star so it doesn't matter to the top guys who have to do 3- & 4- star races in order to have a chance at the top spot.

But by including it (and other races that might not be perfect), we:
a) Get more people into the rankings. This is good for many reasons.
b) Give exposure to a great race and to the sport as a whole.
Cheers
Rob

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Maybe.....................
written by Johann van Blerck, December 10, 2007

Maybe??????

Once the official on the boat shouted an instruction Oscar was bound to obey that instruction or be disqualified. It doesn't matter how many times the instruction was repeated at briefings or on the start line. The officials' instruction on the race course overrides any previous instruction, end.

Unfortunately Oscar misheard the helpful instruction, "Oscar, there's a boat on the buoy. It's to the right of the groyne." The official was wrong to shout, firstly and second to refer to the "groyne" (a landmark) when the buoy was the relevant navigation mark. Groyne and buoy in any accent is pretty close in those conditions.

The fact that the rest of the field found their way without trouble only means this official moved on / kept quiet / used different words / positioned his boat to be a more effective guide etc.

The above is just a "Maybe" and I understand and support the organizers resolution under the circumstances.

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Cape Point
written by Trautmann, December 10, 2007

Regarding Kim's comments, the reason the "sensible" paddlers should come and this RACE - is that all the top SA will be there to race - Oscar, David , Hank etc - if you believe you are a world class competent surfksi paddler - the Cape Point Challenge is the ultimate - some of the top guys find the 25km downwind paddles way too short anyway. Just have a look at the top SA paddlers - name one that has doesnt a Cape Point - maybe the Aussies can learn something from that - what better way than to come here and do it!!!
How many people do the Comrades - is that sensible?? And Parks - you are also long overdue to line up on the start line!!!

See you Cape Town

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Parksy
written by Rob Mousley, December 10, 2007

Rumour has it that two old salts with a combined age of 130 will be on a double competing in the Cape Point Challenge... Parksy says he bets they come in the top 50% of the field... Is he one of them? Stay tuned!

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Johann - You have hit it on the head!
written by Gavin Dickinson, December 10, 2007

The moment an official opens his mouth you must act (on the water). The race boat gave helpfull info...by yelling over a raging sea. The leader heard it wrong - and did what he thought was the right thing. Simple. It is simply madness to take away his money or the points. The official interfeared with the race leader (was the instruction given over a PA System - or was it a 'come on mate - the way is this way - with a loud shout over the boat outboards, wind surf etc etc - good solid sentiment with the best intentions). No sorry Perth - you got it wrong 100% and nothing with convince me otherwise. How can you interfear in any capacity & then rule the rider ignorned the standard instruction on land. I know how hard it is to run a race - and well done for a great show - but you got it wrong on the water & you compounded that 1st error by going against the race leader in the review - when he needed none of the advantage the 5m early turn offered. We got a lot wrong in Dubai as well - so we all live and learn, but enough of this 'good call under difficult circumstances'. It was a shocker. SS.I will I am sure put an end to this type of occurance. What if it was a $50 000 1st place - a life changing event from a pro perspective. That is where the sport is going - so lets get it right now.

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Missing the Point...
written by Rob Mirlenbrink, December 10, 2007

I think the point is being missed here...The decision (whether you agree or not) was partly decided two years ago when the race officials DQ'ed Dawid for missing a bouy. It would have been an even bigger issue if they went ahead and allowed Oscar to take first after setting this precedent with Dawid two years ago. Oscar should be thankful that they only gave him a time penalty and did not DQ him as well. Then he wouldn't be at the top of the rankings, now would he...

-Rob

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Standardise Buoys for All World Cup's - Perth,Dubai,US,Durban,HongKong aswell as the Master events......
written by richard von wildemann, December 11, 2007

Molokai and Cape Point.

Colour Codes, maybe even have inflatable buoy gates (not that unlike the system used for the finish in Dubai, though obviously have an inflatable system which is clearly visible to paddlers with flags.

Officials on the water are there to maximise safety and to see if anyone "cheats" and not to shout out valuable tips of information on the course, that is what the race briefing is for. If a paddler so wishes to know what is going on hire a support boat for commands and water breaks.

To all paddlers Merry Christmas and Happy Paddling in the New Year

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Missing the point??
written by Johann van Blerck, December 11, 2007

In Dawid's case two years ago, I don't recall an official shouting instructions directly to Dawid. No one would argue if Oscar just cut inside the buoy on his own. The point being missed is the instruction from the official.

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2 YEARS AGO
written by PARKSY, December 11, 2007

If my memory serves me right 2 years ago Dawid was not winning the race or in any danger of winning the race.
If the correct instructions had be shouted to Oscar he would have still won.
To trautmann and the boys AT Fishoek i look forward to paddling the challenge for as long as they arrange it,Trust they are polishing the SPORTY cup for us to savour the tradiditional Morgan.

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Dawid 2 years ago.
written by Damien, December 12, 2007

Both myself and Dave Kissane were equal with Dawid when he did not go around the marker (not a bouy but a huge shipping marker totally visable from 2-3km away). We yelled out to him, but i am sure he did not hear. dawid was nowhere near going around the marker, not even within a kilometer of it. This aided dawid time of more than 3 mins and changed the whole dynamics of the race. This is why he was dq'ed.
If this is a world cup and want's credibility then competitors must stick to the rules. if a k1 paddler goes out of his lane he is dq'ed. If a marathon paddler misses the bouy in a world cup then they are dq'ed.
The sport needs more guidlines. Set rules, weight restrictions and not governed by the elite paddlers who make the races tailered to themselves.
Any reason why the 20 beaches is not a world series event????

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Why 20 beaches not a world series event?
written by Rob Mousley, December 12, 2007

We're hoping to bring 20 beaches in next season.

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