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Vine happy to see XTERRA friends
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Posted on Apr 15 2009
Making his first trip to Saipan since winning the inaugural XTERRA Saipan Championship seven years ago, Canadian pro Mike Vine says he is happy to see old friends here and meet new ones.
“It was a long trip,” said the 35-year-old pro who had done most of his races in the U.S.
Vine said he always wanted to come back, but he had schedule problems in the past.
“Finally, I’m back,” said Vine after joining the Tank 2 Tank practice swim near the Saipan World Resort beach yesterday noon, along with women’s four-time champion Renata Bucher of Switzerland, Jim McConnel of Great Britain, Ulli Kratzer of Austria, and Sascha Wingenfeld of Germany.
Kratzer and Wingenfeld are competing on Saipan for the first time.
Vine said the scorching sun would be the biggest challenge for him and other off-island athletes.
“It was cold in Vancouver. So it would be a question of how would I handle the heat here which is not normal in Canada,” Vine said.
But he came here ready for the race. He won the 2008 US XTERRA Championship and was fourth in the world championships in Maui, Hawaii.
“I had a good start in Maui, but melt down before the finish,” Vine said.
Because of the cold weather in Canada, he spent some time in San Diego, California last month in preparation for XTERRA Saipan.
“I did some good training there. I hope not to melt down in the tougher and longer course here,” said Vine, who is staying in Russ Quinn’s house for the rest of the Saipan Sports Fest.
Vine was booked only for XTERRA, but he may change his mind and compete in the Tagaman Triathlon, too.
Asked about his chances in XTERRA Saipan, he said it depends on how others will perform.
“Some of them have been here much longer and it seems they have already adjusted to the weather,” he said.
For sure, said Vine, it will be a competitive race.
“It’s a matter of how you face yourself with the heat. I just hope not to melt down,” he said.
