TWINCAM Challenge 2003

TWINCAM Challenge: Bearings vs. Bikes
January 14, 2003, Ningbo, China
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ILQ-9 skater Eddy Matzger rocked Ningbo (population 7 million) with an overpowering inline victory in an 8 kilometer battle against the region's cycling champions on January 14, 2003, in Ningbo, China. A television crew was on hand to film the challenge which Eddy had issued the previous year.

The historic 3 lap race took place on a flat and fast 2 kilometer strip of freshly poured concrete near the TWINCAM bearing factory. Time stopped as workers paused to witness two bike racers take on a lone skater and lose.

Ningbo offered up its fastest sprinter and its best all arounder, who confidently took the line still clad in warmup clothing. When the gun went off, the powerful Chinese sprinter got a big jump and gapped both his own teammate and Matzger as well.

By the first turnaround, Eddy had already dropped one bike and clawed his way back to the other. After another half lap the Matzger Machine blasted off and left the cyclist to struggle into the wind in too big a gear.

By the time both cyclists were able to regroup and start working together, Matzger had them sufficiently gapped to hold them off to the finish. TWINCAM owner Tom Lai breathed a sigh of relief and gave his skater a hearty hug and slap on the back.

In the television interview the cyclists expressed astonishment that skates could be faster than bicycles. They earnestly believed that by putting on Eddy's skates they could turn the tables and beat him, and so a new race was held! Needless to say, there's more to skating than meets the eye.

Home free	Fireworks	Big move
2.5 to go	Escort	Bridging
Finish in sight	New Challenge	Sitting pretty
The win	Wobbly	Still friends

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