Operation Big Beaver

1 July

Happy Canada Day! To celebrate, we did a mock race at Sauraai with a full warm-up, interval starts, and all that jazz. “It’s very difficult to relocate if you get lost, because all the side hills look so similar so parallel errors are easily made.” –Pia

Today's course, some controls were cut to keep it short.

“You have to be very aware of your compass when running on marshes since they split so much, it’s easy to run full speed in the wrong direction” –Emma S

Pia Blake

Trevor Bray

Caelan McClean

When we returned to our cabins, the boys began brainstorming ways to assert our dominance over the USA team (since it being Canada Day). We decided on unhinging their bathroom doors and hiding them in their cabin. So Alex, Jan Erik, Michael, Robbie, and Trevor practiced the heist a few times and while the American team was at dinner, we began operation Big Beaver. We had planned and practiced entering through the window however they left their front door unlocked, which made out heist much simpler. We unscrewed their doors and hid them under their beds (which fit perfectly) then walked right out. 

We completed Operation Big Beaver in under 5 minutes. Link to video

We then went to dinner, paranoid that we would run into the US team and not be able to keep a straight face. We managed to get through our meal and a team meeting without an incident. But only a few minutes after, there was a commotion over by the USA cabin. “Okay guys, just act natural.” –Alex. But as soon as one of them looked in our direction we put the cabin into lock-down, and of course they all came running over and had us surrounded. Luckily, they were all good sports about it and we put their doors back up for them.