Pre-Worlds Task 1 head gasket blown...

To describe the first task of the Pre-Worlds, lets just say when I landed...First, after weighing in on the previous day, yes with a scale because there are ballast limits although, no one appeared to be overweight for the first task. Since the weighing is random on launch like drug testing I didnt get weighed today. Plus, I dont carry any ballast since I am already about 3-5kg over the top of my 25. Anyway, the task started with an exit cylinder at Piano then on to Divisadero out across the flats to Santa Maria, back across the Mesa to Ramon, Iglesia and Torre with goal there at the lake. Before the start the weather guy claimed that there would be big cloud development and instability as the day progressed with the sky 40% covered. Appearing quite blue at the start, by the time everyone gaggled up before the cylinder, clouds formed and everyone was trying to stay out of them. Sitting at base around 11K seemed nice, until the time started and we all exited the Piano cylinder. For some reason after coming back from there to the wall, much of the line was kinda shady. Getting low at this time I was struggling around but wasnt really bothered quite yet. I got lower though, like 200m off the ground and then 70m off of the trees, when the main field headed straight to Divisadero, scratching and clawing around and wondering "what the hell," I noticed my buddies Andy and Brett Z. lower then me out in front and over the Piano. The winds in the valley were quite strong at this time, my gps was saying ground speed was like 8 km/hr. Looking like we were all gonna land in the Piano lz, somebody found some ripper somewhere and we all slowly climbed back over the Penon. At this point the winds were blasting all over the place trying to get over to the wall while the entire field it seemed was already tagging Divis. Finally climbing out and by myself I pointed it to Divisadero in a big headwind. Hammering the bar all the way to Divis proved to work pretty well but the air was exceptionally trashy since the winds were all over the place and turbulent. Seeing the carnage on the way out there I was a bit gripped and not feeling so bold so I managed to skirt out in front of Divis and get the antennae waypoint in the ridge/thermic lift. One hard part over, now I had to go out over the flats and pick up Santa Maria where the winds were annihilating the strong thermals. Finally, getting it I pointed it back to Three Kings and got a real nice climb that drifted me to Maguey in some thermonuclear explosion in to the convergence line. Now, I was ready to cross the Mesa, looking at my options I decided to go deeper in to the Mesa under the clouds, but now halfway there it was too dark and the lift was weak. The other line to Gordo was bad too. Thats the trouble with flying your own race and getting so far behind, the conditions usually change for the worse and you dont have a team to help search out the good lines. Hugging Capulin I hooked something but then it was gone and I was forced to land not in the trees but on a nice field in the middle of the mesa. Now, after I had worked so hard trying to get to this point and thinking I had the easy part left in the convergence to Ramon, that when I landed I took my helmet off and put it down very, very, gingerly on the ground. As is common with this type of landout it felt like "my head exploded" just after landing. Taking your helmet off and throwing it across the field helps a little with the pain...It was a long walk with some sheep to a road and some more walking...finally discovering the truck of shame with 6 others already inside. das ve danya SM