Regula Rüttimann (WIMA Switzerland) wrote: The rich programme already began with the journey itself. The road to Méribel leads from Moûtiers with many curves up to 1600m above sea level to the health resort. The event was held at hotel La Chaudanne.
Monday: Gymkhana and ‘Petits mystères dans un sac’. The Gymkhana (skill riding) took place on very uneven terrain. It was nice, dry weather and we didn’t think they could make this more difficult for us with water. The start went through a puddle and there they were, the dreaded wet tyres for the subsequent meadow! After the puddle, came a small slope to traverse (already on grass). With still wet tyres you had to ride over eight tyres, immediately take a sharp curve to the right and then balance over a 30cm high and equally narrow seesaw. After a sharp right turn, we went over a narrow plank and then under a bar. At the end, a small slalom followed to the finish. Almost everybody rode with her own machine. As a precaution, I unscrewed the mirrors, as I wanted to spend my next holiday with the CB750 in Corsica.
When rain set in, we squeezed into the hotel for a guessing game. Maryvonne Rosso, the organiser, had sewn small parts of a motorcycle into small cloth bags that you had to ‘feel’ with your hands. Some clothes pegs and bottle openers were smuggled in as an additional complication. Everyone was allowed to write down their result in their own language; many could speak two to four languages, so that you could decipher everything.
With these and other activities, we spent the next few days. ‘Chinesenrally’ (orientation drive according to symbols), acceleration test. Here Ellen from Germany gave me good advice: My machine is the fastest in this category – next to the BMWs. But I would have to start well, something like this: rev the engine to 4000 rpm, pull in the clutch and bang the gear into first! Even the thought was painful, as the bike clunks into first gear anyway. I told her she should demonstrate this first with her machine. ‘Nope, not with my new 1000 BMW, it’s not used to it yet.’ But she said mine should endure this! Since I was not used to the bike, (it was not mine at the time), I did not follow the ‘good’ advice.
In the evening, films from previous WIMAs were shown. (There was a roar and tears flowed like torrents into the valley).
A Rallye de Régularité (a Regularity rally – average speed trial) demanded a lot of stamina (at no price would I have given up my bed the evening after) and later followed the obligatory trial. It was raining cats and dogs, and some foreheads became wrinkled. But the meadow was soft enough for our ‘landings’ and the spectators had a lot of entertainment to watch. Apart from the motorcycle wheels, there were no injuries, only sore muscles from much laughing.
On Friday evening there was the announcement of the ranks and the distribution of prizes. And like every year, there were many prizes – even the last ranking woman got something along with a lot of applause. (The rally giveaway was an Opinel knife, a speciality of the area according to Chantal Hertrich.)
On Saturday came the tearful farewell.
