Sunday riders were greeted with clear skies as they approached Willow Creek.  Rain earlier that week had raised questions about the moisture content of the seasons first winter ride.  Yet all was well on the morning of.  Clouds hung over the Tish Tang campground as riders arrived on the scene, finding a damp course, more slippery in sections then a week prior.  As practice runs rolled on the sun began to burn through the clouds and tires began to burn though the duff as more then forty riders practiced their way down the tangle, blazing in a sweet groove that became more and more trustworthy as the afternoon progressed.  A wide range of skill levels were represented, as is the case with most pirate rides, and many fast contenders were on hand to vouch for the day's speed record.  Unfortunately podium favorite, Brian Hapgood, had taken a fall the day before in practice, dislocating his shoulder and side lining him for the weekend.  Brian did however provide much needed shuttle service all Sunday for the many riders anxious to try their hand at the mountain.  Just in time for Qualifying the sun broke through and riders were greeted with increased visibilty and a course which had been swept to perfection by well over a hundred practice runs that morning.  The final half minute of the course proved to be the most challenging to riders, after pushing through four minutes of anaerobic shredding mistakes came easily in the final rutted descent.  Several riders had taken themselves out prior to qualifying and more carngage was to come.  Chad Mitchell posted the fastest first run hard tail time on his single speed, single rear brake machine.  The top five was rounded out by locals, past and present, with Justin Graves posting the fastest first run time, 2.5 seconds ahead of second place qualifier Jared Delong (Defending Tangle Champion).  Sitting less then a second behind Delong was SWD rider Hank Matheson, leaving the final in anyone's hands.  Going into the final all ridres looked to better their times as the course continued to tack up and clear out.  Seeded slowest to fastest riders made their way down the hill, handing the hot seat over many times as the rond progressed.  Hard tail rider Jason Allen posted a quick 4:24.9 to take the lead, only to be bested by the next rider down, hardtailer Jeremy Rollins who would hold the hot seat for five riders with a 4:22.9.  Rollins was bumped by Joel Graves, posting a fast 4:17.7, it was not to hold long as Matt Snyder got in a clean run at 4:13.2 only to be bested by the next rider down, Rusty Hansen with a 4:11.0.  Hansen would hold the lead through the next ten riders.  Chad Mitchell however tied Hansen's time, sending him and his hardtail into an eventual tie for fifth.  As the top qualifiers began their runs down the hill tension built.  Matt "Nasty" of SWD improved his time to creep into 8th.  Robbie Rhall, depsite qualifying sixth overall, had a tree colision on course and fell back considerably.  Fifth place qualifier, Andrew Way of HSU, also suffered a crash in his final run knocking him back to a respectable ninth place in the final.  Following Way the hot seat was loudly claimed by Jake Todd, posting an impressive 3:58.8 in his first ride back sice fracturing lumbar vertebrae in August.  Third place qualifier Hank Matheson was primed to post a ripping run, but shortly into his final Matheson had to give up the pedals as his cassete came unassembled on the bike, despite he was still able to cruise to a fourth overall finish.  Course favorite Jared Delong was next and burst across the finish line with a ripping 3:53.7, shaving six seconds off his qualifying time.  The collective Pirate breath was then held for nearly a minute as the top qualifier headed down the hill.  Unbeknowst to all but a select few, Graves had crashed in his qualifying run.  This cushion was nearly overcome by Delong, but when Graves confidently rolled across the line, hand raised, without spewing any explitives it appeared that a new fast time had been set.  Indeed his 3:46.3 was the fastest time that afternoon and an acceptable payback for the Pirate Instigator who was sidelined last winter season with a broken back.  Notable performances were also put up by Christina Reiman, the sole female competitor, who shaved a huge 12 seconds from her first to second runs.  Greg "Mobber" Newkirk was in a class all his own, aboard a 1990 YZ motorless yamaha motorcyle.  He was man enough to coast his way to a top thirty finish.