Shear excitement, even after 48 years

Golden Shears rocks.
What a thoroughly entertaining evening of full on action at the Genesis Recreation Centre on Saturday evening.
Anybody who thought this iconic event might be starting to get old and tired after 48 years need not worry.
It's alive and well and heading to what is sure to be a memorable 50th birthday party in 2010.
There is a combination of things which makes Golden Shears finals night so exciting.
Firstly, of course, there is the absolutely world class shearing and wool handling on display.
Kiwis pride themselves on being the best around in both disciplines and it's not hard to see why.
The shearing is electrifying, there is no other word to describe it. For a townie like myself it's staggering to watch 20 sheep being shorn in just a tick over 15 minutes as Napier's John Kirkpatrick did on his way to winning the open title.
I mean, I can't shave my face in the mornings without drawing blood no matter how patient I am and here was a guy depriving the sheep of their woolly coats at an incredible rate of knots and yet not a drop of blood to be seen.
The mental strength of the top shearers is something which quickly strikes anybody who knows anything about sport.
Sure, like any elite sportsman (and sportswoman) they need to be fit but when you are competing just an arm's length away from a couple of your rivals and with the buzz of the commentators and the crowd in your ears it's the ability to stay focused which makes all the difference in the end.
Even more so probably in shearing because while speed is an important element competitors are also judged on their quality of work so the temptation to go hell for leather and bugger the consequences has to be avoided, and with the adrenalin flowing that can't be easy.
The wool handling final you might think would be a lot less entertaining than the shearing because the action there isn't quite so hectic but here too you soon come to appreciate the intricacies of the art & and an art it definitely is. Sorting out what part of the fleece goes where very obviously requires an expertise which relies as much on speed of thought as speed of hand.
The huge part the commentary team plays in the success of Golden Shears can't be underestimated. Not only do they have to have a sound knowledge of what is actually happening in front of them but they need to be able to keep spectators informed in a manner which fits the tone of the competition. On Saturday night they did that brilliantly, and with a good mix of humour as well.
It's great too how the crowd at Golden Shears get wound up in the action being played out in front of them. It seems that everyone there has their favourites and they are out of their seats and cheering themselves hoarse as the competitors go at it hammer and tongs. It's infectious, I can vouch for that!
Roll on 2009.