Xtreme Contesting

With the announcement of the new Xtreme category for the CQWW contests this year, new xtreme contesters are beginning to emerge. The first to go public goes by the name of Macho Cuesew and hides his real identity behind a mask (see accompanying photo). Macho Cuesew says the mask is intended to strike fear into the hearts of his competitors and conceal his identity so the evil forces of contesting can not stop him. Macho's xtreme approach to contesting is evident in his training regime.

"I start every day by eating three raw eggs, followed by a six mile run. Then it's two hours on RUFZ to hone my cw skills. Then in the afternoon, I climb each of my 100 foot towers and check the coax and antennas to insure they are in top condition. In the evenings, I listen to 160m with the AGC turned off to acclimate myself to high static levels and improve my ability to pull signals out of the noise. I also do pilates to strengthen my butt muscles so I can sit for long periods of time comfortably"

Macho has also claimed to have built an xtreme superstation in an undisclosed location in preparation for this year's CQWW. Macho worries that other xtreme competitors will steal his superstation secrets before October, so he refuses to identify his callsign or even his country of origin. We think it safe to say, it is likely somewhere south of the US border, though. During our interview, Macho did let it slip that he was busy working on a massive log-periodic array that will not technically fit inside the conventional 500-meter circle limiting conventional stations. Thanks to the new Xtreme category, that is no longer a problem.

Macho Cuesew is also not shy when it comes to challenging his competitors or boasting about himself. When asked for his thoughts on this year's contest, he said, "I, Macho Cuesew, will obliterate my puny opponents. When the bell rings at 0000Z, all will quake at the at the enormity of my signal. Lesser stations may have their radios explode when they tune across Macho Cuesew's signal. I will dominate on any band I choose to run on. I do not need the crutch of a second radio to find multipliers. They will all come to me, drawn by my enormous signal."

The likes of Macho Cuesew have likely existed within the contesting world for a long time. But now there is a category for them to compete in, they can come out of hiding and compete in the open, unleashing their form of xtreme contesting on the bands. If successful, they may represent the future of contesting, becoming even Bigger Guns.

(Update available)