[Mr. Lim]

A little bit of history:

The inaugural Waterloo regional was held in 2005. That first Waterloo regional was known for its hard defensive play and was highlighted by team 1241 cutting off the entire top half of their robot and attaching a vice for added ramming weight prior to the elimination rounds. 1241 went on to win the event by creating space for two superior tetra cappers in 1305 and 68, and effectively shutting down opponent cappers. It was a memorable moment in FIRST history, and truly a testament to the competitiveness of this great regional.

Fast forward to 2006: Already known as an effective defensive stalwart, 1281 is picked by the top alliance of 1114, and 1503 - two of the three Niagara FIRST triplets. Not only does the top alliance have extreme offensive power (A Niagara FIRST triplet has singlehandedly scored 84 points in a match), but now included a defensive robot capable of all but guaranteeing the regional win.

I can honestly say, there were some hairy moments during the final where 1281's modification was worth its weight in gold. 188 and 610 were used to parking ourselves in front of the ramp, and even when rammed from the sides, usually all that was needed was a minor correction to continue scoring. This was not the case when 1281 came barrelling through =P.

Once again, it's stories like these that make FIRST such an incredible experience.

Congrats to 1281, 1114 and 1503 for winning the Waterloo Regional!