[SCCC] Team Exuberance in CQ WPX CW

[Bruce Horn]

International All Youth Contesting Team to Compete in CQ WPX CW 

Seven youth from 6 countries and 4 continents will meet this May at superstation K3LR in West Middlesex, PA and compete for 48 hours in CQ WPX CW in hopes to contend for a top finish, inspire more youth radio sport events, and ultimately bring down the average age of today’s contester.  This group of teens and early 20 something year olds, known as Team Exuberance CW, are already accomplished contesters with many individual victories.

Team Exuberance CW Operators
David Samu VE7DZO
Marty Sullaway NN1C 
Bruce Yang KN8U/BH4EPL
Tomi Varro HA8RT
Philipp Springer DK6SP
Mathias Acevedo Von Frey CE2LR 
Bryant Rascoll KG5HVO

The Team Exuberance CW ops were handpicked for this contest and are all highly skilled and experienced CW operators, especially considering some of the team members are still in high school. Several of them were WRTC 2018 competitors. Tomi HA8RT, age 21 from Hungary, was the 2014 HST champion.  Bruce KN8U, age 21 and a student at Georgia Tech, was the World Rookie champion for the CQ WPX CW 2019 contest. 

Last year, the first Team Exuberance competed at K3LR in CQ WPX SSB.  This endeavor was the brainchild of Violetta Latham KK8AT and was totally youth driven and organized.  The team managed to win the Multi-2 category for North America but more importantly bring attention to the small but growing and VERY exuberant sect of radio sport enthusiasts under the age of 25.  The name Team Exuberance was gleaned from the saying “old age and treachery will always beat out youth and exuberance.”  By winning the Multi-2 category for North America with a score of 22 million points and 5700 QSOs, the team did indeed show that there is a next generation of contesters and they are contenders.  You can read the article about the operation here  http://www.k3lr.com/youth/QST-Aug-TeamE-Reprint.pdf

While amateur radio is not a mainstream hobby for today’s youth, finding skilled youth CW operators is even more rare.  All members of TE CW can copy CW at 50+ wpm, yet they did not have to pass a CW test to earn an amateur radio license.  They do it because it’s fun and challenging!  Those with even very modest low power stations can be competitive contesters using CW.  

Prior to the contest, the team will be fundraising and publicizing.  Currently, there is a GoFundMe page set up to cover team travel expenses.  Bryant KG5HVO says, “We hope TE CW will encourage other youth driven events and attract more youth into radio sport.” Please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/team-exuberance-cw-2020 Any excess funds will be donated to the David Kalter Youth DX Adventure.