[SECC] International All Youth Contesting Team to Compete in CQ WPX CW

[Bruce Yang]

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 
herehttp://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.

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