SPORTS

from Inklings January 2022 Issue

by inklingsnewsonline

ARTS

Graphic by Rachel Greenberg ’22

Kanthan proves karting is more than bumper cars

Hannah Ratcli e ’22

Web Arts Editor

acing around the track

Rsively pushing other drivers off the track to gain the try weekend after weekend to race for the podium; this is the life of a professional race car driver, which is now the life of

Kanthan grew up watching Formula 1 and IndyCar racing. al track and asked him to try out for the junior league team.

“My dad took me and my brother to an indoor karting track in New York, and I liked it so I joined the league and I won,” Kanthan said. “We then thought it would be a good idea to move to outdoor karting and then from there to Nationals.”

Kanthan quickly realized his ous. Finishing third in his ie year in 2020 made him realize that he had what it took to race alongside the best in the United States. racing category where erful at 11 horsepower hour. The karts ers are much more aggressive,” Kanthan said. “[Other racers] will go for an overtake when there isn’t really much space and they’ll bump you off the track.” Despite these obstacles, cess as he consistently achieved ing time training in Italy, he tion, SKUSA SuperNationals. ment and frequent traveling, Kanthan’s family decided to switch him to online school. While there were efforts to keep tem in Westport with a possible hybrid curriculum, the district did not approve the request. “We pretty much asked if [the pretty tough to deal with at the time just because people don’t understand the sport,” Lee Ann Kanthan, Vivek’s mother, said. “It’s just out of the norm, so a lot late it to just bumper cars and it is nothing like that.”

Kanthan’s ultimate dream is to make it into Formula 1, where there are only 10 teams and 20 seats. Unfortunately, Formula 1 has become very dependent on money, so the Kanthan family is starting to look for sponsors to support Kanthan’s travels in 2022.

Kanthan also hopes to gain more support from the local Westport community, which ing his races on his Youtube and Instagram accounts under his name. Despite his young age, he believes he has a spot in the future of motor racing.

“Vivek handles stress very well on and off the track, and he also manages his time well given his busy schedule,” Vivek’s brother, Nikhil Kanthan ’23 said. “I think aspiring to be one of the best racing drivers in the world is what pushes him to work on his craft, which, at the current moment, is karting.”

PODIUM RESULTS Kanthan became the SuperNationals Vice Champion in 2021.

Photos contributed by Vivek Kanthan ’27

OBJECTIVE Kanthan’s ultimate goal is to make it into Formula 1, a motor racing championship.

18 |SPORTS Rybchin derives fulfi lling experiences, learning from unconventional sports

Mimi Casey ’22

Opinions Editor taples High School has

Smore than 30 sports teams. Zachary Rybchin ’22 is a state champion athlete, although he’s not on any one of them. He’s ten years combined, with the state recognition to show for it, yet ment other athletes have earned.

Rybchin is well aware of the obscurity of his chosen sports and tion can be derived from this unique quality. “Just because I don’t have college scouts watching me perform, doesn’t mean what I compete in doesn’t matter, or chin said. “If anything, it puts a chip on my shoulder to work Despite the lack of recognition, Rybchin is similar to many elite athletes in his dedication to and profound fondness for his sports, atypical characteristics perfectly aligned with his own inclinations. “I can speak for myself in “I can speak for myself in saying that I love the idea of saying that I love the idea of sports—the competition, the sports—the competition, the ment, pushing yourself to do ment, pushing yourself to do better—but I’m not much of a better—but I’m not much of a natural athlete,” Rybchin said. natural athlete,” Rybchin said. “I’m not going to throw further, “I’m not going to throw further, run faster or be stronger than run faster or be stronger than others, so I decided to focus on others, so I decided to focus on three different disciplines: three different disciplines: ing). Participants get 20 ing). Participants get 20 shots in each position & shots in each position & attempt to get as high a attempt to get as high a score as possible while score as possible while aiming at paper targets. aiming at paper targets. Curling, meanwhile, is Curling, meanwhile, is played on ice. Each team played on ice. Each team alternates in sliding a stone alternates in sliding a stone across the ice towards a target, across the ice towards a target, with the object being to have with the object being to have your team’s stones closest to the your team’s stones closest to the center. When team members are not themselves throwing the stones, they quickly walk with it across the ice as it travels, sweeping the ground before it to increase its speed and accuracy. consideration. Curling requires culation to accurately place or consciously steadied nerves and careful predictions. In addition to pragmatism, these sports are also physically demanding. conception is that it’s easy to do, and that it’s not a strenuous sport,” Rybchin said. “First of all, just try being on a sheet of ice in a 30 degree room. You need to in a 30 degree room. You need to know how heavily you throw the know how heavily you throw the stone, what shots you can and stone, what shots you can and municate with your teammates.” municate with your teammates.”

Because of the vibrant and Because of the vibrant and developed around both sports, developed around both sports, rity does not equate to solitude. rity does not equate to solitude. verse group of friends who verse group of friends who I never would’ve met had I I never would’ve met had I bchin said. “We may all live bchin said. “We may all live ested in different things, but ested in different things, but we are all bound together by we are all bound together by the sports we play together.” the sports we play together.”

Outside of these Outside of these groups, however, a groups, however, a lack of information lack of information ous misconceptions ous misconceptions tion] must be tion] must be tion,” Rybchin tion,” Rybchin said, referencing the common wing political views. “You don’t ball or tennis and assume how they vote. During my time in the ple with a wide range of political sion and devotion for the sport.” ty that most people have with Rybchin’s passions has been tal, and can be best summarized by Rybchin’s own thoughts on the relationship between public perception and reality: “While our sports might be a ate competitors and no less an athlete than someone who plays basketball or golf,” Rybchin said. “We might be a bit more eccentric than people that tend ties, but we zig when others zag.”

COMPETITION Rybchin won in is also practicing for the bonspiel, a curling tournament.

Photos contributed by Zachary Rybchin ’22

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