In set one of this weeks interviews we get to speak to: the Avalon cup runner up: IDReaper, The winner of the Avalon cup: Luxoflux, and one of the greats: Osama bin haydn(OBH) Enjoy!
Interview with IDReaper!
Oryx_crake: Hello thank you for joining me!
IDReaper: Hello glad to be here, what would you like to know?
Oryx_crake: So how do you think the tournament is going so far?
IDReaper: I think it is going very well considering the large number of contenders organized for this event. Sure, we have had a few missing pilots and drop outs here and there but otherwise round one has been a blast! Plenty of awesome matches were played and the results have been very interesting to say the least. I am looking forward to the final outcomes for round one overtime events and round two.
Oryx_crake: Now are you having fun?
IDReaper: I most definitely am having fun! Thank you Kanar and everyone involved in making the Wipeout HD Cup a reality, you guys are legends! Playing each match is nerve wracking but very exciting and so far I have met with some very good racers that I have not competed against in the past. Meeting new people who share a passion for this game is always a good thing.
Oryx_crake: Are you nervous about your next match?
IDReaper: To tell you the truth I am nervous about every match. -laughs- I do not yet know my next opponent since I have a fast path to round three. I will have to race either Alteregorr or DJTechno next and I’m sure both of them are very strong pilots. I try my best to unwind before a race by racing online before the event and trying to keep light hearted while I am racing. Often times staying cool headed can be the determining factor in a match.
Oryx_crake: Now there are so many picks for whos going to win this tournament but yeldar2097 and DP89 seem to turn up alot, what do you think?
IDReaper: I think that both yeldar2097 and DarkPhantom89 have very good chances of taking home the championship. There are however a number of other hopefuls that I think will prove tough to beat. Ace3Cube, Luna_bgd, Leungbok and Luxoflux saw lots of success in the previous cup and I can personally say that they are forces to be reckoned with. I have had the pleasure of racing with Skrotos32 recently and I was very impressed so I think he’s one to watch. However I think the phantom pilots should make sure they keep an eye out for specialists of other speed classes. A number of big names went out round one when faced with an expert in an alternate speed class or game type.
Oryx_crake: And lastly I guess the most obvious question here is: You were the runner up in the avalon cup, are you hungry for revenge?
IDReaper: Oh I am hungry for revenge. -sinister grin- However in order for me to exact it I will have to once again make it into the final event and so would my opponent in question. It would be fun but should either of us be eliminated earlier it isn’t that big of a deal. I am happy that I have been able to compete and race against some of the finest and most respectable pilots in the world. However I would like to say that I’ll definitely be putting 100% effort into every last match and I won’t be going down without a fight, you cant count on that!
Oryx_crake: Thank you for participating, see you on the grid!
IDReaper: No problem it was a pleasure.
Interview with Luxoflux!
Oryx_Crake: Hello! First of all thank you for joining us and how do you do!
Luxoflux: Hey Oryx, I’m fine thank you.
Oryx_Crake: So how has the competition been for you so far?
Luxoflux: I can’t complain, won my first match so im pretty much on schedule. Got beaten quite badly in the zone battle’s though, so practice is needed.
Oryx_Crake: Are you looking forward to you next match?
Luxoflux: Definitely, someone Ive never raced before so who knows what to expect. All in all, I’m pretty confident ill make it to round 3.
Oryx_Crake: Now obviously we would all like to have your take on this so who do you think will win?
Luxoflux: That’s a tough one. I think there are many people in this cup that have enough skills to win it. So in the end it will be more about choosing the right tracks and game modes that you feel that you are better at then your opponent. Just take a look at the final of the avalon cup. I dominated my races, while ID totally outclassed me on his. But judging from everyone I’ve raced, its Yeldar who is the absolute favorite. But you can count on it that I will try my hardest to stop him from winning 
Oryx_Crake: I would feel remiss if I didn’t ask you how it is going into this competition as the defending champion. So what is the most noticeable effect for you? Are you feeling a lot of pressure to defend your title?
Luxoflux: It does create a bit of extra pressure. If only because you need to prove to yourself and others that you’re not just a ”one day fly” that won the Avalon cup purely by accident. But thankfully I forget about all that when I’m racing, so I can focus on myself and my opponent. Nervousness has never been a issue for me. Perhaps that’s one of my biggest strengths. Let’s hope that it will get me as far as last time.
Oryx_Crake: Thank you very much for answering my questions and good luck out there! Now do you have any final words for us?
Luxoflux: Thanks a lot Oryx. I wish everyone the best in the cup, and also in the many ones that will inevitably follow.
Interview with OBH!
Oryx_Crake: Hello! First of all thank you for joining us and how do you do!
OBH: I’m very well thanks my friend! Pleasure to talk to you, this interview idea of yours is very cool 
Oryx_Crake: So how has the competition been for you so far?
OBH: It’s been great! Tournaments organised by the WZ crowd in the past have been audacious, but this surpasses them all. Some huge names have been knocked out already thanks to the excellent idea of being able to pick speed class. My first match was against Robe94, not someone I had the pleasure of racing before. I was so pleased to see him slow down to let me pass so he could shoot me! That might sound odd, but its a tactic I’ve used in the past, but have almost never had it done to me. I loved it!
Oryx_Crake: Are you looking forward to you next match?
OBH: Definitely. I’m up against Annoying_Git next who’s no slacker. Unfortunately I have no ps3 so cannot practice. My 1st round race was the first race I’d had in months and months. This time though I’m going to try and get my little bro to come down with his ps3 a day or 2 before the race so I can rub those cobwebs off as best as I can
Oryx_Crake: Now obviously we would all like to have your take on this so who do you think will win?
OBH: Yeldar As PAINFUL as that is for me to say that haha! I don’t think there’s anyone else who’s as fast on slower speeds as they are on Phantom. Pirahpac should be more than capable of busting out big times on any speed class too to be honest. If someone like Luxoflux or DP can come up against Phantom pilots consistently then he too will undoubtedly go far.. Hopefully though there will be some slower speed / zone battle racers who’ll surprise me and go far… Normally I’d have taken this opportunity to big myself up just a wee bit, but my lack of practice is going to bite me in the bum sooner rather than later i fear!
Oryx_Crake: Quite a few of the pilots in this tournament have had sizeable, shall we call them ‘vacations’ away from the game and are therefore a little rusty. How about you? Did you come into this as fit as ever and without a break?
OBH: Haha, not a chance! My ps3 died for the… 3rd, maybe 4th time last year and I just can’t be bothered to pay to have it repaired again. I’ll get a slim when I can, but somehow funds just keep getting spent on beer and booze! 
At least I get to pick the 3 tracks I know like the back of my hand. Here’s to hoping that Wipeout’s like riding a bike – you never forget!
Oryx_Crake: Thank you very much for answering my questions and good luck out there! Now do you have any final words for us?
OBH: Pleasure’s all mine mate! I’d like to say good luck to everybody and a big congratulations to everyone who’s progressed so far. Especially those who passed insurmountable odds. Jasmin knocking out Leungbok was the most recent one. What a stellar performance No doubt there will be many more twist and turns left, so don’t leave your seats boys and girls. It’s only getting started!
