Erik Moves On

NEWS Friday 8th March 2019, 8:00am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Premiership club King's Lynn have announced the signing on a full transfer of our 2018 team captain Erik Riss, who thus moves on to the next stage of his career after four great seasons with Monarchs.

We signed Erik prior to the 2015 season, mindful of the fact that he was World Longtrack Champion following in his father's footsteps, and at no time have we had any cause to regret the signing. Craig Cook said after his first practise at Armadale that Erik had really impressed him, and he was an important part of the league winning septet that season.

Who can forget the televised victory at Somerset that season and the part that Erik played in that, particularly the pulsating 5-1 by Cook and Riss in heat 13? Erik has raised his average every year with the Monarchs, from an impressive first-year figure of 6.52 in 2015 to 9.17 last season. He is in our top 30 all-time point scorers.

In 2018 he was an excellent, thoughtful captain for us, and also had a very good year with King's Lynn who went very close to the Premiership title after topping the league. It was no surprise that the Stars wanted to keep him and it assists us that they want to purchase him full time.

Erik fully appreciates the part Edinburgh have played in his development. For sure we will see him in the future and he is keen to ride in the Scottish Open during the summer. He hasn't really made his mark on the continent yet but that is sure to be a priority with him from now on.

We will miss seeing him as part of our regular Friday night entertainment but this is the right path for such a talented and ambitious young man. We will follow his future career with great interest.