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WORCA hosts AGM tonight

The Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association is hosting its annual general meeting tonight, Thursday, Oct. 22 at Legends in Creekside, with events getting underway at 7 p.m.

The Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association is hosting its annual general meeting tonight, Thursday, Oct. 22 at Legends in Creekside, with events getting underway at 7 p.m. The meeting will include a rundown on the past season from different directors followed by a board election.

All positions are open in this election and several positions will be vacated this year including the post of president. A full description of each position is posted on the WORCA website, www.worca.com, and members of the mountain bike community are encouraged to step up.

The documentary that was produced to celebrate WORCA's 20 th anniversary will also be shown, and the anniversary shirt will also be for sale for the last time this season, with proceeds going towards the new trail work around Train Wreck.

Food and refreshments will be provided.

 

Halloween Toonie Ride on Oct. 29

The annual Halloween Toonie Ride is set for Oct. 29, inviting riders to put on costumes, grab their headlamps and bike lights, and take part in a spooky after-dark ride through Lost Lake Park.

Sign on will take place at the usual time, 5:30 p.m. at a location still to be determined. The ride will be short compared to an average Toonie, and will wrap up with a post-race party at another location, also still to be determined.

Good lights and charged batteries are a must, and while costumes are strongly encouraged riders should also take care to ensure that the costumes won't get caught in gears and wheels or impair vision while riding.

Check www.worca.com this week for more information.

 

Young riders cited by Whistler Fire Services

A group of kids out riding with the WORCA Youth Dirt Camps received a Civilian Citation from Chief Rob Whitton of Whistler Fire Services last week, recognizing their efforts in helping to contain a small fire they came across on the Big Kahuna trail.

With riding coach and volunteer firefighter Duncan Munro helping out, campers Lauren Doak, Zachary Davis and Oliver Spratt used their hydration packs to put out the fire during the extreme fire hazard conditions this summer. They also stuck around at the site until Whistler Fire Services arrived to ensure that the fire was out.

 

Hermann Maier retires

Austria's Hermann Maier, one of the most dominant ski racers in history, announced his retirement last week, capping speculation that he would stick with the sport for one more season and compete in his fourth Olympic Games. The 36-year-old skier, nicknamed the "Herminator," made the announcement on Oct. 13 after attending a glacier camp at Soelden.

With snow falling in the alps, he took some time to consider his future and decided it was time to move on.

"I enjoyed freeskiing the other day in Soelden and was happy my body was back in shape after that long break. But afterwards I found out that it was also a good time to retire, it was a tough yet spontaneous decision.

"Last Friday, I suddenly decided to quit as I wanted to retire in a good shape and relax a little... Ski racing is a demanding activity and you need to be totally fit and ready to fully charge the slopes to really have fun practicing it. Last season I had some good results but I also felt that my body was sometimes tired and suffering."

Maier exploded on the World Cup scene in 1997 with his first World Cup win, and followed up the next year with two gold medals at the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, and dominated for the next three seasons until he was involved in a serious crash while riding his motorcycle where he nearly lost his leg. He returned to racing two seasons later and it wasn't long before he was back on the podium, and in 2004 he clinched his fourth overall World Cup title. His best season was 2001, where he won 13 races.

He leaves the sport with an incredible 54 gold medals at FIS World Cup competitions, 22 silver medals, and 21 bronze medals for a total of 97 podium appearances. His last win was captured on Canadian soil, at Lake Louise in 2008.

Maier has struggled to find the podium in recent years with one medal in 2007, one in 2008 and two in 2009.

"I have reached much more than I thought in my great career, I'm really proud of what I was able to achieve, especially during my comeback years," said Maier.