Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Sports briefs

Team Whistler gaining momentum

The Escape Velocity Spring Series continued this past weekend with a pair of races in Aldergrove.

On Saturday, Mar. 19, participants took part in a 93 km race with nine laps of a 10 km loop. The race was co-ed with 60 riders in the field, and at one point Trevor Hopkins and Brandi Heisterman from Team Whistler found themselves in the chase pack after the fourth lap. Hopkins worked his way up to the lead group, which had split up, and sprinted on the final hilly section to take sixth place overall. Heisterman placed 15th overall among riders.

Both were racing in B Group, which is category 3 and 4 men and category 1 and 2 women.

On Sunday, the team was back in action in the Bradner/Abbotsford area with Tony Routley, Trevor Hopkins and Mike Boehm racing another long, 90 km road event. There were 90 racers in the B Group for this event, and the pack stuck together until the last three laps. After that it was a battle of attrition, and Routley and Hopkins hung in for the final sprint to place sixth and seventh overall. Boehm, on his second road ride, dropped back slightly but still finished around 20th overall and third among women.

 

Soccer stars solid in Vegas tournament

Three Whistler soccer players and two players from Squamish headed to the Las Vegas Players Showcase tournament this past weekend, along with other members of the Under 18 West Vancouver team they're playing with this winter. They were the only Canadian team to enter the tournament, which started out with a 2-1 win against the Neusport 92 Green team, one of the top 30 club teams in the U.S.

The team tied its next game 0-0 against the Hooligans FC, then advanced to the next round.

The team lost 2-0 to the Valparaiso United 93 Boys, then battled the Scottsdale Soccer 93 Blackhawks in the consolation round to a 1-1 tie.

Neusport, which handed the team its only loss of the tournament, went on to win the final 6-0.

The West Vancouver team went undefeated this season in the Gold 1 level in Vancouver and won the league championship.

The Whistler players with the team are Harrison Shrimpton, Cam Baker and Will Robson, while the Squamish players are Taran Bir and Jag Tatla.

 

Provincial freestyle championships in Whistler

From Mar. 31 to Apr. 3, Blackcomb Mountain will be hosting the B.C. Championships for moguls, dual moguls, slopestyle and halfpipe, as well as the B.C./ Super Youth Championships, targetted to younger skiers, for moguls and dual moguls.

Thursday, Mar. 31 is training day and halfpipe contest. Friday is single moguls for youth and up and slopestyle for super youth. Saturday the youth and up categories do the slopestyle, and the super youth do single moguls. Sunday is the dual moguls for both age groups.

 

Own the Podium funding secured

The 2011 budget released in Ottawa includes $22 million to keep the Own The Podium going. That includes the original $11 million committed by the federal government and the additional $11 million pledged to the program after a successful Olympic Games where Canada set a record with 14 gold medals.

However, while the funding is in the budget it was looking likely at press time that the budget will not be passed by opposition parties, triggering a spring federal election in Canada.

 

Date set for bike swap

The Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association is hosting its annual bike swap on May 7 this year, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Whistler Olympic Plaza.

Last year's swap sold over 150 bikes and hundreds of other gear items, raising $12,000 for the WORCA's youth programs. That includes support for the high school team, 10 weeks of WORCA youth dirt camps, youth toonie nights, the Lumpy Leidal Award, and more.

More details will be announced in April, but drop-off will be between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.

 

Early bird half marathon rates almost up

If you're thinking about whether to enter the Whistler Half Marathon this year, making up your mind sooner than later can save you $10.

The early bird entry to the 21.1 km race is $75 until Mar. 31, at which point it goes up to $85 for the month of April. Late registration, from May 1 onward, is $95.

The race takes place on Saturday, June 4, and follows a looping course through Whistler on local roads and the Valley Trail, starting and finishing at Whistler Olympic Plaza.

For more information and registration, visit www.whistlerhalfmarathon.com.