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Strong start for Whistler Nordics Loonie series

Twice participants as expected

The inaugural event of the Whistler Nordics Club loonie race series took place on Thursday, Jan. 12 with a field of 45 cross-country enthusiasts – more than double what the organizers were expecting.

The first race, sponsored by the Riverside Junction Café and Out On A Limb Landscaping, included a 5.5 km sprint course under the lights at Lost Lake.

The fastest woman was Pemberton’s Sydney Van Loon, who completed the course in 23 minutes, 26 seconds. Aurelie Germann was second in 24:00, while Sylvie Allen was third in 26:56.

For the men, the winner was Florian Beliard in 20:01, followed by Matt Bodkin in 21:55 and Lee Harrison in 22:20.

There was also a 13 and Under race on a shorter 2 km course. Bobby Bunbury was the top male in 12:30, while Akiko Clarke was the top female in 16:58.

The Skier of the Week award went to Matt Ryan, one of the top mountain bikers in WORCA’s mountain bike Loonie series in the summer. It was his first time ever on skate skis, and he was still figuring out how to get his hands strapped into his poles when the race started. He compared his skate style to Elaine Benes’s dance moves on the sitcom Seinfeld.

This week’s race is sponsored by the Rim Rock and Citta. Sign-on is at 5:30 p.m. outside the Lost Lake ticket booth, and the course will be announced before the start. The race gets underway at 6 p.m. The cost is $2 to take part, as well as a $25 membership in the Whistler Nordics.

If you are interested in sponsoring a future Whistler Nordics Loonie race, contact Carolyn Rodger at 604-932-5030.

Volleyballers win division at tournament

Last weekend Wild Wood Women’s Volleyball Team placed first in Tier II at the Frostbite Rally in Victoria, beating top-ranked Shadow in a showdown final that went to three games. The Wild Wood won the third game by a narrow 15-12.

The team credits the play of middles Maeghan Thomas and Vesna Rukavina, the passing and power hitting of Julie Rockweell, Kirsten Homeniuk and Wanda Chalk, and strong sets from Sue Eckersley and Laura Wetaski.

The next tournament for the team is in Victoria in February.

The Whistler Whoosh women’s volleyball team also took part in the tournament, playing in Tier I. They were 1-1-1 in the round robin, and ended up playing top-ranked Team Ichiban in the playoffs. Ichiban won the game, and Whoosh settled for fifth place.

The team included Mairi Smith, Sue Oliver, Myrna Iaconnetti Bush, Olga Achiardi, Karine Serra, Mel Bernier, Shelley Leddingham, Kylie Spicer and Marie-Claude Lajoie, along with coach Bill Sirota and team physiotherapist Mark Borslein.

The team’s next tournament in is March, followed by the provincial championships in April.

The Whoosh also recently held a fundraiser at Merlin’s, raising $800 through donations at the door, a 50/50 draw and raffle prizes. The team thanks Merlin’s for their support, as well as draw prize donors at Whistler-Blackcomb, the Westin Resort and Spa, SMD Automotive, Elements, The Keg, Caramba, Grape Junction, Merlin’s and the Longhorn Saloon.

Auction ramps up for Sea to Sky Hockey Challenge

Teams are shaping up for the third annual Re/Max Sea to Sky Hockey Challenge, as team rosters fill out. Classic Rock 101 and Mojo Sports Radio 730 are also promoting the event non-stop, and ticket sales are stronger than in past years.

Team Harmony Airways, which is anchored by the Hanson Brothers (Steve, Jeff and Dave) of Slap Shot fame, now includes former Canucks Gino Odjick, Cliff Ronning and Greg "Gus" Adams; John McKeachie and Blake Price of Mojo Sports Radio; Mojo auction winner Peter Walsh; musicians Thom Thacker (Gob) and Dave Ogilvie (Jackalope); Steve Darling and Jay Janower of Global Television; and actors Cam Bancroft, Greg Kean and Jackson Davies.

Team Kal Tire is anchored by the Trailer Park Boys (Julian, Ricky and Bubbles); B.C. Lions Dave Dickenson and Brent Johnson; Corrie Miller and Martin Strong from Corus Radio; musicians Barney Bentall, Tyler Stewart (Barenaked Ladies) and Aaron Pritchett; and former NHLers Dave and Wayne Babych.

More players are expected to be named in the next few weeks, but 14 positions on both teams will be up for grabs through an online auction. To bid on a spot, go to eBay (

All proceeds from the Whistler event on Feb. 3 and Vancouver event on Feb. 4 will go towards the PacificSport PerformanceFund, which supports elite athletes and medal contenders in a variety of sports. In addition, proceeds from the 50-50 draw in Vancouver will go towards the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program, which provides on-hill lessons, guides and support to people with a wide range of disabilities.

For more information or tickets visit www.seatoskyhockey.com.

Atom C2 team remains undefeated through Week 12

It was a busy weekend for Whistler’s minor hockey teams with 15 games on the schedule. The Winterhawks made the most of it, winning 11 of those games (one by default).

The excitement is building around the Mountain Building Centre Atom C2 team, which remains undefeated through nine games. Seven teams also have winning records heading into the second half of the season.

Week 12 Boxscores

Mountain Building Centre Atom C2 (8-0-0) defeat North Van C1; score 10-6

Mountain Building Centre Atom C2 (9-0-0) defeat Hollyburn; 6-4

Nesters Market Atom C1 (7-2-2) lose to North Van C6; 8-6

Bantam C1 (9-7-3) defeat North Van C4; 3-1

Bantam C1 (8-4-6) lose to North Shore Winter Club; 5-4

Vision Pacific Bantam C2 (8-4-6) defeat North Van C4; 4-3

All-Star Bantam Rep (16-4-3) defeat Surrey; 5-3

All-Star Bantam Rep (17-4-3) defeat West Van; 9-2

Whistler-Blackcomb Midget C1 (10-3-0) defeat North Van; 14-1

Whistler-Blackcomb Midget C1 (11-3-0) defeat West Van; 3-1

Intrawest Midget C2 (10-3-1) defeat Squamish; 4-2

Intrawest Midget C2 (10-4-1) lose to North Shore; 6-3

Intrawest Midget C2 (11-4-1) defeat Sechelt; 2-0

Boston Pizza Midget Girls (4-13-1) lose to Van Angels; 7-2

For the record

In last week’s story, "Swim for Memories raises almost $2,000", the reporter credited Brandi and Paul Higgins, when in fact the fundraisers were Christine and Paul Suter. No explanation for the mistake, just an apology.