The Whistler Olympic Park has a few busy weekends coming up, with Biathlon B.C. hosting its B.C. Winter Games trials Jan. 12-14, where skiers will have an opportunity to be selected to their zone team and compete against the rest of the province. The event also features the Pacific Region Cadet Zones 4 and 4 biathlon competition.
The Whistler Nordics also hosted a contest to give 30 local skiers a chance to try out the biathlon course at the Olympic Park on Sunday and try their skill at the rifle range.
On the Jan. 19-20 weekend the Olympic Park will be used for the second B.C. Cup cross country races of the season, hosted by the Callaghan Valley Cross Country Ski Club and the Callaghan Valley Local Organizing Committee (CALOC).
This event also includes racers from the B.C. College/University Series, as well as the first race of the Junior Sprint Series.
On Saturday, Jan. 19, the event is an Individual Sprint, classic technique, which gets underway at 9:30 a.m.
On Sunday, the even is a mass start, free technique race.
All ages are welcome, with adjusted distances for different age categories.
Registration for both events closes on Jan. 15. More information is available at www.boldtracks.com, and registration is at www.zone4.ca.
Cross-country Canada race licenses are required to take part for non-club members (members of the Whistler Nordics are already licensed), and are available with registration for an additional $5 per race.
Slopestyle cancelled, King of the Rail and Atomic Cross on the way
With more than 34 cm on the slopes, high winds, and low visibility, organizers made a last minute call to cancel the Park Rider Sessions slopestyle, presented by Telus, on Blackcomb last Saturday. They now plan to schedule a makeup slopestyle for later in the season when an opportunity comes up.
The good news for skiers and snowboarders is that they won’t have to wait long to compete again.
This Saturday, Jan. 12, the second King of the Rail contest is scheduled to take place at the base of Blackcomb. The King of the Rail is open to skiers and snowboarders of all ages, and the athletes themselves cast votes for the winners in different categories and the overall winner.
There is a cash prize for the overall winner, prizes for category winners, and draw prizes for the entire field — including skis, a snowboard, and other big ticket items donated by sponsors.
The cost of taking part is $15, with a portion of the entry fee going towards the prize purse.
Sign-on gets underway after 5 p.m. in the Blackcomb Lodge, followed by an athletes meeting at 5:45 p.m. The competition runs from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. under the lights, after which point the winners will be decided.
There are typically two lines to choose from, and a mix of boxes and rails.
The following weekend, Jan. 19-20, Whistler-Blackcomb will host the first of two Atomic Ski and Snowboard Supercross events.
Pre registration is $30 through Whistler-Blackcomb Guest Relations, and registration is also available on Saturday for $35 until 9:45 a.m. in the Rendezvous Lodge.
Skiers and snowboarders of all ages are welcome, and there are prizes for all categories and draw prizes for all participants.
Saturday is a training day, and participants will be seeded based on a timed run. The competition takes place on Sunday.
Competitors meet at the top of the course at 10:30 a.m. on both days, and the competition will get underway at 10:45 a.m.
For more information on both events, visit www.whistlerblackcomb.com/todo/events/.
Hockey Boxscores
Squash Boxscores
