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Park Riders Sessions opens with slopestyle

Rain and heavy snow couldn't keep the hardcore skiers and riders away on Sunday for the opening event of the Park Rider Sessions Presented by Telus. The event in question was a Rail Jam, taking place in the Whistler Terrain Park.

Rain and heavy snow couldn't keep the hardcore skiers and riders away on Sunday for the opening event of the Park Rider Sessions Presented by Telus. The event in question was a Rail Jam, taking place in the Whistler Terrain Park.

The conditions kept the numbers down, but there was a good turnout in all the usual categories.

In Male Snowboard 17 and Over, Ryoki Ogawa placed first, followed by Benjamin Poechman in second and Dan Ato in third.

Natalie Good won the Female Snowboard 17 and Over competition, followed by Yuka Kasukawa and Eiko Matsui.

In Male Ski 17 and Over, Robin Du Pasquier placed first, followed by Jordan Innes and Steven Hager. In Ski Boys 14 to 17 it was Brendan Kelly on top, followed by Taylor Wilson and Michael Granger. Mitchell Wilson competed alone in the Ski Boys 13 and Under category.

The next event is a New Year's Eve Slopestyle, taking place Dec. 31 on Blackcomb. Early registration is $29 at Whistler Blackcomb Guest Relations, going up to $35 on the day of the event. Event day registration is available until 9:45 a.m. in the Rendezvous Lodge.

 

Biathlon programs getting underway

The Callaghan Winter Sports Club is hosting a series of biathlon events and programs this winter, starting this weekend with the B.C. Cup Biathlon and Junior Trials. The competitions run from Dec. 17 to 21, with athletes attending the Junior Trials from across Canada and the U.S. in order to qualify for the World Junior Championships.

The event is free for spectators, and gets underway with training on Friday. The sprint competition gets underway at 11 a.m. on Saturday and the pursuit races at 9 a.m. on Sunday, with age categories following.

There is more racing on Monday, with the Mass Start trials getting underway at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, followed by the age categories at 10 a.m.

Four Squamish athletes from the West Coast Nordic Club will compete in the trials competition, including Hollie Sones, Holden Jones, Cedric St. Pierre Borchert and Hunter Sones.

A complete schedule is available online at www.callaghanwintersportsclub.com.

In addition to the events, the CWSC is supporting biathlon development programs for all ages.

The Biathlon Bears youth program is hosting eight sessions from Jan. 9 to Feb. 27 for kids aged 8 to 13, beginner to advanced. The price is $175, with two-hour sessions from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Sundays.

The sessions are skate only.

Duncan Munro, who organized biathlon mountain bike races for kids taking part in the WORCA Dirt Camps this summer, will be helping to coach some of the sessions and is inviting local riders to try the sport.

As well, the CWSC is hosting Masters Biathlon 1 for adults, with five sessions from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday Jan. 8, Jan. 22, Feb. 5, Feb. 19 and March 5. The cost is $140, and participants must be 14 and older to take part.

Air guns will be provided to the Biathlon Bears and rifles to the Masters.

There is also a Masters Biathlon 2 program, which is sold out at this point. That includes 10 two-hour sessions for $360. More information and registration (if space is available) is online at the Callaghan Winter Sports Club. The club does pro-rate sessions at $36 each if skiers can't commit to all 10 sessions.

 

Wolfpack drop two more

This past weekend the Squamish Wolfpack were outscored 15-4, losing a home effort 8-2 against the Ridge Meadows Flames, then going down 7-2 to the Grandview Steelers on Sunday afternoon - a team that the Wolfpack beat the previous Saturday.

Ridge Meadows scored three goals in the first period to set the tone of that game and then added two more goals in the second period and three in the third. Squamish scored in the second and third period.

The Wolfpack were outshot 39 to 31, and only scored once in eight powerplay tries.

Grandview scored four goals in the second period to deflate the Wolfpack's hopes, outshooting the pack 31 to 19. Whistler's Matt Bonin chalked up an assist in that game to bring his rookie season tally to 12 points, five goals and seven assists. The team leader is Konrad Sander, who has 32 points on nine goals and 23 assists.

Squamish is on the road against Ridge Meadows on Friday, then returning home on Saturday to host the Delta Ice Devils. The puck drops at 7:15 p.m., and admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

 

Whistler Mountain Ski Club hosting opener

On Dec. 18-19 the Whistler Mountain Ski Club will be hosting the season opener for the Teck Coast Zone Cup, an event that's open to clubs from the Lower Mainland and Mt. Washington. For many K1 athletes (age 11 and 12) it will be their first formal competition, while experienced K2 athletes will be chasing zone and provincial titles, as well as spots in the national championships and a chance to represent Canada in the international Whistler Cup races in April.

On Dec. 18, skiers will take part in a one-run giant slalom race. On Dec. 19, the gates are moved closer together for the opening slalom.

The event is looking for a few volunteers to help out. Contact volunteers@wmsc.info if you can help out.

 

Volleyball girls win district title

The Myrtle Philip Grade 7 girls' volleyball team won the school district title this week after coming first in their pool at the championship and winning their playoff matches. The Grade 6 team also had a good run, placing third in their pool and losing in the semi-finals.

 

King of the Rail returns

The King of the Rail presented by Showcase returns to Whistler Blackcomb on Thursday, Dec. 30 with a new venue to break in.

Instead of the usual location at the base of Blackcomb the event has moved to the base of Whistler, next to the Fitzsimmons Chair.

The contest is open to skiers and boarders of all ages, with the athletes themselves voting for the top male and female at the end of the jam session.

Registration is from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Showcase, with an athlete meeting at 5:45 p.m. to go over the rules. The jam runs from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. under the lights, where the winners will receive a cash prize purse based on the number of entries in their category. There will also be draw prizes from Showcase, Burton, Atomic, Nintendo, Telus, DNA and others.

Helmets are mandatory, mouthguards are recommended and other protective equipment for wrists, shins and butts is a good idea.

Spectators are welcome. The King of the Rail events are fun and informal, with music playing, live commentary and an endless number of runs to watch.