To ensure that local communities are represented in the annual North Shore Credit Union Test of Metal, race organizers are hosting their fourth annual locals only registration day to the calendar. The early registration is limited to riders who live between Furry Creek and D'Arcy, with 200 spotstthat will be available online after 6 p.m. today (Thursday, Dec. 1). All spots are predicted to sell out within a few hours, but registration is open to midnight.
To prove that they are residents, people taking advantage of the local's registration have to provide proof of residency by 6 p.m. on Dec. 12. You can drop by Connections on 2nd Avenue from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. to present identification, or fax in a photocopied version of identification until 4 p.m. at 604-892-3380.
The general registration gets underway at 6 p.m. on Jan. 1, with 800 spots expected to sell out within the first hour.
For more information on the 67-kilometre Test of Metal mountain bike race and registration, visit www.testofmetal.com.
Last day to register for Coast Cup races at WOP
The cross-country ski season is just getting underway in Sea to Sky, but registration for the opening Coast Cup event of the season is already in progress and closes at 11 a.m. on Dec. 1.
The first Coast Cup takes place at Whistler Olympic Park, hosted by the Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Club.
Because it's the first race, the goal was to have a format that appeals to all ages and levels of racers. Courses will be announced at www.hollyburnxc.ca when they're finalized.
The race fee ranges from $6 for the youngest Atom-age skiers to $18 for adults. Races distances range from 750 metres to 8km for the open men's race.
BC Snowboard development team tryouts
The BC Snowboard Association is recruiting, hosting open tryouts for the Provincial Development Program. Dates are Dec. 3 at Mount Seymour and Dec. 10 at Big White.
The development team is open to riders aged 13 to 18 with competitive experience, and separate programs are run out of the Lower Mainland and Big White.
Anyone is welcome to try out. There is no cost to participating in the selection camp, but pre-registration is required. To contact the Vancouver head coach, email dane_keachele@hotmail.com.
Members of the development team train on snow five months a year, plus two months of dryland training. Candidates should have experience competing locally and an interest in competing at the provincial level.
On Mountain events on the way
The winter competition season on Whistler Blackcomb will kick off in a few short weeks, starting with the opening Kokanee Valley Race Series event of the season on Dec. 15, followed by the Telus Park Rider Ski and Snowboard Event "Jump Fest" on Dec. 18.
The Kokanee Valley Race Series (KVRS) is comprised of seven race events, taking place on Thursdays through the course of the season. You need to be 19 or older to take part, but otherwise the event is open to men and women of all ages and levels and is inclusive of skiers, telemarkers and snowboarders.
The first event is a giant slalom on Blackcomb, taking place on Gandy Dancer/Ross's Gold.
The cost is $29 if you register in advance at Whistler Blackcomb Guest Relations or $35 for day-of-race registration in the Rendezvous for Blackcomb events. For Whistler events, the registration location is yet to be determined. Early registration is from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. on race days.
You can also register in advance for all seven races for $172, a savings of $31.
Since last year, helmets are required for all events.
The opening Telus Park Rider event is a park jam taking place on Blackcomb, using whatever features are available. The events are open to all ages, both skiers and boarders, and are professionally judged. Each age group is given a time frame to session the course, and decide in advance if they want the run to be judged or not.
There are four additional Park Rider events on the schedule.
The cost is $29 in advance or $35 on race day, with day-of-race registration available at the Rendezvous or Roundhouse, depending whether the event is on Whistler or Blackcomb.
Canadians top 20 at biathlon
The Biathlon Canada team got off to a pretty good start at the World Cup in Sweden this week.
In the men's 20km individual race, Jean-Philippe Leguellec was 14th out of 2012 starters, missing just two shots at the range. Martin Fourcade of France was first, missing one shot in four trips to the range, followed by Michal Slesingr of Czech Republic and Simon Schempp of Germany.
Zina Kocher was 40th in the women's 15km event.
The races continue through the week, wrapping up on Dec. 4. Results are online at www.biathlonworld.com and www.biathloncanada.ca.
For the Record
Last week's brief reporting on the Stockholm Big Air mixed results with a freeski from last season after a weblink went wrong. The actual top three from Stockholm were Niklas Mattsson of Sweden, Michael Macho of Austria and Alexey Sobolev of Russia. We apologize for the error.
