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Crankworx seeking volunteers

The Kokanee Crankworx freeride mountain bike festival is one of the biggest events of its kind in the world, with nine days of exhibitions and events taking place Aug. 9-17.

The Kokanee Crankworx freeride mountain bike festival is one of the biggest events of its kind in the world, with nine days of exhibitions and events taking place Aug. 9-17. As a result the organizers are looking for 300-plus volunteers to fill 900 shifts during the festival.

Interest has been high, with applications for volunteers coming from all over the world and across Canada.

Volunteer jobs include competitor relations, sport crews, logistics assistants, expo crews, the VIP and media accreditation crew, and the branding crew, as well as a newly created Endurance Volunteer position. Endurance Volunteers will be given positions of responsibility, and will need to work for a minimum of five six-hour shifts.

For more on the Crankworx volunteer program, including perks, visit www.crankworx.com.

 

New course for Canada Day Spud Run

The annual Spud Run on July 1 in Pemberton will be a little different this year, with participants going off-road and following the Pemberton Valley trail loop. The distance is roughly 8.5 km, and the atmosphere non-competitive.

The cost is $15 to take part, with all proceeds going to the Pemberton Valley Trails Association. Sign-on is at the new community centre at 8 a.m. and the race gets underway at 8:30 a.m. There will be food and refreshments at the finish, and, weather permitting, all participants will get a bag of locally grown spuds.

 

Whistler riders take to the track

This past weekend two Whistler riders headed to the velodrome in Victoria for the provincial track championships, taking place over three days. Jody Edgar, riding with Team Whistler, and Julian Base, riding for Capione Ratcliff, took part in the senior elite race.

In the 4 km pursuit, Base placed second while Edgar was sixth. The tables turned in the chariot race with Edgar taking the win.

In the Scratch, Points, Sprints, Kerin and Omnium events, Edgar won four gold medals and two silver medals. He was also poised to do well in the sprint, but crashed in the semi-finals after his pedal malfunctioned at 60 km/h. He shattered his helmet, but walked away with just bumps and bruises.

This could be the last time that the velodrome is used for an event, as the City of Victoria is discussing whether to remove the track to install a professional soccer field. It was originally built for the Commonwealth Games.

 

Car wash and barbecue this weekend for Ken Quon

On Saturday, June 28, the Ken Quon Foundation will be hosting a car wash and barbecue fundraiser in the Marketplace IGA parking lot, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Organizers are looking for volunteers to wash cars, and cars for volunteers to wash.

Volunteers will earn points for WORCA’s volunteer appreciation event, which will be held at the end of the season.

Proceeds go to the Ken Quon Foundation, which raises money to purchase critical health care equipment. The Ken Quon Memorial Ride, held the last two years, has so far raised more than $20,000 towards the purchase of two portable diagnostic machines that are in use by Whistler’s paramedics.

Ken Quon was a mountain bike fanatic and advocate who used to lead Wild Willies Rides. During a session in 2006 he passed away as a result of an undiagnosed heart defect. While a tragedy for the bike community, the discovery of the defect led to other discoveries in the family and may have already saved other lives.

As well, the portable equipment has been used several times to retrieve and transport injured mountain bikers from the bush to the health care centre, and to hospitals in the city.

The third annual Ken Quon Memorial Ride will take place Aug. 10 during the Kokanee Crankworx freeride mountain bike festival.

 

Disc golfers meet Sunday

The Whistler Disc Golf Club is meeting again this Sunday, 1 p.m. at the first tee, for another fun tournament. Players will be paired up with other players at random to play a variation of “best ball” on the 27-hole course against other teams. The cost is $5 to join the club, and $2 to enter the tournament with a share of the prize purse going to the winners.

The club is also getting a Bag Tag Challenge underway, similar to a squash ladder, where players can challenge each other to games on their own time to move up and down the rankings. Up to two tournaments are also being planned.

For more information, visit the club’s temporary site at www.imagesofwhistler.com.

 

European soccer camps return

For one week, June 30-July 4, one of Canada’s top youth coaches will be hosting a camp in Whistler. Saibo Talic of European Football School and his assistants start each day with lessons on fundamentals and work their way up to scrimmages, where players can put what they’ve learned into action.

Kids aged 5 to 10 will practice from 9:30 a.m. to noon, while kids 11 and up will practice from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

To register visit www.whistlersoccer.com.

 

Still time to register for Squamish Tri

There is still time and space to register for Squamish Triathlon, which turns 11 this year. It’s an Olympic distance event with a 1,500 metre swim, a 37 km ride and a 10 km trail run at the finish, and takes place on Sunday, July 13.

Participants can race as individuals or as part of a three-person relay team. The swim takes place in Alice Lake, followed by a bike course around Don Ross Secondary in Brackendale, followed by a run through the adjoining Cheekeye Fan Trail.

For more information or registration, visit www.squamishtriathlon.org.

 

Recycle Bicycle tune up event looking for tuners

Recycle Bicycle is a Squamish-based non-profit that takes donated bikes, fixes them, and donates them to people who need them. More than 50 bikes have already been donated to the program, and 15 bikes have been passed on to others.

This Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., at PacWest, Recycle Bicycle organizers are hosting a tuning event. Most bikes are only in need of minor repairs and tuning, and anyone with bike tuning skills is invited to help out.

Supporters of the program include the Test of Metal, SORCA, InBiz, What’s On Squamish, Republic Bikes, Corsa Cycles, Tantalus Bike Shop, and others.

 

Luge association hosting Whistler camp

The Canadian Luge Association is hosting a series of recruitment camps in Whistler, taking place on Sunday, July 6, July 20 and Aug. 24.

Athletes will receive an introduction to the sport and equipment, gain experience on a wheeled luge, and learn the mechanics of the sport with Olympian Mike Lane. Promising campers aged 10-14 will be invited to subsequent camps, and could have a chance at riding an actual luge. A registration fee of $25 is required.

The July 6 camp takes place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. To register, or for more information, contact Nicole Simon at 604-964-2478.

 

Ryder steps up to the tour

Ryder Hesjedal is a well known in Whistler as a past winner of mountain bike races like the Cheakamus Challenge and Test of Metal, but in recent years the Victoria resident has staked his claims on the road. He has been racing extensively in Europe, and this summer will get a chance to race in the Tour de France with Team Garmin-Chipotle. Hesjedal and Michael Barry, originally from Toronto and now on Team Columbia, will be the first Canadians to ride the tour since Gord Fraser in 1997.

Hesjedal is also one of three Canadian men racing in the Olympics this summer, along with Svein Tuft and Barry. The women are Alex Wrubleski and Leigh Hobson.

Hesjedal will compete in both the road race and the time trial.

This will be Hesjedal’s second Olympic appearance, after racing a mountain bike in 2004.