The price of cross-country ski passes and tickets will go up after Dec. 5, including the new Tri-Area pass which allows people to access trails at Lost Lake, Whistler Olympic Park and Callaghan Country. Together, that adds up to 127 km of groomed trails for both classic and skate skiers.
The passes are available from all three vendors for $325 per adult, $195 for youths, $163 for children and $650 for families, with rates going up to $400, $240, $200 and $800 respectively after Dec. 5.
As well early bird rates apply to night passes (after 3 p.m.), and regular passes for each location. Whistler employees can also purchase an Ambassador or Spirit Pass for $166 for Lost Lake.
More information on trails and passes is available online at www.whistlerolympicpark.com, www.whistler.ca (search for Lost Lake cross country), and www.callaghancountry.com.
Volleyball team wins consolation tournament
The Whistler Powder women’s volleyball team took part in the season opener of the provincial volleyball season in Burnaby this past weekend, and finished the day strong.
The team got off to a slow start, losing their first two games to teams from the Lower Mainland, Shake ’n’Bake, and Six in the City. They managed to split games against Shadow, a long-running Vancouver team that always contends for the Tier I title, and finished third in their pool of six teams.
Relegated to Tier II, Powder faced a team from Simon Fraser University in the semi-finals, who they beat in consecutive games to go to the final. They faced another club team from Vancouver, winning consecutive games once again to finish first in Tier II. Their final record on the day was two wins, two losses and a tie.
B.C. Snowboard camps change dates
Candidates for the provincial snowboard team — a stepping stone for athletes to the national team — should be aware of an important date change for selection camps, made because of the lack of snow at B.C. resorts.
The Big White Ski Resort camp is being pushed back to Dec. 6-7, while the Cypress Mountain Camp is now on Dec. 13-14. Both areas will function as training centres for the team, which will attend regional, provincial, national and international competitions over the course of the season. Pre-registration is required for the camps at www.bcsnowboard.com.
Rugby team finishes season unbeaten
The Whistler Secondary Storm Grade 8/9 rugby team wrapped up its four-game fall season with a 20-17 win against Howe Sound Secondary on Nov. 19. Ralph Cravalho scored two tries in that game, and Mike Williams was named the team MVP for the season.
That left the team unbeaten for the season with a record of three wins and one tie — the tie being played in Whistler after a snowstorm at the start of November.
The team is co-ed with 18 boys and 12 girls on the roster, and is coached by Whistler Secondary athletic director Peter Train. The goal is to create a Sea to Sky league next year for Sea to Sky teams that can’t play in the same winter league as most schools from the Lower Mainland.
Alcock retires from Skeleton
Two-time Olympic skeleton athlete, 14-time World Cup medal winner, former overall title winner, and world championship silver medalist Lindsay Alcock parted ways with Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton this week to focus on her motivational speaking business and chiropractic school. She has 20 years in the sport, and was a virtual shoo-in to race for Canada in 2010, but after more than a decade of racing she was ready to try something else.
By stepping down she opened up a spot for 21-year-old rookie Sarah Reid, who joined the World Cup skeleton team this year.
Paralympic sledge hockey team golden
Canada’s Olympic sledge hockey team is on its way to a strong showing in the 2010 Games with a gold medal at the 2008 World Sledge Hockey Challenge held on Prince Edward Island this past weekend. In their last game for a gold medal they bested Norway 7-0, taking the world title for the second consecutive year.
Two B.C. players are on the team, first-timer James Gemmell and veteran Mike Mondin.
The next test for the team is the 4 Nations Cup, which will be held in Japan in January. The event will include Canada, Germany, Japan and the U.S.
Carving the Future to recruit para-alpine prospects
Alpine Canada has announced plans to hold a series of para-alpine skiing events across the country this winter to encourage more people in the disabled community to take up the sport.
“The goal of each event is to reach as far as possible into the disability community as we increase awareness, knowledge, and hopefully participation in para-alpine ski racing,” said Jean-Francois Rapatel, high performance director for the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team.
Participating resorts are Wentworth in Nova Scotia (Jan. 30-Feb. 1), Asessippi Ski Area in Manitoba (Feb. 21-22), as well as events in Ontario and Quebec. The final event will be held during the Telus Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Championships at Sun Peak in March.
More information on the program is available at www.carvingthefuture.ca.
