Whistler is a mecca for mountain biking, and that's obvious even at the high-school level.
Whistler Secondary School (WSS) boasted the largest team at the BC High School Mountain Bike Championships in Squamish on May 24, bringing 42 riders in all despite missing some team members.
There was quality with that quantity, as WSS took 17 top-10 finishes, led by Wei Tien Ho's win in the Grade 9 boys' enduro and sixth-place finish in the cross-country (XC) race.
Other strong results included: Sophie Lawrence (fourth in the Grade 8 girls' enduro and fifth in the cross-country); Nic Mikkelsen (fourth in the Grade 8 boys' cross-country and sixth in the enduro); Aiden Bayliffe (fifth in the Grade 8 boys' enduro and ninth in the cross-country); Taylor Boehm (seven in both the Grade 8 boys' enduro and cross-country); Zach Eaton (eighth in the Grade 8 boys' enduro); Marlie Molinaro (fourth in the Grade 10 girls' cross-country and fifth in the enduro); Kenzo Okazaki (fourth in the Grade 9 boys' enduro and eighth in the cross-country); Tristan Curran (fifth in the Grade 9 boys' enduro); and Brady Fogolin (10th in the Grade 11/12 boys' enduro).
As a team, WSS won the Grade 8 boys' title.
Head coach Lesley Clements was impressed with how the athletes handled the less-than-ideal conditions on race day.
"It poured rain on us before the XC ... but all the kids were tough," she said. "They held in there and then the enduro went.
"Everybody rode strong and did their absolute best," she added.
In the North Shore Mountain Bike League regular season, WSS brought home the overall banners in Grade 8 and Grade 10.
"Winning two of those banners in one year is really, really awesome," Clements said. "We had a bunch of really great Grade 8 riders come in to the school last year, so that was really great for the overall team."
The team continued to work with the Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association (WORCA) for its Monday and Thursday training, while Bike Co. and Coastal Culture helped the team with jerseys this year.
Up the highway, Pemberton Secondary School (PSS) also enjoyed an impressive provincials with 10 top-10 results.
Tegan Cruz was a particular bright spot, winning the Grade 8 boys' enduro, while Chris Beaton also podiumed with a third in the Grade 10 boys' enduro to go along with a seventh-place finish in the cross-country. As for the girls, Ella MacDonald was second in the Grade 11/12 girls' cross-country and third in the enduro, helping PSS claim the Grade 11/12 girls' banner.
Other strong results came from: Tea Cousineau (sixth in both the Grade 8 girls' cross-country and enduro); Zachary Stratton (fourth in the Grade 8 boys' enduro); Arriya Kuiper (fourth in the Grade 11/12 girls' enduro and sixth in the cross-country); and Sean Turrin (fourth in the Grade 11/12 boys' enduro).
Head coach Nicole Jean was happy with how the Red Devils handled the day's weather.
"Despite being cold and muddy and miserable after the cross-country event, they kept their spirits up," she said.
The spirits were high in part, she said, because many riders preferred the enduro and, no coincidence, performed better in it.
"That's just probably because we live in Pemberton," she said with a laugh.
PSS could have placed higher, Jean felt, but three senior riders opted to race the next day's Nimby Fifty instead.
Enduro champion Cruz said he enjoyed the first stage where he could let it rip en route to the win.
"(It) was a little technical than the other, and had less uphill, so it was faster," he said.
Beaton, meanwhile, recorded top-10 finishes throughout the season and kept that going at provincials.
Feeling gassed after the cross-country, Beaton wasn't expecting to do as well as he did in the enduro, but managed to put his head down and earn a bronze.
"It was crazy slick, so I tried to keep on pedalling and not stop," he said. "It was pretty funny. I didn't think I'd gotten there. I was pretty tired and didn't think I was actually going all that fast. I didn't think I would actually podium."
Both athletes felt they'd improved their strength and stamina over the course of the season, as did Grade 8 rider Sami Teitzel, who was in second midway through the enduro before a flat tire ended his medal hopes. Despite that disappointment, he was pleased with how he improved this season.
"I was definitely pacing myself a lot more," he said. "I started to find a good speed to take the whole race at."
Full results are online at www.spruceracetiming.com/bc-high-school-mtb-championship/results.
