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Neil Falkner scholarships take to après

It’s been six years since Whistler’s Neil Falkner died while ski touring in the Canadian Rockies, but friends and family have kept his memory alive through an Outward Bound scholarship for youth.

It’s been six years since Whistler’s Neil Falkner died while ski touring in the Canadian Rockies, but friends and family have kept his memory alive through an Outward Bound scholarship for youth. To date 10 Grade 10 students have received scholarships.

For several years the scholarship was open to one youth from Falkner’s high school in East Vancouver, and one student from Whistler Secondary. An Outward Bound trip was pivotal in Falkner’s own development, and inspired him to come to Whistler and work as a ski patroller.

Unfortunately the scholarship fund only has enough money to help one student from East Vancouver attend a 21-day mountaineering and kayaking trip on Vancouver Island this summer. Judy Lynne, Falkner’s mother, is determined to make up the difference and is hosting a fundraiser Saturday, April 12 at Dusty’s Bar and Grill in Creekside.

The clock is ticking. Outward Bound is holding the spot for their Clayoquot-Strathcona expedition until next week, and Lynne needs to raise $4,500 locally to be able to offer the scholarship to a Whistler student.

If you can’t attend to make a donation, you can send a cheque to the Neil Falkner Fund, care of Judy Lynne at 23-696 Trueman Road in Gibsons, B.C., V0N 1V8. Tax receipts are available from Outward Bound for all donations over $20. You can also contact Lynne at jmlynne@telus.net or 604-886-7334.

Another way to support the fund is by attending the fourth annual Swinging Concert and Dance on Thursday, May 8 at the Legion Auditorium at 2205 Commercial Drive. The evening starts with a beginner Charleston lesson from 8 p.m. before the doors open a 8:30 p.m.

For more information visit www.neilfalknerlegacy.ca.

 

Core hosting inaugural bouldering competition

On Tuesday, April 22, The Core will be hosting its first HardCore Bouldering Competition, where competitors will try to clear a selection of holds without using any ropes.

There will be a youth competition from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., featuring kids aged 5 to 12 who have been taking part in youth climbing programs since September.

The adult contest will run from 6 p.m. to as late as 10 p.m. and more than 50 climbers are expected to take part.

All participants are welcome, and registration is available on-site.

This is the first of what organizers hope will be many competitions taking place on The Core’s climbing walls.

 

Whistler boarder in North Face Masters

A handful of local snowboarders headed to Alyeska, Alaska last weekend to compete in the final event of the North Face Masters big mountain snowboarding series, taking advantage of spring storms to go big on the terrain. In the superfinal, Whistler’s Martin Gallant secured the third spot behind former Olympian Rob Kingwill and Korey Kaszmarek. According to the report, Gallant made his points with seeping powder turns on a steep slope, and “rock skimming cliff drops” to earn his share of the $45,000 prize purse.

Jake Young of Whistler also took part, as did Michelle Locke of Lake Louise.

 

Mosher wins three USASA titles

Whistler’s Tyler Mosher headed to the U.S.A. Snowboard Association nationals at Copper Mountain, Colorado last weekend to take part in adaptive snowboarding competitions. The USASA is the first organization to host organized events for snowboarders with disabilities, and the category gets more competitive each year.

Mosher won all three categories he entered, placing first in snowboardcross, giant slalom and slalom races. He was disqualified in the snowboardcross time trial event after missing a gate on one of two runs. In the future only the best of two runs will count, but the time trial was based on combined time.

“There were about 20 people in the competitions, and the level of riding is getting better and more competitive,” he said. “Some young (amputees) who skateboard and mountain bike competitively are really pushing things, they’re taking the competition very seriously as an opportunity to maybe one day compete in the Paralympics. The competition is now on a level that’s almost equal to able-bodied.”

Mosher also competes in cross-country skiing, and recently placed second overall in the cross-country nationals in the standing category. He is with the 2010 ParaNordic development team, but also hopes to compete in snowboarding if it’s accepted as a Paralympic event.

 

Bike Park to open May long weekend

A thicker than normal snow pack on the lower mountain has likely put the kibosh on an early opening for the Whistler Mountain Bike Park this year, but organizers are planning to have the lower part of the mountain open for Saturday, May 17 and the Victoria Day long weekend.

The park will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends only until June 14, when the park will be open daily until 8 p.m.

This year construction will be focused on the Garbanzo area, rebuilding No Joke and adding to the Blue Velvet intermediate trail in the upper park, as well as building a trail from the Roundhouse Lodge to the Garbanzo area to allow the gondola to serve the entire bike park through slow periods. The lower park will receive extensive maintenance, a new blue trail and the opening of Ninja Cougar.

 

Locals in April Fool’s Run

The 31 st annual April Fool’s Run, a half marathon from Gibsons to Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast, took place this past Sunday in cool but dry conditions.

Several Whistler athletes took part.

John Blok posted a personal best time of one hour, 27 minutes and 31 seconds while placing third in the 50 to 54 age category.

Heather Abernethy was seventh in the women’s 35 to 39 category in 1:47:49.

Grace Blok was sixth in women’s 50 to 54 in 1:56:54.

Carson Hamm was 19 th in men’s 35 to 39 in 2:01:57.

Christa Vandeberg was 20 th in women’s 30 to 34 in 2:04:21.

Upcoming races include the Vancouver Sun Run on April 20, and the Vancouver International Marathon on May 4.

 

Local runners top Diez Vista trail run

The provincial ultra running season got underway last weekend at Buntzen Lake with the annual Diez Vista 50 km trail run. It’s a moderately difficult course, made more difficult by almost 2,000 metres in elevation gain from the start to the finish.

Squamish’s Aaron Hedit was first overall and broke the course record in four hours, 21 minutes and 47 seconds. Just over a minute behind, in 4:22:50 was Gary Robbins, also of Squamish.

From Whistler, Christine Suter finished in the middle of the pack with a time of 6:38:27.

 

Squash wraps up league

The Whistler Squash League finished its last set last week, crowning the winners in every competitive category.

In the first category Tim Ng defeated Norm Strim 3-0 with more than 40 people watching.

In the second category Rupert Thomas defeated Rod Nadeau 3-1. Blaine Redfern defeated Mark Laming 3-1 in the third category, Tracey Fawcett defeated Jim Davidson 3-2 in the fourth category, and Kerry Gamble defeated Kimiko Taguchi 3-2 in the fifth category.

It was a different format for the league this year, with individuals competing for themselves instead of for teams where all five competitive categories were represented.

Sign-on for next year’s squaish league is at Meadow Park Sports Centre in mid-September.

In addition to finishing up its league play, Whistler Squash also served up its second junior camp last week. The club has 12 kids aged 7 to 13 taking part, and have certified seven parents as Level 1 squash instructors to teach them on a weekly basis. The program continues through June.

Whistler Squash is also hosting its annual tournament on the Victoria Day long weekend, May 16-19. Viktor Berg, the top-ranked player in B.C. as well as a member of a doubles team ranked first in the world, will be on hand, as well as five of the other top-10 players in the province.

There are divisions for all levels, and everyone is welcome to compete. Sign-on is at www.squashbc.com.

 

Every Woman in the World returns for fifth year

The Every Woman in the World wellness weekend is returning to Whistler for a fifth year, with dozens of workshops taking place from May 30 to June 1. Workshops this year include Belly Dancing, Laughter Yoga, Pilates, Pole Dancing, African Dancing, Aromatherapy, Body Strong with Bands, Meditation, Healthy Skin Care, Clearing the Clutter, Mountain Biking, Hiking, Climbing, Tennis, Golf, Gymnastics and more. A complete list of workshops is at www.everywomanintheworld.com.

There are social events at the end of each day, including the annual Celebration of Movement dinner. Diane and Doug Clement, former Olympians and fitness gurus, will be the guest speakers.

“The whole concept is to try new activities, to be healthy and active, and to become inspired and supported by other women during the course of the weekend,” said Kerri Carlson, a former national level gymnast who founded the conference with sister Lynn Kanuka, an Olympic bronze medal runner.

 

Ironman champion hosts Whistler fitness camp

Jasper Blake, the 2006 Ironman Canada champion, is hosting a three-day fitness weekend in Whistler. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Adidas are sponsoring this event, called Camp Fit, which takes place from May 30 to June 1 and kicks of Whistler Wellness Week.

The camp includes daily runs (three, five or 10 km routes) as well as seminars with Blake, and packages include two nights at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. All participants who complete the weekend will receive Adidas running shoes.

 

Spots going fast for Squamish adventure race

Squamish will host the first of three Mind Over Mountain Adventure Racing (MOMAR) events on May 10, with adventure racer Jen Segger-Gigg setting a 40-plus kilometre course that includes orienteering, trail running, mountain biking, and rappelling sections. You can race as a solo or as part of a team of two.

“We will be sending racers through some of the best terrain Squamish has to offer, including a new trail network that even locals don’t know about,” said Segger-Gigg, who said that spots are going fast.

Registration is available online at www.momar.com.

 

Rugby team kicking off 2008 season

The Whistler Hoary Marmots Rugby Football Club is getting ready to kick off its 2008 season, starting with a social event on Sunday, April 13 at Seven restaurant, across the plaza from Garfinkel’s.

According to Brendan Flanagan, the club’s president, the social event is an opportunity for people to come out and meet the team, learn about the upcoming season, and sign on for the season.

“Everybody is welcome, whatever their player level experience,” said Flanagan. “Everybody can learn something, and there are opportunities for everybody to get into a few exhibition games.”

Women are also welcome to come out, and a seven-a-side team will be entered into tournaments if there is enough interest.

The team has committed to a handful of sevens tournaments over the summer, and is preparing to host a 10-a-side tournament for the end of August. Up to 24 teams are expected to take part.

As well, Flanagan is hoping to play up to eight exhibition games against teams from around B.C. and Washington state. It’s off-season for most clubs that play through the winter, but teams are always keen to tour to Whistler.

Practices are every Monday and Thursday through the season, starting on May 19 at Whistler Secondary School. They usually run from 6 p.m. until dark.

The Marmots have the distinction of being an international team, with players from Canada, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand on the roster each year, and other nations represented as well.

If you can’t make the social at Seven, you can contact the club at whistlerrugbyclub@gmail.com, or find the club on Facebook.

 

Atom Rep team solid in first tournament

The Whistler Atom Rep Hockey team (ages 9-10) competed in the Victoria Minor Hockey Association’s 2008 tournament on March 29 — the first tournament for most players — and the team finished fifth out of 12 teams with a record of three wins and two losses. VIPs picked by other teams include Liam Long, Isiah Smith, Austin Reith and Tyler Welsh. Thomas Cankovich, Evan Horvath and Austin Reith also won the team shootout in the skills competition.