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Retro dual slalom this Friday

Long before there was the slopestyle or marathons or freeride mountain biking, there was the mountain bike dual slalom.

Long before there was the slopestyle or marathons or freeride mountain biking, there was the mountain bike dual slalom. The name of the game was to be fast, stay in control, and get through the gates to the finish line faster than the racer beside you.

Late and Unique Nighttime Alternatives (LUNA) is bringing the golden years back on Friday, June 22, with a race at the base of Whistler Mountain. The cost is $5 for LUNA members, and $7 for non-members.

Whistler-Blackcomb has donated its optical timing system to the race to ensure the results are accurate, and setting an easy but fast course on the access road above Excalibur Gondola. You need a bike and a helmet to take part, and prizes will be given for the top finishers and best retro outfits from the ’80s and ’90s.

Registration will take place before Friday’s race. The event runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., rain or shine. All racers must be 18 or over.

Riders taking part can use the LUNA race as a warm-up for the Telus Dual Slalom, which will take place during the Crankworx Freeride Mountain Bike Festival next month.

 

Hash Run returns on Tuesday

The second Hash Harrier run of the season will take place on Tuesday, June 26. The course is secret, but the challenge will be the same as always — working together as a running pack to follow clues on the trail and locate the hare. All abilities are able to run together, as the fastest runners follow false trails and call out when they find the right path.

The event will be organized by Whistler Running Experience and is sponsored by the Escape Route and the Cinnamon Bear Bar and Grille in the Hilton Whistler Resort.

The cost is $5 to take part, which includes refreshments and a chance to win prizes donated by Sugoi, Salomon, Adidas Eyewear and Escape Route. There will also be free entries to the annual Rubble Creek Classic.

 

Seven steps to Sport for Life

Canada has developed a new seven-stage model for Long Term Athlete Development, that is about to be widely adopted by sports organizations across the country.

Among other things, the model creates a system for learning and developing sport-specific skills at the youngest ages, and a schedule for athletes that will go on to specialize in a few sports at a high level of competitiveness, right up to the Olympic level. The program also includes a plan to keep Canadians involved in sports for their entire lives.

PacificSport sport performance director Cindy Thomson will be presenting the new program at the Whistler Mountain Ski Club on June 22, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event is open to athletes, coaches, representatives of sports organizations, parents, and everyone who is interested is learning about the program. More information is available at www.ltad.ca.

From June 23 to 24, PacificSport is hosting an Olympic Weighlifting Certification Level 1 course, which is required to coach weightlifting as cross-training for any sport. If you would like to take part, contact Tami Mitchell at 604-905-6797 or tmitchell@pacificsport.com .

 

Little leaguers to break in new ball diamond

The Whistler Minor Baseball League will get a chance to play on its new ball diamond today, Thursday, June 21, as the juniors take the field for a game.

One of the softball diamonds behind Meadow Park was converted for Little League baseball with the help of the Resort Municipality of Whistler. The new diamond has a properly distanced mound, different dimensions separating the infield and outfield, and various other alterations and upgrades. Derek, the municipal worker that was instrumental in getting the field ready, has been invited to throw out the first pitch.

 

WomenzWorx is almost done

Kokanee Crankworx is recruiting women for the inaugural two-day WomenzWorx event, which is designed to celebrate women in biking as well as to win new recruits to the sport.

To get riders out, Crankworx is offering free Whistler Mountain Bike Park lift tickets to the first 100 women who hit the park on July 23 and 24, and offering cheap women’s only half-day bike park clinics. On day two, participants compete in a women’s only freeride competition called The Gala, with a pro prize purse of $2,800 and prizes for amateur competitors.

“The course design aims to cover most aspects of freeride mountain biking: jumps, air technical descent and slopestyle,” said Lisa Lefroy, who is helping to organize the event. “We have chosen a course that will both challenge the pros and be suitable for amateur riders.”

“If a certain (judging) station is beyond what you’d like to ride, then you don’t need to ride it,” added co-organizer Katrina Strand. “The athlete will not receive points for that station, but will gain in the main goals of the event, fun, progression and camaraderie. We want as many girls out riding as possible.”

The on-hill Gala will be followed by the Dirty Girl’s Gala at Merlin’s on the evening of July 24.

For more information on WomenzWorx and Crankworx, visit www.crankworx.com.