Whistler's Will Routley placed ninth in the general classification in the Jelajah Malaysia after eight hot, humid stages. Routley's time was 29 hours, 34 minutes and 15 seconds, less than three minutes back of Australia's Timothy Roe.
The race was 1,247 km in total, and Routley averaged more than 42 km/h from start to finish to lead Team Jelly Belly.
While he didn't podium on any of the stages Routley finished fourth twice and was in the top-10 three other times to rank ninth out of 97 finishers. He was also the only Canadian in the race, while teammate Matthew Rice of Australia also had a solid race to place 17 th in the final general classification.
Callaghan Country XC trails still open
The Lost Lake Trails and Whistler Olympic Park may be closed for the season but there are still opportunities to ski at Callaghan Country until the last day of operations on May 2. To celebrate the last day there will be a group ski at 9 a.m., starting at the Callaghan Country base. There will be free skiing and a free picnic at the lodge for anyone who comes out, but organizers ask that you call 604-938-0616 or e-mail reservations@callaghancountry.com if you want to take part so they have an idea how many skiers to expect.
Touch rugby kicks off June 3
Rugby is still rugby, even without the hits, rucks, mauls, scrums and other forms of contact that make it one of the toughest sports on the planet.
On June 3, Mark Baldwin and Joanne Brighouse are bringing social touch rugby to Whistler, taking the contact out to make the sport more accessible. You can be a beginner with no experience, or a veteran who has taken too many knocks to continue playing contact rugby.
Each team should have roughly 10 players, with six players on the field at any given time. It's also a co-ed league, and each team must have female players on the field at all times.
The basics are the same as rugby where players can run and kick forward, but must pass the ball backwards as they move up field. A two-handed touch stops the play, as do out-of-bounds balls, knock-ons, and other infractions. It's easy to play, and there are only a few rules to keep in mind.
Equipment is also minimal. Players should bring one light and one dark shirt to games, and some kind of turf cleat will also be helpful. All the skills can be taught.
Games take place weekly at Myrtle Philip Community School, starting on Wednesday, June 3. The fields are booked from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. If you can't field a team, you can contact the organizers who will either place you on a team or create a team from new players. Contact whistlertouchrugby@gmail.com to register as a team or as an individual.
Sliding Centre still seeking volunteers, track crew
The Whistler Sliding Centre is continuing to recruit volunteers to help maintain and marshal the track through 2010 and beyond, and is hosting training sessions at Whistler Sliding Centre this week.
There is an Athlete Services Information Session on Friday, May 1 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Track Lodge, with registration at http://trackclubatthewhistlerslidingcentre.camp9.org.
There will be Volunteer Track Crew training (Level I and Level III) on Saturday, May 2 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Level II courses will also be provided and all track crew will be required to take that course in the fall of 2009 to join the group. Registration is at the same web address, or you can contact Jane Pattillo at jane_pattillo@vancouver2010.com for more information.
WORCA looking for a 20 th anniversary logo
The Whistler Off Road Cycling Association turned 20 a month ago, and WORCA is celebrating the anniversary through the season. One component of the celebration is an anniversary bike jersey.
WORCA is currently holding a contest to design the jersey. Designs must be one colour, and should be visible on black, grey and red shirts. The design will likely be printed in black, grey, white and possibly red.
The design must fit the dimensions indicated on the PDF information sheet posted onine at www.worca.com. You don't have to incorporate the WORCA logo, but it should mention WORCA and the fact it's the 20 th anniversary. Designs should be submitted as PDFs, but other formats can be accepted as well.
The prize for the best design, as selected by the board of directors, is a free shirt, a WORCA membership and $75.
Designs should be submitted to tracy_howlett@hotmail.com by May 4, 2009. The winning design will be selected at the May 6 board meeting, and the winners will be announced that week. The shirts will be available in early June.
Just do it...
Registration is open for several local biking and running events.
The Mind Over Mountain adventure race in Squamish takes place on May 23, with a 50 km course and a 30 km beginner route. The race includes trail running, navigation, mountain biking, and a rappel stage. More information and registration at www.mindovermountain.com.
The Whistler Kids of Steel Triathlon and Adult Try-a-Tri is available through the Whistler Triathlon Club, www.whistlertriclub.ca. Both events take place on Saturday, May 23, with a pool swim, road cycle and run on the Valley Trail.
Registration for the annual Whistler Valley Trail Run, taking place on Sunday, May 24, is at www.whistlervalleytrailrun.ca. Both 5 km and 10 km courses are available.
Registration for the 25 km Comfortably Numb Trail Run, taking place Saturday, June 27, also opened recently. More details and registration is available at www.comfortablynumb.ca.
