The format for the Whistler Nordic Club Loonie Race on Feb. 2 was an enduro, with teams seeing how many laps of a course they could complete in one hour.
The top team included Craig Bailey, Chris Quinlan and Erica Rigik, who were the first to complete nine laps of the Lost Lake circuit.
The race was sponsored by McDonald’s and the Gibbon’s Hospitality Group’s Tapley’s Pub.
Tonight’s race (Feb. 9) is sponsored by Martini from Alpine Meadows Market Café. Bring your headlamps, as participants will be racing around Lower Panorama at dusk.
Sign on is at 5:30 p.m. at the Cross Country Connection, and the event gets underway at 6 p.m. A night cross-country skiing pass and membership in the Whistler Nordics is required.
Coast Cup this weekend
February is a busy month for cross-country skiers, kicking off with the Coast Cup in Whistler this Sunday, Feb. 12. Saturday’s Coast Cup in Pemberton was cancelled due to the lack of snow.
The Coast Cup includes both a youth race, an individual start classic competition, and an adults race. It is a free technique competition with a mass start.
To participate you need to be a member of the Whistler Nordics, or another club recognized by Cross Country B.C. or Cross Country Canada, or purchase a one-day membership for $5.
The entry deadline is today, Thursday, Feb. 9, and late entries will not be accepted. Contact Lorraine Vollmer of the Whistler Nordics by e-mail at [email protected] to register, and you will be sent a registration form which you can bring to bib pickup on Saturday and Sunday.
For the junior racers, 18 and under, the course length varies from one kilometre (kids 6-8 in Mini Atoms and Atoms), to 10 km for Juniors (kids 17-18). Entry fees are $5 for most categories, and $10 for juniors. The youth races get underway at 10:15 a.m. outside the Lost Lake Warming Hut.
For all adults (born 1988 and earlier), the race is 10 km and costs $10 to enter.
The following weekend, Feb. 19, will see the return of the annual Lost Lake Shuffle, an enduro race for individuals and teams with four-hour and two-hour categories. There will also be a one-hour family race.
Registration is available at Cross Country Connection. The cost is $60 for a team, $25 for a solo, and $30 for a family, and the event will be followed by an after-party and draw prizes in the Lost Lake Warming Hut.
The following Sunday, Feb. 26, the Whistler Nordics will host the 29 th annual Whistler Cup Loppet.
Minor Hockey goes navel
The Whistler Minor Hockey Association is hosting a navel orange fundraiser, with 20 boxes available for the price of $30 each. The oranges were made available by a supplier, and representatives from the WMHA will deliver the boxes to your home. To arrange a delivery, contact [email protected] or call 604-935-6406.
Meanwhile the WHMA teams had a slower weekend with just a handful of games on the schedule.
Week 15 Boxscores
Mountain Building Centre Atom C2 (12-0-0) defeat North Shore; 9-3
Nesters Market Atom C1 (10-2-3) defeat North Van C2; 8-2
Bantam C1 (9-10-3) lose to Sea Schelt; 4-1
Vision Pacific Bantam C2 (8-8-7) lose to North Shore; 7-3
Boston Pizza Midget Girls (4-16-2) lose to Abbotsford; 2-1
Boston Pizza Midget Girls (5-16-2) defeat Surrey; 1-0
*Three games not reported
King of Rail on Saturday
The King of the Rail series continues this Saturday under lights at the base of Blackcomb. The format is the same as previous events: $5 to enter with a Night Moves pass, and the cash is split between the men, women, boys and girls that are selected by the athletes themselves. All participants are eligible to win draw prizes, including either Atomic skis or an Atomic snowboard, and other goods from Nintendo and Atomic.
Registration gets underway at 5 p.m. in the Blackcomb Daylodge, and the contest runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Helmets are mandatory, and minors have to have a parent or guardian sign a waiver.
