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Sports Briefs

Pemberton businesses host Loonie fundraiser Monday

The fourth annual Neil Falkner Memorial BBQ and Putting Tournament is set for Sunday, Aug. 13 at the Riverside Greens, with proceeds going to an Outward Bound scholarship program.

Falkner passed away while ski touring in the Rockies back in 2002, and was an Outward Bound graduate. Since then his family has organized the putting tournament and other events to raise money for the scholarship, which sends one student from Falkner’s old high school in East Vancouver, Britannia Secondary, and one student from the Sea to Sky corridor to Outward Bound. This year the Sea to Sky scholarship winner was Pemberton Secondary student Geoffery McLeod.

Although the tournament has been supported in the past by Neil’s friends and family, his mother Judy Lynne is hoping to focus more on the scholarship aspect than the memorial this year to include more families, locals and visitors in the putting tournament.

The tournament will run from noon to 4 p.m. and Lynne is asking for a minimum donation of $25 to $100 per person. Kids 10 and under will play for free.

That includes the putting tournament, a barbecue lunch, draw prizes, a silent auction and access to the beer garden for putters 19 and older. There will also be activities for families and children, including badminton, bocce, the adventure playground, and possibly a scavenger hunt.

All of the proceeds will go to the scholarship fund, and tax receipts will be provided for payments of $40 or more.

To help the tournament run smoothly, Lynne is asking local businesses to donate prizes, sponsor holes, buy banner space, purchase tickets on behalf of inner city youth to help them attend the event, and/or enter their business and employees in the tournament.

For more information or to get involved in the tournament, contact Judy Lynne at jmlynne@telus.net , or call the Riverside Campground at 604-935-2996.

WORCA Youth Scolarship still available

The Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association is still taking applications for their first youth scholarship, using funds raised at the annual Bike Swap and donations from members.

The first scholarship is for $1,000, which will go towards approved academic pursuits of students. All Whistler Secondary students that are members of WORCA, or are recent graduates aged 21 or younger as of Jan. 1, 2007, are welcome to apply.

In order to be considered, the student has to be competitive at some level, community minded, demonstrate sportsmanship and be active as a volunteer and participant at WORCA events.

To apply, students are asked to submit a short essay, maximum 500 words, detailing their involvement in cycling and mountain biking and how that has helped them to achieve their academic goals. A short bio about themselves, their involvement with WORCA, and their goals in academics and cycling is also required.

Interested candidates can submit their results through the WORCA website at www.worca.com .

Air Dome opens to public

For people who like their bikes best when both tires are airborne, Whistler Blackcomb is opening its Air Dome to the public for the remainder of the summer season, Aug. 12 to Oct. 9.

The Air Dome is at Base II and includes a number of training jumps and features to help riders safely develop skills.

"Whistler-Blackcomb’s Air Dome is the only mountain bike specific foam pit training facility in the world," said Rob McSkimming, vice president of business development. "Combine the potential of our Air Dome with the Whistler Mountain Bike Park and you have the world’s ultimate arena for progression right here in Whistler."

The Air Dome tent features a massive foam pit with $26,000 worth of foam, several run-ins for all levels, a table-top ramp, a quarterpipe, halfpipe and wall rides.

"The level of progression that a facility like the Air Dome can drive was really illustrated to us through the achievements of two young local riders that competed in last month’s Kokanee Crankworx," said McSkimming. "Alex Prochazka and Kyle MacDonald of Whistler were both working on backflips in the Air Dome’s foam pit prior to competing in the Kokanee Slopestyle. They mastered the move in the dome and then pulled it out in competition to successfully compete against the world’s best. Fifteen-year-old Kyle competed in the finals and ranked 17 th out of a field of 86 athletes."

The Air Dome is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Base II until Sept. 3, when it will be open 5 to 8 p.m. on weeknights and from 2 to 8 p.m. on weekends until Oct. 9. The price is $129 for a season pass, or $15 for a three-hour session. The same height and waiver restrictions apply as to the Whistler Mountain Bike Park.

The Pony Espresso and Murphy Construction, with the help of Pemberton Bike Co. and Russell Brewing Company, are hosting a fundraiser Loonie Race this Monday. Riders should be members of the Pemberton Valley Trails Association, and meet at the gravel pit for a 6 p.m. start. The course will follow Mosquito Lake trails.

The cost is $2 to enter, and riders should bring money for the barbecue after the race. All proceeds from the event will go to the B.C. Children’s Hospital.

For more information contact the Pemberton Bike Co. at 604-894-6625.

Local mountain bikers top provincial rankings

Cycling B.C. released updated provincial rankings following the recent provincial cross-country and downhill championships and several Sea to Sky riders are sitting top of the heap. Only two sanctioned events remain, including the Mt. Washington B.C. Cup on Aug. 26 and the Cheakamus Challenge on Sept. 23.

In the Junior Women’s category, Danielle Dornik of Team Squamish leads with 76 points. She earned points at the Rat Race, cross-country nationals, Whistler Canada Cup, and Bear Mountain. Her next closest competitor, Sunshine Coast rider Christine Lynch, has 70 points.

Squamish’s Meghan Kindree is on top of the Senior Elite category with 98 points, with results from the Junkyard Dog, Cow Trail Classic, Rat Race, Island Series XC Finals, Test of Metal, Cross Country Nationals, Whistler Canada Cup, Gear Jammer, Mt. Washington Canada Cup, and Bear Mountain.

Catharine Pendrel of Vancouver Island is second in the Senior Elite category with 89 points, while Allison Sydor has 86.

Kindree’s brother, Neal, leads the men’s elite field with 164 points, 41 more than Geoff Kabush, and almost 100 more than Max Plaxton. Both Kabush and Plaxton have missed events with World Cup and NORBA competitions.

Whistler’s Kerry-Anne Hamilton, 11, hasn’t had many girls to race with as an Under 13 this year, and has been racing against girls up to four years older in the Under 15 crew. She sits alone on top of the Under 13 category with 130 points.

Kyle Salter of Team Squamish sits third in the Junior Expert division with 45 points, behind two riders with over 90 points each.

Pemberton’s Trevor Hopkins, racing with Team Whistler, currently sits third in the Master 30 to 39 Expert category with 98 points, but will not be able to do much more than close the gap on leader Oliver Ryan or David Kvick who have 165 and 133 points respectively.

Craig Hamilton of Whistler sits on top of the Master 40 to 44 Sport category by 60 points.

Bob Allison co-leads the Master 45 to 49 Expert category with 115 points, and is tied with Tim Daeschel with two events remaining.

Bob’s son Tyler Allison is three points up on Sebastian Sleep in the boy’s Under 15 race, 157 to 154.

Tony Routley is dominating the Master 50-Plus Expert group with 121 points, 42 more than the next racer on the list.

Squamish rider Philip Cairns is first in the Under 17 Expert category, just two points ahead of the next competitor.

In downhill, Kyle Fortin of Squamish is first in the Junior Sport category with 102 points, 20 more than second place.

Graham Beatty of Squamish is first in the Master 30 to 39 Expert race with 150 points, more than double the next racer.

Whistler’s Tyler Morland is fourth in the men’s senior elite category, only eight points back of third with one event remaining.

Jeff Leigh, also of Whistler, sits second in the Senior Expert race, just five points out of first.

Tyler Allison also sits second in the Under 15 category with 45 points, 15 points back of first.

Alex Prochazka is leading the Under 17 Expert category with 90 points, two points ahead of his nearest competitor.

Complete standings are at www.cycling.bc.ca in the results section.

Samurai Idol contest to fill remaining four spots

The Samurai of Singletrack is not just one of the hardest bike rides anywhere, it’s also the hardest to get into. With previous competitors and volunteers getting first crack at the open spots every year, only a handful of new entries are accepted.

For the first few years those spots were available on a first come, first served basis, and riders would show up at the doors to Slope Side Supply at 4 a.m. When that got to be too depressing for organizers, they decided to host a contest to see who would get those extra spots.

Past contests include asking riders to present their case, as creatively as possible, and last year’s essay contest.

This year there are four spots open for the Sept. 16-17 race, which will be determined by singing ability. The Samurai Idol contest will take place Thursday, Aug. 24 following the Loonie Race hosted by Earl’s. Participants will randomly be asked to sing one of four songs – Elton John’s Tiny Dancer, Elvis Presley’s A Little Less Conversation, Rupert Holmes’s Escape (better known as the Pina Colada song), and Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart. Judges are Eric Crowe, Paul Rawlinson, Craig Koszman and Todd Kemp.

"It was Eric Crowe’s idea, and it made me laugh so we went with it," said organizer Tony Horn.

Contestants are asked to sign up in advance by contacting Horn at 604-938-1680.

This year’s Samurai is a two-day event with camping in between, and will be approximately 100 km in length on Whistler’s toughest trails.

The cost to participate is $150, which includes dinner and camping the first night, breakfast on the second day, the after party at Teppan Village, and a T-shirt. Any proceeds will go back into the race.

This is the sixth year for the Samurai, which will also be the final year for most riders. The seventh race, slated to be the last, is only open to riders who have raced in all six previous events.

The course for this year’s Samurai will be announced in the Sept. 14 edition of Pique and at the Loonie Race.

Chilean downhiller remains in Coma

A top South American downhill mountain biker remains in a coma at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver after injuring her leg in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park while training for Crankworx.

The accident took place on A-Line on July 22. Bernardita Pizarro broke her leg in a crash and was taken to the Whistler Health Care Centre. She was transported by ambulance to St. Paul’s for surgery, which was planned for early the following morning. It was then that doctors found a blood clot in her lungs, and induced a coma.

Pizarro is reportedly breathing on her own, but has not awakened from the coma. Her family has flown from Chile to be at her bedside, and are still optimistic that Pizarro will wake up.

Pizarro is a five-time Pan-American downhill champion, and is sponsored by Red Bull, Cannondale, Meds and Pro Circuit, as well as a dozen other companies.