Sports Briefs

Mixed week for minor hockey

The Whistler Minor Hockey Association played 11 games last week, winning four, tying one and losing six. One team, Mountain Building Centre Atom C2, remain undefeated this season and are currently ranked first out of 20 teams in the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association standings. The Bantam C1 team is also ranked first out of 15 in their category, while the C2 team is third in the same division.

Week Eight Boxscores:

Mountain Building Centre Atom C2 (7-0-0) defeat West Van; score 8-0

Nesters Market Atom C1 (5-1-2) defeat North Van C3; 9-6

Peewee (3-4-1) tie North Vancouver C5; 2-2

Bantam C1 (7-5-2) lose to Hollyburn; 4-3

Vision Pacific Bantam C2 (4-4-5) lose to West Van C2; 5-4

Bantam Rep (11-2-1) lose to Cloverdale; 4-3

Whistler Blackcomb Midget C1 (8-1-0) defeat North Van; 6-3

Intrawest Midget C2 (8-3-1) defeat West Van; 5-1

Boston Pizza Midget Girls (4-7-1) lose to Washington Wild; 7-1

Boston Pizza Midget Girls (4-8-1) lose to Washinjgton Wild; 7-0

Boston Pizza Midget Girls (4-9-1) lose to Abbotsford; 4-1

Results provided by the Whistler Minor Hockey Association, www.whistlerminorhockey.ca.

KVRS kicks off with giant slalom

The Kokanee Valley Race Series is set to begin next Thursday, Dec. 15 with a giant slalom on Blackcomb.

You can register in advance at any Whistler-Blackcomb Guest Relations or Ski School Sales location, or on the day of the event until 9:45 a.m. in the Peanut Gallery in the Rendezvous Lodge. First runs get underway at 11 a.m., giving participants a change to pre-race the course.

The cost is $20 per event or $150 for all 10 events on the calendar. All participants, skiers, snowboarders and telemarkers, are eligible to win draw prizes, and a pair of Atomic skis will be given out at every event.

No prior racing experience is needed, and racers vary in age from 19 to over 70. In fact, last year seven different men took part in the 70 and Over category.

The après ski party, including video playback of the race and awards, will be at Black’s Pub at 4:30 p.m.

Cross-country skiing returns to Whistler Mountain

Last season the Lost Lake Cross Country Trails were open just 22 days before the season in the valley was wiped out by rain and warm weather. Whistler-Blackcomb saved the day by opening a loop on Whistler Mountain, honouring all season passes and allowing programs like the Whistler Nordics jackrabbits youth clinics to continue.

While everyone is hoping for a good cross-country season in the valley, Whistler Parks and Recreation and Whistler-Blackcomb are working together to again offer cross-country skiing in the alpine while waiting for enough snow to open trails in the valley.

The groomer was heading up the mountain on Tuesday with the goal of opening the trails for this Friday. Before you head up, call 604-935-PLAY (7529) and press 2 to get the latest cross-country updates.

Again, Lost Lake Cross Country season pass holder can access the alpine loop at no extra charge by presenting their passes at a Whistler-Blackcomb ticket kiosk (night passes and 10-time passes not included). Day tickets are also available at the base of the mountain.

The loop is short, just 2.5 km, with the longest section looping the reservoir area.

"Last year we took this approach out of necessity," said Roger Weetman, manager of program services and community liaison for the Resort Municipality of Whistler. "It worked really well so this year we decided to be proactive and get some early skiing in while we wait for the Lost Lake trails to open.

The RMOW has extended the early bird deadline for cross country seasons passes from Nov. 30 to Dec. 15.

For adults, early bird season passes are $136 through Dec. 15, and go up to $170. Night-only passes go from $54 to $68.

For youths aged 13 to 18, early bird passes are $82 and go up to $102. Night passes are $27 and $24 respectively.

Child passes (6 to 12 years) are $68 early and $85 late, and night passes are free.

Family passes are $272 for early birds, and $340 after Dec. 15. Night passes are $109 and $136 respectively.

You can purchase passes at Meadow Park Sports Centre, or by calling 604-935-8250.

Voters pick Canada’s top cycling achievements

In mid-November Forbes magazine published a list of the top-20 individual sporting achievements. Noting that just one cyclist made the list – seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong – the editorial staff at Canadian Cyclist decided to make a list of its own: the top-10 individual Canadian cycling achievements. The editors took suggestions from readers and came up with a list of 25 achievements, which will be narrowed down to 10.

The list includes:

• Lori-Ann Muenzer wins Canada’s first ever Olympic gold medal in cycling, 2004

• Kelly Ann Way, the first Canadian woman to wear the Tour yellow jersey

• Alison Sydor’s silver medal at the 1996 Olympic mountain bike race

• Alison Sydor’s 17 World Cup victories in mountain biking

• Alison Sydor’s 13 consecutive years in the top-five at the worlds

• Alison Sydor’s three consecutive world titles

• Jocelyn Lovell wins three gold medals at 1978 Commonwealth Games, sets three Commonwealth Games records, and wins silver at Worlds in the same year

• Jocelyn Lovell’s bronze, silver and gold in the 1970 Commonwealth Games, ending a 32-year drought for Canada in international competition

• Cindy Devine wins world downhill title at first mountain bike world championships

• Roland Green’s 2001 season (world title, world team relay title, world cup title, two Norba titles, national title)

• Genevieve Jeanson wins double world junior titles in road and time trial

• Curt Harnett sets the world record for Flying 200-metreS, which still stands 20 years later

• Curt Harnett’s silver medal at the 1992 Olympics in the Sprint

• "Torchy" Peden’s record of 10 six-day race victories in a single year, 1932

• Tanya Dubnicoff becomes the first Canadian woman to win a world title in 1993

• Gord Singleton set three world records in one year (1980) – the 200-metre, 500-metre and 1000-metre standing start

• Alex Stieda becomes the first North American to wear the yellow jersey at Tour de France

• Eric Wohlberg wins eight consecutive national individual time trial medals (1996-2003)

• Marie-Helene Premont’s silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in mountain mountain biking

• Steve Bauer wins silver at 1984 Olympics as an amateur, turns pro and wins bronze at professional road worlds less than a week later

• Steve Bauer’s 1988 Tour de France – winning a stage, finishing fourth overall and spending five days in yellow

• Steve Bauer’s 1990 Tour, spending 10 consecutive days in yellow

• Brian Walton wins silver in the 1996 Olympics in the Points Race

• Gord Singleton wins Canada’s first ever world title in the Keirin, 1982

• Clara Hughes wins double bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games

You can vote for your top-five online by visiting

Incidentally, two Canadians made the Forbes list – Wayne Gretzky’s 2,857 NHL points, and Gordie Howe’s 33 seasons in professional hockey. Another athlete has a Canadian connection – Roger Bannister, who made history as the first athlete to run the mile in under four minutes, successfully defended his record at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver on Aug. 7, 1954.