Triathletes head to Arizona Ironman
Whistler’s Paul and Christine Suter are among the 2,000 participants racing in the inaugural Ironman Arizona on April 9, 2006 outside of Tempe, Arizona. Temperatures should be hot for the event, which includes a 3.86 km swim, a 180.2 km bike, and a full 42.2 km marathon.
This will be Paul’s seventh Ironman and Christine’s fifth. Mike Edwards has also singed up, but may not be racing because of other commitments.
You can follow their progress online at www.ironmanlive.com, starting at 5:45 a.m. Pacific Time (6:45 a.m. Arizona time).
Cross country trails closing this weekend
There’s still some snow on the ground, but starting April 1 the municipality will no longer be grooming or maintaining Lost Lake cross-country skiing trails or snowshoe trails. The Lost Lake Warming Hut will also close for the season.
The trails will be open to the public, and people are welcome to continue skiing as long as there is still snow on the trails.
WORCA offers scholarship, sets bike swap
The Whistler Off Road Cycling Association will hold its annual bike swap event on April 22 outside of Dusty’s in Creekside. Fittingly, that’s also Earth Day, and what better way to support the environment than getting yourself some environmentally friendly transportation?
The costs are the same as previous years, $2 to drop off your bike as well as 15 per cent commission for purchases under $1,000 and 10 per cent commission for purchases over $1,000. You can also sell any other bike-related items at the swap, from helmets to shoes to rubber.
All types of bikes are available, and this year WORCA will have the ability to accept credit cards and possibly bank cards. Details will be confirmed before the swap.
All of the proceeds from the sale go towards WORCA’s youth programs, including clinics, camps, athlete grants, and, starting this year, the WORCA Youth Scholarship.
WORCA is accepting applications for the first 2006 scholarship, worth $1,000. The program is open to all Whistler Secondary Students (Grades 8-12, male or female) or Whistler Secondary graduates (age 21 or younger as of Jan. 1, 2007) who are WORCA members, competitive cyclists, and interested in approved educational pursuits including post-secondary education. The recipient will be community-minded, demonstrate sportsmanship and will be an active member of WORCA as a volunteer and participant.
Interested candidates must submit a short essay (maximum 500 words) to WORCA’s board of directors by June 1, 2006. The applicant will use the essay to describe how their involvement in cycling and athletics has helped them to achieve academic goals. The applicant should also tell the board about themselves, and their goals in academics and cycling.
Essays can be submitted online to WORCA’s Youth Director at www.worca.com and the board of directors will review the submission to choose a recipient by Aug. 1, 2006. The funds will be held in trust by WORCA until required by the successful applicant.
