If you weren't one of the 200 racers to get a spot in the early locals registration, you'll get another chance to enter the Test of Metal at 6 p.m. on Jan. 1 as the 1,000 spots are sold.
This race will sell out, so make sure that you have a fast Internet connection. Typing skills are also a must as you won't be able to submit your application until it's complete. You can sign up to four names at a time, so it might work better to team up with some friends, but that also means you have more information to fill out.
The event sold out all 800 spots in under 25 minutes for the 2010 race. The 2011 race - scheduled for June 18 - is expected to sell out as quickly.
The race itself is a 67 km epic through Squamish, featuring trails like the Powerhouse Plunge and Crumpit Woods. Over 30 km of singletrack is on the route.
The fastest riders will finish in just over two hours, experienced racers are three to four hours, and a lot of people will finish in five to six hours. There are two cut-offs on the course, but very few people don't make it.
There is no refund and no waitlist.
For more information and registration visit www.testofmetal.com.
No penalties for broadcast of luge death
Viewers in Canada didn't have to imagine what happened to Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili when he crashed into a pillar and died on the eve of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games - many people saw it on television. The crash was broadcast five times during the day, and four times after the death was confirmed - including the evening newscast.
Given the fact that Kumaritashvili was pronounced dead within an hour of the accident, many questioned CTV for showing the 21-year-old's death.
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council received 145 complaints related to the footage, including three requests to conduct an investigation. However, last week the council ruled that Olympic broadcaster CTV was within in rights to show the footage.
The standards council determined that CTV did warn people that the footage was disturbing and upsetting and limited the footage to a long shot taken of the accident. They also said that CTV did not breach any national standards when it comes to broadcasting violence.
In the 40 second clip you could see Kumaritashvili sliding out of control heading into the last corner, hitting the track wall and bouncing out of the track into a metal pillar holding up a roof over the corner. Immediately after the accident track workers can be seen running towards the accident.
Among the panel's findings:
"...the Panel cannot but recognize the horror of the footage showing Nodar Kumaritashvili careening down the track and over the wall. That said, it also realizes that there were no tight shots reflecting the Georgian athlete's condition after impact. There was, in other words. No effort to sensationalize or exaggerate the terrible event."
As a result, the standards council concluded that "broadcasting video footage of the accident did not violate broadcasting standards regarding the depiction of violence or the respect for human dignity."
Canadians strong on the Dew Tour
The Winter Dew Tour got underway in Breckenridge Colorado last weekend with superpipe and slopestyle events for skiers and snowboarders.
Three of the four events are potential previews for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The International Olympic Committee is currently considering the addition of ski halfpipe, and ski and snowboard slopestyle to the Games schedule.
In ski halfpipe, Vernon's Justin Dorey had the lead after the first round, but was bumped back to second by American Simon Dumont. Kevin Rolland of France was third.
On the women's side, Alberta's Dania Assaly took the win, followed by Swiss skier Mirjam Jaeger and American Jessica Cumming.
In slopestyle, Alexis Godbout of Quebec posted the highest score in Dew Tour history to take the win. He was followed by American Bobby Brown and Sammy Carlson.
Ashley Battersby, Keri Herman and Jessica Warll of the U.S. were first through third on the women's side.
There were no Canadians in contention in the snowboard halfpipe, with Americans Louie Vito, Matt Ladley and Greg Bretz placing first through third for the men. Queralt Castellet of Spain placed first in the women's event, followed by Americans Elena Hight and Kaitlyn Farrington.
In slopestyle, the top three men were Torstein Horgmo of Norway, followed by Canadian Mark McMorris and American Chas Guldemond. Quebec's Sebastien Toutant placed ninth.
Jamie Anderson of the U.S. won the women's slopestyle, followed by Charlotte van Gils of the Netherlands and Cheryl Maas - also from the Netherlands.
Park Rider Sessions continue Dec. 31.
The second entry in the Park Rider Sessions presented by Telus is a slopestyle event on Blackcomb, taking place on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31. Skiers and snowboarders of all ages can take part, showing off their skills in the air and on rail features.
Early registration is $29 at Whistler Blackcomb Guest Relations, going up to $35 on the day of the event. Event day registration is available until 9:45 a.m. in the Rendezvous Lodge.
Helmets are mandatory, mouth guards recommended, and kids need a waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
CVTC athletes solid in NorAms
Thomsen D'Hont of the Callaghan Valley Training Centre led the way for the team at the recent NorAm Cup races at the Black Jack Ski Club in Rossland, placing 12th overall and eighth among Canadians in the opening sprint against a field that included World Cup racers and top American prospects.
The top three racers, Stefan Kuhn, Drew Goldsack and George Grey, all race with the national team.
D'Hont's teammate Geoffrey Richards posted the best result in the men's 10 km Freestyle race, 34th place. D'Hont was 52nd. D'Hont was also a respectable 38th in the men's 26.5 km marathon..
King of the Rail returns
The King of the Rail presented by Showcase returns to Whistler Blackcomb on Thursday, Dec. 30 with a new venue to break in.
Instead of the usual location at the base of Blackcomb the event has moved to the base of Whistler, next to the Fitzsimmons Chair.
The contest is open to skiers and boarders of all ages, with the athletes themselves voting for the top male and female at the end of the jam session.
Registration is from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Showcase, with an athlete meeting at 5:45 p.m. to go over the rules. The jam runs from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. under the lights, where the winners will receive a cash prize purse based on the number of entries in their category. There will also be draw prizes from Showcase Burton, Atomic, Nintendo, Telus, DNA and others.
Helmets are mandatory, mouthguards are recommended and other protective equipment for wrists, shins and butts might be a good idea.
Spectators are welcome. The King of the Rail events are fun and informal, with music playing, live commentary and an endless number of runs to watch.
Biathlon programs getting underway
The Callaghan Winter Sports Club is offering biathlon camps for all ages and abilities in the New Year.
The Biathlon Bears youth program is hosting eight sessions from Jan. 9 to Feb. 27 for kids aged 8 to 13, beginner to advanced. The price is $175, with two-hour sessions from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Sundays.
The sessions are skate only.
Duncan Munro, who organized biathlon mountain bike races for kids taking part in the WORCA Dirt Camps this summer, will be helping to coach some of the sessions and is inviting local riders to try the sport.
As well, the CWSC is hosting Masters Biathlon 1 for adults, with five sessions from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8, Jan. 22, Feb. 5, Feb. 19 and March 5. The cost is $140, and participants must be 14 and older to take part.
Air guns will be provided to the Biathlon Bears and rifles to the Masters.
There is also a Masters Biathlon 2 program, which is sold out at this point. That includes 10 two-hour sessions for $360. More information and registration (if space is available) is online at the Callaghan Winter Sports Club. The club does pro-rate sessions at $36 each if skiers can't commit to all 10 sessions.
Will Routley reaching for the top
This week Tony Routley, father of national road cycling champion Will Routley, sent in an explanation of what it means that Will has joined Team SpiderTech for the 2011 season. Tony joked that he was tired of explaining what the selection means for Will and forwarded this explanation to Pique:
"Will's new team for 2011 is SpiderTech Powered by C10... (It) is the 1st time in Canadian history for a Pro Continental Team and one of a few in North America. People keep asking me what does that mean and it can be confusing. There are basically four levels of Pro cycling. Top level is Pro Tour Teams, they have to do Pro Tour races like the Tour de France. Then Pro Continental Teams (Will's team classification) and they can do Pro Tour races with invitations like the Tour de France. Then there are Continental Teams - they cannot do Pro Tour Races. Then you have local or regional teams that have pro racers on them. This of course all ties into how races themselves are classified and what teams can participate in them."
Team SpiderTech is managed by Steve Bauer, arguably Canada's best road racer of all time, and now features some of the top Canadian riders. Olympic racer Svein Tuft is the latest to join the team, confirming his selection on Dec. 10.
That was the same day that SpiderTech was granted it's Division 2 licence. As Tony explained, that gives SpiderTech the potential to race in the top pro events in the world if invited. The Tour de France is the ultimate goal for the team, said Bauer.
Thirteen of the 16 SpiderTech racers are Canadian.
Squamish Wolfpack win one at Ridge Meadows
The Junior B Squamish Wolfpack picked up their fifth win of the season on Friday, Dec. 17 against the Ridge Meadows Flames. The Wolfpack, which have 27 losses this season, including four overtime losses, scored the first three goals of the game, then kept up the pace to the end to win 5-3.
Whistler's Matt Bonin scored both the opening goals, both assisted by Mico Dragutinovic. Konrad Sander, the Wolfpack's top scorer this season, also assisted on the first goal.
The Wolfpack opened up the scoring in the second period to take a 3-0 lead, but Ridge Meadows was on the board 42 seconds later to make it a 3-1 game. The rest of the second period was scoreless, but four goals were scored in the third. Ridge Meadows pulled to within a goal, then Konrad Sander, assisted by Sean Stahlnecker, gave the Wolfpack a two-goal gap once again. Ridge Meadows scored again with less than two minutes left, but couldn't tie the game. Brady Bjornson scored an empty-netter to give the Wolfpack the win.
With the two goals, Junior B rookie Bonin moved up to fourth on the team's scoring list with 14 - seven goals and seven assists.
The team's victory was short-lived, as the team hosted the Delta Ice Hawks at home the following evening. The Ice Hawks, ranked second in the conference, took the win 4-1, including an empty-netter in the third. Squamish and Delta were tied through the first period with each team scoring a power play goal, but Delta added two unanswered goals in the second period.
The Wolfpack were badly outshot, 47 to 28, and Wolfpack goalie Jordan Liem was given the third star for his performance in goal.
The Wolfpack's last game of 2010 was on Wednesday, Dec. 22 at Aldergrove. The team has eight games in January and five in February before the playoffs get underway. The Wolfpack are statistically eliminated from qualifying in the top four in their conference - they would have to win all 13 remaining games, and the Grandview Steelers would have to lose all but one or two of their 13 games, for the Wolfpack to advance.
This is the Wolfpack's third season in the Pacific International Junior Hockey League.
