The Whistler Gymnastics Club has been doing a few different things this summer, including introducing gymnasts to the sport of parkour (a.k.a. freestyle running).
The sport combines running and gymnastics, with participants jumping, climbing and flipping over and around obstacles, usually in an urban setting. It's been featured in a number of movies and television shows, including the James Bond movie Casino Royale and the French film District B13 . A quick trip to YouTube to look up "parkour" will turn up hundreds of videos of hundreds of athletes.
On Aug. 9, and continuing for the next four weeks, the club will be offering adult classes using mats, boxes, trampolines and other equipment to teach people how to use their momentum to jump, absorb, push, roll and flip off various obstacles.
Phat Wednesday returns
With Crankworx in the history books the Whistler Mountain Bike Park has a busy month ahead hosting Phat and Phast Wednesday races.
The first race was Wednesday, Aug. 3. The next Phat Wednesday races are on Aug. 17 and Aug. 31, while the last two PhaSt Wednesday races - for experts only - are on Aug. 10 and Aug. 24.
To race, you must be a member of the Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association and pay a $2 entry fee that will go towards the top riders in each category. You also need a valid lift pass to ride the bike park.
Sign-on starts at 5 p.m. at the Garbanzo Bike and Bean patio and the races get underway at 6 p.m. The aprés race party is at the GLC with draw prizes ranging from SRAM drivetrains to pedals to helmets to GoPro helmet cameras.
For more information, visit www.whistlerbike.com.
Pre-Fondo ride is back
Riders looking to get in a good training ride to prepare for the RBC GranFondo Whistler can take part in the second annual PrimaFondo on Saturday, Aug. 6. The Pre-Fondo is a warm-up event by Corsa Cyles in Squamish that includes rides through Squamish and Paradise Valley, returning to Corsa for a catered barbecue lunch. The ride will get underway at 11 a.m. and finish at 1 p.m.
Specialized Bicycles will be at the start to loan out demo road bikes, but a limited number are available and you'll need to contact Corsa by Friday to reserve a bike.
The ride and the lunch are free, but you'll need to RSVP sandra@corsacycles.com to secure a place in the pack and lunch table.
The event is co-sponsored by the RBC GranFondo Whistler and Specialized Bikes.
The main GranFondo is set for Sept. 10, 2011, starting in downtown Vancouver and heading through Stanley Park and across the Lions Gate Bridge before climbing Taylor Way to access the Sea to Sky Highway. The event finishes in Whistler, with a total distance of just over 120km.
Rosser tops in Canada Cup
One week after the mountain bike nationals wrapped up at Panorama the downhill course was open to a Canada Cup races.
Squamish's Lauren Rosser was the top racer and first junior with her time of 3:51.67, followed by Miranda Miller in 3:59:30. Danice Uyesugi of the North Shore was third in 4:05.38.
Tenderfoot Boogie Ultra and Relay
If you're an ultra runner you probably know all about the Tenderfoot Boogie Ultra and Relay, a 50 mile (80 kilometre), 50km or 28km run from Squamish to Whistler that takes place on Saturday, Aug. 6 - it's not really something you enter on a whim.
However, it might be news to other runners that you can do the full course with a three or seven-person team.
The start for the 50m race is at Adventureland on Loggers Lane in Squamish, with sign-on at 4:30 a.m. and a 5 a.m. start. The 50km run leaves from the Tenderfoot Fish Hatchery, with sign-on at 6:30 a.m. and a 7 a.m. start. The 28km race starts at Brandywine Falls with sign-on at 8:30 a.m. and a 9 a.m. start. There will be race-day registration for solo racers, but teams must register in advance.
There will be seven aid stations on the course, which are also hand-off points for relay teams.
The course itself follows the Sea to Sky Trail from the dike along the Squamish River, up through Brohm Lake Park to the Tenderfoot Fish Hatchery. From there, the trail winds up the Sea to Sky trail route through the Cheakamus Canyon, and on to Brandywine Falls and the new sections of the Sea to Sky Trail completed last summer. The course arrives in Whistler and diverts onto Trash and the Riverside Trails, before heading back to the highway and the climb up the Sproatt Flank Trail and bike trails on Whistler's west side. The last part of the trail is A River Runs Through It, finishing with another run on the Valley Trail.
The Tenderfoot Boogie Trail Race fills the gap left by the STORMY Ultra in Squamish, which is on hiatus this year as a result of permitting issues. It's sanctioned by BC Athletics.
For more information and registration, visit www.trailwhisperer.ca/Tenderfoot/Tenderfoot.htm.
It's also only one of the two ultra runs between Squamish and Whistler this year. The Sears Great Canadian Run: The Relay to End Kids Cancer, takes place on Saturday, Aug. 27 and follows a similar route. You can take part in a relay with up to 20 runners, although a few athletes are going 70km or 80km solo. Exchange points are every five to 14km.
For more, visit www.thesearsgreatcanadianrun.ca.
JABR registration open
The final event in the Hell of a Series is the second annual Just Another Bike Race, taking place in Squamish on Aug. 20.
You'd think with four marathon-style races in Squamish it could get repetitive, but JABR organizers have made a point to make the course different.
The start and finish are at Quest University. From Quest, the ride heads up Garibaldi Park Road to the Ring Creek Forest Service Road until the George's Crossing Bridge, and up the road to Half-Nelson - Squamish's newest machine-built trail. After the descent, riders cross George's Crossing once again to the climb to Lower Power Smart, then to another logging road towards Alice Lake. The list of trails in the area includes Rob's Corners, Cliff's Corners and Mike's Loop to Credit Line. After Credit Line it's Jack's Trail and up to Mashiter Trail, Roller Coaster and back to Quest. From there it's another climb back up Ring Creek FSR for a third time to Psuedo Tsuga. Next up is Lower Power Smart and Word of Mouth before heading back to the University.
A complete map is available at www.testofmetal.com/pages/jabr.php.
Online registration is open until Thursday, Aug. 18 for $55. You can register from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday at Nesters Market (cash only), or from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. beside the Quest gym on race day. The ride starts at 11 a.m.
Charity volleyball tournament looking for teams
Registration is underway for the third annual Whistler Outdoor Volleyball Association Open, a charity fundraiser taking place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 7 at Rainbow Park.
The event benefits the Whistler Community Services Society which, among other things, runs the local food bank.
There are both two-on-two and four-on-four divisions with a cost of $25 per player. There's also a two-person bocce ball tournament for $10 for a team of two and a watermelon eating contest for $5. A silent auction will be held, and the wrap party and awards are at the Dubh Linn Gate.
For an entry form visit www.wova.ca.
Free trail running clinics underway
Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. the Escape Route is hosting free trail running clinics, with registration at the store starting at 6 p.m. From the Marketplace, groups will head to the trails, with programs and courses for everyone from beginners to the intermediate and the low advanced level. Gabby DeGagne, a former competitive cross country and track athlete, as well as a varsity level coach, will be leading the runs.
