The annual Ore Crusher mountain bike race takes place this weekend in Brackendale, with riders making laps of a 6 km course on a mix of intermediate trails through the Cheekeye Fan.
The race gets underway with a Le Mans-style running start at Don Ross Secondary, and finishes there as well. Each lap passes through a staging area where riders can get support or inspiration from the crowd.
The race is open to kids as young as 12, with participants doing between one and six laps, depending on their category. All levels of experience are welcome, and you can race the course as hard as you want to.
You can register online at www.orecrusher.com until Friday afternoon, but day of race registration is available from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the start line. The entry fee is $45, with half the proceeds going towards the Don Ross Secondary School Outdoor Club, which will be providing marshals and other volunteers.
More information and detailed maps are available on the website.
Gold Rush Challenge still accepting boarders
One of the most extreme events in the history of downhill longboarding is still accepting registration.
The 2009 Gold Rush Challenge, at Britannia Beach on May 23, takes place on a 3.25 km stretch of road with a 325 metre drop from start to finish. The course has five corners, including three hairpin turns that will require aggressive speed checks from the racers. Prize money is up for grabs, and roughly 100 of the top downhill skateboarders are expected to take part, including Sea to Sky boarders Jeff Woodfine, Nate Lang and others.
The athletes are expected to reach speeds of 100 km/h, and are required to wear full face helmets, special speed suits, and regulation gloves.
According to organizers this event is a trial for Britannia Beach, and whether it will be allowed back will be decided by the behaviour of athletes and spectators. The organizers also want to put on an event in Whistler in 2010 to draw more attention to an international sport that's growing every year.
For registration e-mail goldrushevents@gmail.com, or for more information visit www.unkle.ca.
Dozen teams sign on for Tough Rugby League
With three weeks to go until the official kickoff, the inaugural Whistler Touch Rugby League has already signed up 12 teams - surpassing the organizers' expectations, especially since it's a first for Whistler.
Touch rugby became its own sport in the 1960s as players used it to practice and warm up for games.
The game is similar to rugby, but without the contact, kicking or set plays like scrums and line outs. The ball must be tossed or handed backwards at all times, while players run, pass, support each other and evade "tacklers" as they attempt to place the ball on the ground in their opponents try zone. The rules are simple and everyone can play, men and women of all ages, regardless of experience.
The Longhorn Saloon has donated $1,000 to the league to purchase equipment, and is also hosting a registration meeting on May 20. You can also e-mail whistlertouchrugby@gmail.com to enter a team or join up as an individual.
The first games are on Wednesday, June 3 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the league runs through the summer on the Myrtle Philip Community Centre fields (behind the school).
Test of Metal gets festive
As one of B.C.'s best know and most popular bike races the Test of Metal has a lot to celebrate. All 1,000 available spots sold out quickly this year, and roughly 300 volunteers will help to put on the event on June 20.
But while the race itself takes place on Saturday, in recent years it's been surrounded by a wider festival known as the North Shore Credit Union Test of Metal weekend.
The festival gets underway on Friday with the Show and Shine Cruiser Ride, sponsored by Republic Bicycle, starting at 2:30 p.m. at the Brackendale Bistro and winding its way downtown.
The Pre-Test festival takes place downtown at 6 p.m. with a variety of bike-friendly activities like the funny-bike race and bike poker. New this year is the Velcro Olympics.
There will be musical entertainment by local bands the Dead Heathers and Jamatonics.
There will also be a Pre-Test Carb Load at the Howe Sound Inn with discounted pasta from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The official party takes place afterwards.
On Sunday, the day after the Test, the Mini-Test is returning to Station Square Mall with a Lions Club pancake breakfast and a short race for younger kids.
At 1 p.m. the annual Rock Star Invitational downhill race gets underway, sponsored by the Tantalus Bike Shop.
For more information visit www.testofmetal.com.
5 Peaks launches at Golden Ears
The first event on the 5 Peaks calendar was an off-road challenge at Golden Ears Provincial Park on Saturday. The course wasn't technical by some standards, but was hilly enough through the first half to be challenging.
Duncan Munro was the top Whistler athlete, finishing 17 th , completing the 14 km course in one hour, eight minutes and 31 seconds.
The top three athletes, all accomplished marathoners, finished in under an hour.
Walter Wallgram was sixth in the male 50 to 59 race with his time of 1:15:20, while Barry McClure was one spot back in the same category in 1:16:31.
Cathy Jenkins placed fourth in the women's 40 to 49 race in 1:25:42.
There was a huge turnout for the race, with close to 500 participants in the Enduro and Sport categories.
The next race in the series is a new event at Simon Fraser University on June 13, followed by events on Mount Seymour on July 25, Whistler Blackcomb on Aug. 22, and Buntzen Lake on Sept. 19. Visit www.5peaks.com.
Registration going strong for triathlon, Whistler Valley Trail Run
There are two races taking place on the annual Family Fun weekend, a triathlon on Saturday and the annual Whistler Valley Trail Run on Sunday.
Registration for the short format Whistler Kids of Steel Triathlon and Adult Try-a-Tri is available through the Whistler Triathlon Club, www.whistlertriclub.ca. Both events take place on Saturday, May 23, with a pool swim, road cycle and run on the Valley Trail.
Registration for the annual Whistler Valley Trail Run, taking place on Sunday, May 24, is at www.whistlervalleytrailrun.ca. Both 5 km and 10 km courses are available.
For the Record
In last week's brief about the Fluidride Cup, the writer mistakenly used the qualifier times from the race instead of the final times. Kristina Strand did finish third, but the difference between Katie Holden, Kathy Pruitt and Katrina Strand was just nine seconds and not close to 30 as mentioned in the paper. We regret the error.
We always endeavour to get event results as accurate as possible and include the results of all local athletes but sometimes the posted results don't include hometowns and can be inaccurate at times. If you know of someone we've missed please let us know at sports@piquenewsmagazine.com.
