Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Technical problems mar Test of Metal registration

The most popular mountain bike race in Canada was maybe a little too popular this year, as technical problems surfaced early on in the online registration and slowed things to a crawl until organizers pulled the plug 18 hours later.

The most popular mountain bike race in Canada was maybe a little too popular this year, as technical problems surfaced early on in the online registration and slowed things to a crawl until organizers pulled the plug 18 hours later.

In previous years the race has sold out in under two hours, and one year in 47 minutes.

“It became evident shortly after we went online at 6 p.m. Pacific Time on January 1 that we had a technical problem,” said race director Cliff Miller. “Our technical people were on it right away, but the problem just got worse.”

A decision was made to halt the registration process completely until the bug could be fixed.

Roughly 575 of 800 racers were registered by the time organizers pulled the plug, and were contacted by organizers on Jan. 5 to confirm their entry. The remaining 225 spots were sold on Tuesday afternoon in under an hour.

The Test of Metal organizers say the data centre that processes the Test of Metal entries did not anticipate the number of connections that would be required, and were swamped by the registration rush of approximately 3,000 hits.

“We are in the process of working with our provider to figure out the source of the problem since there was no problem last year, and we would like to avoid this in the future,” said Miller.

Even with the issues, the race registered riders from as far away as South Carolina and New York.

In total, Test of Metal sold 1,000 spots this year, including 200 spots in a locals-only registration in early December. There is no waitlist, and riders who drop out will not be replaced.

As well, riders in the pro elite categories can register until race day.

The 67 km mountain bike race takes place on June 20 in Squamish.

 

Gymnastics looking for coaches, will train

With record registration this past fall, more programs available, including preschool classes, and a new full-time facility on the way at Cheakamus Crossing, Whistler Gymnastics is looking for more coaches. The club is looking for people with coaching certifications to work on a part-time basis, but will also train people with a gymnastics background.

On Jan. 17-18, Whistler Gymnastics is hosting a NCCP Foundations to Gymnastics course at Spring Creek Elementary School.   The course is $147 or $167 after Jan. 10.

To submit an application or enroll in the course, contact coachtami@whistlergymnastics.com, or call 604-902-FLIP (3547).

 

Second King of the Rail on Saturday

Riding rails and boxes is all about balance, commitment and experience — the more you do it the easier it gets.

It’s also all about creativity; almost anybody can hop onto a rail and hope for the best, but it takes real skill to press your nose or tail, spin on and off, ride switch, ski backwards, and change things up a few times from start to finish to up the level of difficulty.

With the exception of inverted tricks, you can expect every type of jib skill to be on display this Saturday, Jan. 10 as Whistler Blackcomb hosts the second King of the Rail event of the season.

The event is open to skiers and snowboarders of all ages, with registration getting underway at 5 p.m. at the Whistler Kids desk at the base of Blackcomb. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in an open jam format. The cost is $15, with a portion of that money going towards the prize purse. Cash prizes are determined by the number of entries in each competitive category.

The athletes themselves judge the winners by casting votes, with a head judge on hand to keep things fair. As well, all participants are eligible to win draw prizes from sponsors at Showcase Snowboards, Glacier Shop, Nintendo, Atomic, DNA, and others.

 

Park series back in session with slopestyle

Of all the park events out there, the most popular is always slopestyle which is a combination of everything. That’s why advance registration is recommended for Sunday’s Telus Park Rider Sessions slopestyle event, as some categories have sold out in the past.

Another reason to register early is to save five bucks — advance registration at Whistler Blackcomb Guest Relations is $25, versus $30 for day-of-event registration, which will be available at the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler until 9:45 a.m.

The event will take place in the terrain park on Whistler, and the event is open to skiers and riders of all ages. The start time is 10:30 a.m., after you check in and get your bib, and spectators are welcome.

There are no cash prizes, but there are prizes for the winners in each category and draw prizes that are available to all participants.

The next event after this Sunday is another slopestyle, this time in the Blackcomb Terrain Park on February 15.

 

Nordic Twoonie tonight at Lost Lake

The Whistler Nordics Twoonie race series continues tonight, Thursday, Jan. 8 with an event at Lost Lake sponsored by Summit Ski and the Hilton.

Sign-on gets underway at 5:30 p.m. at the Lost Lake Ticket Booth, and the race gets underway at 6:15 p.m. The cost is $2, which includes food and refreshments.

You must be a member of the Whistler Nordics to participate, and memberships will be available at the start for $34 for adults, $22 for youth, and $76 for families with up to three members. As well, you’ll need a valid pass to ski Lost Lake trails.

This is the second race of the season, following an event on Dec. 18 at Whistler Olympic Park sponsored by Callaghan Country, Ingrid’s Deli, and Bethel Lands Corp. There will be races every Thursday through the season until March.

For more information, visit www.whistlernordics.com.