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The year in sports

What a year it was. Every year another batch of Whistler athletes pushes the limits, taking on the world and each other, sometimes coming out ahead.

What a year it was.

Every year another batch of Whistler athletes pushes the limits, taking on the world and each other, sometimes coming out ahead.

But while Whistler is home to some of the top mountain athletes in the country, including past, present and future Olympic heroes, our elite athletes are still just a small part of our local sports community. From our local ski club to our high school soccer team to the weekly Loonie Races, it's clear that the spirit of competition is alive and well here. It's not all about winning, either, but participation - and Whistler's many athletes can always be counted on to show up, and do their best. Person for person, I'd wager that Whistler is one of the most active towns in the world.

We start 'em young here. It seems that every kid in town is active. There are just over 1,000 school age children in Whistler, and yet we manage to field the full spectrum of youth hockey teams, soccer teams, and baseball and softball teams. A girl's hockey program started up this year, and a winter basketball league is in its second year.

We have one of the highest per capita enrolments in gymnastics in all of B.C.

The ski, freestyle ski, and snowboard clubs have full rosters of kids and coaches. The figure skating club is strong as well.

We have a core of kids that have been featured in ski, snowboard and mountain bike movies, and show up to school dressed head to toe by their sponsors. I've been passed by 13-year-olds in Loonie Races that ride like they were born in the saddle.

There are half a dozen martial arts programs underway with strong turnouts among kids as well.

And our Whistler Dance Academy dancers win gold medals at every contest they enter with their incredibly athletic performances. The list goes on.

In July, Whistler and Vancouver were named as the hosts of the 2010 Winter Games, and some of the most emotional locals that day were the younger skiers who knew that they could one day be representing their country at home.

Some of the Olympic critics were right - Whistler doesn't really need to host the Olympics. But I can't think of another town anywhere that has the athletes we have, and that deserves to host the Games as much as we do. Although Whistler will increase its global visibility, and we're going to get a few new facilities out of the Olympics, there's no doubt in my mind that we're doing it for the love of sports.

So, without any further ado, this was your year in sports. All athletes are Whistler / Pemberton / Squamish locals unless otherwise specified.

JANUARY

Jan. 11 -Jenn Ashton wins her third Canadian freeskiing title on a hard-packed day on Spanky's Ladder, setting herself up for a second world title. Local skier Pierre-Yves Leblanc, the 2002 winner, finished third overall behind some insane performances by French skiers Manuel Gaidet and Guerlain Chicherit. Whistler skiers Leif Zapf-Gilje and Mike Stevenson were fifth and seventh overall.

Jan. 10-12 -Blackcomb Freestyle Ski Club skiers rock at Apex with Keltie Hicks winning gold in youth moguls and Christina Ortero taking silver in the juniors. They both repeated in the dual moguls. Zack Glanzberg was second in the youth men's, and Eddie Hicks and Andrew Clough were fifth in their categories.

Jan. 11 - The Big Mountain Experience weekend, which featured the Canadian Freeskiing Championships, also featured the first Whistler LifeLink/Dynafit Randonnee Rally contest, part of an alpine ski touring race series based on popular European events. Nelson native Greg Hill took the win in the men's race, and Whistler's own Nancy Johnston won the women's category.

Jan. 11-12 - Whistler Mountain Ski Club skiers dominate their first test of the season with Julia Murray and Taryn Ng finishing first and third, and James McLean and Jonathan Wells finishing first and second on day one. Jennifer Mah and Nadia Samer finished first and third on day two, McLean and Wells repeated, and Thomas Kasperkiewicz of the WMSC was third.

Jan. 14 - Whistler's Candice Drouin and Wendy Lumby of Alberta team up to win the sixth annual Paul Mitchell Ultracross in California.

Jan. 18 - Whistler's James Shaw narrowly edges out Ron Carmichael in the Lost Lake Shuffle, with both skiers completing 91 km of cross country track in four hours. Whistler's Nikki Kassel led the women with 25 laps, or 87.5 km. Racers were most impressed by 9-year-old Bobby Bunbury who finished 14 laps (49 km) of the course, and by Pemberton's Sydney VaLoon, who finished 16 laps (56 km) using classical gear.

Jan. 20 - Whistler rider Drew Neilson is third in the world snowboard championship snowboard cross. Whistler's Maelle Ricker was seventh in halfpipe, followed by Lori Glazier in 10 th and Mercedes Nicoll in 19 th .

Jan. 20 - Snowboard legend Craig Kelly is among the seven people to die in an avalanche on the Durand Glacier outside of Revelstoke.

Jan. 20 - Aleisha Cline continues to dominate skier cross with a win at the U.S. Freeskiing Nationals. Davey Barr is second.

Jan. 21 - Johnny Law wins the U.S. Freeskiing Nationals Big Mountain Freeskiing Championships at Snowbird, Utah.

Jan. 31-Feb. 1 - The fastest time on the first day of the 19 th annual Appleton Rum Peak to Valley race goes to freeskier Chris Winter and Janine Linder-Joris. Chris Gruber and Joan Wilson were fastest on day two. The fastest team in the race was once again Wild Willies at Nesters - Liz Roehrig Thompson, Rick Lewon, Rob Rainer and Chris Kent.

FEBRUARY

Feb. 1-2 - The 23 rd annual Bob Parsons Memorial race is held on Blackcomb's Lower Cruiser for racers in the K2 (age 13 and 14) and FIS (age 15 and 16) programs. The Whistler Mountain Ski Club all but dominated the podium spots in the super G races. Julia Murray won gold, Katherine Cape took silver and Nadia Samer was bronzed in the K2 race. Charlotte Whitney and Anastasia Skryabina were first and second in the FIS category. Ben Chaddock, Trevor Conroy and Lake Philip of the WMSC were first through third among the FIS men. Matthew Holler won the K2 race, followed by Jonathan Wells and Rey Stanislas.

Murray was first again the next day for the K2s. Skryabina was first among FIS racers, followed by Whitney and Alison Leighton.

Holler won the super G the next day, followed by Wells and Stanislas.

Feb 9 - Quebec City's Melanie Turgeon wins the world championship downhill title at St. Moritz, Switzerland. Erik Guay was sixth in the men's race.

Feb. 9 - Almost 150 cross-country skiers turned out for the 26 th annual Fairmont Chateau Whistler Cup loppet, including 50 Jackrabbits aged 13 and younger.

Feb. 6 to 9 - Whistler athletes do well in the U.S. Freeskiing Open at Vail, Colorado. Mark Abma was fifth in the slopestyle, Ashleigh McIvor was second in the skier cross and Cat Smiley was sixth in the skier cross.

Feb. 9 - Whistler's Ian Goard finished 15 th overall and third in the 30 to 34 age category in the 21 km Pacific Road Runners half marathon.

Feb. 13 - Nanaimo's Allison Forsyth, a Whistler Mountain Ski Club grad, won bronze in the world championship giant slalom.

Feb. 13 - Sarah Kopinya takes bronze in the FIS junior world championship halfpipe at Prato Nevoso, Italy, following up two top-10 World Cup results for the season.

Feb. 17 - Whistler sled nut B.J. Murray wins the Xtremely Awards held by Impact Video Distributing.

Feb. 28-Mar.1 - The WMSC ruled in the provincials at Fernie. Katherine Cape won silver in super G. and Matthew Holler and Rey Stanislas were first and third among men. In the GS, Julia Murray won silver and Holler and James McLean were first and third. Holler won a third gold in the slalom to give himself a hat trick.

MARCH

Mar. 4 - WMSC racer Ben Chaddock moves up from 21 st to first in the men's super G in the Canada Winter Games at Mont Restigouche, New Brunswick. Whistler's Kayla Benow also won a bronze in the women's super G event.

Mar. 6 - Britt Janyk leads the Canadian team in the Are, Sweden World Cup races, finishing fifth in the giant slalom and 15 th in slalom. The following week, Melanie Turgeon takes fifth in the downhill.

Mar. 8 - Jenn Ashton claims her second consecutive International Freeskiers Association world tour title with another strong performance in Les Arcs, France. With injuries taking Hugo Harrison and Pierre-Yves Leblanc out of the competition, Whistler's Johnny Law stepped up to finish second at Les Arcs and third overall on the tour. Leif Zapf-Gilje was seventh in the rankings, and Leblanc still managed to pull out an eighth place finish.

Mar. 8 - Crispin Lipscomb makes his first World Cup podium in halfpipe, earning a bronze at Serre Chevalier, France.

Mar. 6-8 - The Whistler Secondary Storm girl's gymnastics team took part in its first B.C. Championships in Deep Cove. Holly Hetherington won gold on balance beam, Nicola Bennett won gold on the vault and silver on bars, Melissa Manuel was seventh on the vault, and Michaela D'Artois was fifth on the uneven bars. In the next level down, Sara Fenwick was fifth on the vault and Eleanor Messeguer was fifth on the floor.

Mar. 15 - WMSC skiers are on top in the CIBC Wood Gundy K1 (age 11 and 12) provincials at Mount Washington, winning medals in every event. Benjamin MacLean and Morgan Pridy were second and third in the giant slalom. Victoria Whitney and Brynne Benbow were first and second in the first women's slalom, and Brooke Milne and Brittany McGovern won gold and silver in slalom number two. Pridy won gold in the first men's slalom and Sam Gibson was third.

Mar. 15 - The WMSC's Matthew Holler wins the national K2 title at Fernie.

Mar. 15 - Fabio Moscattelli wins the bronze medal in the Canadian Telemark Championships at Kimberley Alpine Resort. Angela Schoniker takes the silver medal.

Mar. 16 - The final World Cup snowboard cross of the season goes to Whistler's Drew Neilson. Mont Tremblant's Jasey Jay Anderson claims the World Cup title for the third year in a row with a fifth place finish.

Mar. 16 - Whistler skier Ben Thornhill leads the University of Utah Utes to their first NCAA title in four years with a win in the giant slalom.

Mar. 22 - Whistler's Davey Barr wins the Extreme Sports Skiercross at Sunshine Village. Candice Drouin and Ashleigh McIvor are second and fourth among women.

Mar. 21-30 - Britt Janyk is solid in the Pontiac GMC Cup Canadian Alpine Championships in Whistler, winning gold in slalom and GS. Jeff Hume was third in super G and fourth in the GS.

Mar. 29-30 - Sylvia Kerfoot wins silver in moguls and bronze in dual moguls at the Canadian Freestyle Ski Championships at Apex. Tami Bradley, who retired after the season, took the gold in both single and dual moguls.

APRIL

Apr. 12-13 - Ketlie Hicks is second in the moguls and dual moguls at Silverstar to win the youth moguls title. Christina Ortero posted identical results among juniors, and won the Grand Prix Ladies Moguls series.

Apr. 12-13 - The World Ski and Snowboard Festival gets underway with the Ripzone Snowboard Invitational. In the big air, local rider Marc-Andre Tartre claimed the title with solid 900s and 1080s, and one nearly successful attempt at a cab 1260. In the superpipe contest, Crispin Lipscomb was third overall, but won the athlete-judged superhit contest. Justin Lamoureux was fourth, Josh Duncan fifth, David Melancon seventh, and Gabe Authier ninth to put five Whistler riders in the top-10. Natasza Zurek and Maëlle Ricker were first and second among the women. Mercedes Nicoll and Sarah Kopinya were fourth and seventh, and Lori Glazier was ninth, once again putting another five Whistler riders in the top-10.

Apr. 17 - Aleisha Cline and Ashleigh McIvor are first and third in the Saab Salomon Crossmax series championships in Whistler.

Apr. 20 - Jason Fentiman wins the World Freestyle Snowmobile Competition at the dirt track in Pemberton.

Apr. 19 - Whistler skiers Phil Belanger, Chris Turpin and Ryan McKeeman were sixth, ninth and 10th at the World Ski Invitational superpipe contest. Rex Thomas was third in the Big Air, and Turpin was eighth. Chris Dimma was fourth.

MAY

May 3 - The B.C. Cup mountain bike racing series kicks off in Parksville. Whistler locals would be a factor in that race and every B.C. Cup event last season to place on top in the overall standings.

May 16-17 - The winter sports component of the first ever X-Games Global Championships took Whistler by storm, with athletes representing nations and regions rather than their pro sponsors.

In the snowboard superpipe, Whistler's Natasza Zurek (underrated by the announcers) took the gold medal with an incredible first run that left the rest of the field playing catch-up. They didn't. Maëlle Ricker was fifth. The Canadian men's team of Justin Lamoureux and Guillaume Morisset were fifth and seventh. In the ski event, Ontario's Sarah Burke (who has lived and coached in Whistler in the past) dominated with a strong second run. Among the men, Canada's Philippe Belanger took the silver medal and Philippe Larose was fifth.

May 18 - Whistler FIS skier Rachel Walker wins the Cary Mullen Award, presented by B.C. Alpine. Jamie Finlayson was the male athlete of the year, Rachel Walker was the top female athlete, Ben Chaddock was the most improved male and most sportsmanlike, and Alison Leighton was the most improved female in the FIS category. Among the K2s, Matthew Holler and Katherine Cape were the top athletes, Katrina Dekur was most improved, and Tom Kasperkiewicz was the most sportsmanlike. In K1, Morgan Pridy and Toria Whitney were the top athletes and Brooke Milne was most sportsmanlike.

May 18 - Daniel Havens is 10 th overall and first in his age group at the North Shore Sprint Triathlon. Tracey Pope was second among women and first in her category. Claire Daniels was second in the under 20 group. Four local competitors won their age divisions, and another five finished in the top five.

May 19 - Davey Barr takes the second annual Crud to Mud, a race from top to bottom on Whistler Mountain using skis/snowboards and mountain bikes. Jenn Ashton won the women's title, and James McSkimming was the top junior.

May 19 - Whistler's James Parker wins the fifth annual Showcase Showdown quarterpipe contest. Justin Lamoureux was second and Dennis Bannock third.

May 21-25 - The Whistler Dance Academy sent 57 girls to the Dance Power competition in New Westminster. Individuals and troupes won 12 medals.

JUNE

June 5 - Whistler's Rob Boyd is inducted in the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame.

June 14 - Mountain biker Will Routley finished 18 th in the B.C. Road Championships. In the next tier down, Tyler West was third. Tony Routley and Michael Boehm were 14 th and 17 th in that tier. One more tier down, Trevor Hopkins was sixth overall.

June 21 - Will Routley and Tyler West finished fourth and fifth in the 67 km Test of Metal mountain bike race, earning UCI points in the now-sanctioned event. Angela Teng was sixth among women. Brook Baker was fourth in the Under 17/Junior Woman's category. James Crowe won the U17 men's race and his father Eric Crowe won the Master 40 Expert Men's category. Tony Routley was third in that category. Jodie Hopkins was third in senior sport women, and Joanna Harrington third among senior expert women. Michael Boehm was third in the Master 30 to 39 group, in which Matt Bodkin was seventh. Ronni Lister won the women's 30 to 39 Expert Women's race, and Marilyn Hellier was fourth. Uschi Scherer was first in the Citizen 50 and Over race. Dawn-Weberg titus was second in the 40 to 49 race, and Caroline Lamont was fifth among citizens 30 to 39. Christine Cogger was third in the 19 to 29 group. Jesse Melamed was second in the Teen Test of Metal.

June 22 - James McSkimming is sixth in the Test of Metal Trials competition.

June 28 - Will Routley is seventh in the Canadian National Road Championships. Tony Routley was 13 th in the men's B division race.

June 28 - Catherine Bachelor wins gold in the Spirit Whistler 2003 full contact Karate tournament. Eric Hould was second in the middle weight division.

JULY

July 12 - Kevin Titus wins the 48 km Knee Knackering North Shore Trail Run, setting a new record for the challenging course. Scott Pass was third.

July 12 - Paul Suter wins his category in the Squamish Triathlon. In their categories, Paul Nicholas was second, Daniel Havens third, Marie-Anne Prevost second, Greg Sandkuhl first and Mae Palm first.

July 14 - The third annual Joyride Bikercross, held as part of the Whistler Summer Gravity Festival, took place with a pro lineup. Jenn Ashton and Claire Buchar were sixth and eighth, and Tyler Morland was fourth in the amateur men's race. In the junior category, James McSkimming and Daryl Leduke were sixth and ninth.

July 19 - The downhill mountain bike nationals were held in Whistler. Whistler riders Chris Dewar and Tyler Morland finish sixth and seventh among the elite men, Claire Buchar was second among elite women, Brook Baker won the Under 17/Junior Expert Title, Kyle Ritchie of Squamish won the Youth Expert 15-16 race, and Ian MacAlister and Greg MacDonald were second and third in their respective age categories.

July 19-20 - The national cross-country championships in Whistler were longer and tougher than previous championships. Will Routley was 20 th overall and fourth among espoirs. Angela Teng was seventh overall. In the age categories, Michael Boehm took gold, and Eric Crowe, James Crowe, Joanna Harrington and Ronni Lister won silver.

July 19 - Whistler hosted a Slopestyle Expression Session on the lower part of the bike park. Richie Schley was third with a huge Nothing - no hands or feet - over the big gap.

AUGUST

Aug. 11 - Claire Buchar, Will Routley and Brook Baker are selected by the Canadian Cycling Association to represent Canada at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Switzerland.

Aug. 23 - Cyclist Matt Chater wins silver in the Olympic Sprint in the National Track Cycling Championships.

Aug. 23 - The B.C. Cup mountain bike series wraps up in Hemlock. James Crowe wins the overall Under 17 Expert title, junior expert Brook Baker is third in cross-country and first in the downhill standings, Eric Crowe is second, Will Routley is third, Angela Teng fourth, and Greg Macdonald second in the Master Men's downhill.

Aug. 24 - Almost a dozen locals competed in Ironman Canada at Penticton. Paul Suter and Mae Palm qualify for the World Ironman Championships by finishing in the top-10 in their categories.

Aug. 29 - The provincial government issues a fire hazard warning for the coast that results in the closure of all Crown land to the general public. This delays the Samurai of Singletrack, Sea to Summit Adventure Race and West Side Wheel Up events, and threatens to move the Cheakamus Challenge. Only the Wheel Up would be cancelled.

Aug. 30 - Tony Routley is fourth in the Masters World Cross Country Championship.

Aug. 30-31 - Whistler hosts its first ever 24 Hours of Adrenalin race, including the world solo championships. Joe Maika was 20 th in the solo category, and Alex Cogger was third in his solo age category.

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 13 - Crispin Lipscomb is seventh in the World Cup snowboard season opener at Valle Nevado, Chile.

Sept. 20 - Will Routley and Angela Teng finish second among elites in the 71 km Cheakamus Challenge. Lesley Clements, Meredith Armstrong, Joanna Harrington, James Crowe, Eric Crowe, Steve Turner, Joe Maika, Keith Ray, Matt Bodkin and Tony Routley all finished top-three in their respective age categories.

Sept. 20 - Five more names are presented Cheaky Awards and adopted into the local mountain bike hall of fame. They are Tony Horn, Bob Lorriman, Keith Bennett, Chris Markle, and Daamiann Skelton.

Sept. 26 - Whistler-Blackcomb announces the formation of a ski and snowboarder pro team, including freeskiers Mike Douglas, Hugo Harrison, Jenn Ashton, Aleisha Cline, Britt Janyk and Mark Abma, and snowboarders Maëlle Ricker, Chris Dufficy, Shin Campos, Kevin Sansalone, JF Pelchat and Gaetan Chanut. The Legends Team includes Rob Boyd, Eric Pehota, Ross Rebagliati, Brian Savard, John Smart and Lee Anne Patterson.

Sept. 28 - More than a 120 riders turn out to dedicate the Al Grey Memorial Bridge (also known as the Al Presidenté Bridge) to officially open the 24 km Comfortably Numb trail.

OCTOBER

Oct. 4 - Some 101 out of 104 entries completed the Samurai of Singletrack, a 63 km epic on the most challenging local bike trails. Will Routley was first to the finish in five hours and 12 minutes. Angela Teng was the top woman, and James Crowe was the one and only junior.

Oct. 11 - Eighteen Whistler runners took part in the Royal Victoria Marathon and Half Marathon, most finishing in the top third of their age divisions.

Oct. 18 - Eight fighters from the Whistler martial Arts Centre win nine medals at the Western Karate Championships in Burnaby.

Oct. 30-Nov.1 - The Whistler Secondary Storm boys soccer team hosted the A division championships this year, tallying three wins, a loss and a draw against the top schools with 500 students or less in the province. Because of the way it transpired, they were relegated to the last division after the first two games, and finished 10 th our of 12 teams despite their winning record.

NOVEMBER

Nov. 22 - Mogul skier and coach John Smart was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame in a ceremony in Ottawa, in recognition of his decade skiing bumps for the national team and his contributions to the sport since his retirement.

Nov. 23 - Whistler runners were strong in the UBC Fall Classic race. David Higgins was second overall in the half marathon, Paul Suter was second in his age category, Tracey Pope was fifth among women and second in her age group.

DECEMBER

Dec. 6 - Mont Tremblant's Erik Guay wins silver in the Lake Louise World Cup downhill, becoming only the second Canadian male downhiller in history to win a medal on Canadian soil. Rob Boyd, who won the World Cup downhill at Whistler in 1989, is the other Canadian male to stand on a World Cup podium at home.

Dec. 6-7 - The Whistler Secondary Storm girls senior volleyball team attends the provincials for the first time. Although they don't win any games, they came close against the top teams and earned the most sportsmanlike award.

Dec. 13 - Whistler athletes take part in the World Cup halfpipe in Whistler. Newcomer Dan Raymond is the top male, finishing sixth. Mercedes Nicoll won silver for the second consecutive year.

Dec. 16 - Sylvia Kerfoot takes a gold medal in Nor Am moguls competition, winning her way back onto the national moguls team with a run that included a backflip with an iron cross.

From marathons to mountain bike races, Whistler's athletes won medals everywhere they went this year. If you were one of those athletes, congratulations. And congratulations to everybody who put in an effort this year, and made Whistler one of the greatest sporting towns in the world.