The local husband-and-wife team of Chris Kovarik and Claire Buchar dominated the first Phat Weekend races in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, claiming the men’s and women’s events, respectively, on Sunday (Sept. 16).
The race targeting skilled riders used a difficult course, running down Fantastic to Upper Whistler Downhill to Lower Whistler Downhill. Kovarik tamed the route in two minutes, 23.02 seconds and topped a strong podium, as Remi Gauvin (+4.16) and Whistler’s Zander Geddes (+4.49) were second and third.
“It was quite a difficult little race,” said Kovarik. “The more people we can get to (these races), the better, because it’s such a great atmosphere.”
Buchar clocked in at 2:43.68, ahead of fellow podium finishers Pat Moreno and Maria Darquier.
Jack Iles had a phenomenal run to win the junior category, as his time of 2:30:75 was fifth-fastest overall on Sunday. Tiago Azzi was the runner-up and Brad Jansen placed third. In the masters division, Jon Moon (2:34.93) took top spot, while second and third place went to Steve Storey and Robin Potvin.
See www.whistlerquestion.com for video highlights of Sunday’s race.
The bike park will run on more Phat Weekend race on Sept. 29 and 30. The Chasse au Tresor scavenger hunt also returns on Thanksgiving weekend, scheduled for Oct. 6 with a turkey dinner to follow. See www.whistlerbike.com for event results and details.
Locals solid in disc golf provincials
Coquitlam’s Dave Ross saved his best round of the weekend until last and captured the B.C. Provincial Disc Golf Championships’ open division title when play wrapped up Sunday in Whistler.
Ross recorded a 6-under-par round of 54 — the lowest from any player in the two-day tournament — in Sunday’s third and final round, finishing with a 15-under total and a one-shot victory over Nanaimo’s Matt MacDonald.
Hosted by the Whistler Disc Golf Club on a 20-hole layout not usually seen at the local Powerline course, the event drew “rave reviews” from competitors, said the club’s Craig McConnell.
“Everybody loved the course and the layout that we did,” said McConnell. “(Ross) is one of the best disc golfers in Western Canada, he’s usually in the top three of any tournament he plays.”
Several local players had solid finishes in other categories, led by Todd Simsor, who won the Advanced Masters (40-plus) division at 19-over.
Bruce Rowles was the runner-up in the Advanced class, finishing four shots back of Eyles at 1-over. Three Whistler players made the top seven of the Intermediate division, with Iain Warren (-6) finishing second behind Jamie Fochuck. Steve Laski (-3) placed fourth and Morgan Rosato (E) was seventh.
Chaddock fourth at nationals
Whistler’s Ben Chaddock was held off the podium in all men’s omnium events at the Canadian Track Cycling Championships, finishing fourth overall during races last Thursday and Friday (Sept. 13 and 14) in Dieppe, N.B.
Chaddock placed fourth in four of the omnium’s six races — the flying lap, individual pursuit, scratch race and time trial — while finishing sixth in the points and elimination races. The 27-year-old matched his fourth-place overall standing in the omnium from the Canadian championships in 2011. Quebec’s Remi Pelletier-Roy won the event.
Chaddock earned a silver medal in the scratch race and bronze in the points race at last year’s track nationals. The Team Exergy pro rider won the Canadian men’s criterium title at road nationals this year.
Paddlers hit podium
Pemberton paddlers secured a number of podium finishes at Canoe Kayak B.C.’s Bantam/Novice/Masters Championships in Nanaimo on the weekend, including a couple of victories in which all nine locals contributed.
The Pemberton athletes won both the War Canoe and Battle of the Big Boats races when teaming up with paddlers from other clubs. The Pemberton club sent Winona Nelson, Bailey Thomson, Anne Linklater, Oliver Esseltine, Isabel Peters, Eric Peters, and Dayna, Shelby and Kolton Goochey to the event.
In the singles and doubles races held in Nanaimo, Pemberton paddlers came through with 14 podium finishes. Among the duos winning gold at the event were Isabel Peters and Shelby Goochey (bantam girls’ K2 200m), Thomson and Nelson (open women’s K2 200m) and Linklater and Dayna Goochey (open women’s C2 200m). Isabel Peters also won the open women’s C1 200m race.
Full results were not available at press time but will be posted to www.canoekayakbc.ca once compiled.
