Ten riders from the Brooks Secondary School mountain bike team competed in provincial championships held in Salmon Arm recently and represented the Powell River biking community with pride.
The riders earned one third, three fifth and a ninth place finish in respective age categories. New team members competing in the event placed 12th, 13th, 17th and 21st in their categories and the team’s unicycle rider beat five mountain bike riders in his age category.
The full local team consists of 16 riders who hit the trails every Tuesday regardless of weather. Team coach James Hanson said the mandate of the team is to make mountain biking a regular part of the student’s weekly activities, to introduce new riders to the sport and to expand the sport and promote the trail system in and around Powell River.
Facing an eight-kilometre track in Salmon Arm, with an intense “quad-burning” uphill start, the Brooks students held their own. Hanson said the forested trails of Salmon Arm are similar to those in Powell River and that the downhill portions featured some excellent technical sections to challenge riders. Again, familiarity came into play with slightly soggy trails and mud, conditions the riders know well through training all winter in Powell River.
“The Brooks team were awesome ambassadors for Powell River and our local biking community,” said Hanson. “We should be proud of them.”
The team ended the weekend with a morning ride on the canoe trails with the high school team from Valemount. Hanson said the Brooks students met a lot of people on the trip, made some friends and enjoyed the weekend. They even managed to fit in some Shuswap Lake swimming while in the area.
Hanson acknowledges Brooks Secondary School’s Parents Advisory Council, Frank Chrinko at Suncoast Cycles, Evan Gray at Big O Tires, Cam Miller and Andy and Jocelyn Brinton for supporting the team.
Team results are as follows:
Senior boys: Michael Brinton in fifth place.
Senior boys heavy bike class: Ben Perrault in fifth place.
Senior girls: Julie Lance in fifth place.
Junior boys: Spencer Burns in third place, Chris Brinton in ninth place, and Graeme Fair in 13th place.
Juvenile boys: Malcolm McDonald in 12th place. Sawyer Gowans, unicycle, in 25th place.
Bantam boys: Brent Coe in 17th place and Andrew Roddan in 21st place (both of Oceanview Secondary School).
