BB - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 24, 2002 -SKEENA ANGLER ROB BROWN Trout Travels 7 enny listened intently as Morris Thorn continued to spin a brocade of Vedder River memories, stitching il together with opinions obviously deeply held. “The Hatchery is just one more coffin nail,” growled Thorn, putting his face within inches of his young listener. “Just one more nail...” his voice trailed off into the distance. His pale gray eyes glazed over like the surface of a mountain lake does before it’s swallowed by cloud. Moments later a cerebral wind cleared away the mist and a pier- cing light shone from Thorn’s eyes once more. “Did you pass that vinyl village a few miles back?” he said. Kenny nodded. “There. Right there. That land was our place. It was the sticks back then. We were hillbillies. Coulda been a farm. Dad always talked about making it one, but he got used to making good’ By SARAH A, ZIMMERMAN BRAD NORWOOD will have a Jot of eyes on him next weekend when he takes to the ice with Team North in one of the biggest hockey tournaments to come to the northwest . The Terrace teenager was recently selected as one of two goalies to play for the elite northern B.C. bantam team: Team North is taking part in the Best Ever B.C, Cup in Kitimat May 2-5 and it'll be tak- ing on the most talented young hockey pro- spects of their age in the province. The Best Ever amuteur hockey program is a venue fur high calibre hockey and some play- ers from this tournament will be chosen for spots on Team B.C. for the Canada Winter Games next year. This is the first time the tournament has been held in the north. Kitimat will host 120 players from six regions to compete in the 15 game round robin. Try-outs for Team North took -place in Prince George Apr. 12-14. “There were a lot of kids — 46 and they’re all talented,” said Team North assistant coach John Amos. Amos also coached the Terrace Bantam rep team this year. The 46 players from Smithers to Prince George to Whitehorse vyed for just 20 spots on the Team. The prospects played two 60 minute scrim- mages and two 90 minute practises in front of l4 evaluators TERRACE S' ANDARD_ 0. MES TEAM NORTH 638-7283 4 EVER PROGRAM TEAM NORTH made up of bantam hockey players from northern B.C, take on the best of the province at the Best Ever B.C. Cup in Kitimat May 2-5. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO. Smithers cutshot Terrace a whopping 51-14 during reguiation time and Amos said it was Norwood’s ability that kept the score tied up, forcing overtime. Terrace lost on a soft goal in overtime, but Norwood’s who were keep- ing their eyes open for players “He played very well in all the pressure puck-stopping performance was what kept the International! Hockey League. Vancouver's team is expec- ted lo be a pow- erhouse again this year simply because of the sheer volume of money logging until he got hurt and couldn’t run which would Situations we put him in.” them in the players they a farm if he wanted to. make the cut. game. have to choose “Grampa and Gramma lived a mile from us.: “They all see Norwood also from, They were the only people close by. They had an orchard and a huge garden. Between what the two of them grew, and the game prampa brought home with a gun and a rod, they fed us all, and fed us well.” With the best players of each region playing on each team, the competition received the most dedicated player award at the end of the season. The recipient is chosen by the coaches based on ability, performance and dedication. “You look at a team and if we had taken these guys in the stands with their little books, making notes,” said Amos. “Some feel the pressure and others just play the game.” Goaltenders, including Norwood, took part in special sessions focussing on goal tending _ Kenny held out another cigarette. Thorn took. fundamentals. him out of the picture it would have changed — will be stiff. . a and continued. . . Just four boys from the northwest made the — things drastically,” Amos said. The tourna- It was Grampa that first took me to the river. Team north team including Terrace’s Brad Now Norwood will show fans, players and ment is a N d i was nine. Won't forget it ever. He took me to a Norwood, Jake Hughson, Will Blair and Kevin © scouts from around the province what he's got chance for fans Brad Norwoo pool below Tamihi Creek. The hard woods were yellow and red, their leaves ripe and ready to fall with the next stiff wind. Grampa got me rig- ged up then pinned a big squirming night craw- ler to my hook. “He was the best teacher I ever had; never said much, Didn’t have to, He spoke with his eyes; spoke volumes with ‘em. ““Roy,’ was all he said, before he gave me a look that said keep your eyes on me and look hard ‘cause it’s not so hard that I should have to demonstrate it twice, Then he stripped some line off that weathered old Winona reel and flicked the worm oul over the water in a graceful are. He stripped the line in and handed the rod to me. The first cast went well, ] thought. “‘Higher,’ was all grampa said, then he turned and built a fire with moss, some twigs, and the bark that he’d peeled off a Doug fir snag on the way in. He flipped the flap on his bulging Trapper Neison and pulled a cast iron frying pan_ from inside it. He laid it on a big, flat rock, then he turned to tend the fire, to get a good bed of coals glowing. “The moment he turned his back, my rod — it was one of them telescoping tubular steel poles — bent as much as it could. I pulled the line in so fast I can’t, to this day, believe that fish didn’t come off, or that the line didn’t snap, And - there, flopping at my feet, was a big, fat dolly varden. I derticked it up, swung around and low- ered it in onto that black frying pan. “There ya go, grampa,’ J said. “Well, he spun around and laughed louder than ever heard him laugh before or after. In fact, I’d never heard him let out a genuine belly laugh like that one. He hoisted me up like I was » some kinda hero, messed my hair with his big right hand and danced me a round some before - put me down. He had tears running down his cheeks.” _ Thorn stopped the story abruptly. He took aj pull on his cigarette. “Coffin nails. First all these self-centered fools started building close to the river. One guy even put up a motel and campground near the crossing. It’s a damn shame water is so attrac- tive that everybody figgers they gotta live next to it. “River’s a moody thing. Sure enough, the river floods like it’s supposed to and people start losin’ their land and look like they’re about to lose their homes. And before you know it big machines are crawling all over the valley floor’ putting up dikes and dredging channels. “The fish can’t speak. And, there’s nobody around, especially in an emergency, to speak “for ‘em. And before you know it, the fishing is _ falling off and the rivers gettin’ dirtier quicker and stayin’ dirty tonger. Bang — another nail in the lid. A cold breeze reminded Kenny it was late. “] gotta go,” he said standing up. “Well, go then,” said Thorn, abruptly . Kenny picked up his rod. He made his way over the rocky beach, pausing to look back before taking the trail, The old man was still sitting looking out over the _tiver, Watching reflections, thought Kenny. Hopson of Smithers and Jared Curle from Van- derhoot. Amos said Norwood’s spot on Team North is well-deserved. “Brad was a real force on our team this year,” Amos said of Norwood’s performance between the pipes for Terrace’s Bantam rep team. “He played very well in all the pressure si- tuations we put him in.” Terrace’s rep team faced Smithers in the zone final and Norwood was in front of the net. when he hits thevice-in-the BxCy-Cup in:Kiti-" lom-see - same mat. preat hockey and cheer 0 on . Tear North, “It should be great hockey to watch,” Amos The first game of the tournament kicks off said, “For people who like fast-paced hockey at 5 p.m. with Vancouver taking on the Koote- — this*li probably be the best quality hockey to nays. come see.” Team North faces off against Vancouver Is- Past B.C. Cup players include hockey land at 7:30 p.m. May 2. Team North plays superstars Joe Sakic, Bric Brewer, Scott Nei- Vancouver at 9:45 a.m. May 3 and take on dermeyer and Paul Kariya. Fraser Valley at 6:30 p.m. the same day. The Terrace’s own Wade Flaherty was also be- tournament runs until Sunday, May 5. tween the pipes for Team North in 1984. He Tickets for the tournament are available at has since gone on to play in the NHL and in All Seasons Source for Sports in Terrace. Sports Scope Gymnastic meet rolls in GYMNASTICS enthusiasts in Terrace are in for a treat this weekend as the Terrace Peaks host their in- vitational meet. Teams from Smithers, Kitimat, Prince Rupert and Williams Lake will be hitting the mat at the Ed Fair- less Memorial Gymnasium Sat. April 27. Gymnasts will be competing in a variety of discip- lines including floor exercise, balance beam, vault and uneven bars. The male athletes will compete on the paralle) bars, floor, mushroom and rings. The action kicks off at 8:15 a.m. when the Level 1 athletes compete. The more senior athletes competing in Level 2, 3 and 4 start at 12:30 p.m. And the boys and KIP com- petition gets under way at 3:15 p.m. The club is encouraging everyone to come out and cheer on your local athletes. Swapping ‘cycles CYCLISTS of ail types are gearing up for Terrace’s annual bike swap. The swap is set to go Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Anyone looking to sell their bike or buy a used model is invited to check cut the event. All bikes must be in working order and must be dropped off Friday, Apr. 26 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. al 112- 4710 Lazelie Ave. next door ta McBike Bike Shop. No drop offs will be permitted on Saturday. For information call McBike Bike Shop at 635- 5225, Bikers battle Shames hill SHAMES Mountain may not be open for skiers but that doesn’t mean the action on the hill has stopped. Cyclists are chomping at the bit to get the biking season under way. They're eager to challenge the Shames Mountain hill climb by battle the 13km slog from the bottom of the road to the chalet at the resort Sunday, Apr. 28, Last year Terrace’s Vincent Drouin oulsprinted Smithers’ Mike Jordan at the tail end of the race to win the hill climb. A slight headwind last year prevented record times from being set. But if there are clear skies and little wind that could change this year as the cyclists go head to head to see who is the mastet of the mountain. For more information ot to register for this event call McBike Bike Shop at 635-5225, gi Skate session Eric Cardinal, 16, rides a rall at the Terrace skate park. With the sun shin- ing and the snow malting, last week was one of the first chances focal skaters have had to use the park this spring. This year's annual skate- board and BMX competition at the park Is slated for the Riverboat Days weekend in August. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO. To be continued...