ae

SKEENA ANGLER.
ROB BROWN

Trout Travels 3

enny put the cheese and sausage in

the cooler. He climbed in the cab

and pulled away from the curb. The

farm kid hippie wannabes were gone

from the park. Even though it had
expired long before he’d acquired the truck, he
looked reflexively at the needle on the gas
gauge. After 60 miles on Highway One, the big
V-8 had to have a giant thirst.

He made a hand signal and turned left into
the driveway of a white building made of stucco
and stone that might have passed for a mortuary
were it not for the round, tin sign with the letters
B/A in green and crimson hanging from its car-
port.

There was a dull chime of meta! against con-
crete from inside then a hiss of air. A man
emerged. He wore coveralls and was wiping his
hands on a rag. Under his dirty outerwear was a
bow tie and a clean white shirt that looked pink
through Kenny’s tinted, wire framed glasses.

The man was obviously mechanic, pump
jockey, and proprietor rolled into one. “May I
help you?” he said matter-of-factly.

“Fill it with regular, man,” replied Kenny.

The gas man frowned. The widowed peak of
his brush cut trembled. Kenny quickly realized
that the word “man” was not a way the atten-
dant was used to being — or wanted lo be —- ad-
dressed. The man mumbled something unintelli-
gible. He cranked a small silver handle on the
pump, picked up the hose, and unscrewed the
lid on Kenny’s gas tank. Then he slammed the
nozzle in the tank in an aggressive way that
made Kenny very uncomfortable.

Next the man brusquely sprayed the window.
He -dragged the squeegee. over ‘it,-peering angri-
ly at Kenny through the widening aperture.
Kenny looked away, letting his eyes settle on a
pair of whirling beige balls enclosed in a plastic
scrotum thai was attached, for some obscure
mechanical reason, to the side of the pump.

Kenny was happy to pay and be free of the
station and its hostile operator. It was lunchtime.
His stomach had begged for food since the aro-
mas of the delicatessen first filled his nose.

The stone table on the front lawn attracted
Kenny to a white stone building that shared the
same smooth lines as the gas station, but was
constructed an a much grander scale, He parked
then carried the lunch to it along with a bottle
of beer. The stone tabletop made a fine cutting
board. Kenny unsheathed his Buck knife and
began slicing and buttering. The shadow of the
cross across it and the church nearby made him
feel like a pagan tribesman preparing a sacrifice
under the disapproving eye of God.

Kenny sunk his teeth into his heroic sand-
wich, releasing ihe sublime taste created by the
magical chemistry of Bratwurst, Havarti, dark
rye, onions, black pepper, and mustard: food
that fuels daydreams. As he chewed, Kenny’s
vision slipped into soft facus. Images of trout,
trees and water played out on his Fresnel
screen, then the figure of a man emerged at the
focal point of his reveries.

He wore a suit and tie and had thick glasses.
He sat down across from Kenny.

“I’m Pastor Epp of the Mennonite Brethren
Church of Yarrow,” he said extending his hand.
Kenny put his beer down and shook it. The
Pastor looked at the bottle and the duMaurier
Kenny had haphazardly left burning on the side
of the stone bench.

“Our congregation does not smoke or drink,”
he said. He spoke with a faint German accent.
Kenny felt like an uninvited guest at a party.
“I’m sorry, man,” he apologized, picking up the
cigarette and dropping it in the bottle, where it
hissed and died.

“You're one of those flower children, aren't
you?” asked the pastor,

“Kinda,” mumbled Kenny.

Pastor Epp smiled. ,

“We're a lat alike you know. My forefathers,
the Anabaptists, fled Russia and Germany be-
cause of state oppression. We are nonconform-
ists, like you. We believe in peace and love,
community, and keeping things small,” he said,
as he helped Kenny clean up.

“Are you on a trip?” he asked, handing
Kenny the empty bottle with the beer soaked
butt inside.

“['m on a trout trip now, 10 more drugs,” an-
swered Kenny, mistaking the pastor’s meaning.
“Salmon too,” he added.

“Yet another way in which we are alike,”
observed Pastor Epp. “You are a fisherman, and
Ym a fisher of men, like my Lord and Saviour.
Who knows, there may be redemption at the
end of-bath paths.”

“Far oul,” said Kenny. He climbed in the
truck. He out the pastor Epp waved. Kenny held
up he fingers in a V. “Peace man,” he said.

To be continued...

fa

TERRACE STANDARD.

the Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - B5

638-7283

SKIERS launch over the first kicker of the Ruins Cup boarder-
cross course at Shames Mountain Mar. 17. This is the first year a

cash prize was offered to the skiers. Terrace’s Rod McMynn won
the $250 top prize. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO.

Boarders, skiers battle for first

By SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN

dercross as well, outran the rest of ladies and

BOARDERCROSS is one of those events that took home the purse.

brings a whole new meaning to downhill ra-

cing.

ped aees

‘Standing shoulder to shoulder in the starting

gates, four snowboarders or skiers set off at the open.

same time each hoping to get to the bottom of

the jump-riddled course first.

With four: people on the course at the same
time competitors face the challenge of racing

in very close proximity to one another.

The first person to the bottom of the course

without missing a gale or a jump wins.

This year’s Ruins Cup boarder and skier-

place in the men’s open.

of snowboarders and skiers under 16.

this year,” said Tara Valk.

cross Mar. 17 was a huge hit and saw the top over last season’s contest, she added.

winners collect cash prizes.

And the biggest money prize of the event
went to. Terrace’s Colin Hansen who earned
$500 for top spot in the men’s boardercross

Terrace rider Kristian Grey nabbed third

Dozens of participants took. part in the
event this year including a growing contingent

“We’re really happy with the participation

Numbers of competitors this year were up

“This is the first year we’ve offered a cash
prize for the skiercross,” said Ruins event co-
ordinator Tara Valk.

Skiers raced for a $250 prize. Also on the
line was $500 in the men’s snowboard open
and $250 for the women’s open.

Rod McMynn of Terrace picked up the
$250 prize in the skier cross. Kevin Barton was
nipping at his heels claiming second spot in
that event.

Danna Haworth, whe won last year’s boar-

Mountain bikers also got into the action on
the boardercross course.

Seventeen brave souls mounted their bikes
and battled the snowy terrain vying for top
spot.

“There were lots of great crashes,” said bi-
kercross organizer Mike Christiansen. “The
course was great and the conditions were
perfect.”

In the pro division Shane Spencer beat out
the rest of the bikers to take first place.

Rory Stevens came in second and Steve

Bowlers blaze their way
to national competition

By SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN
COMPETITORS at this year’s B.C. youth
bowling championships didn’t have a
fighting chance against Terrace’s five-
member five pin bowling team.

The Terrace squad hadn’t even fin-
ished their final game when it became
painfully obvious to the competition the
northern boys had blown everyone in their
path out of the water.

Jesse Mumford, Phillip Durand, Carl
Haugland, Michael Dahms and Rob Miill-
er cleaned up at the tournament leaving
the closest team to

tional bowling competition. He earned the
gold medal in the singles competition in
1995 and in 1998 he picked up a fifth
place finish in the same event.

Each of the remaining players have
several provincial tournaments under their
belts and Wilkinson says that will help
take the edge off when the team faces the
pressure of national competition.

She says the team fares exceptionally
well in pressure situations. ;

“Both at zones and provincials they
were 300 pins over their own average,”

Wilkinson says.

them behind by 357
pins.
The provincial

“They know how to
bowl and they know

“We hadn't even finished what they need to do

compelition took gyr fast game yet and [ had ‘9 win”

place in Salmon ¢ogches coming up to con-

Arm Mar. 15-16. | 5
Terrace easily gratulate us.

walked away with

The boys played four
games at the provin-
cials averaging
1,178 per game.

the gold medal.

“Usually your gold medal wins come
from the lower mainland because there’s
so many kids there,” says Terrace coach
Eva Wilkinson. “We hadn’! even finished
our last game yet and ] had coaches com-
ing up to congratulate us.”

The provincial title means the team is
off to the National Youth Bowling Coun-
cil’s Canadian competition May 4-6 in
Gatineau, Quebec.

“This is the first time we’ve had a
team go to nationals,” says Wilkinson.

But it’s not the first time to a national
competition for Phillip Durand.

This will be Durand’s third trip to a na-

They're league team
average is about 1098, Wilkinson says.

The boys came out of the B.C. cham-
pionships with a pin total of 4,715,

The team closest to their pin count
was Scottsdale Lanes from Surrey who
sat a whopping 357 pins behind with a
total of 4,358.

The third place team from Burnaby
was 393 pins behind the Terrace team.

The landslide victory comes from the
team’s ability to pick pins off and consis-
tent play.

“They don’t leave pins on the Janes,”

. Wilkinson says. “They’re they’re a con-.
sistent, solid group.” ~

Reders picked up the third place position.
The All Season’s Big Air competition held
Mar. 16 also drew a hoard of participants in-.

cluding. riders from Whistler, Prince George,:+:..4-
Smithers and Prince Rupert... <0 te es

Participants take turns hitting a large jump
and are judged on amplitude, execution of
tricks and how clean the landing is.

The top two spots went to Prince George ri-
ders Kevin Cathers and Troy Filan in the
men’s open division.

Prince Rupert’s Mike Pederson took third
place.

Top Terrace contender in the women’s divi-
sion, Danna Haworth, withdrew from the com-
petition after Michelle Mayenburg from Prince
Rupert had a serious accident during the event.

Mayenburg was med-evacced fram Terrace
to Vancouver General Hospital with a head in-
jury and was in stable condition late last week.

Prince George’s Corrie Coellner took first
place out of the women with Silvie Coinnelia
from Terrace close behind in second spol.

Skiers also took part in the big air competi-
tion with top spot going to Brian Veitch of
Smithers. Second place went to Mike Spak of
Terrace.

m Soccer showdown

MEL AANOLD fights for the ball in the last game of
the regular season for women's indoor soccer.
Playoffs continued last night and the second ‘semi-
final game is sat for tomorrow night at Cassie Hall.
Northern Savings takes on the Molson Rockets at 7
p.m.. The consolation game goes Apr. 2 and the
gold medal game Is set for Apr. 4. | 7