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Bowled over

Teen team strikes bronze

By SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHIL DURAND calls it the best game he's played in his whole life. He’s talking about his team’s win at the na- tional championships for youth bowling May 6 in Gati- neau Quebec.

The Terrace contingent was playing a three-way tie- breaker for the branze medal and the pressure was on.

“The competition was definitely fierce,” said Durand who has been ta nationals twice before as a single, “As soon as we got there all five of were bowing way above our normal averages.”

Durand, Robbie Miller, Mike Dahms, Carl Haugland, and Jesse Mumford, make up the Terrace squad.

The fivesome blew away the competition at the B.C. championships this past March to earn the right to repre- sent the province at nationals.

The Terrace team had the support of Quebec’s contin- gent behind them throughout the nail-biting national bronze medal game two weeks ago.

“Those Quebecers can really cheer,” said Durand. “That was the loudest cheering section I’ve ever had in my life.”

With spectators and players from seven regions across the country packed into the bowling alley, the cheering squad gave the Terrace team that extra boost to win the game and take home the bronze.

“It was just, ‘go B.C. go!’ The cheering just kept getting louder and louder.”

“It was just having a whole entire province — that wasn’t the province we were from — coming behind us and supporting us,” Durand said.

“It was exactly what bowling has always been for me — meeting friends and supporting each other.”

The team’s coach Eva Wilkinson said the environ- ment during the crucial tie-breaker was electric.

“It was just ‘go B.C. go!’” she said. “The cheering just kept getting louder and louder.”

The team went into the nationals with a team average of 1100, After playing 21 sets at the event their average

shot up to 1214, a sure indicator of the level ‘of play the: ©

event demanded.

“They bowled like I have never seen them bowl, ”

said Wilkinson, “They really rose to the challenge.”

The Terrace team is already looking forward to next year in hopes of representing B.C. once again at the na- tional event. Wilkinson is convinced if this team sticks topether they'll have a good shot. ,

Phil Durand is already rethinking plans to move to the lower mainland. He is eligible to play for just one more year in his division and now he’s thinking of staying

home to bowl and have a shot at nationals.

“Our team is one of the best teams in B.C. and Cana- da now,” Durand said. “I might as well take advantage of that because I won’t have that chance again.”

Downie key at hockey nationals

LOCAL HOCKEY player Brett Downie has come a long way since playing peewee in Terrace.

Downie and his team, the Fernie Ghostriders, recently broke the high mark for a Canadian Junior team when they won a bronze medal May 3 at the Gold Cup Natio- nal Hockey Tournament in Bozeman, Montana.

“It was a good season and we wanted to make it end on a good note,” said Downie, now 20. “It was for each other.”

The Ghostriders’ win marks not only the first time in history a Canadian team has won a medal at a National USA Hockey sanctioned tournament, but also the first time a Canadian team has won any game at nationals at all.

“It put a nice exclamation mark on the season,” said Downie, a power forward.

A heartbreaking Jast minute goal in the third petiod during the opening playoffs saw the Ghostriders go down against the Compuware Ambassadors.

“Tt was kind of like we could fold and be disappoin- ted,” recalls Downie of the emotional loss. “But the coaches were totally proud of us and said ‘get your heads up.’”

“ season,

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TERRACE Taekwon-do instructor David Burk puts his best foat forward as he prepares for the Canadian nationals in Edmonton

this weekend. He and five students take on the best in forms and fighting at the event. JOANNA WONG PHOTO.

Kicking and punching to nationals -

By JOANNA WONG

THEIR WHITE Taekwon-do uniforms brilliant in the May sunshine, the Farkvam family :makes a.fierce but-friendly fighting foursome. Training outsidé for the first class of the David,‘Christine, Evan and Oscar Farkvam describe how learning the Korean- based dynamic martial att has become a fami- ly event.

“It’s nice to be able to do things with the kids while they’re this age,” said dad David Farkvam, who has lost 35 pounds since start- ing Taekwon-do two months ago. “We get to enjoy it together.”

David, who trains with his family three times a week with instructor David Burk at the Northern Taekwon-do Academy, enjoys the discipline and structure Taekwon-do gives his children.

Downie, who had two assists in the winning game, says one of the best parts of the Ghostriders victory was the “satisfaction of putting a thorn in the Americans’

plans.”

“It was kind of like we’re sticking it to Americans,” said Downie. “The announcer was totally bitter about having to hand the medals over to us and we were all

smiles.”

Ghostriders coach Barry Wolff says Downie was a

key player in the bronze medal game.

“Brett never loses a battle and just competes so hard

— that’s why he’s successful,” said Wolff.

Downie has played on the top line all year and has consistently ranked in the Ghostriders’ top four for goals

and assists,

Coach Wolff also praises Downie's work ethic and

strong leadership role on the team.

“The guys have to follow because he works so hard,”

said Wolff.

Currently waiting on a number of scholarship offers from American schools, Downie will return home to Ter- race this summer to work and help put on what he calls the “Downie family hockey school” in August with his

Dad.

Burk has been teaching in Terrace for the

past two years. He feels the benefits of Tackwon-do can be

summed up by its four tenets — courtesy, in-_ - tegrity, personal self-control and indomitable spirit. mee

This weekend, the Farkvanis head to Ed- monton with fellow student Richard Smith for the May 18 Canadian National Taekwon-do Championships.

“I’m scared but excited,” said David Fark- vam. “It's an adrenaline rush and I like it.”

Instructor Burk and his five students will all be competing in both sparring and forms.

Forms are prearranged sequences of kicks and punches that are designed to train the body and mind to respond in difficult defensive situations.

“My forms are looking good so | stand a

chance,” said Burk, who hopes to get noticed by the International Taekwon-do Federation. (ITF) and qualify for the Taekwon-do World Championships i in Vienna.

* ‘The event is.the first in Canada to be sanc-

tioned by the ITF and will attract between;

400-500 competitors. It will also be televised’ on TSN.

Despite the pressure, however, Evan Fark- vam is keeping his cool.

“I get really nervous but I just try as hard as 1 can,” said Evan, 10.

To help them prepare for the tournament, Instructor Burk is giving the Farkvams and Smith some extra help.

He often pairs them up with more advanced students to pet them accustomed to the rush involved in competition.

Cont’d page B12

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JAMIE PENNER looks forward to a bright skating future. JOANNA WONG PHOTO,

Skating in the fast lane

The team went on to win 4-1 against the Bozeman

Icedogs in the battle for third place.

“It was almost a mixed feeling.,” said Downle. “The guys were still crying in the dressing room because it was the last game of the season and we were all going

back home.”

“The annual hockey camp sees Downie passing on

hopefuls.

skills, techniques and encouragement to young hockey

“It’s the same old story ~ but it’s all hard work, deter-

mination and confidence,” he said.

Hill climbers shatter records

IT WAS A record-breaking race for focal mountain bikers battling the gruelling uphill course at this year's Shames Mountain Hill Climb,

Sixteen riders tock on the rugged 13 km course Apr. 27 under clear skies and perfect riding conditions.

Last year’s race was plagued by heavy headwinds which prevent any record setting times from being log-

ged.

“Four guys demolished the pre- vious record,” said race organizer Mike Christensen.

The record time of 41:31 was set in 1997 by Adam Spensely, but it was blown away by more than:a minite this year.

“]( came down to a three-way

battle between Peter Krause, Vin- cent Drowin and Mike Jordan,” Christensen said.

Smithers rider Pete Krause nab- bed first place with a time of 39:05.

Hot on his heels was Terrace bik- ing sensation Vincent Drouin who came in with a time of 39:49,

And Drouin's nemesis Mike Jor- dan came in just 20 seconds later to take third spot.

Craig Ritchey of Smithers and Terrace’s Andrew Horwood were grouped together with the top three

‘tiders for mast of the race.

It could have been anybody's race as the five-member lead group re- mained tight until the switchback near the top of the winding road,

That’s when the top three riders broke away and made a sprint for the finish, said Christensen,

Perfect conditions certainly con- tribuled to the fast times, not to mention one of the most breathtak- ing rides around Terrace.

“It’s pretty clase to Heaven on a clear day at Shames,” Christensen said.

The hill climb kicks off another

‘season of mountain bike racing in

the northwest.

An eight-hour endurance race, downhill racing at Shames Moun- tain, and MeBike’s annual Riverboat Days BMX competition are just a few of the events planned. for this summer.

By JOANNA WONG ONLY 12 years old, local up and coming figure ska- ter Jamie Penner’s Hfe is already pretty hectic. .

Penner skates two Hours a day six days a week, sometimes getting up at 5:30 a.m for praclice.

When she’s not hitting the Terrace rink, she's on the road, altending tralning camps and competitiotis at least once a month.

“It’s tough gelling Up in the morning but not Roing to competitions,” says Penner, who likes skating meets because she can hang out with friends and listen to music “as lodd as you want.”

All of Penner’s hard work seems to be paying off, At this year's regional competition in Quésnel,

.ehe won three gold méuals.

This summer Pentier's spending her vacation time

at skating camps in hopes of making it to Pacific Skate, a competition which would qualify her for nationals,

Penner finds plenty of challenges in this demand- ing sport. During training this spring, Penner says she was very frustrated.

“Then I didn’t like the sport and [ wanted to quit,” recalls Penner. “I wasn't landing jumps or having fun.”

Her coach advised her to give moves that were eluding her a break and to come back to them when she felt ready.

'*My coach told me if.

something was frustrating just don’t do it and now I’m happy,” Penner says. Penner says she also likes all the different cos- lumes she wears. So far,

she's dressed up as a mime, a warrior, and a

moonwalking Michael Jackson. At the Terrace Skating Club’s “Babes in Toyland” Christmas Carni- val last year, Penner played Jack, of Jack and Jill fame, complete with a wild wig for her hairdo,

“It was just crazy,” says Penner, rolling her eyes and gesluring to de- monstrate the massive size of her character's hair.

In her spare time Pen- ner rids horses at her fami- ly’s ranch. But spare mo- ments are few as Penner recently passed a handful of high-level exams in- cluding her final senior tevel of skating skills.

Hectic is the way Pen- ner likes it though, even on the ice, ;

“If you’re going fast and put your arms up it feels

_ like the ice is yours be-

cause everyone gets out of your way," she says.