A new relay event added to Tatla Lake’s annual ski meet Jan. 29 was so much fun that it will become a regular event in future years.
The relay was introduced by Samantha Mason.
In this event children, adults and teens put their names into separate hats, and draws were made from each hat to select the teams.
The children on each team wore skis and the adults and teens on each team wore snow shoes.
Two hurdles made of plastic road barriers were placed at each end of the approximately 80 yard track.
Two teams at a time raced against each other in each heat, with the youngest slipping and sliding under the hurdles on their skis to release their teammate with the slap of hands for the return run by the older teammate on metal snow shoes who was required to leap over the hurdle.
The crowd loved it and the relay will become a regular event in future years.
A mid-winter cross country ski meet has been a tradition in Tatla Lake for most years since it was started in 1986 by Bruno Krowzic.
Under overcast skies, but now snowing this year, 85 people braved the –7 C temperature and chilly breeze to attend the event with 35 of them registering to become participants.
The regular cross country ski races start in the warm-up hut in the gymkhana grounds and wind around three trails in the Martin Lake area: the 13.5 kilometer Meadow Trail; the 6.5 km Bruno’s Trail; and the 1.6 km Hut Trail.
Winners were as follows:
Men’s Meadow Trail 13.5 km race: first, Bryn Thompson, second Joe Cortese, third, Manfred Esser.
Women’s Meadow Trail 13.5 km race: first, Judan Whitehead; second, Liz Glazier; third, Sylvia Dick.
Men’s Bruno’s Trail 6.5 km race: first Tyrone Ignatius, age 16, record time.
Women’s Bruno’s Trail 6.5 km race: first Annette Wittwer; second, Connie Haley; third, Lori King.
The Hut Trail 1.6 km race for boys ages 9-11: first Blake Haley; second a tie between Reuben Dyck and Lucas Lavoie.
Hut Trail 1.6 km race for girls 11 to 13: Katriana Squinas.
Hut Trail 1.6 km race for boys 7-9: first Dorian La Lavoie; second Cy Thompson.
Hut Trail 1.6 km race for girls 7-9: first Ronya Wittwer from Chilko River.
Hut Trail 1.6 km race for boys under age 6: Jude Thompson.
All participants received foil-wrapped chocolate medals and there were also award gifts made in the various categories of competition.
Teo Thompson, 3, won the Gary Bishop Memorial Trophy for the youngest skier that was donated by Bev Bishop and son Darrel.
All of the first place winners will have their names and date of their win placed on the large perpetual trophy that was donated by Sam Whitehead, and Bruno Krowzic of the Graham Inn back in 1986.
For something different this year, the cross country ski winners were awarded loonie sized keeper medals that were forged by Samantha and her husband Darren Mason in their “Smithy.”
The first place medals were made of copper and the second and third place medals were made of bronze. All of the medals had little snowflakes on them.