Mount Seymour readies for new Show Season Following is the second af three stories profiling the lacal ski and snowboard hills on the North Shore and what activities they will be offering this year: dan-Christian Sorensen News Reporter jsorensen@usnews.com SKIERS and snowboarders will face competition from other fast-growing winter sports at Mount Seymour this season. Seymour general manager Eddie Wood expects improved snowtubing and snowshoeing facilities to draw even more out- door enthusiasts to the slopes this season. Four years ago Seymour was one of the first mountains in Western Canada to develop an area dedicated solely to snow- tubing. It's every kid’s dream come true: 3 screaming ride downhill and a rope tow ride back to the top. “Ir’s what we were missing when we were kids,” said Wood. The toboggan area has been moved down to a new site adja- cent the six-lane snowtubing area this year. “We've really had a lot of fan with the whole ‘snow play’ concept in the last: three or four years,” said Wood. “We've found that that side of our business has really grown.” Seymour has also expanded its snowshoeing centre and added 2 new circuit of trails. For winter trekkers not keen on going solo into the woods, guid- ed tours are also available. “In the last four or five years we've seen an incredible increase in (snowshocing),” said Wood. “Where we've really seen the increase is in people that want to simply come up here, pur on 2 pair of snowshoes and go for a walk.” ~ Improvements have been made to the 10 Seymour ski and snowboard runs that are lighted (the mountain has 25 total runs). Added illumination will also spotlight the hill's large terrain park, which Wood plans to further expand during the winter. -A 40 foot “wonder carpet” lift has also been added to take youngsters to the top of Bear ‘ Bowl. The hill also sports four chairlifts, one double and one single rope tow. Of the three North Shore peaks, Grouse Mountain stands alone in its capacity to manutfic- ture snow. Seymour and Cypress are at the mercy of Mother Nature. In the fast few years, though, she has complied rather graciously, said Wood. ce “Very few times have we had problems, About five years ago we had one bum season. Quite frankly, it was a struggle for all three of (the mountains).” “2) * However, with the highest base elevation of the three mountains — 920 m (3,036 ft.) — _ Seymour can usually count on ample accumulation. So far, though, Wood is doing much the same as his compatriots at the other nvo mountains taring out the window and waiting to pull the tigger to open the 2000 season. ‘We've had a few dustings,” said Wood. “Just enough to wet the whistle, but nothing sub- jal yet. It’s just been a teaser.” IT’S not everyday you get to trade training tips with a bona fide NHL star. That’s what North Shore Winter Club bantam A team member Cory Gibson recently had 3 chance to do when Pittsburgh Penguins’ defenseman and former Canuck Jiri Slegr stopped by the Club. ; While Slegr was in Vancouver for a game at GM Place, he paid a visit to trainer Dusan Benicky, a North Vancouverite who recently opened a sateliite location of his Burnaby humanpecformance fitness facility at the Winter Club. °° Pavel Bure. Benicky began working with the “Canucks in 1985, assisting eastern European players with their wain- ‘ing and Canadian acclimatization. He also currently holds a spot on the Slovakian National Hockey team roster. Gibson, + 14-year-old Argyle stu- dent, started training under :Benicky two months ago. ‘He's been ‘adhering. to the same “type of regimen that Benicky pre- scribes for his big name clients like ; eke Peres ot ~* Slegr — a larger emphasis on core NORTH Shore Winter Club bantam A hockey player ..... training rather than strictly hitting Cory Gibson recently got a chance torub shoulders. the weights.) ©) ee 5! with defenseman ‘Jiri:Slegr ‘at humarperfor= Gibson, who used to focus solely oo ERTS De” "> on weight training, said the. new _egories. NEWS phots Mike Wakefield MOUNT Seymour general manager Eddie Wood hopes to lure more than just skiers and snowboarders to the slopes this season with improvements to the hill’s snowtubing and snowshoeing facilities. Last year the mountain opened for its first weekend on Nov. 27 with its official full opening coming a week later. Because Seymour is located within the contines of a provincial park, the operators have a 50- year lease agreement with B.C. Parks to run the facilities there during the ski and snowboard sea- son. Seymour has cut a reputation as one of the more snowboarder-friendly slopes around; and true to that, over 60 per cent of the lift tickets sold at Seymour go to boarders, said Wood. The hill features one of the largest ski and snowboard schools in Canada and a fully-stocked rental facility. Half- and full-day lessons are also available for ages 6 to 12 on weekends and over Christmas and Spring break. Seymour is ideal for the beginning skier or snowboarder: about 60 per cent of the terrain is geared for easy to intermediate skiing. At the same time, however, the mountain also boasts a glut of natural gullies and rock out- crops that make it great tor freestyle riders to test theic limits. ; “The entire mountain is like a terrain park, actually,” said Wood. The mountain has a summit of 1,250 m. (4,125 ft.) a vertical drop of 330 m (1,085 ft.) and 60 acres of skiable terrain. Seymour has a lift capacity for 5,318 people per hour and is open, weather dependent, until April. Hours of operation are 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. midweek and 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on week- ends and holidays. For nore information on Mount Seymour, visit . training style has helped his on-ice perfor- mance. “It gives you a lot of stability on the ice and it’s helped my skating strength a lot.” The five-foot-ten, 145-pound. winger has king shop with NHL's Jiri $ regular sessions at the Club on Mondays, Sports hall looks for inductees . THE B.C. Sports Hall of Fame is currently seeking nominations - for inductees in six cat- Any individual or associa- tion may submit a nomination for the calendar year up to the Dec. 8 deadiine. Each nomi- nation is valid for three con- secutive years. Any individual or associa- tion may submit a nomination form. Nominations will be con- sidered by a committee of judges at an initial selection meeting on Dec. 15. The final selection process will take place. in January and the names will be released in February. Following are the seven categories and the specific cri- tera, a @ Athlete: the nominee must have attained a level of excel- lence and. brought recogni- tion or honour to B.C. sport on a national or international level in relation to participa: tion in open level sport(s) competition. There must be a waiting period of three years following retirement from open competition. In. the event’ of death or with the winning of an- Olympic or World Champiorship gold medal, the waiting period is waived. B® Builder: This award — which also encompasses refer- ees, coaches and administra- tors — requires that the nom- ince has attained a level of excellence and brought hon- our to B.C. Sport. through ongoing dedication to. the building of athletes, teams or sport itself. = @ Pioneer: This. nominee must have attained excellence at a nativnal or iniernational level in an open level of com- petition and brought honour to B.C. prior ta 1940. & Media: Nomince must have made a significant contribu- - not as an legr Wednesdays and Fridays and also concentrates on stretching exercises on Thursdays. “It’s helped me out a lot,” said Gibson, who is setting his sights on attending a junior college down south in the future, . — Jan-Christian Sorensen tion to the enjoyment or knowledge ‘of ‘sport ‘ia “B.C. through the medium of print,-: radio, television or any similar form of medium. a Team: Teams in this catego-— ry are selected for achieve- ments in one year, not an era, and junior and minor-league teams do not. qualify. The B.C. members of a Canadian team may stand for induction as a group in the team catego- ry. Team members are recog- nized as part of a team and individual” Honoured Member. 4B WAC. Bennett award: This special recognition award _- is presented from time to time _ to an individual who has made a ‘significant contribution to the enjoyment or knowledge of sport in B.C. but who. would not otherwise: qualify for induction inte the Hall... Nomination forms are: available at the B.C. Sports 3. Hall of Fame of by calling » 687-5520, ext. 27.0 0 oe