ATARI LILI TAD ET EO ETRY LL TE

STRIKING an elegant pose, Sandra Botnen, 15, of Flicka Gymnastic Club in North Vancouver
recently returned from the World Gymnastic Championships in Montreal,

Botnen finishes 53rd

SANDRA Botnen of North
Vancouver’s Flicka Gym
Club returned recently from
the 1985 World Champion-
ship gymnastics competition
in Montreal after placing a
respectable 53rd in the meet.
The competition was the
first gymnastic step on the
way to the 1988 Olympics.
The Canadian women's
team of whom the 15-year-
old Botnen was a part mov-
ed into ninth position from

their 1979 10th place finish.
The Montreal finish was the
second best showing ever for
the Canadian women.In
1978, they finished eighth
overall,

The Montreal meet was
also a triumph for the Ca-
nadian men’s team who
moved back. to 11th posi-
tion, @ placing they last had
in 1979,

They dropped to I4th in
$981 and in ’83 went down

to H5th.

Five of the six female
competitors for Canada at
the World Championships
were competing for the first
time, three of whom train on
the North Shore.

When they left for Mon-
treal in mid-October, Tracy
Wilson, 16, was named as

See Gymnastic
Page 19

Saluting
the
psuperhosts
PAGE 35

13 - Wednesday, November 27, 1985 - North Shore News

North Van teen
rides to to

BIKERS do not all come with beards, beer bellies

and bad reputations.

North Vancouver's Ricky
Hamer-Jackson is two-
wheeled proof that there is
much more ta the motorcy-
ele’s mystique Chan meets the
ear,

The 16-year-old is current-
ly B.C. points champion in
the 250ce division and third
overall in the 125ce division
of the province’s motocross
motoreycle racing circuit.

Hamer-Jackson | started
riding motoreyles at a rela-
tively early age. He was
four-years-old when he sad-
dled up his first Montessa
$25 under the watchful eve
of his father, Jack.

Original Hatner-fackson
family interest in| motorcy-
cles, Ricky's father explains,
came from his caretaking of

a friend's motorcyele.
Hamer-Jackson Sr. says he
agreed to look after Norm
Grohman’s motorcycle while
that renowned Lower
Mainland weather personali-
ty took a five-month Euro-
pean vacation.

“LT didn’t know anything
about motorcyles at all, but
after [ took that bike out a
few times, 1 found | really
enjoyed riding,’’ Hamer-
Jackson Sr. says. ‘By the
time Norm got back | had to
buy him a new one. His was
worn out.’’

At age two, Ricky
Hamer-Jackson was under-
taking regular motorcycle

co-piloting duties perched on
the gas tank of Grohman’s
motorcyle while his father

drove. After three years of

casual training, Hamer-
Jackson figured he was get-
ting long in the tooth, fig-
ured he was ready for some
real competition, afterall, he
was. getting on to. seven-
years-old.

So, with his father in tow,
he headed down to
Washington State's Han-
negan Speedway to race his
Yamaha Ty-80. Though a
rank amateur only just at the
minimum racing age,
Hamer-Jackson convinced
Washington officials to give
him a chance: ‘‘I snivelled a
lot.”

“He placed 13th out of 18
riders.’’ says his father, *‘but

See Racing
Page 19

NORTH Vancouver's Rick Hamer-Jackson is ready to take on all takers. The moto-eross
champ, number one in the province, stands in front of his winning vehicte and trailer.

et ath