18 ~ Friday. September 17, 1999 — North Shore News world-class whistling style. PARKGATE FAMILY DAY in PARKGATE VILLAGE 10am-2pm we WwW CO » “A whole n BATA wt 7 NEWS photo Tery Patera KILGOUR Shives shows 4wo of the trophies he has picked up this year for his Saturday, Sept 25 10:60am-2:00pm 10:00am: Ribbon cutting & refreshments Followed by: Entertainment, Library Book ‘Sale, Merchant Specials, Make-a-Craft, Face Painting, Climbing Wall, Seniors Tea, & more... info: Call 987-PLAY (7529) North Vancouver Recreation Commission Corporation of the YP J District of North - ao, Vancouver Seymour Communi Services Society ¥ re!The possbiltties ar ares less.” ; West Van man wins senior world whistling title Michaei Becker News Editer KILGOUR Shives whistled his way to the top of the world last Saturday. The 83-year-old West Vancouver man — one of two champion whistlers over the age of 80 — placed first among senior competi- tors at the Mitlennium World Championships of Musical Whistling held in Edmonton, Alberta. The win is his second major whistling award of the year in a ficld where the act of exhaling is clevated beyond novelty to become a true musical art form. Shives is a member of the International Association of Whistlers (IAW). The associa- tion holds world whistling championships every year in April in Louisburg, North Carolina. Earlier this year in April Shives placed second overall at the 26th annual International Whistlers Convention in Louisburg. He was edged out at that competition by 36-year-old Christopher Ullman. The Public Affairs Director at the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. has honed his chops by whistling with seven symphony orchestras. The Millennium World Championships attracted whistlers of all ages and some of the best in the world. Among Shive’s com- petition in the overall male competitive cate- gory were young whistlers like Michael Barimo, a 16-year-old from Winter Park, Florida. The 1998 grand international teen whistling champion has whistled since age three and credits his canary Sunshine with teaching him his winning meiodic ways. In Edmonton Shives performed “O Mio Babbino Caro” as his classical piece, and “La Vie en rose” and “I Wish You Love” as his two popular song entries. The judges gave the former owner and CEO of Coast Steel an 89% rating for his popular music performances and 92.3% for his classical effort. A total percentage of 91% was cnough to win Shives first place in the senior men’s category. “I was quite pleased. There were some pretty powerful whistlers there. P'd say the cream of the crop. One whistler came from Germany, one from Engtand, one from China,” Shives said. He finds competitive whistling a chal- lenge. “I like doing it because it makes you settle down and work at it. Otherwise Pm just whistling when I’m walking down the side- walk. That’s not very demanding. !t’s a little © 160 minutes anytime ° Call Waiting more interesting and you have to learn your music better to go in a competition.” The melliftuous Shives out-whistled his friend Roy Thoreson, The Whistling Brakeman from Calgary. Thoreson is a four- tine world champion, an international grand champion and onc of the top whistlers who originally inspired Shives. If you spend time in Dundarave or hiking in the local woods, you may have heard Shives. He’s always liked to whistle the old popu- lar songs, nothing too modern. In 1986 Shives entered an Expo 86 Father’s Day whistling competition held in Vancouver. He won first prize and launched a fulfilling retirement pursuit in the process. You can’t be grumpy while you are whistling. You can’t be laughing cither. Anyone who has ever attempted even a sim- ple spot of sustained whistling output, the theme of the Andy Griffith television show for example, wel! knows the challenge of car- ryiag a tune with any semblance of preci- sion. The acoustics are just right for whistling poofl-side, indoors at Shives’ watertront Bellevue Avenue home. In person he is spry and chipper. When he lets loose his inner songbird, the trilling tune tingles the spine. It’s all about pucker and breath control. Shives has the technique nailed down pat. You can’t help but smile as you listen. Most competitive whistlers are pucker whistlers, but some are what are called hand whistlers. Said Shives, “One tady put her hand up and got a nice note out of it. She puts a little Vaseline on her hand and a littic water after that and just gets that nore and boy oh boy, it just comes out fine. And another lady put her all fingers in her mouth somchow. It sounded fine.” Many whistlers come with snazzy mon- ickers like The Happy Whistler. They were introducing Shives as The Whistling Honeymooner at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton last weekend. He and his new fife partner Joyce married on May 29. She was there at his side to watch him win. Said foyce, “It’s very exciting. When he does really well, shivers go up my back. I know he’s done well then, but it wasn’t just my impression. ; 7 “People in the audience were telling me, ‘Gosh your husband was fantastic — made - me cry,’ So he had a very great reception. At Icast one judge came up after to hin and said it was very difficult for him because there were so many who were so good. It really was the cream of the crop.” “Available on one year plan from Cancel*AT&T. with a monthly service fee of $20 or greacer. Limited time offer. See in-store for details. @Rogers Cantel Inc. "AT&T Corp. Used Under License, ATIONS TO-SERY: