JANUARY
• Bringing in the new year in San Diego, Calif., was a great way to start 2016 for local boys Jake Podgorenko (Sechelt), Harris Dixson (Gibsons) and Braeden Service (Roberts Creek). They joined players from across B.C. who were selected to play on the Burnaby Mountain (Elite) Select Field Lacrosse team. The three-day tournament brought in teams from across Canada and the U.S.
• The University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat Women’s Volleyball team toppled University of Alberta from the number one rank in Canadian Inter-University Sports, claiming the title after fighting a tactical battle over two games on the weekend of Jan. 15 and 16.
FEBRUARY
• The Sunshine Coast Storm U13 Girls exploded into the new year with all cleats a’blazing, looking to fight for a top spot in the newly sorted championship league. The new year began on the home field of Kinnikinnick on Jan. 10 against their arch-rivals from North Vancouver, the Kodiaks.
• Green Grappler Lesson One: Welcome to the Gracie family. One month into the New Year, I finally decided to make good on my resolution to get out more and try new things, starting with a new sport: Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Scott Ewen, head instructor of Coast Martial Arts, seemed like a very easy-going guy on the phone and every interview ended with him encouraging me to come out and train with their group. “It’s just like a big family,” he said.
• Dylan King of Davis Bay was signed by Level 1 Motorsports to race this season. “I just got the call a few days ago and they signed me,” King said. “They’re starting me off in a late model stock car series, which is two steps down from NASCAR.”
• A Langdale tween beat the odds for a gold medal win in tournament. Vincent Hadjioannou, the 12-year-old grappler from Langdale, won the gold medal in the 13 to 15 age category at the B.C. provincial Canadian Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation tournament on Feb. 6 in Vancouver. Vincent took down four older opponents using lapel chokes, including one brown belt – which is three belt rankings above white in BJJ.
• The Chatelech Ski and Snowboard Club finished its season with a gold medal win at the North Shore Ski and Snowboard Championships on Feb. 10.
• Coast Storm Girls went to finals in first place. The Sunshine Coast Storm Girls U13 secured their first place in the division by beating the Blue Strikers on Feb. 9 in Vancouver.
MARCH
• Angela Cantarutti won her boxing debut. The Sunshine Coast Boxing Club’s Angela Cantarutti won a hard-fought split decision over Terris Smith of Victoria in a sanctioned featherweight bout on Saturday, Feb. 27 at Vancouver’s Eastside Boxing Club.
• Krakens tied with Catalyst. The third annual hockey match between Powell River Catalyst and the Howe Sound Krakens ended in a tie despite a strong lead from the Krakens in the first half.
• Coast Storm washed out Burnaby Momentum for a championship win. Sports history was made right here in Sechelt when the Sunshine Coast Storm U13 Girls soccer team hosted Burnaby Momentum for the Division 2 League Championships on Feb. 28.
• Halfmoon Bay golfer Avery Struck received the first Great American Conference Golf Award of the spring season on March 2. Avery’s father Tim Struck said the award came as a surprise for his daughter.
• The Blues won silver at a tournament that drew 12,000. The 2016 Midget Tier 3 BC Championship wrapped up with a second-place victory for the home team and a financial stimulus for the tourism industry on the Sunshine Coast. The gold medal game on March 17 came down to the Sunshine Coast against Whistler. Tensions were running high into the third period with the teams tied at 2-2 and the clock running into the final seconds.
• Tom Gory dropped the puck at the Tom Gory Cup. Gory – the oldest hockey player on the Sunshine Coast – dropped the puck at the Rusty Cranks Senior Men’s Hockey Club annual Tom Gory Cup game on March 21 at the Sechelt Arena.
APRIL
• Age was no barrier at the 39th BMO Sunshine Coast April Fool’s Run held April 4 held under perfect racing conditions following the first week of real spring sunshine this year. The overall male and female winners came from opposite ends of the age spectrum, with 48-year-old Kevin O’Connor of Vancouver crossing the line first in 1:12:31, and Lethbridge’s Adrienne Gomes, only 19 years of age, taking the win in 1:25:22.
• The Women’s Hockey League played at an international tournament. The Sunshine Coast Women’s Hockey League sent the Mavericks team to the Female International Hockey Tournament in Delta. The team – made up of new players as well as seasoned veterans – proved to hold their own, coming in third in the division.
• George Vourtsis was named champion at War on the Shore 4. Vourtsis, of the Sunshine Coast Boxing Club, took the win in the headline fight against Quebecer Michael Kechichian, who recently moved to Vancouver’s Eastside Boxing Club. Roughly 400 people turned out for War on the Shore 4 at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre on April 9.
• The BC Blues took gold at the Spring Kickoff. A team of 11 young Coast hockey players learned what is possible when you believe in yourself and your team at the Chilliwack Spring Kickoff Tournament in April.
• Three paddlers from Gibsons travelled to Australia’s Sunshine Coast to compete in the 2016 International Va’a Federation World Outrigger Sprints.
• A muddy obstacle course returned with a splash. The Mountain Grind obstacle course race in Pender Harbour was back for a second year on April 23, with a longer track, new obstacles and more people.
MAY
• The Sun Coaster’s new location was a hit. The Sunshine Coaster Mountain Bike Race went off with a bang on April 30, as Warren Hansen’s starter pistol sent 164 cyclists racing up through the old mine site road. This was the first year the race was held in West Sechelt after 15 years in Roberts Creek, and the locals were pleased with the new trails.
• The Beer Barons won the second annual Space Cup Ball Hockey Tournament, back for a second year on the May 14-15 weekend. The Space Cup Champions this year were the Beer Barons. The Barons defended their title by beating Moves Like Jagr in the final game and remain undefeated two years running – no easy feat, considering all the new talent this year with teams like the L.A. Riot coming from as far away as California.
• Kevin ‘K-Rimes’ Reimer won the 15th annual Attack of Danger Bay longboarding competition on May 22 for the fourth year in a row. Reimer has won a total of six out of 15 years.
• Gibsons equestrian Egil Hansen – who is 80 years old – was inducted into the Century Club on the May 13 to 15 weekend at the Southlands Riding Club Show in Vancouver. Hansen is the third Canadian to become a member.
JUNE
• The Sunshine Coast Rod and Gun Club hosted a Redneck 3 Gun Shoot and barbecue on June 4 and 5, with many out of town competitors. The winners were Brian McCoy (Open), Kris Hopkins (Tactical), Thom White (Iron Sights) and Jaime McLennan (Ladies). Lever Arms of Vancouver won the First Annual Gun Store Team Trophy.
• Canadian Armed Forces athlete Addy Fearnley of Gibsons returned from Rennes, France where she captained the women’s soccer team in this year’s Military World Championship from May 25 to June 5.
• Gibsons marksman Allan Harding finished his international circuit for competitive shooting with a personal best in the 50m pistol division at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Munich, May 19 to 26. Harding shot a 540, which he has done at the national level before, but never internationally.
• Sunshine Coast Boxing Club coach Randy Hollett won the Vancouver City Championship belt with a four-round unanimous decision over Ajit Sidhu of Richmond at the Cascades Casino in Langley on June 17.
JULY
• A record number of golfers – 198 to be exact – came out to the Dempster Family Foundation’s seventh annual Golf Tournament, held at the Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club. A number of the major prize winners regifted their prizes back to the foundation, which were then auctioned off by Ed Hill. Wally Dempster estimated they raised about $35,000 this year, which is $5,000 up from last year.
• The fifth annual Gibsons Grind Gran Fondo hit maximum capacity with 250 riders on June 25. The Grind started in Langdale on Saturday morning. Riders worked their way from the ferry terminal through one of three different distances, eventually arriving at Persephone Brewing Co. for beers and a barbecue in the afternoon.
• Sk8 Skool opened its doors on the Coast. His name is David Hallstead, but when he’s coaching the newly established Sunshine Coast BC Skate Club in Gibsons – which launched on July 6 – the kids call him Hallywood.
• The 27th annual Malaspina Regatta, hosted by the Garden Bay Sailing Club, took place in perfect conditions on July 2 and was called the best Malaspina Regatta ever.
• The 10th annual BC Bike Race passed through the Sunshine Coast, with riders making it into Sechelt on Saturday, July 9 – Day 3 of the race – and finishing in Langdale on Sunday. Day 3 is notoriously the hardest leg of the journey – and the longest at nearly 60 km.
• Three Sunshine Coast Special Olympics athletes competed in the 30th annual BC Summer Games in Abbotsford July 21 to 24. Michael Beckman, Genny Verge and Amber Maher showcased their skills in Special Olympics divisions alongside more than 3,200 young athletes, coaches, and officials from around the province.
• The third annual Connor Richey Memorial Golf Tournament was held on Saturday, June 18 at the Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club. It was an extremely wet day and the rain didn’t let up for a minute, but that did not deter any of the 100 golfers who participated. Spirits were high throughout the day and organizers were touched by the enthusiasm and dedication. The event raised $11,500 for the Connor Richey Memorial fund.
• The Sunshine Coast Equestrian Club was proud of equestrian Sierra Hincks and her horse Velocity, who were selected to represent Zone 5 (Vancouver-Coastal region) in show jumping at the 2016 BC Summer Games – held at the Abbotsford Exhibition Park July 21 to 24.
• It was an exciting day of basketball competition at the Roberts Creek Community School on Saturday, July 23 as 14 adult teams and five youth teams came out for the Daniel Kingsbury Memorial 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament. The tournament raised $2,000.
AUGUST
• Motorcycles were welcomed at the local drag races. Drag racers were Racing Through the Weeds at the Sechelt Airport on the final day of the Festival of the Rolling Arts hosted by the Sunshine Coast Drag Racing Association.
• Gibsons marksman Allan Harding won a national championship. Harding took home four gold medals from the 2016 Canadian National Pistol Championships in Toronto and was named the 50m National Champion at the event, which ran from July 27 to Aug. 7.
• Four youths from the Coast took a step up in their hockey careers. Jordan Robinson, Justin Fodchuk, Nevan Flay and Lucas Patton – who all played together for the Sunshine Coast Blues Midget Rep Team since age five – each came a little closer to the classic Canadian dream of playing professional hockey. Scouts at the provincials offered the young men positions on teams throughout B.C.
• The International Howe Sound Outrigger Race – or Howe Sound Iron – was back on the Coast for its 14th year on Aug. 13. With 350 paddlers, this was one of the biggest ever, according to race director Donna Harrison.
• One of Canada’s leading Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners and teachers, Giacomo Zanini was on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, Aug. 21 for a special seminar at Gibsons’ Sadohana Dojo.
• The Tough Kegger race at Persephone Brewing Company returned for a third year on Aug. 20, with more people, more beer and more fun.
SEPTEMBER
• A memorial soccer tournament honoured those lost to the Aboriginal community. The shíshálh Labour Day Soccer Tournament – held Sept. 3 and 4 – was a big success. Four women’s teams and 10 men’s teams competed at Ted Dixon Park in Sechelt.
• Bob Steele was inducted into the ASCA Hall of Fame. Retired swimming coach Bob Steele was inducted into the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame, recognizing an impressive 46-year career for the Garden Bay resident.
• The annual Terry Fox Runs on the Sunshine Coast – one in Gibsons and one in Roberts Creek – raised over $6,000 for cancer research between both events.
• A soccer team tried boxing for a change. The U18 Storm Girls’ soccer team tried a new approach to training. Coach Neville Judd brought the team out to the Sunshine Coast Boxing Club in Gibsons to do some cross-training on Sept. 22 with boxers Randy Hollett and George Vourtsis.
• Coast Storm blew away Delta Lightning. The perfect Storm was brewing again this season, just like last year, and sports fans were fortunate to see and feel it on the Coast. The girls U14 Sunshine Coast Storm soccer team fought hard on the grass at Brothers field in Gibsons against the Surrey/Delta Lightning team. Storm versus Lightning, it was on.
OCTOBER
• Gibsons Curling Club celebrated its 40th year of operation on the Sunshine Coast on Oct. 1, with tours of the facility, curling lessons for non-curlers and an anniversary cake.
• Team BC took silver in the Western Canada Challenge Cup. The Sunshine Coast’s Kolton Cousins returned home with a silver medal for Team BC from the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup championship, which wrapped up in a close game against Alberta on Sunday, Oct. 23 at the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary.
NOVEMBER
• Roberts Creek’s Julia Budd was in the running for the Mixed Martial Arts world featherweight title after a majority decision victory against Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 162 on Oct. 21 in Memphis, Tenn.
• Local powerlifters Lauren Iverson and Erin Clark came away with first and second place finishes from the British Columbia Powerlifting Association Fall Classic in Abbotsford on Oct. 15-16.
• Two Sunshine Coast Navy League Cadets – and one Sea Cadet – had the honour of carrying out the giant Canadian flag at two BC Lions games on Nov. 5 and 13.
• The Sunshine Coast Boxing Club’s Marcus Davies of Sechelt won a hard-fought split decision over the rangy Cody Robertson of Vancouver at the Athletics For Kids fundraising gala dinner, auction and boxing event on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam.
• The Elphinstone Grade 8 Bantam girls had an excellent season. They won every game in the Western division – except in their final match against Handsworth – and came in second on the North Shore. The top two teams of each district are automatically entered into the Vancouver and District Championships, which took place on Nov. 17.
• Tessa May and Devon May – sisters from Roberts Creek – were in Alaska for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Div. 2 women’s volleyball championships.
• November Nightmare Tour hit the Coast. All Star Wrestling was back on the Coast for a night of mayhem during the November Nightmare Tour on Nov. 26. Eight wrestlers entered the ring. Eight wrestlers also exited the ring – but four of them were broken shells of their former selves.
DECEMBER
• The U18 Sunshine Coast Storm made it a perfect 10 consecutive wins for the season, beating the visiting VAFC Devils 2-1 at Brothers Park in Gibsons. It was only the Storm’s third home game and probably the toughest yet as the Devils defended well and mounted repeated counterattacks.
• Pender’s Mountain Grind returns. The Mountain Grind will be back for its third year in 2017. Things got off to a bumpy start this season that left many wondering if the popular obstacle race in Pender Harbour would make it, but a new board of directors stepped up to take over responsibilities from race co-founders.
• Christmas came early to the Caribbean. Party Island Downhill brought more than longboarders to the Caribbean Island of Saint Lucia for its first-ever downhill longboarding competition on Dec. 13. Organizer Bricin Lyons – working with Jody Wilcock – and the 16 competing riders all agreed to donate the US$2,000 prize money to the Saint Lucia community to further the locals’ newfound passion for longboarding.
