Snow has been a hard commodity to come by this year.

With such little snowfall, hitting some powder seemed like a fool’s dream, but the Selkirk College Ski Club are foolhardy. Forced to cancel the Red Mountain Ski Night due to lack of interest, the members of the ski club decided the best way to spend their money would be a weekend trip to Revelstoke… and so the adventure began.

The forecast called for snow the weekend of March 13. So not wanting to waste any time, the ski club hit the road right after school on Friday. The first stop was the shack of the Sentinel’s very own food critic and president of the Ski Club, Derrick Statt, for an overnight stay.

After about a two-hour drive and an interesting turn about in the neighbor’s yard, I pull into Derrick’s driveway. I can tell something is amiss as soon as I do. Andrew Hill is holding his finger and appears to be in pain. While cutting kindling for the fire, he just barely nicks his finger with his axe and slices his finger open. On the drive to the hospital his adrenaline wears off and Andrew turns pale and drips beads of cold sweat. He is given six stitches. Although his hand is in quite a bit of pain Andrew hops back in the car and ensures us that he will be skiing the next day.

Catastrophe averted, things start looking up for the ski club, for as we drove back to Derrick’s place the pounding raindrops turn into big fluffs of snow. Upon our return we hear lots of hooting and hollering. Everyone is stoked on the snow and the air of disaster dissipates and in its stead is excitement. We all agree that Andrew’s accident filled the quota for injuries this weekend and has ensured a trip with no further incidents.

As 4:30am rolls around everyone wakes up and packs up their gear. We catch the 5:30am ferry and make it to the base of Revelstoke Mountain right as it is opening. By this point smiles and a sense of eagerness have consumed every member of the ski club. As we make it up the second gondola I don’t even have the chance to put on my skis before everyone has raced off to soak up every bit of powder.

Being extremely exhausted from lack of sleep, I fear that I will not be able to keep my eyes open the whole day, but that worry is laid to rest as soon as I see the staggering view atop the mountain. It was a constant battle for me between stopping to enjoy the view and devoting all my time to hitting the runs.

After our first day of skiing we head back into town. Wanting to sleep in a little more luxury that night, we stay at the Gateway Inn Motel. We discover there is a hot tub and a little bit of relaxation is in order for this group of rapscallions. That night we entertain ourselves by throwing various items into the fan and watching them fly across the room, finding that carrots and beer cans are the best ammo.

The next morning most of the group makes it to the hill as it opens but there are a few stragglers left behind who are a little worse for wear after events of the previous night. Sustenance is needed before we hit the hill. Frontier Restaurant serves up the perfect medicine: a hearty breakfast of eggs in omelet form to get us back to normal.

The second day of skiing turns out to be another sunny day. I run into other people in the group and ski with them on and off. We attempt to stay together for one run but it is far too difficult and many people are lost during the trip down. At the end of the day we all gather in the parking lot and everyone goes over their triumphs and tribulations of the day. Some stories include precarious adventures in the out-of-bounds areas, yard sales, and god-like abilities to control the sunshine.

The weekend of skiing went off without any other incidents. Everyone found what they were looking for, whether that was fresh powder, trees to ski through, or in my case, a run that I could conquer without falling. The Ripper Chair, the Tasty Glades and the North Bowl seemed to be the areas of choice for most of the group.

The drive home included, for most of the group, a stop over at Halcyon Hot Springs. However, four unlucky people missed the boat though, due to my lack of road knowledge. From what I heard, the hot springs were very enjoyable and included an attempt to convince one of the members of the ski club to give another member a bum massage.

Welcome to the first edition of the Selkirk Saints player profiles!

This month I spoke with Brendan Blackmore #14 about what it is like playing hockey for Selkirk College. I started off slow with a couple of easy questions.

JMS: What position do you play?

BB: Left wing.

JMS: Who is your favorite hockey player of all time?

BB: Joe Sakic.

JMS: How long have you played?

BB: Aside from this year, I have only played one year Midget B.

After Brendan was warmed up I got into the deeper questions…

JMS: What is your favorite memory playing with the Saints?

BB: The road trips are always a good time. We have gone to Kelowna and Vancouver

JMS: What is the hardest part about being a student athlete?

BB: Keeping up with the classes. You have to study lots.

Once I realized Brendan was ready for anything, I asked him the question of all questions…

JMS: Would you rather ooze black stuff when you get nervous, or shed your skin like a snake every time you sneezed?

BB: Shed my skin.

And that’s it for this month’s edition of SpeakSports. Until next time!

To find out more about the Selkirk Saints visit www.bcihl.ca for hockey and www.bccaa.ca for volleyball, golf and x-country running.

Yelling loud & hitting the ground, the rugby club has come to town!

Karl Topping, a first year RRS student, decided that, although Selkirk College is a fantastic school, there was definitely something missing.

Like the sports innovator William Webb Ellis, who first took the ball in his arms and ran with it originating the distinctive feature of Rugby, Topping has now taken his desire for something more into his own hands and found the missing link. His answer is the first Selkirk College Rugby Club.

Topping has been playing rugby since he was 14-years-old, sometimes playing for as many as three different teams, meaning he had a rugby game everyday of the week. He is a versatile player who has played various positions, but definitely has a favorite position: “I am for sure a scrum half.”

Admiring both the Ireland and the Scotland teams for their toughness, one can tell Topping wants to see the game played with grit. I asked Topping what he thought of the Haka, the New Zealand All Blacks pregame ritual of getting pumped up and intimidating their opponent.

“I think the Haka is a fantastic way to get pumped for a rugby game. Being able to stare your opponent in the eye and do your best to make him think you’re nuts is the kind of thing I’d try. I’ve seen something where Scotland does a different kind of pregame ritual, lifting their kilts and flashing them in return when they’re done,” says Topping.

He is passionate about the game, and has a firm grasp on the rules and regulations, making him a good coach for newcomers and old timers alike.

The Rugby Club invites you to come out and play! Having gone out to a practice myself I strongly recommend giving it a try. It is a physical sport, which requires teamwork and will definitely keep you on your toes.

Topping hopes to eventually get some games going against surrounding area rugby teams, and he also wants to add to the experience by going out as a team for some post-practice beverages.

Practice times are: Monday and Wednesday at 5pm on the Castlegar campus field and Fridays at 5pm in the Castlegar campus gym. Bring a mouth guard and cleats, if you have them, for the outdoor practices.

Hope to see you out there, and until then…

Keep on “rucking” in the free world!

Let me tell you something great about watching the Selkirk Saints play… Great seats!

On the floor, which is the best vantage point to watch some killer volleyball.

And have I mentioned the food? You can indulge in such delicacies as sushi and fresh cookies. But that, my friends, is just the smallest and least tasty piece of the sweet, sweet cake that is Selkirk Saints’ Volleyball.

Let’s pretend that the Saints are a piece of ice cream cake. Now there are lots of different components to an ice cream cake that make it so wonderfully delicious, just like there are so many different key components to the Selkirk Saints that make them such dynamic teams to watch.

Let’s start with the bottom layer, the backbone; it’s what keeps the cake together like the ability to dig for the ball is the backbone of these teams. Five of the Saints men’s players are rated in the top 10 in the league of average digs per game. The ladies also have two of their players in the top 10: Alicia Dodds #6 and Myia Malakoff #4. Quite an extraordinary feat considering they are a two-year college trying to compete against four-year universities.

Next there is the crumbly transition from ice cream to hot fudge. The Saints efficient transition after the ball is served is vital to their game. The Saints are quick and effective. They make it easier for power forwards like Tory Zaystoff and Marlee Kanigan to kill the ball with the utmost strength and precision.

Now to the chocolaty centre, which compliments the rest of the cake so perfectly, it reminds me of the great chemistry within both teams. They are comfortable playing together, giving each other words of encouragement and never getting down on each other.

Saints defense is the ice cream on top. They take the word tenacious to a whole new level, sacrificing life and limb for the sake of one point.

Talking to the players was a treat as well. Marlee Kanigan #5 had an excellent game November 20, 2009 against the Columbia Bible College (CBC) Bearcats. Leading her team in kills, she played the game with grit and determination. Kanigan is a triple threat, clearly demonstrating her leadership qualities during and after the game. Suffering from chronic knee pain she is still on top of her game even when injured and of course most striking of all, her ability to kill the ball. Although the team didn’t win against the Bearcats she kept a positive attitude, quick to praise her squad.

“Even though a number of my teammates are injured we all played the game with intensity and never lost confidence.”

With an attitude like that Marlee Kanigan and the rest of the ladies team have the ability to become a real threat in the BCCAA Volleyball League.

The Saints men’s team made the CBC Bearcats, currently the top team in the league, shake in their kneepads November 21, 2009. The game went to five sets, but the Saints fell short, losing by only two points.

They didn’t make the same mistake twice, however, beating the College of the Rockies the following week in the fifth set.

After their first game against the Bearcats I talked with Griffin Beauregard, jersey #10 and libero for the Saints.

Beauregard is known for his intense digging abilities. Currently rated fifth in the league and #1 on his team for average digs per game, Beauregard is a force to be reckoned with. He has been playing volleyball since elementary school and this will be his second year playing with the Selkirk Saints.

“They are a great group of guys that always stay positive,” says Beauregard.

The Saints Volleyball teams seem to have the whole package.

All that’s missing are some rowdy fans to come cheer them on at their next home games on January 15 and 16 against Capilano College!

You won’t want to miss it because watching them play is like having your cake and eating it too.