8 THE DAILY VOICE, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2018 EDITOR NIALL SHANNON SS poris Competitors struggle for victory in last year’s Canadian Cyclo-cross National Championships in Surrey Cyclo-cross racers compete on mud, grass and sand courses Surrey hosts bizarre bike race By VANESSA SZPURKO ational- and _ provincial-level cyclo-cross racers compete in Surrey this weekend, as their relatively unknown sport gains traction in Canada. Cyclo-cross has existed in a competi- tive format for a few decades now, espe- cially in Europe, said race director Matt Klymson. “Think of a mix of off-road mountain biking on bikes that look like modified road bikes, with a little dash of steeple- chase where you have to dismount and jump or run through obstacles like sand or over barriers,” said Klymson. Other obstacles include grass, steep inclines and stairs. Klymson estimated there are a few thousand cyclo-cross racers across Canada. He said the number is grow- ing. In Vancouver there’s three cyclo- cross series: the Lower Mainland, the Interior and Island. Evan Guthrie is a multiple national champion in the junior and under-23 categories, and will be competing this year in the elite men’s category for the first time. He is also a cross-country mountain biker for the Canadian Na- tional Team. He said the conditions athletes com- pete in are intense, with races happen- ing no matter the weather. “Youre riding your bike as hard as you can and then you have to get off your bike and run up a hill at sprinting pace, then you get back on and some- times your body doesn’t know what’s going on,” said Guthrie. “TI like it to be wet and muddy. Then the skills come into play quite a bit.” Catharine Pendrel is an Olympian and world-champion cross-country mountain biker who also competes in cyclo-cross. “Tf you’ve exposed yourself to the dif- ferent things that cyclo-cross can throw at you in terms of terrain and technical features beforehand, you can feel pretty confident going into actual race day,” she said. Guthrie said cyclo-cross is an enjoy- able sport for both spectators and bik- ers. “It’s probably the only discipline of cycling I would tell my friends to come out and watch because I wouldn’t think they’d get bored,” he said. Pendrel said cyclo-cross enthusiasts are a friendly bunch, and athletes con- sidering a new outlet shouldn’t worry about their inexperience. “You arrive there and everyone’s just out training on course together and then you just do your race and people are really supportive. It’s a good entry sport.” The sport has been rapidly gaining fans in Canada, especially over the past two years, said Paul McCarthy, sales manager at Steed Cycles in North Van- couver. “Where we used to have just one cyclo-cross bike on the floor, now we have five or six.” Guthrie sees a bright future for cyc- lo-cross in Canada. “It’s going to be very big,” he said. “So hopefully we can get some people out to see how much fun it is and be persuaded into trying it out.” NORCO BIKES credit Evan Guthrie, Cyclo-crosser 66 I like [the competi- tion] to be wet and muddy. Then the skills come into play | love VanCity: Santo Burnaby’s Mike Santorelli was always a Canucks fan By JESSE LAM Santorelli is on pace for the best season of his NHL career, with 14 points in 26 games. Playing in his hometown may be a reason why. “Tlove Vancouver,” said Santorelli. “I think every kid dreams of getting a chance one day to possibly play for the Canucks.” Growing up in Burnaby, Santorelli was a Canucks fan, and looked up to Pavel Bure and Markus Naslund. However, on his long road to the NHL, he has experienced disappoint- ments, to the point where giving up hockey was an option. “My first year was such a big year. You have the [Western Hockey League] draft and I didn’t make the ‘A’ team. I got cut and I didn’t get drafted. So I was in the crossroads and I had to make a decision if I really wanted to do this or not.” Santorelli’s journey didn’t end though, as the Nashville Predators drafted him in the 6th round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. “T just realized that I needed to start putting in the time and sacrificing things if I wanted to succeed.” After a couple of seasons with Nash- ville’s affiliate, the Milwaukee Admi- rals, he made his NHL debut on Jan. 8, 2009. After being picked up by the Florida Panthers in 2011, he had his best sea- son, scoring 20 goals with 41 points. “You learn so much each and every year, each and every day,” he said. “My mindset is to keep improving, keep get- ting better. You can never be satisfied. You always got to keep working.” Back in Vancouver, fans believe he’s doing a good job as an extra offensive presence for the Canucks. What’s after hockey for Santorelli? “THockey] pretty much takes the ma- jority of my time,” he said. “But real estate — the real estate side of Vancouver kind of intrigues me.” Uffssrcret Canucks’ forward Mike Field hockey juniors look to make a mark in India Canadian national team hope to spread the love of the sport both at home and abroad by hosting field hockey clinics locally and donating game equipment to teams in India By GLEN TRUAX Team is heading to India, and they’re not just playing the field. Along with playing the 2013 Men’s Ju- nior World Cup in New Delhi, they’re also bringing donated equipment for local NGOs and providing hockey clin- ics for young athletes-to-be. The team will be playing a very com- petitive series of games in New Delhi, facing off against teams as varied as England, the Netherlands and the Indi- an national teams. But along with that heavy competition, they will be meet- ing with Indian hockey leagues, donat- ing equipment and playing exhibition- matches against young Indian field hockey teams. The Canadian team has collected money and older equipment from do- T:: Canadian Junior Field Hockey nors across the country. “We’re trying to share, and it’s not just about compe- tition,” said head coach Alvin Bisset. The Canadian team faces an uphill battle in the championship itself and according to Bissett the team aims to place in the top 12, with loftier goals to follow in six to 10 years. “The program is a tough format — the top tier teams play for medals,” said Bissett. “The rest of the teams are com- peting for placement, and that’s what we hope to get.” Langara student and defender Chris- topher Roydhouse agrees. “When youre the underdog, you’re just look- ing to upset another team.” Along with his fellow teammates, Roydhouse is self-financing the trip us- ing a web donation site. This will be his first trip off the continent, although Roydhouse has played in Mexico and the United States on numerous occa- sions. He aims to graduate to the senior national field hockey team after finish- ing his run in the juniors. Given the limited time space avail- able, the junior team goes through more changes in personnel and team membership than the senior team. This makes it difficult to determine how competitive a junior team is, ac- cording to Bissett. It also makes it more difficult for a team to see the bigger picture as far as their worth is concerned. “When you lose a game, you take it seriously and lose spirit,” Bisset said. Nevertheless, the team is optimistic, and excited about their opportunity to shine in New Delhi. The Junior World Cup will be played from Dec. 6-15. Canada will play India on Dec. 7. KAYLA ISOMURA photo Defender Christopher Roydhouse is ready for the prize.