Local Sports

Robby Balharry’s ascent up the nation’s slopestyle and big air snowboard rankings continued last week with two more top 10 results. “It’s going good. I’m stoked about how the season has gone so far,” Balharry said.

Blaine Penny and Kirk Howell crossed the finish line together to win the 2011 Banff to Lake Louise Loppet in a time of 4:44:18. The two Calgarians are originally from Newfoundland and have been competing against one another for years.

The Canmore Eagles have battled injury problems all season long and the past weekend was no different. “In all my years of hockey, I’ve never seen it as bad as this,” said head coach Andrew Milne.

Just call him the collector. Biathlete Mark Arendz polished off his set of world cup medals with a golden performance on Jan. 23, capping a three medal weekend.

Dasha Gaiazova turned in the best solo race of her career, finishing eighth in a cross-country world cup sprint race, Sunday (Jan. 23). “I was so pumped I made it to the top 12. I knew I was skiing so well,” Gaiazova said.

For 30 years, Canmore resident Beryl Park dreamed of visiting Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains. Never in her dreams however, did she imagine she’d make news by doing so, nor earn a spot in the Guinness Book of Records.

Lake Louise has put the final touches on a snowcross course that will host the Canadian championships in March. The course opened to the public last week and will be ramped up for several competitions over the course of the winter.

Scott Gow knows how to plan a mission to Mars. Three years ago, he was selected to join NASA in Houston for a two-week space camp with 33 other students from around the globe.

Willy Sakal scored the shootout winner and Steve Papciak stopped all 10 shots he faced as the Canmore Eagles downed the Drumheller Dragons 3-2 in a shootout in AJHL action at Alex Kaleta Arena, Saturday, Jan 15.

North American biathletes are developing a familiar warning phrase this winter: Beware the brothers Gow.