Scott Stanfield
Record Staff
Champions again.
For the 18th time in the 30-year history of the Royal LePage Comox Valley Snow to Surf Adventure Relay Event, the Westerly Hotel Brian McLean Banzai men's team was first to ring the bell Sunday at the Comox Marina. They covered the approximate 80-kilometre course in an unofficial 3:17:19.
"We took a year off and then came back and had a real tight race," said Banzai team captain Bill Brett, 53. "We've gotten better, actually, and we're getting older...Our last few legs are so strong."
"We had a good lead — totally relaxed unlike other years when we've been under pressure," said Banzai cyclist Don Gillmore of Cobble Hill.
Banzai's ages range from 21 to 71. The elder statesman, Ron Williams, underwent hip replacement surgery a couple of months ago.
"Our total age factor is 301 years, whatever that means," said Williams, Brett's canoeing partner.
Brett said solid performances from all nine members are required to win the annual event that begins in the morning at Mount Washington and finishes in the afternoon at the marina.
"You gotta' have nine strong guys," he said. "We did it one year and we got lucky. We had a bad start and we battled back. Weather conditions is the only reason we won it."
More than 200 teams registered for Sunday's event. Starting at the top of the Whiskey Jack Chairlift, the first team member runs uphill, straps on the boots and skis the downhill portion. He or she then passes the armband to a cross-country skier for an eight-kilometre leg. From there, two runners split a 16-kilometre leg down the mountain before handing off to a mountain biker who pedals 12 clicks. The armband then goes to a kayaker who paddles five kilometres from the fish and game club to the campground on the Cumberland side of Comox Lake. The next member then cycles 30 kilometres to the Courtenay Air Park and hands off to a canoeist, who runs about a kilometre and hooks up with a second canoeist at the boat launch. Together, they complete the five-kilometre anchor leg.
The Snow to Surf is chalk full of creative team names such as Refried Friends, Pure Outside Monster and Tyrannorelay Rex. Mishaps are also part of the fun. Team Betty White's skier, for instance, tackled the trails with a borrowed set of children's poles after forgetting his own while a teammate flipped over the handlebars a few times on his father's mountain bike.
Ski Tak Hut Tsunami was second overall in 3:23:31 followed by Strathcona Domination in 3:34:47. The latter is a junior team ranging from 15-18 years that edged out repeat masters men's winner Strathcona Park Lodge. Last year, the elder Strathcona team defeated their junior counterparts.
"I was just wishing that we could beat them this year. That made my day," said canoeist/team captain Alec Stapff, 15, who rang the bell for the lone junior men's team.
Michael Ravensbergen, 18, has spent four years with Strathcona Domination, which has improved its time and placing each year. The team was fifth at last year's Snow to Surf.
"So it's a great achievement to podium," said Ravensbergen, who held the overall lead for a stretch during the cross-country ski portion.
reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com