Sports

A group of 10 junior basketball players gathered at Smithers Secondary School last Saturday for a regional tryout camp that could lead to a chance at the provincial U14 team. The boys came from Smithers, Houston and Terrace for a day full of practice, drills and games, as part of Basketball B.C.’s U14 Development Camp program.

Walnut Park Elementary School has been the home to a recreational ball hockey program for about a decade now, under the organization of Jamie Grenkie. On Monday evenings, from 8 to 9:30 p.m., from October to May, ball hockey lovers from 13 years old to retirees gather at the school gym for some good old fashioned Canadian street hockey, but without the need to move out of the way of oncoming cars.

Hundreds of skiers, snowboarders and fans of fun gathered at Hudson Bay Mountain last Sunday for the Schnai Day Skiesta, the annual closing party to end the ski season. The difference this year is that, thanks to superb conditions, the hill will reopen this coming weekend for three more days of downhill before the lifts are closed up for the season.

Although there are still a few more days of skiing before Hudson Bay Mountain closes up for the season, Legendary Local early passes are on sale for the 2011-2012 season already. There are a few changes in next year’s prices, with the biggest hit coming from the HST.

Adrenaline junkies, lovers of the outdoors and film fans should mark down Friday night on their calendars, as the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival’s Best of the Fest Tour will hit the Della Herman Theatre for two and a half hours of movie madness.

Smithers Minor Hockey held a fun end of the season tournament last week, with three on three games for players in Pee Wee and Atom, and Bantam and Midget players on mixed teams.

Smithers’ Midget Storm team recently travelled to Cranbrook to take part in the BCAHA Tier 3 Midget Hockey Provincial Championships.