Kings continue winning ways, sweeping three more

Looking to solidify their top-four position in the division standings, the Elmira Sugar Kings helped their own cause last week with three straight wins to move into a tie for second overall in the Midwestern Conference.

The Kings defeated Brantford 4-2 Feb. 17, Waterloo 3-1 the following day, and returned home last Sunday to win a tight match against Listowel 3-2 in overtime, with all three games having a definite playoff atmosphere.

“I don’t think that caught us off-guard at all,” said head coach Geoff Haddaway of the playoff feel now in the air. “We tried to prepare our guys for that, and as you get closer and closer (to the playoffs). I know what the other coaches are preaching, so it’s exactly what we expected.”

On Feb. 17 in Brantford, the Kings gave up the early lead to the Golden Eagles just 2:51 into the first. Once they managed to get their legs under them, they responded with two goals in the second, both courtesy of Brady Campbell. His first came at 1:55 from Matt Smith and the second at 15:43 from Jarred Parent, allowing the Kings to head into the third period tied at two.

“I thought the second part of the game we played better,” noted Haddaway. “Sometimes you go in there against the champions and you’re more hyped up than you should be, so maybe it took us a little while to find our legs. But I thought as the game went on we sort of settled in, and the third period was our best of the game.”

In the third, Spencer MacCormack finally broke the deadlock at 17:57, from Lukas Baleshta and Ryan Clarkson, and Cass Frey iced the game with an empty-netter at 19:53 from MacCormack and Shane Smith.

Matthew Smith made 32 saves for the victory.

The following night the team rolled into Waterloo looking to keep their six-game winning streak alive.

However, much like the Brantford game, Elmira fell behind early against the Siskins. Waterloo scored just 2:27 into the first. But Campbell continued his strong play by tying the match 1-1 at 12:22 of the first.

Ryan Clarkson then gave the Kings the lead for good at 17:46, from MacCormack and Wade Pfeffer.

The second period was scoreless, with Elmira outshooting the Siskins 16-13 in the frame.

In the third, Campbell scored his second of the night at 2:25 from Chris Zubac and Parent, while Nick Horrigan was outstanding all night, making 32 saves for the win.

Finally, the Kings capped off their winning weekend with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win against the Listowel Cyclones on Sunday night in front of more than 1,100 fans at the Dan Snyder Arena to push their winning streak to eight.

As they had done all weekend, the Kings fell behind in this match as well, with Listowel’s Ryan Horvat notching a shorthanded goal at 3:37 of the first.

The Kings, however, overcame that early deficit by scoring once in the second –MacCormack at 16:23 from Clarkson and Baleshta – and a highlight-reel goal courtesy of Josh MacDonald at 5:02 from Campbell and Parent. MacDonald beat the defender to the outside using a burst of speed and slid the puck past the sprawling Cyclones keeper to tie the game at two.

In overtime, MacCormack iced the game at 3:31 by tipping a Jordan Benton point-shot past the keeper. Smith made yet another strong start in goal by kicking aside 40 saves for the win, including three in overtime.

Prior to the game, Kings captain Josh Woolley was also awarded the Barbara Schaefer Memorial Award as the fan favourite, as voted by the fans.

The weekend was a fruitful one for the Kings, but still had a couple of troubling signs the coaches would like to clear up before the start of the playoffs next week. The Kings allowed the opening goal in all three games, and went 0-13 with the man-advantage.

“I thought on Saturday our powerplay was better, we just weren’t rewarded with a goal,” said Haddaway. “Sometimes it’s just a matter of building momentum and taking those two minutes to establish a strong
presence in their zone, then you’ll be rewarded later on.”

The weekend also highlighted the strong play of what will be one of Elmira’s key lines heading into the playoffs, the line of Baleshta, MacCormack and Clarkson, which combined for four goals, six assists, and all three game-winning goals over the weekend.

Elmira can boast potent secondary-scoring, as well, headlined by rookie Brady Campbell, who currently leads the team in goals with 28, and another 24 goals from their defence.

The team also is capable of riding either goalie, as showcased by the strong play of Smith and Horrigan over the weekend. Prior to the game, Horrigan was awarded with the goalie of the month award for January by winning three of five games, and posting back-to-back shutouts to start the month.

“We think it’s a strength, and we believe in both players,” said Haddaway of his goaltending situation. “I don’t sense that the players want one goalie in net over the other. I’ve been on teams where you get the feeling where they would rather have Goalie A in rather than Goalie B.”

The Kings wrap up their season tonight (Saturday) on the road against Cambridge. The playoffs get underway next week. With 68 points going into tonight’s game, the Kings could still finish as high as first in their division, or as low as fourth, with Guelph, Brantford, Elmira and Stratford all within three points of each other.

Goals galore as Kings sweep three

There was reason to celebrate in the Sugar Kings’ dressing room last weekend as the team won all three of its weekend matches, extending a winning streak to five.

The team, which had been on three-game downward slant last month, has rallied back to 62 points, one point shy of third-place Brantford in the Midwestern Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

The Kings started and finished their weekend by causing Owen Sound some pain, beating them on Feb. 11 by a score of 7-1 and then clobbering them again 11-3 Sunday on home ice. In between matches with the Greys, the Kings met the Winter Hawks in Cambridge, posting a 7-4 victory.

Despite watching his team outshoot Owen Sound 98-49 over the weekend, Elmira coach Geoff Haddaway said the Greys were competitive, but couldn’t sustain the energy.

“The issue with Owen Sound is they’re just short so many bodies right now. They have so many significant injuries, it makes it difficult for them to compete over 60 minutes,” he said. “For any short period of time, they can compete.”

The Kings enjoyed playing three games in three nights, using the repeated wins to slingshot themselves to their final victory on Sunday night.

“We built some momentum up in Owen Sound and we got to come back and play again on Saturday and build on that momentum for Sunday,” Haddaway said. “I think the guys would rather play more hockey than less hockey.”

While fatigue could have been an issue by the time the Kings got home for last Sunday’s match, that was not the case.

The Greys made a good start on Feb. 13, scoring just 20 seconds in. The goal was quickly countered by Elmira’s Brennon Pearce, assisted by Brad Kraus and Devon Wagner at 3:49. Owen Sound demonstrated some of their short-term competitiveness at 10:17, bringing the score back to their favour. Elmira forward Jarred Parent made sure that was the last time the team from up north would be in the lead, taking advantage of a powerplay to score at 19:03, assisted by Josh MacDonald.

The teams began the second frame tied at two apiece, but Elmira would make that number a distant memory for the Greys. Captain Josh Woolley got things rolling by scoring an unassisted, short-handed goal at 1:52. Owen Sound would get to see plenty of rubber over those 20 minutes, with Elmira slipping the puck past goalie Domingo Torrenueva five more times.

“If we execute the way we know we’re capable of, then the results take care of themselves,” said Haddaway. “Every game should be the same way. Take care of what you’re supposed to do, execute your game-plan and you’ll be happy with the results.”

The Kings could have called it a day at the end of the second, leading the Greys 8-2, but the team came to play in the third, starting off the period with a goal from Ryan Clarkson, assisted by Lukas Baleshta and Cass Frey, at just under two minutes in. Owen Sound fought back, scoring one more goal at 4:30, but it wasn’t nearly enough to fend off Elmira, which scored twice more to finish up by eight goals.

With his team having just three more regular season games left, Haddaway can see the playoff light at the end of the tunnel approaching; he hopes last weekend is an indicator of the type of play to come for the Kings.

“This is what you live for. The playoffs are the most fun you’ll have all year,” he said. “It’s just a snapshot of the season, it’s the whole year wrapped up in a seven-game series.”

The Kings are on home ice against Listowel tomorrow night (Sunday). Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Kause to celebrate

After only four months of fundraising, Kate’s Kause has already collected about one quarter of the money necessary for an accessible playground in Elmira.

The foundation has raised $40,000 for the playground, and for Kelly and Jeremy Meissner, the hard work has been well worth it.

Kate’s Kause is a charitable foundation named after the Meissners’ 20-month-old daughter, Kate, who was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome last summer. People with AS, or “Angels” as they are sometimes called, can have little or no verbal skills, poor gross and fine motor skills, and possible seizure and sleep disorders.

“I’ve just recently gone back to work part-time, but in the fall I was at home with the kids (Kate and three-year-old son Jamieson) and once the kids went to bed that was my job, and I’ve worked pretty hard at it,” said Kelly.

Kate’s Kause is holding another fundraiser, this time a benefit dance on Mar. 5 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Lions Hall in Elmira. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door, and there will be draws for great prizes, including a grand prize which is a week’s accommodation at the Hilton Grand Vacation Club in Las Vegas.

The prize is a donation from Meissner’s cousin, who owns a timeshare in the building and has donated one of her weeks for the cause. Anyone who might be interested in participating in the draw but cannot make it to the dance that evening can simply drop off their ticket with their name and contact information, and they can still be entered in the draw.

Since Kate’s diagnosis, the Meissners have held a silent auction which helped raise over $11,000, and they also received a $10,000 donation from the Ballsillie Family Foundation, not to mention multiple donations from the public as well.

The family also held a Christmas chocolate drive with Purdy’s Chocolates, and Meissner’s sister-in-law Karen, who is the owner of Green Apple Photography, made custom Christmas cards for the holidays, which raised another $2,500.

They are also organizing a golf tournament this summer tentatively scheduled for June 12, and a scrapbooking event in Cambridge on April 17.

The family originally hoped to raise about $250,000 for the playground, but after some discussions with construction experts they decided that they would only need about $150,000 to build the play park.

“We’re well on our way. It seems achievable now, that’s for sure. We can get there.”

Tickets for the Kate’s Kause Benefit are available by visiting www.kateskause.com, or by phone at (519) 669-9125.

Snowmobile ride raises $2,500 for MS Society

Amanda Lynn Mayhew-Hare wanted to go on a snowmobile ride with all her friends. Her enthusiasm for the motorsport and passion for fundraising started the annual Flurries Ride for MS, the second of which raised $2,500 on Feb. 12.

Encouraged by her friends and participants of her other charity event, a motorcycle ride and concert for progeria in June, the founder of the online magazine Fytness Fanatik began the winter fundraiser last year with sponsors Team Vincent Motorsports.

“I do a really good job of organizing events and the guys were like ‘why don’t we do something in the winter, so let’s get some sleds together and try this,’” Mayhew-Hare said.

Although marred by rain, the first flurries ride raised $1,500 for the Waterloo District MS Society, which serves those living with multiple sclerosis in Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas, including Elmira. Sunny skies saw an increased turn-out for this year’s ride and accompanied 18 riders as they travelled 150 kilometres for the disease.

Ride captains Craig Hare and Dave Martin helped keep the large group safe across trails which the head of the Elmira Snowmobile Club, Garry Mayberry, called challenging at times.

“I enjoy the longer runs. It’s the first time I’ve ever gone in a group that large, so it was kind of a unique experience,” Mayberry said. “It got pretty blowy and there was a lot of drifting. It made it more challenging as the day went on.”

The executive director of the local chapter of the MS Society, Susan St. John, called the money raised by the riders an awesome gift.

“It’s an amazing amount of money. It will help us buy someone a power wheel chair,” she said.
The ride did double-duty for both Mayhew-Hare and St. John, promoting awareness for the cause in an active and healthy way.

“I try to allow people to have an arena where they talk about their illnesses and still try to find a way to have fun in life and have a good time and be active,” said Mayhew-Hare. “I love snowmobiles and motorcycles so I came up with a way to intertwine that into making people aware of health issues.”

St. John stressed the importance of exercise and activity for those living with MS and was excited to see an independent group promoting the cause in a healthy way.

“It’s especially heart-warming to see. We do a lot of our own fundraisers, but it’s wonderful when pockets of people take up the cause and decide to entertain themselves and their friends and support a charity in the effort,” she said.

At the ride’s conclusion spirits were high while fundraisers were awarded door prizes donated by local companies. Ride ambassador Jamie Fenton, a local resident living with MS, was also the day’s biggest fundraiser, taking in $925.

“Everyone ended up with a door prize. Jamie ended up with the grand prize, a trip for four to Buttermilk Falls resort,” Mayhew-Hare said, laughing at the enthusiasm and energy riders expressed when it was all over. “They were actually planning next year’s event. They were saying ‘next year we’re taking this way and we’re doing this.’”

Mayhew-Hare is already hard at work planning future events, including a motorcycle ride and concert for progeria, June 18.

Police seek more officers to boost numbers on the streets

Increasing public transparency and accountability among police officers in the rural regions in the townships, along with a firm desire to head off the steady increase in violent crime in Waterloo Region are two of the reasons why the Waterloo Regional Police Service overhauled their policing deployment strategy starting last month.

Speaking in the Wellesley council chambers on Monday night, police chief Matt Torigian, along with several other senior members of the police service, outlined their plans for redeployment in the Wellesley area.

“We need to be certain that we have the right number of officers in the right place at the right time, in every single neighbourhood whether it be in Wellesley or the core urban areas of Kitchener and Waterloo,” explained Torigian to councillors and about a dozen members of the public.

“The neighbourhood policing deployment structure is the foundation that we require to ensure that our police service not only meets today’s needs, but tomorrow’s as well.”

Regional police have assigned an extra five police officers to what was formally known as Detachment 3A in Elmira, now called Rural North and encompassing all of Wellesley and Woolwich townships. After spending two years of studying police activities in the region, the department realized that their current method of deployment was not working.

Torigian said that while violent crime in Ontario decreased by three per cent from in 2008-2009, it had increased in Waterloo Region by seven per cent. Early indications say 2010 figures will see a similar 10 per cent split, although the crime rate in the rural areas has remained steady.

Under the old model the rural and the urban areas often overlapped, meaning police officers stationed in those areas were spending much more time in the urban areas of Waterloo and Kitchener than in the more rural areas such as Wellesley. As a result, residents of Wellesley rarely saw a police officer in their community.

Under the new model, not only have the townships received five new officers, but those officers are now dedicated to serving solely the rural areas, and are no longer called to assist in the urban zones.

“We think this will enhance the level of service in our rural communities because the policing is different in the rural communities than our core areas,” explained deputy chief Brent Thomlison. “The focus is entirely on the type of policing that is important to the community members in our rural communities.”

Thomlison said officers were only spending about 40 per cent of their time in the Wellesley area responding to calls. The rest of the time they were assisting other units in other zones. Under the new model, officers are spending about 70 per cent of their time in the rural areas, and as a result are more visible in the community.

“We want our officers familiar with the area that they police and the people that live there – to really take ownership of the area they are policing.”

Another driver in this shift of police deployment is to try and increase the amount of time that police officers can engage in proactive police tactics such as going into schools or patrolling targeted crime hot spots.

Currently, only about 11 minutes out of every hour is spent doing proactive work, while 49 per cent of every hour is spent performing reactive work such as responding to emergency calls. Thomlison said that under the new model they hope to increase the amount of proactive work police officers can engage in, thus preventing some crimes before they even happen.

The police service has reallocated 50 officers – 10 in the rural zones and 40 in the urban zones – from specialized assignments back to front-line policing to achieve this.

On Wednesday, Torigian presented his proposed 2011 budget to the police services board, asking taxpayers to fund 60 more officers and 18 more civilian members to help meet their increased demand in the region. That staffing expansion would add an additional $7.8 million to the services expenses spread out over the next four years, with $1.9 million needed for this year.

Kings need shootout to take care of Dutchmen

After coughing up a two-goal lead against the Kitchener Dutchmen on Sunday afternoon, the Kings managed to emerge victorious in the shootout, 4-3.

Josh Woolley scored the shootout winner and Nick Horrigan made 25 saves – along with blanking all five Dutchmen in the shootout – to seal the victory.

“We’ve only had two shootouts this season, both against Kitchener and we lost the first one, so it was nice to turn the tables,” said head coach Geoff Haddaway following the team’s win, their second victory in a row after enduring a tough four-game losing streak.

It was the Kings’ first game in a week, and the rust showed early on. Kitchener struck first while shorthanded when Harrison Scarfone forced his way through two defenders and jammed the puck home against Horrigan at 7:15 of the first.

Elmira responded a little under nine minutes later when Brady Campbell scored a shorthanded marker of his own, assisted by Jarred Parent and Jordan Benton at 16:07. Towards the end of the period the Kings appeared to shake the early rust, finishing the first with a 15-11 edge in shots.

“You almost take a period to get your legs and get back into it a little bit,” said Haddaway of the slow start and the week between games, adding he was happy with the way the team responded in the second.

In that second period, Elmira built a two-goal cushion on the strength of a Brennon Pearce shot that just eluded the blocking arm of Kitchener’s Duncan Long, from Andrew Smith and Brad Kraus at 8:45, and a beautiful powerplay goal from Smith at 14:35 from Jordan Benton and Josh Woolley. Smith picked up the rebound from Benton’s point shot and snapped it top corner to make it 3-1.

The Dutchmen wouldn’t go quietly, however, and Brendan Woods cut the deficit to one with less than two minutes left in the period.

In the third, the Kings were given ample opportunity to re-establish their two-goal lead – including a couple of five-on-three powerplays – but couldn’t capitalize. In the end it cost them, because just as Kitchener’s Ted Anstett stepped out of the penalty box for serving a coach bench minor, a pass from teammate Paul Sergi ended up on his stick and Anstett tied the game at three with only 6:04 left in the game.

Overtime solved nothing and the teams headed to the shootout. Horrigan stopped all five Dutchmen shooters, while Woolley ended the game with a low wrist shot to the blocker side.

The game lacked any offensive flow, as the referee’s called everything and both teams racked up the penalties, particularly in the third period and overtime. Elmira finished a dismal 1 for 20 on the powerplay, while Kitchener went 0 for 12.

“We had a good week at practice, but our powerplay really struggled and we worked on it quite a bit during the week,” said Haddaway, who also agreed that maybe the guys were caught thinking too much on the ice, rather than playing hockey and going by their instincts – especially in the third.

“Our five-on-three has to be better. If you have a couple of them in a game you have to score, and we didn’t. That hurt our cause for sure.”

The Kings managed to find a way to win, however, and will need to do more of the same this weekend, which will be a busy one. After travelling to Owen Sound Friday, Elmira heads south to Cambridge tonight (Saturday) at 7 p.m. The Greys are in town for a rematch Sunday. Game time at the Woolwich Memorial Centre is 7 p.m.

Haddaway sees the busy schedule as a positive for the team.

“These last three weeks we’ve played Sunday-Sunday-Sunday, and for me I think three (games) in three (nights) is easier. From a physical point of view it might be tougher on the guys, but mentally it’s easier to play so many games, because we’re going to be going right back at it again the next night no matter what happens.”

For any Kings fans with tickets left over for home games, Sunday’s match against Owen Sound will be one of the final chances fans get to see them play at home before the playoffs. After Sunday, their one remaining home game is set for Feb. 20 against Listowel at 7 p.m.

The Kings remain in fourth place in the Midwestern Conference, trailing first-place Stratford by 10 points but have four games in hand, and are only four points behind Brantford for second. They trail Guelph by just three points for third.

Haiti slow to recover from devastating quake

Elmira resident Marilyn McIlroy has returned from her most recent trip to Haiti, and says that despite enormous aid and help that has been sent to the country in the past year, the people of Haiti continue to suffer.

McIlroy – along with fellow residents Deb Paton and Marilyn Raymer – spent two weeks in the rural villages outside of the capital of Port-au-Prince administering medical care and holding clinics for the people who are still trying to put their lives back together following the devastating magnitude-seven earthquake that struck the impoverished Caribbean nation last January.

“We anticipated seeing more patients, especially for cholera, but we didn’t see too many,” said McIlroy.

“We saw some people who were still dealing with post-traumatic stress syndrome, so we supplied some counselling and some medication to help (them) sleep.”

She also said that many of the rural areas were not directly affected by last year’s quake, but rather have suffered from the economic and social fallout of the devastation.

“Most of them were so rural and isolated that the earthquake didn’t impact them as much. It was something they heard about,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy, Paton, and Raymer were all in Port-au-Prince as a missionary group from Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada back on Jan. 12, 2010 when the earthquake initially struck, killing fellow nurse Yvonne Martin. On their most recent trip, the three women had the opportunity to reflect on the events of one year ago and on the life of their lost friend.

“For me, of course, it had been my fourth visit back so it was quite different for the other girls. I don’t want to speak for them but it was an impact for them, it definitely had an impact.”

They were in Port-au-Prince on the 11th of January for their personal remembrance and reflection, and actually stayed on the same grounds as the hotel that collapsed one year earlier. The following day they were in the rural countryside providing medical relief.

McIlroy also said that despite the outpouring of support and aid sent from countries such as Canada, the situation remains dire.

“People are still living in their massive tent cities in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas,” said McIlroy. “Maybe I saw a few more of the temporary dwellings up, but other than that, no.”

She did say, however, that the levels of cholera – first reported in October and which have claimed more than four thousand lives – has begun to subside, particularly in the rural areas.

McIlroy also plans to return to Haiti with EMCC once again in May to help build temporary housing specifically designed for Haiti. One home can be assembled by a four- or five-person crew in one day. They feature insulation that make them ideal for warm-climate countries, are maintenance-free, sanitary and termite resistant.

Sugar Kings’ charity game nets more than $4,200

The Kings gave everything from last Sunday’s game to charity, even the shirts off their backs.

The team held its first-ever charity game Jan. 30, donating all the proceeds to the London Military Family Resource Centre (LMFRC).

For what the team called the support our troops game, the Kings wore special camouflaged jerseys that went to the highest bidders in a silent auction. All proceeds from the gate receipts, as well as the Kings’ share of the 50/50 draw were also donated.

Club vice-president Steve Webb said when the board came up with the idea it did so because it wanted to give back to the community, but it had no idea how much could be raised, but promised LMFRC a minimum of $2,000. At $4,200, the total donated more than doubled that figure and helped the team to set several records as well.  The 50/50 draw was $1,500, with the Kings’ portion of $750 being donated, a figure Webb said is the largest in recent memory. As well, there were 1,100 fans on hand to view the Kings’ win, the most in attendance at a single game since the opening game at the Woolwich Memorial Centre.

“It just goes to show that there’s support for the Kings and that support is echoed again in this game, which we’re very happy to see and there is a lot of people interested in supporting these groups any way they can,” said Webb.

The LMFRC support the families of those serving in combat missions and provides them with help and resources in various ways while loved ones are serving overseas. The group’s Cambridge outreach unit was on hand to sell “support the troops” merchandise, which included magnets, bears, apparel and even cookie cutters. They were very encouraged by the results of the day.

The game turned out to be a success in more ways than one, as the Kings defeated the Cambridge Winter Hawks 4-1. Webb said the win, something the team hadn’t seen the four games previous, was an especially sweet victory in front of the large crowd.

“It’s good hockey and for a family you can come out and see one of our games for $25. The parking alone at a Leafs games is $25.” Webb said about the value of a Junior B game. “To have a good competitive game and especially a win helps too, that definitely helps bring people back.”

The team has not scheduled any more special events for the regular season this year, but with the success of the day Webb said another charity game would be a possibility.

“We’re very, very happy to see the support for us and for the London Military Family Resource Centre and we just want to thank everybody that came out and everybody that helped out in one way or another.”

Where two wheels and slick ice meet

If you didn’t think motorcycle racers were crazy enough already, try putting them on ice. The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium played host to just such a group of riders from around the world competing Monday in Extreme International Ice Racing (XIIR).

Cambridge resident Mike Hammond, originally from Elmira, competed in five heats in the Speedway category at his first-ever XIce race. Hammond has competed in speedway races on dirt tracks previously, but was nervous before testing his skills on a surface with less integrity.

“I’ve been out on the local pond practicing, but the ice there versus the ice indoors, I’m not sure how it will compare,” he said.

Hammond said he has had an interest in motorcycles for most of his life and road raced in the early 1990s. After taking some time off from the racing circuit, a friend suggested speedway racing to him three years ago.

“I picked it up as a hobby and it’s pretty addictive,” he said. “It’s unique. I’ve ridden motorcycles most of my life and speedway is opposite to everything. You go into a corner and you have to roll on the gas, you can’t get off the gas or you’re in trouble. “

The difference in the style makes it more challenging and keeps Hammond interested in the series. He races at the Paris Fairgrounds in the summer.

Hammond said he was expecting the surface to be stickier than it was. The smooth ice was very slippery, but he adjusted to racing on the colder track.

“Growing up in Canada, in and out of the rink, you get used to it,” he laughed. “Some of the guys from California actually had heaters sitting on their laps down in the pits.”

Although Hammond didn’t win any of his four-man heats, he managed to keep his bike upright on the slippery surface and made a good showing for a first-time out, not allowing the competition to get too far ahead of him.

XIIR founder Anthony Barlow was impressed with Hammond’s performance.

“I thought he rode great,” said Barlow. “Most guys that are doing it, they run a gap. I thought he was brilliant, I didn’t even expect him to make it around.”

This is the second year the AMA sponsored tour has come to the Aud. Facility spokesperson Jeremy Dueck said the response to last year’s event was positive.

“It’s pretty crazy,” said Dueck. “It’s a very tight space. It’s just a regular ice hockey surface.”

Racing in a circular formation where the Kitchener Rangers normally play, the speedway racers rode special bikes with studded tires and no brakes. Hammond said the rider controls the bike using the throttle and his body weight. Quads also had a class in the event.

Hammond enjoyed his first XIce event and will compete again. Fans can see him and all the riders when XIIR comes to the General Motors Centre in Oshawa on Feb. 11.

The art of the backyard rink

At a time when we live in a land of snow and ice, it may seem a little odd to add even more ice to your yard. But when you factor in the fact Canada is a hockey-mad nation, the backyard ice rink makes perfect sense.

That’s exactly the case with Chris and Christine Allison, who’ve built a rink at their Robin Drive home in Elmira.

“We’ve made one for a couple years now, and last year we kind of perfected it and we thought we should just go bigger,” said Christine with a smile.

Bigger indeed: at 40 feet long, it’s one-fifth the length of an NHL ice surface, and about half the width.

The couple says they started building the rink about five years ago when their daughters Octavia, 10, and Odessa, 8 started skating lessons. And what started as the typical ice pad in the backyard soon grew to become one that is visible almost to the end of the block.

The Allisons have also built a scoreboard and rigged up outdoor speakers, painted curling rings on the surface of the ice, and even built plywood boards complete with the painted names and logos of local companies such as Canada Post, Chemtura, and Bob Wilhelm – the girls’ guitar teacher in Elmira.

“He did offer to pay us five bucks,” Christina said, laughing while seated at the family’s kitchen table, “but we told him not to worry about it. We took a photo of the board and sent it to him for Christmas.”

The rink has been up since the middle of November, and Chris cannot even begin to estimate the number of hours that he has put into building and maintaining it. They spent between 10 and 15 hours alone just painting the boards.

It certainly wasn’t easy to build, either. Their yard has a pronounced slope towards the back of the property, which causes the water to flow downhill and is not very conducive to making a level ice surface. To fix that, Chris says he goes out early each season with a shovel and a yard roller to level out a section of the yard by flattening snow.

“It’s almost like an obsession,” Chris laughed.

“I work shift work, so sometimes I flood it in the morning, or at night. I might flood it three times a day if it’s cold enough. It’s my hobby.”

Last year the couple took their rink idea one step further by holding their first annual Winterfest – a day-long party in which they invite 35 to 40 friends and family over for a tin-can curling competition, a mini hockey tournament, as well as a barbecue.

Unfortunately the Allison’s say that there are not many other young kids in their neighbourhood, so they invite their children’s friends over whenever they can and also have their niece Katie and nephew Cole Martin over to use the ice.

As for next year, Christine isn’t sure if they’re going to continue the trend and make the rink even larger than it is already, considering it is basically against their property line as it is right now.

“We have new neighbours who moved in and he told us ‘oh don’t worry about the property line, make it bigger.’ I don’t know if we will or not, though.”