Water Devils team grow flippers for regionals

By Philip Rushton
Hinton Parklander

With regionals Aug. 6-7 in St Albert, the Hinton Water Devils coaches are clocking improvement every day.

"The kids have been working their tails off and growing flippers or something," said coach Andrew Clarke.

Conditioning and skills in the club have really motored up according to Clarke since last year when he first started coaching the Water Devils as the cross-training for winter sports is evident.

"We encourage them to become well rounded athletes, said Clarke, there's lots of sports you can do in the water."

There are 54 members in the club, aged 5-16, and the competitiveness starts to show in their teens.

"Seeing the determination to improve on their times," said Leanie Drayer, one of the assistant coaches who is learning patience from training.

"They're quick learners and I even see a bit of improvement in the kids after one lap of the pool."

Swimmers become highly competitive and winning at regionals lets them challenge others from across the province in Calgary on the weekend of August 12-14. A select group makes the nationals if they make the qualifying times.

"Looks like some of the team have a really good shot at regionals," said Clarke.

The summer club wraps up with a celebration party of their successes before school starts.

"A loss is still a win to me," said Clark.

"When only one guy in the pool wins the race, but if others are beating their individual times, it's great."

Clarke talked about how much the team has gelled together.

"Everyone supports and pushes each other to go harder in the pool," said Clarke.

Drayer pointed out that swimming is a life-long exercise and great skill, but has a bonus of being fun.

"Sometimes they splash me and sometimes I splash them," said Clarke.

"I'd would rather be in the water and let my mind go free," said Drayer.

"If you're having a bad day it all stops when you get into the pool."


PS Had to get the lil'un who wants only two things for Christmas! her gapped smile too priceless

Barbaric Axmen rugby comeback

By Philip Rushton

The Edson Axmen and the Edmonton Pirates destroyed each other on the battlefield and came to a 22 all tie.

"It was a team effort to the end," said Danny Kuzmic, "anyone can fall over the line to score."

The Axmen came from a slow start behind 22-5 at half-time and stopped the Pirates.

"It was a high emotion game," said Wade Heidler, "There might have been a punch or two, but we leave it on the field."

With ankle, knee and ribs injuries on both sides, the Axmen were without any substitutions.

"Nobody walks away unscathed," said Kuzmic.

The Axmen had 4 tries and 1 conversions and the Pirates had 3 tries, 2 converts and a penalty.

"These guys have a lot of heart and we're still undefeated."


P.S. these guys were 100% heart. When I was finished shooting photos and interviewing, I got an invite to party from true gentleman Danny. The team was hosting dinner and liquid bread for Edmonton team after having to drive so long to get there, so everyone chatted it -- after they'd destroyed each other on the field, all friendly afterwards.

It's just how they do hospitality in small towns, the more the merrier. Nice when I didn't feel like I had much to do on a Saturday evening after living in a hotel for weeks on my own.


P.S.S. I've covered a lot of sports, but I've seen few through a view-finder where I had to look away to keep from incredulous laughing and winching at the same time -- these guys are viciously mauling each other. Train-wrecks are less explosive.


Like EPIC STRUGGLE, short of mauling each other, but apparently that's the proper term for ripping the ball out of the other guy's arms - mauling. Football through a telephoto lens looks painful, but these guys weren't wearing tons of pads.


Good times.... like there were guys just at the bottom of the brutal tackles holding their heads to avoid having ears ripped off by the inch long cheats. Someone was always slow to get up afterwards. When someone was down for the count, the other team kicked the ball out of bounds, even though they had possession.


And only one penalty called? I played soccer for years and we'd get cards for the amount of stuff they got away, jersey grabbing, vicious elbows, knees, straight-arms flying tackles, okay the punches actually got a penalty and there's a lot of loss of possession and scrums if it seems like both teams are destroying each other too much from what I could tell. And they were grinning from ear to ear at the end.

It was incredibly cool to watch and hear the thuds of train-wrecks of guys solidly connecting or deftly avoiding tackles -- a graceful running game. Soccer might be gentleman's game played by ruffians. However, I can see why rugby is the opposite -- gentlemen playing a ruffian's game -- other than amazing amount of swearing, but that's a whole different matter.