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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2006-02-08, Page 10♦- ..'4 .►•a•,..+w:-s.i:.r:rq• 41. C ♦u4 • •.-�..�.�r..,..,.. eM' 'iV�►.-• .. . ... -w ....i->...�►• a -.i.✓ •r..-w.L+-. Page 10 February 8, 2006 • The Huron Expositor • • ..1wA+t r✓.,-�.... - - - _ .- +1`�i�.----- ..-..w..+..�.,-.+.. «.......:....r�aa>;.ir.yi+r' Do .you have a sports tip? CaII our newsroom at 527-0240 Lakers head to Quebec for 'Little Stanley Cup' Jeff H e' u c h e r t compete in the biggest peewee hock- ey tournament in the world, set for The Huron -Perth Lakers' peewee February in Quebec. boy's hockey team - is preparing to The Lakers will join over 100 DRIVING. HABITS by Craig Nicholson (©2005 by Craig Nicholson. All rights reserved) From the air, highway traffic must resemble scurrying ants, suddenly exposed when a protective stone is overturned. That's why it's amazing how most drivers and ants manage to get where they're going without mishap. Most snowmobilers make it too, in part because of good habits learned while driving.a car. But the places where snow- mobilers ride their sleds are not the same as those where drivers operate their cars. Snowmobiling takes place in an off- road, unpredictable, constantly changing, and natural environ- ment. Driving mostly occurs on roads scientifically engi- neered and specifically maintained to be predictable, depend- able aiid regular. So operating your snowmobile as if it was a car is asking for trouble. However, snowmobilers can learn lifesaving lessons from driving. One is to avoid alcohol while riding. Abstinence is about arriving home safely, to ride another day. Alcohol con- sumption on the snow is no more acceptable today than it is on the pavement. Another lesson from driving is staying to the right. It's especially important on the snow because there are no lane lines, centre medians or guardrails. By keeping right, corners and hillcrests are safer for everyone. Modern drivers don't usually use hand signals, because every vehicle is equipped with both turn signals and brake lights to inform other drivers of your intentions. We rely on these to keep each other out of trouble. Snowmobilers contin- ue the signaling habit by using the Nationally Approved Snowmobile Hand Signals. In addition to manually indicating turning, slowing and stopping, these signals also inform other riders about the number of oncoming sleds and which one is the last sled in line. Every automobile has review mirrors. Drivers use them instinctively to monitor other traffic. Mirrors are no less important while snowmobiling, when riders have less periph- eral vision, few audio clues and a serious responsibility for = the rider behind. Driving teaches us to watch for and obey traffic signs. So snowmobilers are already predisposed to appreciate signage where it occurs on the snow. Just don't expect to find highway quality, consistency or quantity — and ride your sled accord- ingly. Finally, automobile operators are already used to anticipat- ing traffic, driving defensively, and slowing down and stop- ping with lots of room to spare. Each of these habits also makes better snowmobilers. Fortunately, most snowmobilers avoid dangerous driving distractions. Drivers make hundreds of important decisions each minute on the road. On the snow, we have some of the same choices, plus many new and different ones resulting from its off-road context. Our decisions must always take into account the vari- ables of riding surface, temperature, exposure to the elements, unpredictable terrain, natural hazards, visibility, peer pressure, stamina and the recreational mindset. In many ways, riding a snowmobile is much more challeng- ing than driving a car. Sled - quarters Snowmobiles & ATV's Sales & Service Parts & Acce'ssories . Your ci. ARCO(' Or SHANE OUR Ai&SION.' Ti"; kG1')r, 1i1 345.2248 PERTH COUNTY UNE 44 SNOWMOBILE COUNTRY HARDIER' ATV IEO►ea00. •SALES *SERVICE •ACCESSORIES 1 1/4 Miles North of Seaforth 527.0120 USE TRAIL AT YOUR AWN RISK YOU must know and obey the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act (Ont,) YOU must use caution at all limes iEmer Emergency cell phone service S� may not be available . teams from 16 countries, in the 10 - day Quebec International Peewee Hockey Tournament, commonly referred to as the little Stanley Cup. The tournament, which is running for the 47th year, showcases around 2,300 athletes between the ages of 11 and 12. Lakers head coach Dave Partridge says the team's coaching staff has always focused on developing more than just their athletes' skills on the ice. "We're big on mixing life skills with the playing," he says. Partridge is referring to the time his players will have to sight -see during their trip, which coincides with Quebec's Winter Carnival, the third largest outdoor festival in the world. "It is a chance of a lifetime kind of thing," he says. The Lakers applied along with over 400 other peewee teams to be entered into the tournament. Partridge says his pitch for the Lakers on his application was that his team represents a large area, has kids from all over southern Ontario, and that as a team, they, are among the best in the province, and it's hard to disagree with him. Through. 27 games in the Alliance Hockey Association's Eastern Division the Lakers are 21-5-3. Including tournament and exhibi- tion games they're 33-9-3. Partridge says his team has been able to "build steam," not only this season, but over a longer period of time, because many of the Lakers have been playing together for sev- eral years. ( -shornc EQ 11[Hi 11Il )Crt Mutual Firc 111SIlt'i111C C Wayne Mayer Exeter 235.1915 David Moore 004 ► (711111hi -1y Dublin 345.2512 Head Office Exeter, ON NOM IS1 235-0350 • Est. 1876 Residential Jason Uniac Farm & Commercial Properties Mitchell 348.9012 DIRECTORS & ADJUSTERS Jes Chaffs, R.R. 5 Mitchel 348.9705 Barb Worden Larry Gerdinv, R.R. 2 Steffe 3452878 Staffs Jack Mout, R.R. 1 Kirkton 228-8152 345-2777 MiiLMil O'Shea, R.R. 3 Granton 2252800 '' Murds laws, R.R. 2 St. Path 393-8548 ' Jordan Currie One of those players is Jordan Currie, of Seaforth, whom Partridge describes as a player who under- stands the game really well. He says Currie is one of the strongest skaters on the Lakers, and a great passer. "He's one of the kids we (the other players) lean on," says Partridge. Currie, a defenceman, says his role on the team is to make smart plays in his own end, and agrees with his coach in that he can make strong passes. He says the Lakers have been able to keep winning this season mainly because of their discipline on the ice, and not taking unnecessary penalties. See COMPETITION, Page 11 Looking Glass 4 Main St., Seaforth 527-1783 +Reflexology +Deep Muscle Therapy +Ear Candling +Reiki Jennifer McClinchey In home Services Provided Gift Certificates Available , ESTHETICS BY BONNIE Bonnie Johnston • reftexelogy • manicures • pedicures • facials • waxing • make-up Cift certificates available 527-1719 92 West William St Seaforth, ON NOK 1WO