Jul
25
Written by:
News Editor
Sunday, July 25, 2010 5:30 PM
By Heather Colpitts
Liam Phillips earned himself some hardware on the first day of competition in the 2010 BC Summer Games being hosted by Langley Township.
His July 23 showing in the boys 14-17 wakeboarding earned him top spot in a sport that he calls his “happy place.”
“For me, when I’m behind the boat in high speed, it’s my happy time,” he said.
The teen has been allowing himself to be pulled at breakneck speeds behind motorboats since he was four and plans are to work towards turning pro in his sport.
The 17-year-old member of the Vancouver Waterski Club enjoyed taking to Arthur Dyck Park in west Abbotsford, a chance to compete on fresh water. The Deep Cove resident does much of his work in sea waters. While he likes the buoyancy the salt provides, he likes freshwater boarding because the waters are typically calmer and the only wake a boarder much contend with is from the powerboat.
The member of the BC Wakeboard Team, Phillips had already qualified for nationals before coming to the Langley Games but it proved a worthwhile trek on day one. He’s also expected to compete in other towed sports taking place all-day Saturday and Sunday morning.
Thomas Kramer, also from Zone 5 (Vancouver-Squamish) took the silver while third spot and the bronze went to Kevin Hamersley, from the Fraser River Delta zone (4).
In the younger category, Erik Schroeder’s wakeboard moves caught the attention of the crowds on shore and earned the 11-year-old the gold in the boys’ 10-13 category.
The Kelowna athlete skis with the Lake Country Skiing and Boarding Club and has been a fan of watersports since about the age of four. This is his third year of competition. A young man of few words but plenty of action, the only thing he could say when asked about why he likes wakeboarding is for the “air.”
Richmond’s Josh Goodman (Zone 4) is the bronze winner while Tate Borg (Zone 2 Thompson-Okanagan).
This was the first time at the BC Summer Games for Port Alberni’s Alyshia Coombs but she won’t regret the ferry ride after scoring the gold in the girls 10-13 wakeboarding.
The 16-year-old with the Sprout Lake Water Sport Association has a brother who does wakeboarding also and has been doing water sports since she was about eight. Coombs has no plans on stopping,
“I hope to get on the BC Wakeboard Team and keep boarding for fun,” she said.
Far from daunted by the speedy sport,she likes doing jumps, likes the water and likes being outdoors. In fact after the day’s competition Friday, she tried a new sport.
“I tried jumping for the first time today,” she said.
So how was it?
“I think I’ll stick with wakeboarding,” she chuckled.
On her heels in the board contest were silver medalist Alex Southam, Zone 5 from North Vancouver, and Kendra Lawson, a Delta boarder from Zone 5.
In the 10-13 category, Kaitlen Millham, a Vancouver girl whose with the Vancouver Waterski Club, put in a gold-winning performance. It’s not her first time at the BC Summer Games but last time was quite a bit dryer, as she competed in soccer.
Her new passion is on the water, where she said she likes doing the tricks and getting air.
“I just wanted to have fun,” Millham said when asked why she wanted to challenge herself at the Games.
And that’s all she expected – fun, not anticipating a medal, let alone gold.
Many of the young people who competed Friday weill return to the small lake in Arthur Dyck Park for the remaining towed sports contests – slaloms and tricks Saturday and jumping Sunday.