Have you signed up for this year's Test of Metal?
Too late.
This year, organizers were very pleased to learn that the 800 spaces in the June 19 race were filled by March 9 - a full 14 weeks ahead of the mountain bike race.
As of the beginning of February about 250 racers were entered in the 67-km point-to-point race that takes competitors from Brennan Park to Alice Lake then to the upper reaches of the Mamquam River and back to the Al McIntosh Loggers Sports Grounds. An e-mail message was sent in the second week of February to the racers who took part last year. The letter encouraged the previous contenders to register soon because the event was expected to sell out.
"I'm not surprised we're sold out this early," said race director Cliff Miller. "The word is really getting out about the quality of our event and all that Squamish has to offer as the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada."
Squamish mayor Ian Sutherland was pleased when he learned of the news and agreed that by selling out the race this early it speaks to Squamish's growing popularity with visitors.
The Test of Metal is the anchor component that makes up the Squamish Mountain Bike Festival between June 18 and 20.
The Test of Metal will be one of the races in a new provincial mountain bike series called a marathon. There are three other races in the series: one on the Sunshine Coast, another in Summerland and the final at the Gear Jammer event being held this summer in Squamish.
"This year is going to be as exciting, if not more exciting than previous years," Miller said. "Being part of the marathon series raises our profile and makes mountain bike racing in B.C. a little more exciting."
Coun. Ray Peters, chair of the District of Squamish's Select Committee on Tourism, said all of Squamish benefits from the people the event attracts to the area.
"It brings people from all over North America and off the continent," Peters said. "I talked to people from all over the place, even as far away as Australia."
According to Peters, the early sellout is just one indicator of the growth of sports tourism in Squamish.
"We're getting more and more events," said Peters. "The STORMY [Squamish Test of Running Metal, Yeah!] is growing, each year it doubles in size. We're getting some real class events. We have a new adventure race that is going to happen in May. This is the first year and it is going to be world-class."
He notes these are just a few of the events that bring visitors to Squamish. Windsurfing, the Squamish Fall Classic, the Squamish Days 10K Run, the triathlon, the new Wild at Art Festival and Loggers Sports are other events that Peters says are integral to attracting tourists.
"It is unreal," Peters said of the way events are coming together. "We are going to continue to grow with events. All of these are going to draw tourism dollars to Squamish."
Todd Pope of Tourism Squamish backs the statements from Peters.
"Sports tourism is a massive tourism draw for Squamish," Pope told The Chief. "Sports tourism like ball tournaments and athletic events is one of the largest attractants bringing people to our community."
Pope recently researched Squamish's tourism industry for a thesis he is working on."It has a positive influence on business in our community," he said.
"The big impact comes not just from the racers but their families that come with them. The people stay longer because their families are here."
