Own the cold with a flurry of sports and activies on the calendar this month
Photos courtesy of Richard Whittaker, SFUO, and Marc Jan
The month of January has far more to offer in terms of entertainment than white powdery snow and chilly breezes. To keep you active, or at the very least entertained, the Fulcrum has put together a month-long schedule of various sports-related activities happening on campus.
Capital Hoops Classic
The month of January holds the very contentious annual Capital Hoops Classic tournament. Jan. 21 will mark the eighth edition of the tournament, which will continue to be hosted at the Canadian Tire Centre until at least 2016 due to a six-year contract signed in 2009. Both men’s and women’s basketball teams from Carleton University and the University of Ottawa will meet at the event, and this is perhaps the year the Gee-Gees will take the championship title away from the Ravens. Tickets start at $10.
The Jan. 24–25 weekend following the event will also contain five hockey, volleyball, and basketball home games. If you can only keep one weekend open this month, make sure it’s that one.
Winter Challenge
Winter Challenge will take place Jan. 13–18 and is free to register. Simply make a team of four — two guys and two girls — and complete challenges during the week to win the first-place prize, and all inclusive trip for four to Punta Cana. The last day to register is Jan. 9 before midnight. This event will come to a close with Snowstock, a mini concert hosted by the SFUO on Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. It will cost $5 for non-winter challenge team members to enter. Read more about this year’s Winter Challenge on pg. 9.
Le Spin
Le Spin is an annual outdoor snowboard and ski competition on Jan. 14, hosted by the U of O ski and snowboard club in conjunction with Red Bull. Registration opens at noon for $15 and is open to everyone. The event will take place on Tabaret lawn, as it does every year, with the first heat beginning at 5 p.m.
Guerre des Tuques
Guerre des Tuques will happen Jan. 17–18 on Morrisset terrace. The 24-hour snow fort building competition has stringent material rules. Teams of 20 will be pitted against each other, primarily student bodies, in order to build the biggest and baddest snow fort on the block. Perhaps somebody will beat the engineers this year, who won last year with their Mayan-style pyramid.
Because I am a Girl
Because I am a Girl’s on-campus club at the U of O will be hosting a Yoga session at the Upward Dog Yoga Centre on Jan. 11 at 1:30 p.m. The event seeks to raise money for the Because I am a Girl cause, which supports and empowers women in developing countries. The Facebook event can be found under the name “Yogis 4 Change.”
Tremblant Takeover
The Science Students’ Association (SSA) is hosting its annual Tremblant Takeover on Jan. 10–12, which includes a ski and snowboarding trip to Mont Tremblant. Normally registration occurs in November and December for this SSA event, but there were still between three and five open seats at the time of publication.
Rink of Dreams & Canal
Ottawa has offered the Rink of Dreams outside City Hall since late November, but has also declared the Rideau Canal open and safe to skate since early January. The canal itself offers nearly eight kilometres of ice, with nightly Zambonis and daily beaver tails. There are also cross-country ski trails available in the heart of the city, as well as downhill skiing resorts available just across the border in Gatineau. For the brazenly adventurous, Gatineau Park has also offered winter camping as of mid-November.
