July 11, 2016
ATIKOKAN
$150
PROGRESS (Inc. 7¢ HST)
Atikokan-Quetico, Canoeing Capital of Canada
Volume 66, Number 36
More records for powerlifter Joe Lecuyer M. McKinnon Powerlifter Joe Lecuyer turned in another record-setting performance June 25, this time at the Canadian Powerlifting Federation's national championships in Amherst, Nova Scotia. He was named the best lifter among the men, in the 'raw' category. (In the raw category, lifters are unequipped, i.e., only the singlet, belt and wrist wraps are allowed.) His performance - 300 kg in the squat lift, 240 kg in the bench press, and 300 kg in the deadlift placed him first in his weight class (140 kg; he weighed in at 135.4 kg) and division. His total 840 kg - bested the national record he set at the Ontario provincial championships last October. He also set national records with his squat lift and bench press. At CPF events, lifters get three chances at each station.
Lecuyer missed at 290 kg in his first squat, but then nailed his next two, at 290 and then 300 kg. In the bench press, he succeeded at 230 kg and 240 kg, and then came up tantalizingly short at 247.5 kg, which would have set a new world record. Finally, in the deadlift, he succeeded at 290 kg, then got 300 kg on his second try. There were close to 100 lifters competing at Amherst, 64 amateurs and 33 pros. Powerlifters can be compared across classes using a strength coefficient developed by Powerlifting Australia. Using that measure, Lecuyer ranked fourth overall among all the lifters, pro and amateur. His win earned him a spot at the Amateur World Powerlifting Congress' World Cup, which will be held in Idaho Falls in September.
Bass Classic draw completed
Needed now: Events to spice up ABC week M. McKinnon The draw for the 29th annual Atikokan Bass Classic came off without a hitch Monday - at least as far as Jeff Veenbaas and Jim Ferguson are concerned. They pulled down the top spot and will get the jump on the crowd come August 12. Not so happy were Joe and Dale Anthony, who ended up in 110th spot. “Nowhere to go but up, I guess,” offered Joe on FaceBook. That's the gedder done attitude! (The full list is on-line, at both the A B C's regular and FaceBook sites.) “We always tell the guys at the bottom of the draw that the cream always rises to the top,” said ABC coordinator Lisa Johnson. The start order on day two will continue to be based on day one standing (the top 27 weights go in the first flight). Participants voted on a proposal last year to have the day two starting order be the reverse of the day one order, but the anglers voted that down. Johnson said the wait list to get into the tournament is down to ten. “It is very difficult to get into this tournament,” she said. “We're one of the few that fill up for the next year a few days after the tournament finishes.” The 110 entrants in this year's event have first crack at a spot for next year. At noon, Monday, August 15 - the Monday after the tournament - sign up goes on a first come, first served basis. “Actually what happens is that when we open the office at 9 am
Monday, we hand out numbers, and then at noon we start accepting registrations in order if there are any spots available.” Worries Johnson's biggest concerns right now involve merchandise about $2,700 worth of tee-shirts are overdue (“We've only got a month or so to sell it!”) - and a sparse events list for ABC week. The main regulars run by the ABC team and its partners - the kids' fishing tourney (Monday morning at Minnow Pond), the Library's Teddy Bear Picnic (Tuesday), and the artisans' tent (all day Thursday) - are all a go. But so far nothing else has been scheduled. “We put out a call a couple of weeks ago, but we haven't heard a thing,” she said. “It would be nice to have something new.” It's been years since there was a scavenger hunt for adults, and Johnson is convinced that would be a hit - if someone was willing to take it on. She's hoping for some more kids' activities, too. These non-fishing family events are an important part of the leadin to the big event. On the merchandise front, the ABC has a nice selection of baby stuff (onesies, bibs, tees) on the way, in addition to the adult tees. The men's fish-o-flage shorts have been a hit; they come in both walleye and bass versions. And a new selection of hoodies has gone over well, as have the perforSee ‘Bass Classic’, page 2
THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM Intrepid solo paddler Mike Ranta reached Atikokan right on schedule, about 1 pm Canada Day, just in time to take part in the festivities at Legion Point. Missing this event in 2011 (by one day) and 2014 (by two weeks) was a big disappointment for him. Among the enthusiastic greeters here was veteran Max Clement, the latest to sign his canoe. After a short break, it was back on the water bright and early Sunday morning for Ranta. He's about two weeks ahead of his 2014 pace, and hopes to maintain that as he works his way east. He reached the Dog River Friday morning, and was hoping to get into Thunder Bay by late Sunday. PHOTOS COURTESY K. FULTON
Teens from the Youth Centre were ready to greet Ranta. The canoe parade drew its biggest crowd of paddlers in a decade, as two dozen canoes made their way from Bunnell Park to Legion Point. Canoe Canada's loan of a dozen canoes, complete with paddles and PFDs, made it possible for many of the holiday water trippers, include Sarah Young and three of her children - Elizabeth, Hannah, and Alexander.
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