Sporting events continue to flock to the Yukon, in anticipation of the 2007 Canada Winter Games.

The 2006 Canada Post Age Class Short Track Championships will be held in Whitehorse March 30 to April 2, featuring more than 150 of the best age class speed skaters in the country.

The championships will serve as a test event for 2007, with events taking place at the Whitehorse multiplex, which is scheduled to be completed this fall.

'It's exciting,' said Bruce Henry, the president of the Yukon Speed Skating Association (YSSA), in an interview Tuesday. 'It's going to be challenging, but fun at the same time.'

Henry said the championships are the premier age class event in Canada, and even larger from a speed skating-specific standpoint than the Canada Games.

The Canada Games has just one age class in speed skating, while the age class championships feature four individual age groups midget, juvenile, intermediate and junior with the potential for eight people in each age group from every province and territory competing.

'It will be a real big thing here, when you look at the national media that will follow that, and of course, it will be a big boost to the economy in the territory.'

The YSSA applied to host the age class championships about two years ago, but the announcement wasn't made until this week because Speed Skating Canada wanted to wait until the championships were closer the 2005 event gets underway this weekend in Surrey, B.C.

'Speed Skating Canada (SSC) is very excited to bring such an important competition to the City of Whitehorse,' said Jean R. Dupre, director general of SSC.

A bunch of local speed skating organizers and a couple of athletes will be travelling to Surrey, with organizers working and job shadowing at the event in order to get a feel for what 2006 will be like.

There are some requirements in order to host the championships, such as an Olympic-size ice surface, which the multiplex will provide.

'Olympic-size ice is what we need from a safety standpoint,' said Henry. 'It will be real good for us.'

There are a few structural things which also have to be done before next year's event, and for the Canada Games.

The association will need to get some more mats to go around the track, which they have the funding for. They will also need to take care of electronic timing and scoring, and of course, they'll need lots of volunteers.

'This will give us an opportunity to work through it and see what needs to be done better for Canada Games,' said Henry of the age class event, which will also serve as a test event for security and medical services at the multiplex.

'These test events are not only for the sport specifically.'

The 2006 championships will allow the local athletes to compete at a higher level as well, some of which haven't had the opportunity to travel Outside in previous years. And of course, it's an opportunity for those planning to compete in 2007 to gain more experience against national-calibre athletes.

Henry also hopes it may get more Whitehorse residents interested in the sport.

'Speed skating is Canada's premier winter sport, contrary to popular belief. Canada has won by far and way the majority of their medals at the last several Olympics in speed skating. ' The medal count for Canada in the sport is huge. It's one of the top medal producers in both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

'It maybe doesn't get quite the media play I think it should.'

Because Canada is one of the best countries in the world for speed skating, the kids at the age class championships will be potential future Olympians some of the top youngsters in the world, said Henry.

While the Yukon hopes to field as big of a team as possible for the championships, Henry said they need to have standards in terms of time, so that the kids can be at least somewhat competitive.

'They have to skate at a speed that sees them not become a pylon.

'We would like to field a full contingent, but I don't know if that's realistic. Probably not.'

There are at least a few local skaters which will be good enough to suit up at the championships, such as Brett Elliot (intermediate), Troy Henry (junior) and Rhiannon Jones (junior). And others could certainly be eligible, said the president.

Elliott, Troy and Jones all plan on skating at Canada Games as well, and there are a few more which hope to, but may not be able to because of the age limit.

Up until this year, the age limit for the Games in speed skating was 21, but now it's 19.

Bruce said the YSSA is trying to get an age exemption right now, since they're the host territory and they have kids who have been training for the past two seasons in anticipation of the Games.

'We fought (the change) long and hard when they wanted to do it, but we weren't successful. Now we're going to try another route and go for an exemption.

'We're trying to get an exemption for these kids so they can compete in front of their hometown crowd. They've already been funded by the territorial government, too (under the Best Ever program).'

And of course, the association is always looking for new athletes to sign up in the sport, which is why they've started the new Edge Curriculum in partnership with Speed Skating Canada and the Yukon Department of Education.

The curriculum, which is starting up in Haines Junction this fall, introduces speed skating as part of schools' physical education programs.

It's hoped that schools in Whitehorse, and around the territory, will eventually pick it up as well.

'It's a talent identification program for us, too,' said Bruce. 'We see kids who show interest, and hopefully pull aside and get them in the club.'

The club is always looking for volunteers and officials as well, especially with two major events coming up in the next couple of years. They're going to be hosting a clinic for entry-level officials in the next couple of months, so local residents can be timers and work at the Canadian age class championships next year.

'That experience would go toward possibly working at Canada Winter Games as well,' said Bruce.

Anyone interested in the clinic, or in volunteering at the event, can contact Bruce Henry or Tom and Penny Elliot.