Here’s a random one.  The western Canadian NHL teams have an annual prospects camp in Penticton, and the Edmonton Oilers called up Freedom to organize a little ride on the KVR to give the guys a break from the rink.

We had to fire up two rides, though.  Do you realize how hard it is to come up with 19 large mountain bikes to rent in Penticton?  Thanks to the guys at Olympia in Vernon for some spare rides.

Since these guys are here to play hockey, they really weren’t going to be able to ride any single track.  Instead we just did the quick blast on the KVR back to town.  I did try to push a couple of them off a cliff, but they’re pretty wily.  Hey, if I’m gonna pick a favourite, I’m still a Vancouver guy.

Uh oh, now they’re after me.  Well, at least they can’t ride very fast.  Wouldn’t want to trade any punches with these kids though.  They’re all hulks.

Round two, and at this point we did manage to lose Kevin Lowe and some of the trainers.   Totally not on purpose…..no really.  Canuck Nation, yo.

Seriously, though I think these guys were just glad to be out in the sunshine instead of at the rink.  Must get pretty low on the vitamin D living under those lights.

Fun little afternoon.  A couple of rips on the KVR is not the worst way to spend a day, even if Buchberger was there the whole time.

Looks like the Oilers won’t be the cellar dwellers for much longer.  Some decent athletes in this gang, looking forward to seeing some more of that Nugent-Hopkins kid in the regular season.