Brandon Slooyer of North Capital Judo wins his second match at the PG Open Judo Tournament

Prince George, BC –  While the Prince George Open Judo Tournament is not a selection tournament to other events, 15-year-old Brandon Slooyer sees it as the perfect opportunity to prepare for the National Judo Championships in Toronto this summer.

Slooyer has been with the North Capital Judo Club for the past eight years and will be competing in his third Nationals this summer.  The grade 10 student says the local tournament is really good experience and is an opportunity to really hone his techniques.

Slooyer won his first two matches in the under 73-kilo category by ‘hold downs’.  (Click on photo at right for a video clip of the second fight.  Slooyer is in white.)

The College Heights Secondary student was one of 155 competitors at yesterday’s all-day event.  Tournament Director, Aline Strasdin, is the head instructor at the Prince George Judo Club.  In addition to all three local clubs – PG, North Capital, and the Hart Judo Academy, Strasdin says there were participants from nine other BC clubs and one competitor from Grande Prairie.

According to new Judo Canada rules, white belts cannot compete in full randori, or ‘free practise’ competition, so Strasdin says those young athletes kicked off the tournament with a skills competition where they did throws, to hold downs, and roll offs.  Before the older competitors took to the mats for randori.  "They’re trying to throw their partner and either make them submit by a hold down or the older athletes can do chokes and hold locks," explains Strasdin.

She agrees with Brandon that the tournament, which has been running for 26+years, is valuable experience in the run up to the National Championship.  "And in Prince George, alone, we probably have about 15 athletes that will go to the championships, so they have a couple more months of preparation."