Cranbrook will be well represented at this weekend's B.C. Gymnastics Championships in the Langley Event Centre in Langley, B.C.

The Key City Gymnastics Club is sending 28 athletes to the three-day event, both male and female, in both the Artistic and Trampoline and Tumbling disciplines.

"It's one of our highest numbers going (to Provincials) to date," said Head Coach Garry Ricks. "And having the two disciplines going - this is the second year we've had trampoline and tumbling athletes going with us."

Artistic gymnastics is basically what one sees in the Olympics; athletes perform a set of routines on a variety of apparatus. Trampoline, of course, means routines are performed on that apparatus, and tumbling routines are performed on a "rod" floor, which provides some spring.

Women will be competing on all bars, beam and floor. Men will compete in floor, pommels, rings, vault, parallel bar and high bar.

"Last year, Provincials were at two different venues," Ricks said. "This year all the gymnastics and 'tramp' and tumbling will be at the same venue."

Ages of the Cranbrook competitors range from 8 to 18.

"Over the past eight years we have had athletes on the podium, which is a great accomplishment for a competition of this caliber," Ricks said. Seven of the athletes will be attending Provincials for the first time. One of them, Emma Lim, is the youngest athlete that the club has ever had qualify to attend Provincial Championships. And last year, Lauryn Savage, Catherine Spencer and Madysen Sandberg swept the podium in their category and are all are returning to compete at a higher level of competition this year.

Some parents are accompanying the team, and four coaches will be taking part.

The Cranbrook contingent is flying out to the Lower Mainland Thursday, to begin competition bright and early Friday. Competition wraps up Sunday, mid-afternoon. The team is due to return to Cranbrook Monday.

As well as Provincial level competition, National and High Performance competitions will be held. Key City Gymnastics is a provincial level club, so no locals will be competing in the National stream.

This means that the Langley Event Centre will be hosting about 1,000 athletes from clubs all over B.C. - 800 in the artistic stream and 200 in tramp and tumbling.

Garry's wife Michelle Ricks, who also coaches at Key City Gymnastics, said the young athletes have proven to be great ambassadors for the sport and for the community.

"As their coach I am so incredibly proud of these kids," Michelle Ricks said. "They are dedicated and genuinely caring and supportive of one another. We have yet to attend a meet or training camp where they have not been complimented on the good behavior, manners, or support of not only each other but also their competitors - I am as proud of them for that as I am of the awards they bring home.

"What they learn and the people they become by participating in this sport will be with them long after the ribbons and medals have been packed away. They are great ambassadors for not only Key City Gymnastics Club but also the city of Cranbrook."

The size of the team, and the fact that it gets bigger from year to year, is indicative of the growing popularity of the sport, and the success the Key City Gymnastics Club is having.

The Key City Gymnastics Club has been in operation for 35 years, the last 20 or so have been at the club's current location on 1st Avenue South, just off the highway.

"We're one of the few clubs in B.C. that actually increased its numbers last year," said Brenna Baker, President of the club's board.

Baker said the club has more than 800 participants every year, including school user groups, adults with disabilities, adult gymnastic programs, participants in 'Junior Gym,' and the competitive athletes, who compete in events like the Provincial championships.

The sport's growing local popularity means there is a need for expansion of the club's facility. Key City Gymnastics is thus embarking on a renovations project that will see the space actually double in size.

"We need more space so we can offer better facilities, as well as be able to expand our programs," Baker said. She said there are currently waiting lists for many programs, like school visits, boys and girls recreational, pre-school programs and competitive gymnastics.

"We're going to be putting in a community room - we're also expanding our gym floor space so we can put in pits, which are really important for training," Baker said. "We don't currently have pits in there, they would help a lot."

Renovations would also include change rooms, viewing areas and administrative offices.

As well as enabling the club to better serve the community, the result of the renovation would be a state of the art gymnastics facility which would enable Cranbrook to host local, regional, provincial and Western Canadian events. It would also provide space for other community sports groups to use.

Phased construction is scheduled to begin in December, 2011, and be finished in August, 2012.

The cost for the renovation would be $400,000, which funding from various sources, and the club has already launched fundraising initiatives. Key City Gymnastics is also on the short list for the East Kootenay Community Credit Union Community Awards. Voting for the $25,000 award takes place this weekend.