By The Halifax Chronicle-Herald
 Paddlers Karen Furneaux of Waverley and Steve Giles of Lake Echo were honoured Saturday night as the IKON provincial athletes of the year.

Furneaux, who has qualified for the Sydney Olympics in the K-2, won two gold medals at the 1999 Pan Am Games in the K-1 500 metres and the K-4 500 metres. The 23-year-old teamed up with kayaking legend Caroline Brunet and won silver in the 500 metres at the world championships.

Furneaux, a product of Cheema Aquatic Club, also captured gold in the K-2 500 metres at the World Cup in Duisburg, Germany.

Giles, meanwhile, is a repeat winner of the IKON award. He won a gold medal in the C-1 1,000 metres and silver in the C-1 500 metres at the Pan Am Games last summer.

He's still battling to qualify for the Sydney Olympics and will attend trials next weekend in Montreal.

Sailing national team coach Brian Todd was named Moosehead coach of the year. Todd is responsible for the Laser and the 470 national team members.

Kelly Hand, the 1999 Laser Radial world champion, and Mike Simms, a gold medallist at the Pan Am Games, are among his athletes.

Racquetball's Dan Smith earned Moosehead official of the year and the sailing duo of Paul Baskett and Brent MacDonald was selected as the team of the year.

Smith, who has been officiating for 17 years, worked at the Pan Am Games.

Baskett and MacDonald posted several top-10 finishes throughout the year, including third in the Australian championships and a best fifth overall place at the Sail Melbourne Regatta.

The tandem is still in contention for the Sydney Olympics.