November 15, 2006 (Vernon, BC) – Nordic skiers will be grinning from ear-to-ear with the today’s signing of a historic agreement between Silver Star Mountain Resort and the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club. Both local and vacationing cross country skiers will now have the opportunity to access over 105 kilometres of some of North America’s finest Nordic skiing.

Guests staying at Silver Star Mountain Resort will be able to ski right out the front door of their vacation home or hotel and access trails all the way around the mountain. This will include access to Sovereign’s world class trail system, the rustic Black Prince warming cabin and extensive day lodge facility. Vernon locals and members of the Sovereign Lakes Nordic Club – the largest in the province, with over 1700 avid skiers – can purchase a ticket upgrade to access Silver Star trails, the Mountain View Cabin warming hut, and the Paradise Camp restaurant adjacent to its trails.

Glenn Bond, Nordic manager for Silver Star Mountain Resort, emphasizes the new spirit of cooperation that this agreement will usher in. “Silver Star and Sovereign Lakes complement each other in so many ways. Sovereign has tremendous resources for organizing large-scale events like last year’s World Cup race, and Silver Star has the beds and services for destination skiers. Combined Silver Star and Sovereign Lakes can better attract both recreational and Olympic calibre athletes from all over the world.” Just last week, Silver Star inked a deal with the Norwegian national Nordic team to serve as their training base in the years building up to the 2010 Olympics.
Guests staying at Silver Star Mountain Resort will be able to ski right out the front door of their vacation home or hotel and access trails all the way around the mountain.

Einar Field is a long-time member of Sovereign Lake Nordic Club and was a participant in the Task Force working on this agreement. He says, “the Nordic skiing world has been waiting for this, and the timing could not be better. Nature has given us exceptional possibilities for great cross country skiing in Silver Star Provincial Recreation Area. Together, we can offer both local and destination skiers an extraordinary experience. This agreement demonstrates that volunteer ski clubs and commercial interests can work together in a common effort to provide an exceptional Nordic skiing experience and service at affordable rates. By combining our resources we enrich our capability and capacity to host successful national and international events.”

With a packed base already surpassing 60 centimetres, both Sovereign Lake Nordic Club and Silver Star Mountain Resort currently offer the very best early-season Nordic skiing conditions in North America.