March 12, 2008 (Whistler, BC) – Athletes, teams, and coaches from across Canada will arrive in Sea-to-Sky country to compete at the 2008 Haywood Ski Nationals, the 81st edition of the Canadian Cross Country Ski Championships, March 16-23, 2008 at Whistler Olympic Park.

Event organizers will welcome competitors from 16 nations including some of the world’s top-ranked skiers from Sweden to make this one of the most thrilling events of the winter season. Athletes from Norway, Finland, Peru, South Africa, Great Britain, Australia, Japan and New Zealand are also expected to participate, including a large contingent of top-ranked skiers from the USA. The first day of competition on Sunday kicks off with the opening ceremony at 8:45am and the exciting Team Sprints race at 9:00am.

WHAT: 2008 Haywood Ski Nationals
WHERE: Whistler Olympic Park (from Highway 99 the venue is located 10km up the Callaghan Valley access road)
WHEN: March 16-23, 2008

Competition Schedule
– Sunday, March 16 – Team Sprints
– Tuesday, March 18 – Short Distance, Classic
– Wednesday, March 19 – Medium Distance, Free Technique
– Friday, March 21 – Free Technique Sprints
– Sunday, March 23 – Long Distance, Free Technique

In addition to an action-packed week of skiing, the “Wild at Art” festival will run concurrently and features a wide variety of cultural offerings unique to the Squamish area, including a live outdoor concert to mark the end of the competition week. A huge “Demo Day and Expo” takes place on Saturday, March 15th at Whistler Olympic Park where everyone is invited to try out top equipment available from leading ski manufacturers and suppliers.

“We encourage everyone to come out and cheer on these talented and dedicated athletes,” said Denise Imbeau, CALOC’s Managing Director. “We also thank our sponsors for their generous support and the extraordinary efforts of almost 200 volunteers for helping to make this one of the most successful events hosted by CALOC and the community.”

The 2008 Haywood Ski Nationals is hosted by CALOC in collaboration with VANOC’s Nordic department and Cross Country Canada (CCC). For detailed information and event schedule, visit www.skinationals.com.

About CALOC
The Squamish-based organization is committed to the staging of world class Nordic sports competitions in the Callaghan Valley, including cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping and Nordic combined, in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and beyond. For additional information, visit www.boldtracks.com.