April 11, 2013 (Prince George, BC) – It’s been almost ten years since the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club hosted a FIS-sanctioned cross-country ski event, but in 2014, Canada’s top skiers will return to Prince George to compete at the 2014 Haywood Noram Western Canadian Cross Country Ski Championships.
From February 14, – 16th 2014, the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club will host the ski competition—sanctioned by FIS, the International Ski Federation (the world’s highest ski-sanctioning body)—and recognized as a test event for the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
The event will attract athletes from across Canada who will be vying for positions on Canada’s 2014-15 World Cup Team. Additionally athletes from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon Territories, and the Northwest Territories will be representing their province in order to determine the Western Canadian Champions. It is expected that approximately 350 athletes will compete from across Canada.
“The government of British Columbia would like to congratulate Prince George on winning the rights to host the 2014 championships,” says Bill Bennett, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. “This prestigious event is really going to ramp up the anticipation for the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George. By showcasing Canada’s top athletes, this competition will give audiences a taste of the excitement to come in 2015.”
“Otway Nordic Centre is a shining jewel in our region’s incredible recreation crown,” says Prince George Mayor, Shari Green. “It’s great to see this top-class facility hosting such an important event in the Nordic skiing community. Canada’s top skiers will appreciate why Prince George earned the right to host the Canada Winter Games, as they enjoy our warm hospitality.”
The 2014 Haywood Noram Western Canadian Cross Country Ski Championships will test more than the field of play explains Cal Benson, Chief of Competition for the Western Canadian Championships. “We are looking forward to trying out the new expanded cross-country stadium and brand new technical building at Otway, as well as the competitive trail system expansion developed in preparation for the 2015 Canada Winter Games,” says Benson. “This will be a fantastic opportunity to prepare for the Games and future competitions we might secure as a result of these investments.”
“This is a great example of what the 2015 Canada Winter Games is bringing to our community,” says Kevin Pettersen, President, Caledonia Nordic Ski Club. “The significant upgrades to our trails and facilities are now up to the National Sporting Organizations’ standards, and will give us more opportunities for event-hosting after the 2015 Games.”
“Now is a great time to be a sports fan in northern BC,” says Stuart Ballantyne, CEO, 2015 Canada Winter Games. “The Canada Games is the stepping-stone in the athletic careers of Canada’s top young athletes and future Olympians, and events like the 2014 Western Canadian Cross Country Ski Championships are a great platform to cheer on these talented athletes and learn about their sports.”
This is the first FIS-sanctioned cross-country ski event since the 2005 Ski Nationals. Six of the seven 2012-13 Canadian World Cup team raced in Prince George in 2005: Len Valjas, Alex Harvey, Perianne Jones, Daria Gaiazova, Ivan Babikov, and Chandra Crawford. All of these have won World Cup or Olympic medals since racing in Prince George. Notably, Chandra Crawford won an Olympic gold medal in the Women’s Sprint at Turin, Italy in 2006 and Alex Harvey won Canada’s first men’s World Championship individual medal in 2013 at Val di Fiemme, Italy.
March 06, 2013 (Whistler, BC) – In a few short weeks, athletes from around the country will converge on Whistler for the 2013 Haywood Cross Country Ski Nationals. March 23 to 31 will include races in both skate and classic techniques, from sprints to mid-distance to the final 50k men’s race and 30k women’s race.
Joining new and returning racers will be Canadian National Team members Devon Kershaw, Alex Harvey, Len Valjas, Daria Gaiazova, Perianne Jones, and Ivan Babikov. This March competition marks the team’s return from the World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
For the first time in Canadian history, the Biathlon Championships, the Haywood Cross Country Ski Championships, and the Aviva Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Championships will all be happening in succession at the Whistler Olympic Park venue at Callaghan Valley.
WOP has proven to be a well-used facility since the 2010 Olympics as the sport of cross-country skiing becomes more popular within Canada. A great source of cardio, Nordic skiing is a good way to stay fit and to keep healthy.
“We’re excited to be hosting an event of this calibre so soon after the Olympics,” said Sherryl Yeager, Event Chair. “We’re seeing a growth phase in the sport so it’s more exciting than ever to have Nationals here in Whistler.”
Entry to watch all races is free and spectators are encouraged to come out and cheer. This will be the last major race for the Canadian National Team in Canada before the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Ski Nationals 2013 would like to thank event sponsors Haywood Securities, Buff Canada, Clif Bar, The Nordic Shop of Squamish BC, Deep Cove Outdoors, Impact Canopies Canada, Q Energy, Executive Suites Hotel & Resort, the Whistler Question, The Squamish Chief, Avis, Salomon, Fischer, Swix, Nesters Market, Halti Skiwear, Sauce Headwear, Bliz Active Eyewear, One Way, Rossignol, Ski Go Wax, RC, Icebreaker, Whistler Hotels, Silverfoot, Whistler Chocolate, Whistler Brewing Company, as well as the support of the Whistler Athletes’ Centre, and Hosting BC.
February 20, 2013 (Whistler, B.C.) – Join Olympic and World Cup gold medalists Devon Kershaw and Alex Harvey, along with rising stars Len Valjas and Perianne Jones as they compete in the Haywood Ski Nationals – the last major domestic racing event before the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
More than 600 of Canada’s best cross-country skiers will race in the 2013 Haywood Ski Nationals, the largest of three Nordic national championships to be held at Whistler Olympic Park, March 23 – 30, 2013.
The Olympic Park is the site of the Sea to Sky Nordic Festival where Canada’s elite winter athletes will compete in Biathlon Nationals and North American Biathlon Championships, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Canadian Nationals.
With hundreds of athletes on site for biathlon, cross-country, and ski-jumping/Nordic combined, the event will “return us to the excitement of 2010 Olympics,” says event chair Sherryl Yeager.
“We’ll have more athletes, more races and more adrenalin pumping in this two-week period than we did in 2010,” says Yeager. “This event is going to give you non-stop all-day high-level racing from Canada’s best.”
Whistler Olympic Park is the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics and offers world-class racing trails and a picturesque recreational trail system that meanders through old growth forest in the Callaghan Valley. This is only the third time the Ski Nationals have been hosted in the Sea to Sky Corridor in 20 years. They were first held in Vancouver in 1991 and at Whistler Olympic Park in 2008.
December 28, 2012 (Radium, B.C.) – Happy Holidays from Nipika! We hope that you get to spend some time outside in true Nipika style: some cross country skiing, snowshoeing, toboganning, ice skating in crisp winter… followed by a hot tub or sauna and a delicious home-cooked meal.
If you can’t get out for an overnight or day visit to Nipika this holiday season, consider coming out in the New Year.
Nipika Cross Country Ski Camp – Jan. 20-25
Join Nipika director (and x-c ski guru) Lyle Wilson and Black Feather director Wendy Grater for 5 days of expert instruction and coaching. Relax at the end of the day in the wood fired sauna or hot tub. Accommodation each night is in the comfortable lodge and includes delicious, home-cooked meals and great camaraderie. Skiers of all levels will enjoy this cross country ski adventure week. More info HERE.
Nipika and Toby Creek Nordic Loppet Weekend – Feb.2-3
The Loppet Weekend is fast approaching. The Nipika Classic Loppet is on Saturday, February 2 and the Toby Creek Skate Loppet is on Sunday, February 3. Registration is already open and selling fast. The loppets are always a lot of fun – and the BBQ the follows is a huge highlight. If you’ve not tried a cross country ski event, this is probably the best one to cut your teeth. More info HERE.
We’re looking forward to seeing you in the new year! Have a safe and happy holiday!
December 10, 2012 (Sovereign Lake, B.C.) – The Nishikawas took the podium in both the men’s and the women’s Haywood NorAm races on Sunday. It was a cold start to the Haywood NorAm race at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre, with 80 men racing in the men’s 15km free and 42 in the women’s race.
The women’s competition had a close finish leaving officials to tally the times of the as Emily Nishikawa finished behind Brittany Webster in the race, but as it was interval starts, both finished with the time of 31 minutes.
When Emily came in, Webster was anxiously awaiting the results to see if her first place standing would hold. The results showed Nishikawa as the first place finisher with a time of 31:04 and Webster 31:11. Third place was a Junior racer, Frédérique Vézina with team NST.
Webster explains that what makes this course tough is the transition zones. The skiers who are good at transitioning from the flat or down to the steep rises can make up time. She credits the race organizers and groomers for making the course as smooth as possible.
Webster’s points seeded her near 5 minutes ahead of the leaders. She found it a hard race to gauge where she was in relation to the fast girls in her category and to know that she was so close to Nishikawa.
Nishikawa had her own race plan for the day. “I wanted to ski relaxed in the first lap and then pick it up in the second lap, and I felt I was able to do that. It’s a tough course and you’re always working, so I wanted to make sure I had enough energy to push in the last two kilometres. I’m really happy with how it turned out.”
The men’s field demonstrated strength on hills, with three loops of the hilly 5km course that left their lungs on the trails in the light freezing rain that cooled the air temperature. Graham Nishikawa of Whitehorse, training with AWCA proved to be the toughest and fastest of the day, finishing the 15km in a time of 39:22.
Michael Somppi of AWCA finished in second place with a time of 39:40 followed by David Greer of the Yukon Elite Squad in 40:02.
Nishikawa felt he started his race well and felt he was able to maintain it. “The last two km were super hard.” he said. “It was hard to see on the downhill as my glasses were fogging and icing.”
This weekend Nishikawa feels shows that his fitness is good. Looking ahead to the World Cup, Nishikawa is pretty excited about it, and would like to have two good races next weekend.
December 05, 2012 (Vernon, B.C.) – Cross Country BC (CCBC), the Provincial Sport Organization for cross-country skiing in British Columbia is currently seeking to fill the position of Office Administrator.
The successful candidate will work out of the provincial office which is located in Vernon, BC.
General Responsibilities. The position is responsible for a wide range of administrative duties, including office accounting functions, on behalf of the organization.
A successful candidate should possess:
– Post secondary education in Sport Administration, Business, or a combination of related education and experience.
– Excellent computer skills in all Microsoft software programs, graphics software and experience with web site management and web maintenance.
– The ability to work with a high degree of independence in a very fast-paced environment and respond quickly and efficiently to inquiries.
– Excellent time management and organizational skills, as well as ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks concurrently.
– The ability to work as a team player in a volunteer-based organization.
– The ability to produce polished communication in written and oral form.
This is a full-time position. Starting salary will be determined based on qualifications and experience.
A job description is available on request.
Applications should be in the form of a letter of application, with CV and three references, submitted by e-mail to:
Cross Country BC
c/o Georgia Manhard
CCBC Board of Directors gmanhard@telus.net
Only individuals receiving an interview will be contacted.
Deadline to receive applications and references is December 14, 2012.
November 19, 2012 (Vernon, B.C.) – With 25 centimetres of snow in the village and 40 centimetres at higher elevations Silver Star Mountain Resort and Sovereign Lake will open this Friday, Nov. 16. Twenty kilometres of upper trails (Putnam trails) will be opened on Friday.
With the dual area pass and its new partnership, Silver Star Mountain Resort and the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club provides cross-country enthusiasts access to more than 105 km of some of North America’s best Nordic skiing.
“For the first time in Silver Star’s history, we’ll be co-hosting Canada’s longest running early season camp. Skiers across Canada and the U.S. have come to trust our early snow and excellent coaching to start off their season,” says Guy Paulsen, Nordic Manager at Silver Star Mountain Resort.
Registrations are flowing in for the 2012 Cross-Country Supercamps, which begins on November 19. Five-day camps run November 19 to 23 and November 26 to 30. Weekend camps include a biathlon option to experience shooting on skis. Skiers can register here.
For 2012 Supercamp participants looking for accommodations can take advantage of early opening packages. Guests reserving before November 18 will save 35 per cent on lift tickets and lodging mid-week and 25 per cent on weekends. Silver Star is offering 35% off early bookings extending to February 8th 2013. Early booking savings at Silver Star include: Full details on Early Booking packages here.
Named by Forbes Magazine as the No. 1 Nordic destination in North America, Silver Star – Sovereign Lake is world renowned for its cross-country skiing facilities and is a training ground for some of the best racers in the world. The first of the international competitions is set for December 8 and 9. Sovereign Lake, near Vernon B.C., will host the Teck BC Cup 1 and the Haywood NorAm, with elite and developing skiers from Canada competing head-to-head against the U.S.
Full cross-country access is also a feature of the new My1Pass, Canada’s first all-inclusive season pass and day ticket. With My1Pass, alpine day ticket and season pass holders will have free unlimited access to 115 downhill trails, 55 kilometers of Nordic trails, 16 km of mapped and marked snowshoe trails, Tube Town Adventure Park, and outdoor skating on Brewer’s Pond.
November 09, 2012 (Vernon, BC) – Despite recent warm temperatures, Silver Star Mountain Resort is tracking for its scheduled early season opening third week of November, 2012. Over 40 cm of snow have fallen in the two weeks setting up the trail conditions for an early season for the resort and the neighboring Sovereign Lake Nordic Club. The partnership between the two provides cross-country enthusiasts access to more than 105 km of some of North America’s best Nordic skiing.
“We’re excited about the upcoming season and our renewed partnership with Sovereign Lake,” says Guy Paulsen, Nordic Manager at Silver Star Mountain Resort. “For the first time in Silver Star’s history, we’ll be co-hosting Canada’s longest running early season camp. Skiers across Canada and the U.S. have come to trust our early snow and excellent coaching to start off their season.”
Registrations are flowing in for the 2012 Cross-Country Supercamps, which begin on November 19. Five-day camps run November 19 to 23 and November 26 to 30. Weekend camps will run the last two weekends of the month and all camps include a biathlon option and the opportunity to experience shooting on skis.
The camp agenda also includes a relaxing afternoon at the neighboring Sparkling Hill Resort, the only European spa of its kind in North America, where campers will have access to seven unique aromatherapy sauna and steam rooms and a hydrotherapy pool. The evening will finish with a five-star dining experience overlooking Lake Okanagan.
In addition to the dual area pass, full cross-country access is also a feature of the new My1Pass. In honour of its 10 millionth skier visit, Silver Star Mountain Resort introduced Canada’s first all-inclusive season pass and day ticket. With the My1Pass, alpine day ticket and season pass holders will have free unlimited access to 115 downhill trails, 55 kilometers of Nordic trails, 16 km of mapped and marked snowshoe trails, Tube Town Adventure Park, and outdoor skating on Brewer’s Pond.
Silver Star – Sovereign Lake are world renowned for its cross-country skiing facilities and is a training ground for some of the best racers in the world. The first of the international competitions is set for December 8 and 9. Sovereign Lake, near Vernon B.C., will host both the Teck BC Cup 1 and the second of the Haywood NorAm Race Series, with elite and developing skiers from Canada competing head-to-head with guests from the U.S. The Teck BC Cup Series is the premier race series in British Columbia.
For reservations and to register for the 2012 Cross-Country Supercamps, call 1-800-663-4431 or visit www.skisilverstar.com.
November 01, 2012 (Sun Peaks Resort, B.C.) – Cross Country Skiing is the fastest growing segment of business at Sun Peaks Resort, evidenced by an increase in season pass sales, a sold-out nordic camp, a new nordic centre, and a growing nordic club.
“Our Nordic season pass sales are up by 32 per cent so far this winter,” says Phil Youwe, Sun Peaks Resort’s Nordic Coordinator. “And the newly created Sun Peaks Nordic Club is now over 100 members strong with plans for a new Jackrabbit program in January.”
One of four new, early season Nordic Camps (December 8 – 9) has sold out which reflects the growing interest in the sport at Sun Peaks. Guests can join a waitlist as more coaches may be added. Call 250-578-5505 or email nordic@sunpeaksresort.com. A second Sun Peaks Nordic Camp will run on January 19 – 20.
Glenn Bond, an internationally recognized Nordic skier is also hosting two Nordic camps at Sun Peaks Resort this winter (November 26 – 30 and December 1- 2). Go to www.GlennBond.com for more information and to register.
This winter, the new Sun Peaks Nordic Centre will become the focal point for all cross country skiing at Sun Peaks. Located between Parking Lot 5 and the Umbrella Cafe, the building will sell Nordic trail tickets, have a rental and retail space and act as a hub for skiers to warm up, socialize and find information about the trails. The new structure will be headquarters for the popular Nordic Host program and be utilized by the Sun Peaks Nordic Club.
The Centre will be open seven days a week from 8:30am to 4:30pm starting on November 17 with the rental and retail sections opening on December 15 for weekends and extended hours during holidays. The grand opening will take place on December 22.
“This new Nordic Centre was established in response to the surge in Nordic popularity we have seen at Sun Peaks in the last few years,” says Youwe. “We are excited to see it put to good use this winter, starting on November 17.”
Guests can also take part in a Full Moon Nordic Ski every month. Sun Peaks will be hosting The 4th Annual Sun Peaks Kookaburra Cup Nordic Loppet (January 6) as well as Cross Country BC’s newest race, The Annual Holy Cow Nordic Loppet (February 24).
Home to over 30kms of groomed and trackset trails, including one of the region’s only lift accessed Nordic trails, Sun Peaks has continued to evolve into a favourite Nordic skiing destination. The extensive trail network also features an additional 12kms of backcountry trails and the popular McGillivray Lake Outpost.
Nordic Events
– November 26 – 30 – Glenn Bond Monday to Friday Nordic Ski Camp
– December 1 & 2 – Glenn Bond Weekend Nordic Ski Camp
– December 8 & 9 – Sun Peaks Nordic Ski Camp
– December 28 – Full Moon Nordic Ski
– January 6 – 4th Annual Sun Peaks Kookaburra Cup Nordic Loppet
– January 19 & 20 – Sun Peaks Nordic Ski Camp
– January 26 – Full Moon Nordic Ski
– February 24 – Holy Cow Nordic Loppet
– February 25 – Full Moon Nordic Ski
– March 26 – Full Moon Nordic Ski
October 26, 2012 – “It’s been 26 years running that we’ve had early season ski camps on the mountain,” said Guy Paulsen, Nordic Manager at Silver Star Mountain Resort.
For the first time in the history, Canada’s longest running early season cross country ski camp will be co-hosted by the two neighbouring Nordic operators, Silver Star Mountain Resort and Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre. “We believe by combining the camps, we are bringing the best of both to our skiing guests.” said Guy Paulsen.
As Silver Star Mountain Resort and Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre prepare to co-host the early season “XC Supercamp” running November 19th to December 2, they are looking back to their respective ski roots on the mountain.
Largest Early Season Trail System
“Skiing on the mountain started in the 1930’s when the pioneer skiers would catch the bus to the end of the road by the school house, which was near the bottom of the hill, then they would ski up the mountain. It was an all-day event,” said Don Wylie of Sovereign Lake. “Back then, you could ski the whole mountain because it was bare. Today we have first class groomed trails to follow and between the two areas we have the largest early season trail system in Western Canada.”
European Spa and 5-Star Dining
We’re really excited about the added features that XC Supercamp can offer that are unique to our area. Campers may spend a relaxing afternoon at Sparkling Hill Resort, the only European spa of it’s kind in North America, where they will have access to seven unique aromatherapy sauna and steam rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, and hydrotherapy pool. The evening will finish with a five-star dinning experience overlooking Okanagan Lake.
Popular Biathlon Experience
XC Supercamp is pleased to offer biathlon as an option to the five-day and weekend camps. “It was such a hit at the Sovereign Lake camps last year that we decided to include it in this year’s program,” said Darren Derochie, senior coach at XC Supercamp. “For some it’s something they have never tried before. This allows them the opportunity to experience biathlon. For others, they may have experience shooting, the new experience is doing it on skis.”
Skiers across Canada and the U.S. have come to trust the early season snow and excellent coaching to start their season at Silver Star and Sovereign Lake. “With significant snow on the mountain already, we are on track for our forecasted opening November 9th and possibly sooner.”
October 05, 2012 – Exciting news, I am starting my own xc ski camps. The plan is (as always), incredible xc skiing, the best coaches, the best atmosphere, the most fun and of course YOU!
The Coaching line up:
Dr. Mike Mandli, Munro Duncan AKA (Munny),Dr. Joe Bouscaren, Jennifer Tabbernor, Joanne, Pat Van Mullem and I will work to make your xc skiing more efficient and more fun.
Sun Peaks Resort
– November 26-30 – Monday to Friday Camp
– December 1 & 2 – Weekend Camp
Beautifully groomed Nordic trails are at the door step, cozy village with accommodation, restaurants, spa and so much more.
Online registration HERE.
Visit the Sun Peaks website HERE.
Delta Sun Peaks
The flag ship hotel at Sun Peaks Resort. Delta Sun Peaks Resort is a full service, luxury hotel where guests have exclusive use to a health club, featuring three outdoor hot tubs, an indoor entrance to a heated outdoor swimming pool, sauna, and a well equipped gym.
Whistler Olympic Park
– December 3-7 – Monday to Friday Camp
– December 8 & 9 – Weekend Camp
Whistler Olympic Park was built at a cost of $119.7 million to stage the Nordic ski disciplines of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping and nordic combined events and training were held exclusively at Whistler Olympic Park.
With 90 kms of expertly groomed trails for classic and skate skiing, Whistler Olympic Park has it all.
Online registration HERE.
Visit the Whistler Olympic Park website HERE.
Whistler Athletes Centre
The energy is amazing at the Whistler Athletes Centre, stay where the Olympians lived during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games!
I have blocked rooms in the athletes lodge under “Glenn Bond Cross Country Ski Camps”.
Rates:
– $55.00 for a single room – one bed
– $80.00 for a double room – two beds
– Participants will need to plan their own transportation to and from Whistler Olympic Park.
August 15, 2012 (Silver Star Mountain, BC) – The gang at Silver Star Mountain is offering you a chance to win a free Season’s Pass! When you complete a brief survey, you will be automatically entered into a draw to win. It’s that easy! We want to be able to offer you deals and packages that match your lifestyle and what you need in a mountain vacation.
Whether it’s coming up on weekends with the family, or a weekend of shredding with the boys, we want to get you back up here and making some more memories.
Please take a few minutes to complete our brief survey HERE that will help us to determine your needs and wants. As a token of appreciation for your time, each completed survey will be entered to win a FREE Season’s Pass for the 2012/13 season!
February 09, 2012 (Silver Star, BC) – Our cross country camps this past fall were a great success with people from all over North America singing the praises of our early season conditions as well as the high standard of coaching they received from our coaching staff.
The lead up to the Christmas holidays saw Scott Lemon and his team at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre host the Haywood NorAm & Teck Sprint NORAM. Congratulations to our good neighbor and his talented team for pulling off yet another success race.
With 2012 firmly entrenched in our calendars, it’s time to let you know about the other new and exciting Nordic programming & special events happening at Silver Star this season. Coming up quickly is our Silver Star 75 Nordic Festival. This fun, grassroots event has been expanded and joins our other great XC events and programs happening this winter.
The Silver Star 75 Nordic Festival (February 18th & 19th) is aimed at introducing our sport to others as well as to have fun together as a Nordic community. We hope you will join us in doing both over these two fun filled days here at the resort.
For more information about the Silver Star 75 Nordic Festival and how to register yourself/friend for one a number of great events happening over the weekend please contact please contact the Snowsport School @ 250.558.6065 or click HERE.
January 27, 2012 (Sun Peaks, BC) – Students at the Discovery Centre for Balanced Education at Sun Peaks Resort will be giving a new sport a try as part of their school curriculum this February.
The Nordic Ski School at Sun Peaks Resort will be teaching 45 students (K-7) the basics of cross country skiing at three upcoming classes: February 8, February 15 and February 29.
The Discovery Centre first opened in September 2010, with a new twist on standard education. In between math and spelling lessons, taught both in person and via Skype, the students have an opportunity to learn about winter sports. Whether it be alpine skiing at lunch, or going on a class snowshoe tour, and now…an introduction to Nordic skiing.
The Nordic Program is one that has taken huge steps to expand this year, with a two-day Nordic instructional camp this weekend with former Olympic Coach Gunner Rasmussen, to a 24 kilometre race coming up on February 26. Plans for additional programs and classes are already in the works for the 2012-13 winter season.
For details on Nordic programs at Sun Peaks Resort, click HERE.
For more information on the Discovery Centre for Balanced Education, please contact info@balancededucation.ca.
January 20, 2012 (Whistler, BC) – Canadian Ski Team member Drew Goldsack suffered a mild concussion on Saturday when he crashed during the NorAm freestyle sprint races in Whistler. Due to his concussion, Goldsack has announced he will skip this weekend’s Western Canadian Champs in Canmore. Read his blog for the inside scoop on his crash…
Whistler… I Hope I Didn’t Brain My Damage
Ah Whistler, I have to say I saw these NorAm races going differently in my head movies. (If you don’t get the ‘head movies’ reference, stop reading, go watch the movie Tropic Thunder, and report back.)
With the extended holiday break over, it was back to business last week with the continuation of the Haywood NorAm race series. The weekend also doubled as selection races for the U23/World Junior Championships so it was an exciting three days of racing with lots on the line! Props to the Alberta World Cup Academy crew who dominated the podium all weekend and managed to qualify a whopping SEVEN athletes for the WJr./U23 Champs., claiming nearly half of the available spots on the World Champs team! A huge part of this success is thanks to the incredibly hard working Academy coaches and technicians who put in long hours behind the scenes every weekend, ensuring that things run smoothly come race day.
The week kicked off with the 30k Pursuit on Thursday and it was a bit of a rough start. On the best of days a 30k is a challenge for my largely fast twitch muscles and despite feeling good on the first lap, the race quickly turned into a suffer fest for me. I blew up early in the race and spent the rest of the time trying to recover, not an ideal way to race a 30k!
Saturday however brought my bread and butter, the freestyle sprint. The qualifying round went ok for me through heavy snow and on extremely soft tracks which made the course ski way harder than usual. I was feeling a bit sluggish from the 30k, but I also knew that my body would loosen up as the day went on. As expected, I began to feel better with each round and was very confident going into the final. The soft, deep snow made it extremely hard to pass, so a good start and energy conservation were key in order to have a good final push to the line. I started well and was in a good position on the final downhill coming into the stadium but just as I was about to start my attack, another skier went down and I tangled up with them.
Before I could react, my feet whipped out from under me at full speed and I rag-dolled to a stop. Ouch. As I lay there a little dazed, still trying to process what just happened, I took an inventory of my body and in the moment didn’t feel anything too seriously injured. In this case, the insult would come before the injury, my pole had somehow managed to break off at the handle and I was horrified to look down and see my very best pair of race skis shattered just in front of the binding.
Immediately, a feeling of loss that’s nearly impossible to explain to anyone who isn’t a high level ski racer, washed over me. The same pair of skis that faithfully carried me to numerous NorAm podiums and a 5th place finish in Dusseldorf only a month before were now splintered and lying awkwardly twisted in the snow beneath me. It’ll be hard, if not impossible, to find a replacement for that pair of skis.
For a few more good shots of my crash caught by Jesse Winter, have a look here: Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3
Upon my return to the hotel that afternoon, the physical effects of the crash began to set in. I began to feel nauseous, drowsy and a headache was setting in. I knew I had hit my head but didn’t think it was anything serious. The next day I felt ok when I woke up save for some serious whiplash, a stiff shoulder and some new bruises, but as I began to move around I knew something wasn’t right. I started to feel nauseous again and my headache was getting worse… could it really be a concussion?
Am I now part of the hottest statistic in sports? I talked it over with the coaches and we decided that it was best to play it safe and sit the 15km classic as a precaution. Through the day my symptoms got worse and I utterly suffered through the twisty, stop and go van ride to the airport in Vancouver for my flight home.
After seeing our team doctor on Monday, I was diagnosed with a mild concussion. Brutal. Despite this setback, the word ‘mild’ left me optimistic that I would recover in time for the Western Canadian Champs being held at home in Canmore this weekend. However, I have been unable to train due to headaches and nausea and consequently my hopes to race this weekend have been dashed. I could insert any number of cliché’s here but the reality is plainly that luck has not been on my side so far this season. I guess as a small consolation, my many years spent as an athlete have certainly taught me how to be resilient and persevere…so persevere I will.
More great photos from Whistler NorAm weekend can be found on Angus Cockney’s Picasa album HERE.
Overheard:
“I suck at cooking” – Graham Nishikawa… good thing you’re getting married, Congrats man!
In the tape deck:
Artist: Andrew Bird, Track: Tenuousness
Artist: M83, Track: Midnight City
On the tube:
Andrew Bird performing Tenuosness live, incredible use of a looping pedal. If you don’t know what a looping pedal is, look it up, it’ll make you appreciate the video and song a whole lot more.
January 18, 2012 – My return to the World Cup this season definitely didn’t start off as I had envisioned but it certainly ended on a positive note! After a slightly better but still disappointing sprint day on Saturday in Dusseldorf, Germany, I was encouraged by a better feeling body and regrouped for Sunday’s sprint relay.
I teamed up with the towering Lenny Valjas and together we put in a great day of sprint racing. We went into the sprint relay not really knowing what to expect as we had both had disappointing results in the individual sprint qualifier the day before. However, after the qualifying round was finished with, we knew that today would be different.
Len and I posted the third fastest qualifying time of 28 teams and after the disqualification of a German team, ended up being the second ranked qualifiers on the day. Going into the final, our attitude quickly changed. We started the day with the goal of just making it into the final, now the podium was in our sights. We stuck to our race plan, skiing conservatively, conserving energy and staying out of trouble.
This meant that we were often at or near the back of the pack but as others burned energy fighting for a position or two, Len and I managed to ski relaxed and then go for it on our final laps. Thanks to an impressive finishing kick from Len, we were able to pass the Austrian team down the final stretch and lock up 5th place, just 4 seconds out of the top spot!
Unfortunately it was too little too late to justify staying on the World Cup circuit so I returned to Canada to pick up the start of the NorAm series in Silver Star. As is often a result of hectic race/travel schedules I came down with a cold the day before the first races in Silver Star and consequently missed that weekend of racing and the following weekend in Rossland. A total bummer but not a whole lot you can do about it! If there was a positive to missing the pre-Christmas NorAms it was that it allowed me to get in some really good training volume over the Holidays in preparation for the second half of the season. I had a great Christmas at home in Red Deer with family before returning to Canmore for another week of volume consisting of some great days out in Kananaskis. I even managed to sneak out into the backcountry for an awesome day of charging knee deep pow with Brent McMurtry and Phil Widmer.
It’s now a new year and with a lot of racing ahead I’m looking forward to the weeks to come. Hopefully I can get back in the mix and join the race for the NorAm spot on the World Cup this spring!
As a final thought, I’d like to comment on what I’ve seen happening with increasingly extreme weather patterns around the globe. It’s really concerning to see what can only be explained as the early signs of climate change. It’s not news that humans are having a profound impact on our environment and climate but as I experience the increasing extremes of weather around the globe, it really drives home the fact that we need to be ever more conscious about what we’re doing to our planet.
Whether it’s seeing pouring rain just kilometers from the Artic Circle in late November, hurricane force winds in the City of Calgary or a complete lack of snow around the globe, it’s worrying to think about the impact that this will not only have on the planet but on the sport that I love. This is certainly not a new concept but I really feel like I need to reiterate how important it is to make environmentally conscious decisions every day and continually evaluate how those decisions impact the planet. For a list of the top 10 things you can do to make a difference have a look here: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10-ways-you-can-stop-climate-change/
Have a great 2012 everyone!
-Drew Goldsack
Overheard:
“Ugh, I’m soooo tired” –Devon Kershaw, the night before an awesome race.
In the Tape Deck:
Artist: Lana del Rey, Track: Video Games
Artist: Mumford & Sons: Track: Awake My Soul (Live at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)
Artist: Mumford & Sons: Track: Little Lion Man (Live at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)
December 21, 2011 – After the ski racing scene made a stop in British Columbia’s SilverStar Mountain, I headed six hours south down the Okanogan Valley to my old stomping grounds to the Wenatchee Valley. Highway 97 might not have the most recognizable name, but traveling the two lane road takes you through some of the finest agricultural country in the west. It’s always interesting to head through mostly rural, largely geographically isolated towns, like those that trade in names such as Pentecton, Oroville, Brewster or Chelan, where signs from a different era and brick storefronts replace the Chevrons and Golden Arches. The locals have a little more presence, a little more personality and, I suspect, reflect more the life of the people who live there.
Heading home, though, has not brought an end to the mostly snowless winter. Snow is patchy at best. The first day I hit the trails I couldn’t head to my familiar haunts like the little Ski Hill in Leavenworth or trails that meander along the Wenatchee River. That first day I skied the first day in an alfalfa field, rolled with an Arctic Cat snowmobile in Plain, Washington. For the meager amount of snow, and limited terrain, the skiing wasn’t more than what one could expect. Also, it’s always interesting to skate and glide in some new locale. That the Plain ski venue in the alfalfa fields sits next to the only road I’ve ever seen the backseat of a Crown Vic on – for rollerskiing outside the fogline up Beaver Hill – brought back some remembrances.
Getting back home also gave me the chance to catch up with Mr. Peck and his 5th grade class. With Christmas Break now upon them, and the schoolwork assignments giving way to Christmas parties, the girls have told me they think I am their lucky rabbit’s foot. It’s been great to get back in the classroom – especially that I finished my own finals for the university learning – to catch up with Mr. Peck and connect with the kids. Yes, the days in Pacific Northwest are the perfect place to be, even if I wouldn’t mind for a few more snowflakes to fall any day yet.
December 20, 2011 (Vancouver, BC) – Canadian Sport Centre Pacific, in partnership with the national network of Canadian Sport Centres and the BC network of PacificSport Centres, delivers sport performance programs and services to provide athletes and coaches with every advantage to win medals for Canada. Together with our national and provincial sport partners we are creating an improved system to develop athletes and coaches, advance sport development throughout BC and drive the development of sport performance facilities. We provide athletes and coaches with support services that complement their performance goals while investing in their post-sport career opportunities.
We are currently seeking an enthusiastic and committed individual to join our team in the capacity summarized below.
Coordinator, Athlete & Coach Services Reports to: Manager, Life Services
Purpose of Position: The Coordinator, Athlete & Coach Services is responsible for the coordination, delivery and evaluation of performance and support services to athletes & coaches registered with CSC Pacific and will be based at the Vancouver Campus. Working with the Manager, Life Services, the Coordinator, Athlete & Coach Services will ensure that athletes & coaches have access to programs and services that maximise sport performance and promote holistic development.
Key Deliverables:
– Deliver athlete & coach registration intake and renewal sessions
– Coordinate the development and delivery of programs to registered athletes and coaches
– Build and maintain strategic relationships with a network of community sport leaders engaged in creating a world class training environment
– Database management (maintenance and reporting)
– Support in the development, coordination and delivery of an athlete career transition program
– Support in the strategic planning and development of a sport school program in the region
Qualifications:
– Undergraduate degree in education, psychology or sport-related area
– Background in high performance sport, as an athlete, coach and/or administrator
– Minimum of three to five years experience in an administrative and/or helping role
– Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with a high degree of independence and initiative
– Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills
– Proficient in Microsoft Office and database systems
– Superior organizational and time management skills
– Passion for excellence and creating a World Class training environment
Location: Vancouver, BC – 1 Athletes Way Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week (full time term employment agreement until March 31, 2013) Salary Range: $38,000 – $42,000 Closing Date: Monday, January 9th, 2012 5:00 PST
Please send your cover letter and resume to careers@cscpacific.ca citing the position title in the subject line. No telephone calls please. We thank all applicants for their interest; however please note that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
November 10, 2011 (Vernon, BC) – Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre opens its trails Thursday, November 10th to cross country skiers from across North America coming to enjoy the early season snow.
We have 20km of trails open including many favourites; Carl Wylie, Passmore, World Cup and the Stadium. This varied terrain is great for everyone,” said Scott Lemon, General manager.
The lodge is open daily for trail passes, rentals, lessons, snacks and more.
Glenn Bond, the new Club and Guest Services manager to Sovereign Lake said, “Cross Country Skiing has been growing in popularity in recent years. It is a great way to get out and enjoy the sun and is also well known for health and fitness benefits.”
“The trails at Sovereign Lake are so much fun, it is like skiing a roller coaster with a smile ear to ear,” said Bond.
“It’s going to be a great season,” said Lemon. “We have done lots of work preparing the trails for early skiing and our cross country ski camps start in less than two weeks. We look forward to welcoming participants from all over North America as they take part in the weekend and five day camps.”
For more details visit www.sovereignlake.com or contact the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre at 250-558-3036 ext 203.
November 05, 2011 (Silverstar Mountain, BC) – With our official Nordic Opening now just a week away, I thought it a good idea to pass a long some timely and good news about our upcoming Cross Country Camps.
Accommodation Promo Extended until Dec. 2
We are extending our 20% off promotion on your on-mountain accommodation until December 2nd when you book your Silver Star Mountain Cross Country Camp. Based on an average two person stay this means anywhere from a $50 savings on accommodation when booking your Weekend Warrior Camp (2 days) to over a $200 savings on your on-mountain accommodation when booking your Go the Distance Camp (5 days.) This is something to smile about!
Win a complete Rossignol Skate or Classic Package!
All Silver Star Cross Country Camps registrants are eligible to win a complete Rossignol Skate or Classic Package when using their “Camp Reward Card” at The Den Bistro & Bar on Silver Star. Who would ever think eating & drinking could be this good.
Hats off to our cross country camp supporters Halti, Fischer, Swix, Rossignol, SkiTrax, Cross Country Skier, Sauce Headwear, Fast & Female, Village Ski Shop (formerly Valhalla Pure) for providing some great prizes as well as gifts for our valued (and hardworking) cross country campers!
Great Après Skiing Events
Après Skiing Events will be happening throughout all of our Weekend Warrior & Go the Distance Camps. Some notable après ski events for Silver Star Cross Country Camp participants will be SSASS Skier’s Gala Ball & Silent Auction (November 26th. Order tickets in advance @ 250.260.3737) Art of Flight Movie Premiere (NATC – November 25th. Purchase tickets @ the Ticket Office) “Grand Frosto” Village Bike Races ( December 2nd & December 3rd. Register at Guest Services Desk in Village Center) Swix Wax Workshops (November 22nd, 26th, 29th, December 3rd.)
Snow!
Snow, snow, snow and more is scheduled for early next week. All of our Upper Trails have been rolled and now await the next snowfall. We are confident we will have good early season trail conditions for November 11th. Leaving from our village today for some “snow inspection” I must say it was nice to have the wind in my face again.
Our great team of coaches and grooming staff look forward to seeing you back at our camps. Don’t delay and register today with our convenient Silver Star Holiday Team at info@skisilverstar.com / 1-800-663-4431 / 250-558-6083
November 01, 2011 (Silverstar Mountain, BC) – A number of readers wrote back asking “what is the difference between a ski coach & ski pro (instructor)?” To generalize, historically a ski coach will focus on how to increase speed whereas a ski pro will focus on how to control it.
Leading ski nations around the world cross-certify ski coaches & ski pros between their different skiing associations so as they are able to take a common approach when developing a skier.
The use of common terms, unified understanding of biomechanics / physics used by skiers, as well as a common methodology when communicating with a person has proven to develop a skier more quickly and to a higher level.
Over the past 25 years, the approach to our cross country camps has been just this – have a blend of top ski coaches and outstanding ski pros who are experienced and knowledgeable in developing you as a skier (technique) as well as how to apply it at higher level when competing / racing (tactical / strategies.)
With new snow on our upper trails this past weekend the excitement for skiing is growing. If you haven’t already – check us out on Facebook at “Silver Star Nordic.”
Look forward to seeing you soon!
Cheers,
Guy Paulsen, Nordic Manager
Time is starting to run out! Book your Silver Star Mountain Cross Country Camp between now and October 31 and receive 20% off your on-mountain accommodation. Now that’s something to smile about.
Did you know? Silver Star Cross Country Camps incorporate yoga / stretching sessions in our camps given by fitness expert Ms. Claudia Sorenson. Two more great reasons to come to our camps this fall. For more information and to book your Silver Star Cross Country Ski Camp please contact our Central Reservations at info@skisilverstar.com / 1-800-663-4431 / 250-558-6083
October 24, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – It’s been a busy fall season – as they all seem to be. The days are getting noticeably shorter, and the leaves are evacuating the trees faster than a herd of Elk leaving a meadow when surprised by a pack of dogs. Not that I’m complaining, after a great altitude training camp down under the Utah sun it was back home to Canada where I’ll get almost a month in the “true North strong and free” to finish off my “off season” preparations.
Whister Intensity Camp
A scant six days after returning from the thin Utah air it was time to pack the bags again and head to the lower elevations of the Whistler Valley for a quick and dirty intensity camp. Since it rained almost everyday – we did get pretty dirty – and most of the training we banged out was of the “quick” variety – as we accomplished 4 tough intensity sessions during the 6 day camp.
Whistler is one of the great places to train in Canada and I’m always so impressed with how many great trails there are coupled with the varied terrain of quiet paths and roads to rollerski make it a winner in my book. It was a wet week – but that’s what you get for training so close to the Pacific Ocean in early October and one can’t complain too much after we had 14 days in a row down in Utah with a two week “cold day high” of about 22 Celsius.
The idea for the camp was two-pronged. It was a great opportunity to have everyone together training – the World Cup team and the Senior Development Team – and also to make use of the lower elevation to really rev’ the engines high. While the workouts were tough – it was a great environment and the staff (Mike, Stef, Eric, Adam, Justin, Scott, and Hutchy) deserves a ton of credit for running a smooth and effective camp – not an easy task when there are roughly 20 athletes to look after.
Canmore, AB
I know people hear this too much – but damn Canmore’s sweet. After such a “camp heavy” autumn I’ve really appreciated being home in the Rockies the last couple weeks. I count myself pretty lucky to call this little mountain gem home.
It probably helps that this autumn has been a spectacular one. The weather really has outdone itself – most days are sunny or at least precipitation-free which makes the heavy load of training I’m doing so easy to accomplish.
I had a great Thanksgiving too – since I miss Christmas every year – I was pretty excited that my mom made the journey out West from Ontario to enjoy Thanksgiving with Chandra and I. She spoiled us – whipping up no less than 8 pies during her 6 day trip, an amazing Thanksgiving dinner – and no less than two dozen of the world’s best cinnamon buns. Thank god the training load is high – or else it could have been messy… It was great to catch up with her though – and I feel very thankful that I am able to see my family throughout the “off season” even though my schedule is so busy and they live 3000km away.
“Spray Drag” and Frozen Thunder
Kuhner (my good friend and AWCA coach) organized an uphill grind-fest running race this year to raise money for the AWCA – and he put my ugly mug on the poster (of me rocking a stash’). I just wanted to take an opportunity to say that they did a great job with the race – and it was a leg and lung buster. Hopefully they make it a tradition! Thanks guys – glad I could deliver too – Babs gave me a bit of a scare at the end!
The day of the 7.5km uphill running race coincided with a Canmore nouveau tradition of it’s own – Frozen Thunder. Yes, the name makes no real sense – but we can all agree that it sounds cool.
Two years ago we were fired up when the Canmore Nordic Centre announced it would provide a whopping 400m of snow for the plethora of Nordic enthusiasts to enjoy in mid-October. The excitement to ski in October for a Nordic racer is like the excitement of a “gizmoto” reader getting their paws on Apple’s latest creation – pure unabashed jubilation.
Thanks to the Canmore Nordic Centre who have kept the project growing – last fall it was a 1km loop and this year they doubled down to provide us with a great loop of 1.95km.
Check out the video link from the Globe and Mail HERE.
To be able to ski on good terrain, on good quality snow, starting mid-October is such a huge asset. I’m so thankful for the crew up there at the Canmore Nordic Centre – they are leaders in North America – and how cool is it that Canmore is the only place in North America that does this?! Awesome! Thanks guys!
Yes – Canmore has been sweet. I think I’m a bit nostalgic right now because in only 12 days I will embark on a 5.5 month odyssey overseas as another World Cup race season is upon us. I’m sure I’ll miss home – but I’m really enjoying the days here in Canada before we get things rolling.
I’m so excited to get over there and make it happen. We have a great team and most are feeling great heading into the season. I can’t wait to see what “Team Canada” can do this winter in all categories.
I mean hell, I wouldn’t mind playing a few more ditties’ on the ol’ air guitar – or seeing my teammates melt imaginary faces on their imaginary axes this winter – if you know what I mean.
September 10, 2011 (Silverstar Mountain, BC) – “If only we could bottle this stuff” “he said surveying the early morning landscape. With a smile on his face he turned back to take a swing. As his ball flew silently from his golf club into the quite early morning air I couldn’t help but think he is so right….
I am speaking to a moment, shared recently, on a golf course with Silver Star Mountain Cross Country Camps co-founder and resident coach, Norm Crerar. Our conversation had been on the importance of “stretching.” Often when we read about stretching we think of stretching our bodies. The essence of our conversation, this particularly fine Okanagan morning, was about stretching both our bodies and our minds.
The physical benefits of having good flexibility as a Nordic skier isn’t necessarily a common topic when discussing our summer cross training ideas. Improving our strength, cardio and agility normally captures our attention instead. These topics are much flashier and more exciting to discuss. It’s a bigger, faster, stronger kinda-a-thing. The reality is though, without a decent range of flexibility, our new, bigger, faster, stronger muscles and our mobility will become more and more restricted. With this restriction, we increase the likelihood of injury such as muscle strains, pulls and worse yet ruptures. Incorporating activities such as yoga and/or Pilates into our routine is a great investment towards all of our other physical conditioning. Recently, I have made a more concerted effort to incorporate yoga/Pilates into my own training plan and have been very happy with the results. Increasing my range of dynamic movement has been something I struggled with for years. Now, as a Masters age skier (47) and having started to increase my flexibility again, my sense of confidence is renewed.
As for stretching our minds, I believe Norm summed it up when he said “It seems people are in too much of a hurry to slow down and learn. I can’t see how a person can relax enough to get into the right frame of mind, let alone enjoy themselves when they rush to the ski area, rush to the trail head and hurtle themselves into skiing for the short time they have allowed themselves”. Slowing down to speed up is an adage used in a number of sports. Stretching our mental approach to incorporate this into our Nordic skiing is equally important. Having just enough time to “squeeze in a run or ride” while we cross train is commonplace. Taking the time to warm up and pre-visualize what we want from our workout, as well as reflect on our successes during our cool down, is easier said than done. Learning to “stretch” both our bodies and our minds is something we all need to spend more time on.
Ski to you door convenience at Silver Star Mountain Cross Country Camps just got better. Book your Silver Star Mountain Cross Country Camp between now and October 31 and receive 20% off your on-mountain accommodation. Now that’s something to smile about. Did you know? Silver Star Cross Country Camps incorporate yoga / stretching sessions in our camps given by fitness experts. Two more great reasons to come to our camps this fall. For more information and to book your Silver Star Cross Country Ski Camp please contact our Central Reservations at info@skisilverstar.com / 1-800-663-4431 / 250-558-6083
April 29, 2011 – Canada’s Tyler Mosher, 2009 Para-Snowboard World Champ and 2010 Paralympic XC ski team member, completed three Birkebeiner events this season, and recently finished fourth and sixth at the World Snowboard Federation Para-Snowboard World Cup Tour finale in Lake Louise.
Mosher said that his snowboard results would have been better, had he not spent so much time on XC skis training for the Birkie loppets, and he’s considering tackling another next year. He’s also hoping snowboarding will be named a Paralympic sport for the 2012 Games in Sochi.
Read the article full Whistler Question article HERE.
April 07, 2011 (Golden, BC) – Check out this video featuring a wide range of cross country skiing opportunities in beautiful Golden, BC as well as great post-skiing options. Keith and Heather Nicol recently visited and happened to be there for their popular Huckleberry Loppet. If you are looking for a great place to stay check out the Cedar House Chalets. Also look for an article on skiing in Golden in an upcoming issue of SkiTrax Magazine.
March 29, 2011 (Engadin, Switzerland) – I just returned home to Hayward after a week long adventure in St Moritz, Switzerland for the 2011 Engadin Ski Marathon. The crust cruising is at its finest right now and, after skiing all day, I am finally able to sit down and recap the events from Switzerland.
The 2011 Engadin was the inaugural CXC Masters Team Worldloppet trip. Originally, my plan was to compete in the Elite Wave and go for the win. That plan changed when I came down with appendicitis two days before the Birkie and ten days before leaving for Switzerland. Although it felt agonizingly slow at the time, my recovery was actually very swift and smooth thanks to the help of my friends and teammates (I had a cowbell in my room and, when I rang it, Caitlin (Compton) and Brian (Gregg) would bring me any food I requested-so long as it was liquid). The day before the trip, my doctor took out the stitches and gave me the go-ahead to fly to Switzerland. Instead of fighting for the win, I was fighting to simply make it through the airport with my luggage.
Now I was able to really enjoy the finer aspects of the trip and no worry as much about the racing. We ended up doing lots of easy skiing to check out the course, drank Rivella (the official sports drink of Switzerland) by the gallon–or liter, rather, while sitting out in the sun, and even spent an afternoon sledding in the Swiss Alps.
For the race itself, I followed the Toko wax recommendation and waxed up my best skis, along with the rest of the CXC Masters, with the straight-forward combination of an HF Red/Yellow mix, JetStream Red block, and topped it off with JetStream Red powder for good measure. The one thing I forgot was a riller, but the temps were supposed to stay cold and the snow dry.
On race morning, we toed the line. I had barely done any skiing, let alone intensity, in over two weeks since the surgery, so I decided to line up toward the back of the Elite Wave and start easy. Over 11,000 anxious skiers danced around in the gates while we waited for the gun to go off. Immediately after the start, I realized I was feeling great and decided to get up front with the leaders-passing about 500 people on the wide lake start and tucking into third place in the lead pack with the likes of Cristian Zorzi, Bjorn Lind, and Remo Fischer. The first 15km of the Engadin are totally flat as the trail goes across frozen lakes to the town of St Moritz and we were flying with a swift tailwind.
Before I left for the trip, I ran into Ben Husby at Junior Nationals on my home trails of Wirth Park in Minneapolis. When I told Ben I was going to the Engadin, he gave me some advice about “how to win the Engadin.” Specifically, “when you hit St Moritz, there will be a steep climb, wide enough for three lanes of skiers coming off the lakes. Make sure you are leading one of those lanes.” At the time, I thought, ‘Okay, Ben, I can barely ski right now, there’s no way I’ll be leading the Engadin at 15km next week.’
However, I surprised even myself (pretty hard to do) and found myself in third place going into the St Moritz climb! Sure enough, the skier in first went right, the skier in second went left and I found myself leading the middle train up the steep climb. Remo Fischer punched it over the top and I hopped in close behind him. We skied together down into the Expo Area at St Moritz and Remo kept the throttle wide open-we were flying! Shortly after St Moritz, he backed off the pace a little bit and I looked behind me, expecting to see hundreds of skiers over my shoulder. To my surprise, there was no one; I’d just made the two-man break off the front of the Engadin-thanks Ben!
I was feeling great. Unfortunately, as we got into the woods, the snow changed from dry and wind-blown, to wet and soggy. We soon hit a downhill and Remo pulled away effortlessly. I was in no-man’s-land doing my best to earn time back on the climbs, but on every descent, he’d pull away more. Soon, the pack we’d dropped had caught me and I was losing even more ground on the descents. I’m not sure how much of it was the fact that I hadn’t skied for the two weeks prior to the race (maybe that’s what got me into trouble-feeling so fresh) or how much was the fact that I had forgotten to add structure (my cold skis had a cold grind: faster than ever in the windblown snow, but way too much suction in the wet snow). At any rate, I slogged it out for the final 20km of the race and still finished much better than I’d expected going into the race. I was satisfied with the race and happy that I didn’t bust my gut in the process. Remo ended up capitalizing on our breakaway and winning by over two minutes.
In the Engadin, I learned an important lesson about the value of structure. Now that the weather is getting warm and the snow is getting soft, it is more important than ever to have the right structure. Go out and enjoy the spring crust cruising, but don’t forget to rill. And have fun!
Muffy Ritz Commentary from Masters WC I had a very successful Master’s up in Silver Star. Despite being very sick with bronchitis for the 2 weeks prior and even into the racing week, I somehow managed to ski myself into a Gold in the 10 km FS, a Gold in the Relay, and a silver in the 15 KM CL race. I have to make a very interesting remark about the TOKO wax. We ended up using Blue all the way- for every race ( LF Moly, HF Blue, Jet Stream Blue, blue structurite tool) It didn’t matter the temperature, blue always ran the fastest. The temps were very consistent throughout the week- with only about 5 degrees of warm-up during the days. Lows would be around 21 and highs around 26 degrees F. Every night or during the day, a little bit of new snow would fall. What would appear as a red/blue mix – according to the thermometer- blue was always faster. In the rockies, with new snow, blue seems to be the best choice despite the temps. However, if snow temps went upwards of 32- blue would probably not be the fastest choice. I think all winter long in Sun Valley and other nearby races, I never strayed from Moly, HF Blue, JS Blue all season!
Thanks to the Toko Tech Team of their efforts and wax tips at the Masters.
March 24, 2011 – You have 7 more days to upload your best photo for a chance to win! Upload your XC, snowshoeing and backcountry ski pics to WIN the $1450 Ultimate Nordic Winter Getaway in BC from Tourism Whistler! There’s still time to vote for your faves and help give away the 2nd Prize: The Yeti Snowshoe and Silver Star XC Weekend Warrior Combo Pack. Click HERE to enter.
We’re going deep in the prize bag and still giving away daily prizes during this last week. Join us on Facebook for updates and prize announcements! Does your photo got what it takes to win? Click HERE to check out the competition. Contest deadline: March 31, 2011.
UPCOMING EVENTS
– Vancouver Island Loppet at Mount Washington: March 26
– North American Biathlon Championships at WOP: March 31-April 3
– Retro Day at Silver Star Mountain Resort: April 2
– 3rd Annual 30k Woppet at Ski Callagan: April 9
– Spring Fling at Ski Callaghan: April 30
For more upcoming events visit the BC Nordic event calendar HERE throughout the winter season.
CHECK IT OUT
Sparkling Hill Masters World Cup: Race Photos
By all accounts the Masters World Cup at Sovereign Lake was a huge success! Click HERE to view the race photos. If you’re interested in competing next year, the 2012 MWC will be hosted in Oberwiesenthal, Germany.
Backcountry Beckons
There are miles of off-track trails to explore in BC during the spring season and backcountry skiing is a great alternative outdoor experience. Backcountry and Nordic ski touring equipment and hut rentals are available at many Nordic facilities and resorts. The backcountry ski season typically lasts until May and even June at some locations.
Bulkley Valley Nordic Centre operates two backcountry huts Starr Creek Cabin (1400m) and Harold Price Cabin (1600m). These cabin rentals are very affordable at $5-12/pp .The Bulkley Valley area near Smithers, BC is surrounded by mountains and known for its plentiful backcountry offerings.
Dakota Ridge Winter Recreation Area on the Sunshine Coast is a 1,532 acre winter playground that not only offers XC ski trails but also an abundance of backcountry terrain. Check out a quirky extreme snowshoeing video HERE shot at Tetrahedron Provincial Park.
You’ll need a few days to fully explore the 98km off-track trails at Larch Hills XC Ski Area. The trails also run through portions of the Shuswap’s Violet Creek Provincial Park. Click HERE for more info.
Explore Vancouver Island backcountry with Strathcona Nordic’s guide Andrew Pape-Salmon. He’s hosting two upcoming trips: March 27 at Mount Cokely and April 17 at Mount Albert Edward. Click HERE for detailed trip information. Mount Washington also offers daily guided off piste backcountry ski tour options.
Rossland, BC is world famous for its deep powder snow and lures backcountry skiers from around the world. Click HERE to download the Black Jack Nordic Trail and backcountry map. Sun Peaks Resort offers a 14.3 km of backcountry Nordic trail system along with the comforts and amentites of a full-service resort.
The Callaghan Valley, with 4,500 hectare terrain and high vertical drops is a prime backcountry ski touring destination in the Southern Coast Mountain Range. Start your tour from Callaghan Country lodge. A Backcountry Access Pass is only $10.
FRESH DEALS
Spring is in full swing and the ski conditions have never been better! Looking for a spring Nordic getaway? Check out these offers. Get to know other Nordic ski areas and resorts in BC and find out what makes them great.
Spring XC Skiing on the Sunshine Coast
There’s still time to get in some XC skiing and snowshoeing at Dakota Ridge. Take advantage of special deals at B&Bs and cottages before the mid-season rates kick in. A family day pass is a bargain at $20. Click HERE for deals.
Ski Callaghan Spring Specials until April 3
Ski Callaghan is offering sweet deals for the entire family: XC ski lessons, snowshoe tours and the ever popular “Biathlon Experience” sessions. Click HERE for Callaghan specials.
Snowshoeing Hotspot – Otway Nordic Ski Centre
There’s plenty of snow at Otway Nordic Centre this season! Over 10km snowshoe trails to explore on varied terrain, easy to advanced. Trail pass only $6. Otway’s spring hours are 8:30am until 9:30pm.
ASK THE EXPERT
Common Nordic Skiing Injuries
by: Sophia Sauter Registered Physiotherapist, Active Life Physiotherapy
Cross-country skiing is a sport with a very low incidence of injuries due to its low impact nature, however some of us may have endured some injuries during the ski season or inadvertently aggravated pre-existing conditions. Approximately 75% of injuries sustained by Nordic skiers are a result of overuse due to the repetitive nature of skiing, while the remaining 25% are a result of trauma. The following outlines some common injuries and appropriate treatment.
Traumatic Injuries (25%), for example: Ankle sprain; Thumb sprain; Knee ligament sprain; Groin muscle strain; Wrist sprain. The recommended treatment is RICE: Relative rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Then, slowly restore range of motion, strength, proprioception and power. It’s best to see a physiotherapist to obtain a proper diagnosis and set of rehabilitative exercises.
Overuse Injuries (75%), for example: Knee pain (patellofemoral, ITBand); Compartment syndrome (shins); Achilles tendinopathy; Rotator cuff tendinopathy (shoulder); Low back pain. The recommened treatment is a bit different. In these cases it’s important to correct muscle imbalance (e.g. tight/weak), equipment faults, and possible training errors. Seek medical advice from a physiotherapist or other qualified health professional specializing in injuries common to Nordic skiers.
Of course, the best treatment for any injury is prevention. This means utilizing appropriate training progressions, maintaining physical strength, balance, flexibility, adopting appropriate recovery techniques, and treating any lingering individual malalignments/weaknesses/imbalances.
Check in with a physiotherapist for full body analysis to identify individual mechanical inadequacies. Also consider an athlete specific core stability and functional strength program. Think about dealing with your injuries now so you can start your next season off right!
Sophia Sauter is a Registered Physiotherapist at Active Life Physiotherapy in North Vancouver. Sophia is also a Clinical Instructor, Department of Physical Therapy at UBC, and is an avid Nordic skier and runner.
March 22, 2011 (Victoria, BC) – Canadian Sport Centre Pacific is seeking a qualified individual to fill the position of Physiologist. Under general supervision, the Physiologist is responsible for establishing and advising on sport-specific physiological testing and monitoring programs and advising on best practise in long-term physiological preparation and short term tapering and peaking strategies. The incumbent works closely with coaches, athletes, sport science and sports medicine specialists to ensure a safe, effective and holistic approach to performance development and enhancement. The Physiologist will ensure that Rowing Canada has integrated best practice in physiological services into their operations and programmes to enhance the daily training and competition environment and bring innovative ideas and practices to the sport that will enhance performance and maximise the chances of winning medals at the Olympics and World Championships.
Application Deadline: April 1, 2011
Contact Information:
Canadian Sport Centre Pacific
4371 Interurban Road
Victoria, BC, Canada
V9E 2C5
E-mail: careers@cscpacific.ca
March 17, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – When two-time Olympic cross-country skier George Grey hits the start line for Saturday’s 50-kilometre skate-ski race at the Haywood Ski Nationals, it will be his final competitive trip around the famed Canmore Nordic Centre.
After racing on the World Cup for nearly a decade against the top athletes on the globe, and competing in the Torino and Vancouver Olympics along with five World Championships, the 31-year-old Grey, of Rossland, B.C., has decided to retire.
“For me the timing just felt right,” said Grey, who started skiing when he was four years old, and racing at age seven. “In the last two years I felt like I accomplished many of my career goals and reached a performance level that was as high as I could attain. I am now looking forward to being a husband, father, and to new challenges and experiences in life.”
“I reached a peak in 2010 and thought maybe, just maybe, if I skied one more year I could contend for a medal in 2011 at the World Championships. To be able to hang in for one more season and experience the World Championships in Norway, and see Devon and Alex become World Champions, was an incredibly memorable final season.”
With Canada’s Beckie Scott having just broken through to win Canada’s first Olympic medal in the sport, Grey emerged onto the National Ski Team in 2002 with a group of bright-eyed, energetic young men from across the country poised and determined to follow Scott’s trail to the international podium.
Devon Kershaw was the first to find his way onto the podium. Kershaw became the first male in more than a decade to mount the international podium in 2006, and it didn’t take long for the others to follow suit. Four years later, Grey enjoyed a breakthrough moment of his own with his most memorable races coming at Whistler Olympic Park. The veteran teamed up with National Ski Team rookie, Alex Harvey, in 2009 to win a World Cup bronze medal in the sprint relay at the Olympic Test Event in Whistler. His best Olympic and individual career finish was eighth during the pursuit competition in 2010 when all three Canadian men finished in the top-10, and all four in the top-20.
“Getting my hands on just one medal was such an incredible high for me, and sharing it with such a talented athlete and friend in Alex made it even sweeter,” said Grey, whose best individual result outside the Olympics was a ninth-place finish at the Tour de Ski prologue in 2009. “My fondest memory has to be the 30-kilometre pursuit race with Ivan (Babikov), Alex (Harvey), and Devon (Kershaw) skiing right at the front of the pack with me. We were showing the world that we had finally arrived, and what we were capable of as a team. It was a career best for me, and to do it at a home Olympics with three of my buddies was amazing.”
After 10 years of blood, sweat and tears, Grey leaves the sport with the Canadian men’s squad amongst the best in the world.
“When I joined the Canadian men’s team we were described as ‘Canada’s most anonymous athletes,’ he said. “Now our team has World Championship medallists, World Cup medallists, Tour de Ski medallists. We have delivered a solid team. I know Canada is in good hands and there is loads of great talent coming up the system so I will sleep well.”
While racing was such a small part of his career, it was the countless hours of training with his friends and teammates that taught him to be patient, driven, tough and most importantly, goal-oriented along the journey.
“I get nostalgic thinking about all the hard training days that I endured with teammates at my side,” said Grey, who cites five-to-six hours of roller skiing in the pouring rain, nearly 50 kilometres of running and stomping their way up to glaciers as some of the most grueling training moments. “Only with your closest teammates is it possible to repeat training days like this every other week. My team and I have shed more sweat and spit on mountains than most would ever think possible.”
With the last goal remaining in his career to ski to the top of the podium on Saturday at the Haywood Ski Nationals, Grey would like to stay within sport if there is an opportunity to do so in the future, while also studying in the securities industry.
“The 2010 Olympics were sensational. The World Champs this year in Norway were staggering, but I am more than happy to wave a warm good-bye and smile at all the precious memories that I have accumulated. Thank you to everyone for your incredible support. My father always told me it is the process and not the outcome. I have fully realized that now, and I will never forget those who have helped me along this incredible ride.”
March 14, 2011 (Sovereign Lake, BC) – Sovereign Lake’s annual 30km freestyle loppet became an international competition as Petr Pavol of the Czech Republic finished in first place. Renowned competitors such as US Olympians Leslie Hall and Laura McCabe, who had participated in the Sparkling Hill Masters World Cup but were ready for more racing, competed in the loppet as well.
“He was looking forward to take part in this race as a finish or culmination of his results from the masters,” said a translator for Pavol. At the MWC2011 Pavol scored two golds and one bronze.
“He was really disappointed that he didn’t medal in the marathon race on the first day of racing so he was insisted on taking part in this one… he was trying to be first.” Pavol finished his race in a time of 1 hour and 22 minutes.
For Pavol skiing in Canada at Sovereign Lake was a memorable experience. When asked of his impression of the ski area he smiled and commented, “Skiing at Sovereign Lake is the best skiing in my life. Really, really.”
Pavol had new competition in the Sovereign Lake Loppet, as second place went to local skier David Harbocian who wasn’t old enough to race as a master skier in the previous week of racing.
“We had a pack of five to eight people at the start, then we went down Silver Queen, some Czech racer decided to attack so I went with him for a few minutes and he decided to drop me,” said Harbocian.
“There were a couple of sections where you would turn a corner and get a blast of head wind,” added Harboacian. “Racing was great, so was the temperature… and the snow was fast.”
Harbocian took the first place result in the men’s 18-29 age category in the 30km race with a time of 1:25. The fastest women’s time was American Olympian Hall with a time of 1:31.
In the men’s 15km race the men’s fastest time went to Jon Sader who finished in 49 minutes. In the women’s category, Theresa Korobanik layed down the fastest race with a time of 1:02.
Gareth Williams topped the 7km field finishing in 23:58 and Dana Allen lead the women 30:50. Ian Oliphant and Keeya Corbett were first in the kids aged 7-9. Mitchell Bond and Sofie Steinruck were the quickest skiers in the six and under category.
March 10, 2011 (Sovereign Lake, BC) – Russia showed their strength once again at the Sparkling Hill Masters World Cup taking six golds, as competitors battled it out in the 4x5km classic-free relays on Wednesday. The U.S. walked away with five first place wins while Canada scored one gold.
Barry Makarewicz, Rune Harkestad, Kent Murdoch and Shaun Marchall-Pryde led the Americans in their first gold medal of the day winning the M04 (45-49) category with a lead of 2:27 against the pursuing Russian team.
“Barry laid the foundation for all of us,” said Harkestad. “Barry and I, if we could stay with it we were safe.” Teammate Marchall-Pryde was equally pleased adding, “I got the easy part today. They did all the work. All the guys had good legs. Barry got us started and in a good spot.”
J.D. Downing (American XC Skiers) speaks about the U.S. men’s team race.
The women’s races were led by the U.S. winning three of the four relays. Laura McCabe and Leslie Hall were joined by Angela Robinson and Beth Thomas to show their Russian counterparts they could take the lead and win gold in the F02 (35-39) category.
This was repeated in the F04 (45-49) with Trina Hosmer, Linda Mcclatchy, Carolyn Senty and June Lane winning gold. In the women’s F03 (40-44) Americans Muffy Rice, Ginny Price, Maria Allen and Rosalyn Singleton came in 28 seconds ahead of the Canadian women’s team.
Canada got on the gold scoreboard as their women defeated the Russians and US teams in the women’s F01 category (30-34) with two prior gold medalists Nikki Kassel and Marta Green joined by Doris Hausleitner and Nikki Norrie.
“It was a fast start,” said Kassel who followed a Russian skier. Then Hausleitner tagged in, “I came and caught the Russian and had a little gap on her.” Hausleitner was followed by Norrie who did the skating and “never saw the Russian after that.”
Norrie tagged in Green who described the race as “… all fun after that.”
March 09, 2011 (Vernon, BC) – Here’s a selection of more great photos capturing some of the race action on Day 3 of the Masters World Cup at Sovereign Lake, BC where 1,134 fit and fast master aged skiers from around the world are duking it out for glory in great conditions. For our coverage of Day 3 please click HERE.
March 08, 2011 (Vernon, BC) – Monday was the biggest day of racing at the Sparkling Hill Masters World Cup with 405 Canadians gracing start lines out of 1,000 racers competing in the short distance races – 5km and 10km – for either classic or freestyle technique.
“Perfect sunny skies, blue conditions and the tracks held up really well,” described American top master skier and former Olympian, Laura McCabe, of the near perfect conditions.
McCabe had another great day of racing winning silver in the women’s F03 10km CL at 9s behind the fastest woman of the classic races, Russian Liliya Vasilyva with a time of 31:26. “She gapped me by three feet on the downhill, and I just couldn’t quite get it back, but it was a good race,” she added.
Fellow American Leslie Hall took her second gold in the women’s F04 10km classic race on Monday in 33:14 ahead of two Canadians, Sheila Kealey with a time of 33:54 and Marg Fedyna who finished in 34:42.
The men’s 10km classic fastest time went to Biagio Di Santo of Italy (30-34) who finished in 28:16 while the freestyle overall male title went to Pavel Petr of the Czech Republic (40-44) in 25:24.
The fastest US male in classic racing was Eric Martin in 28:26, finishing ahead of Canadian Stephan Desfosses in 29:44.
The USA’s Nathan Schultz posted the best North American freestyle finish with the quickest time of 26:08 while Canadian Michele Labrie posted the second fastest NA time in 27:11.
“It was a great course, and a great day,” said Canuck William Gardner of his M09 (70-74) 10km classic race . “Everything was great. The snow was perfect.”
Canada’s Nancy Burden had a superb race, leading by two minutes in the 45-49 category with the fastest female freestyle race time. “I wanted to be right at the front, but not push too hard and then as soon as I get into the hills, that’s my strength… as soon as there’s climbing, then just start to wind it up. That was my approach.”
Local skiers continue to show their home town advantage, with Pat Pearce scoring her second gold in the women’s classic (55-59) and Marta Green taking gold in the 10km freestyle (30-34).
“It was a really tough race today, but very exciting,” said Pearce. “The conditions are absolutely perfect. I could go up every hill the way I like to.
“I absolutely feel that I have an advantage. I know the course, I know where I can pick up speed, I know where I can relax. I feel like it’s been a big advantage.”
Local Olympian Joe Derochie had the loudest fan club, drawing over 70 spectators to watch his race. Derochie was racing in the men’s freestyle (70-75) while his son Darren, also an Olympian, raced in the classic (40-44).
Derochie said “Me and the Swede fella worked one against another, and I caught him on a hill. My skis were well waxed. It was a good race.”
Day 3 Classic results HERE.
Day 3 Freestyle results coming
March 07, 2011 (Vernon, BC) – Russia showed their strength on Sunday in the classic mass starts dominating the field in the second day of competition at the Sparkling Hill Masters World Cup, winning 11 golds out of 23 races. The first men’s Classic races (M01, M02, M03) were led by Russia’s Anton Shevchenko and Alexander Mindrin along with Pavel Petr of the Czech Republic.
The first American medal of the day went to Dan Streubel in the M02 category in third place. Canadian Donald Farley was pleased with his second place finish in the 30km Classic M03 category.
“It was a tough race, right from the start,” Farley told SkiTrax. “There’s a good uphill at 4km. We all attacked there, and the group separated. We ended up with three guys and we worked together until the last 5km. I lost ground to the Czech on the last uphill. He had more legs.”
Canadian Michel Labrei, 2nd in M04 race, told us, “The first guy was too strong for us. I skied with the third and the fourth. I skied alone the last 15km. It was a very nice course but with the snow it was very slow.”
The first American gold medal in the women’s 15km classic races went to Inge Scheve in the F02, who was followed in by her teammates Sann Sevanto and Marlene Farrell in second and third place.
US skier Ginny Price took first place in the F06 category while Canada’s Marg Fedyna topped the podium in the F04 competition with teammate Wieske Eikelenboom in second.
Canada finished with 13 medals on day two while the and Americans netted nine – full results HERE.
March 07, 2011 (Rossland, BC) – Dave Wood was Canada’s most successful National Team cross-country ski coach, with career highlights including Beckie Scott’s legendary Olympic pursuit gold in 2002, Sara Renner’s sprint bronze at the Nordic World Championships in 2005, Chandra Crawford’s sprint gold in 2006 in Torino, and nine top-10’s at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Wood spent 18 years with Cross Country Canada (CCC) and lead the program for 12 of those years. He resigned in May 2010 and is still very much involved with skiing, currently coaching the Black Jack Ski Club in Rossland, B.C. He talked with SkiTrax’s Marty Hall about his new New Nordic Academy program.
It’s been 9 months since your departure from the Canadian National Team, what’s been happening with you and your career – bring us up to speed?
Dave Wood: In the spring I began working with the Black Jack Ski Club in Rossland, BC. The program here has younger skiers ages 13 to 17, all in high school. We have an ideal natural environment for Cross country skiers in Rossland.
Most of the training can be completed “out the door”. We have to travel for Roller skiing to find different terrain, but we have everything from flatter gentle terrain to long continuous uphills (10 to 25 km). The trails are superb and with the Red Mountain alpine area only 15 minutes running from town we can do as much ski simulation on foot as one can stand!
The program had a couple of training camps in the summer, the Haig Glacier, and a dryland camp in the Bow Valley. This is an opportunity to begin to introduce these skiers to training at altitude. We began skiing in Early November up at the Paulson trails (local). There are 3 areas for Cross Country here, and the Paulson trails (maintained by the Castlegar club) have snow a little earlier than Black Jack.
I went to Boston in September for a NENSA seminar. I made a presentation and sat in on the rest of seminar. Always good to get into other areas. As well I went to a COC function (Olympic Excellence series) for summer sports in November.
The club hosted a very successful NorAm in December. I did not have involvement with the event, except I worked with the club to build a better sprint course. The tracks and the event were well received.
The club and the Red Mountain Academy are joining forces to create an educational component to our Nordic Program. Al Fisher (Racing Program Director) and I initiated this in the spring and over the summer when we hammered out the details. At the end it has been Wannes Luppens (Club President), Al Fisher and I that are spearheading this initiative.
Now we are into the racing season and going full blast. Life in Rossland right now is being very good to Coach Dave Wood!
I hear you’re announcing a new high school aged skiing program at one of the best training and skiing locales in North America – tell us more about the Red Mountain Academy and its new educational component for your Nordic Program.
DW: The Red Mountain Academy (RMA) has been in operation for many years. It began as an academy program with the Red Mountain Racers (Alpine racing) and over time has expanded. The cooperation with the Black Jack Cross Country ski club was initiated this spring and we finalized the association this past fall with a three pronged program. Read more about the Academy here: www.redskiacademy.com
With the Home Stay Plan athletes that are not local in Rossland are placed with families in Rossland. We also have service providers such as physiotherapy, mental training, etc.
The home stay is organized and delivered through the administration end of the academy program. The athletes stay with families in the area. There is an education for the home stay families with respect to the nutritional needs of the athlete. The cost for this is $750/month, which includes some of the travelling needs. With their application to academy the process for home stay is initiated.
Another component of this program is transportation to and from the training venue to the school. In Rossland you can walk from “home” to school
The Educational Component of the Academy is delivered at Rossland Senior Secondary school. This will provide the athletes with a flexible academic schedule that allows time for proper training and competition programs. Read more about RMA here: www.rss.sd20.bc.ca
The third component of the program is the Training and Competition Program that is managed and delivered by myself. I have several coaches and experts who are assisting me in the Black Jack Racing team. We provide an intensive, individualized training and preparation programs.
Athletes in the academy program will train alongside the athletes training with the Club Program. Currently we have athletes from Rossland, Nelson, and Trail that work with the Black Jack Racing Team.
General program for 2011/12
– May 1 is the training year start
– Will plan for a spring snow camp where it can happen, likely Vernon, however we can do it here in some years
– June is dryland, going into the local mountain trails as the snow melts
– July will have a week at the Haig glacier
– August will have two weeks in the Bow Valley with two trips to the Haig glacier
– Fall camp with altitude. Most likely the Bow Valley if the stored snow works out
– December NorAms
– World Junior trials
– National Champs
– Other racing as is available
In Rossland we enjoy the perfect natural environment for developing Cross Country Ski Racers. We have an extensive network of trails and paths that are ideal for running and ski simulation on foot. As well we have mountain trails that are up to 2200 meters in elevation.
This means we can train between 400 meters and 2200 meters, an ideal situation for altitude training and lower elevation for speed work. We have long continuous roller ski climbs, up to 25 km, or we can have gentle rolling terrain to roller ski on. A lot of this roller ski terrain has very limited traffic.
We have access to a rubber surface running track in Warfield (6km away), an aquatic center in Trail (10 km), gyms in Rossland, and the alpine area (Red Resort) is about 5km from town, a perfect distance for warm up for a hill session. This is as good as it gets for dry land training!
We have three areas where we can ski. The Black Jack Club (www.skiblackjack.ca) is about a 10 min drive from anywhere in Rossland. The club has about 30 km of trails that are groomed daily by one of the two Pisten Bulleys the club owns. The normal season at Black Jack would be December to April. There is a biathlon facility up the highway from Black Jack. There is a 5km loop with the shorter tracks inside the 5 km track. The biathlon facility is about 300 meters higher than Black Jack, and gets earlier snow (2 to 3 weeks) and the snow lasts much longer in the spring. Finally the Castlegar ski club operates a trail system at the Paulson Summit. This is about a 30 min drive from Rossland, and it is also higher (about 1500 meters) so it is another option for early skiing
We can offer a training environment that is very high quality and lets the athletes maximize their training time do to the proximity of all training venues.
Dave, I think that wraps it up for any young teenage skier it doesn’t get any better. Sort of a home away from home feeling with the Home Stay Program and one of the best facilities and training centered programs you could want to be involved with – how do I sign up? DW: Contact Kristi Calder at kristi@redskiacademy.com for information on the overall program. I can be contacted at davidwood53@gmail.com or 250-521-0223 for specifics on all aspects of the programs
March 05, 2011 (Vernon, BC) – Just as he opened the 2010 Olympics, Chief Fabien Alexis welcomed 1,134 athletes from 22 countries to the 2011 Sparkling Hill Masters World Cup which runs March 5-11. Participants paraded behind their flags at Silver Star Resort where the ceremonies were held. They were welcomed with singing, drumming and dancing by the Okanagan Indian Band which also sang during the opening ceremonies at the Vancouver Olympics.
There is much excitement as six days of racing are about to start. Participants spoke favorably about the courses. “We skied the 15km – it’s a good course,” said Dave Rees, former director of Cross Country Canada who is here supporting his wife Jean.
The tracks are set with 21 lanes and conditions are good, with a temperature of minus six, much better than the minus 18 degrees experienced last week by volunteers as they were setting up for these championships. Countless volunteer hours behind the scenes have led to Sovereign Lake hosting this event. Preparation of the event started five years ago when the bid was put in.
Racers are in good spirits as the first competitions begin on Saturday. The WCup racing takes place daily from Mar. 5-11 from 9am to 3pm each day, with Tues. Mar. 8 being a rest day. The Sovereign Lake Loppet wraps the weekend up on Mar. 12. Full schedule below or visit www.mwc2011.com
Check out this pre-race video interview featuring two masters skiers from Alaska and stay tuned to SkiTrax for daily coverage of the events.
Master WCup 2011 Race Schedule
Saturday, March 5 – Medium Distance – Free Technique
– 30 km (2 x 15) Men 01-06 (age 30-59)
– 15 km (1 x 15) Men 07-09 (age 60-74)
– 10 km (2 x 5) Men 10-12 (age 75+)
– 15 km (1 x 15) Women 01-08 (age 30-69)
– 10 km (2 x 5) Women 09-12 (age 70+)
– Team Captains Meeting 5 pm
– Awards Ceremony 6 pm
Sunday, March 6 – Medium Distance – Classic
– 30 km (2 x 15) Men 01-06 (age 30-59)
– 15 km (1 x 15) Men 07-09 (age 60-74)
– 10 km (2 x 5) Men 10-12 (age 75+)
– 15 km (1 x 15) Women 01-08 (age 30-69)
– 10 km (2 x 5) Women 09-12 (age 70+)
– Team Captains Meeting 5 pm
– Awards Ceremony 6 pm
Monday, March 7 – Short Distance – Classic
– 10 km (1 x 10) Men 01-09 (age 30-74)
– 5 km (1 x 5) Men 10-12 (age 75+)
– 10 km (1 x 10) Women 01-08 (age 30-69)
– 5 km (1 x 5) Women 09-12 (age 70+) Short Distance – Free Technique
– 10 km (1 x 10) Men 01-09 (age 30-74)
– 5 km (1 x 5) Men 10-12 (age 75+)
– 10 km (1 x 10) Women 01-08 (age 30-69)
– 5 km (1 x 5) Women 09-12 (age 70+)
– Awards Ceremony 6 pm
– Mountain Film Festival 7 pm Vernon (see Events Page HERE)
March 8 – Rest Day
– WMA Meeting 9 am (NATC at Silver Star)
– Team Captains Meeting following WMA meeting
– Check out region page HERE for exciting touring events
March 9 – Relays
– Relays 4 x 5km (legs 1 & 2 Classic, legs 3 & 4 Free technique) – Men and Women
– Team Captains Meeting 5 pm
– Awards Ceremony 6 pm
March 10 – Long Distance – Free Technique
– 45 km (3 x 15) Men 01-06 (age 30-59)
– 30 km (2 x 15) Men 07-09 (age 60-74)
– 15 km ((3 x 5) Men 10-12 (age 75+)
– 30 km (2 x 15) Women 01-08 (age 30-69)
– 15 km (3 x 5) Women 09-12 (age 70+)
– Team Captains Meeting 5 pm
– Awards Ceremony 6 pm
March 11 – Long Distance – Classic
– 45 km (3 x 15) Men 01-06 (age 30-59)
– 30 km (2 x 15) Men 07-09 (age 60-74)
– 15 km ((3 x 5) Men 10-12 (age 75+)
– 30 km (2 x 15) Women 01-08 (age 30-69)
– 15 km (3 x 5) Women 09-12 (age 70+)
– Awards Ceremony 3 pm
– Banquet and closing ceremony 6:30 pm (Wesbild Centre, Vernon)
March 12 – Sovereign Lake Loppet – Free Technique – 30km, 15km
Sovereign Lake Loppet (see Sovereign Lake Loppet HERE and Register for the Loppet HERE)
– Mass start at 10 am.
– Awards ceremony at Sovereign Lake following end of race. Registration closes Wed March 9
February 25, 2011 (Rossland, BC) – Dave Wood was Canada’s most successful National Team cross-country ski coach, with career highlights including Beckie Scott’s legendary Olympic pursuit gold in 2002, Sara Renner’s sprint bronze at the Nordic World Championships in 2005, Chandra Crawford’s sprint gold in 2006 in Torino, and nine top-10’s at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Wood spent 18 years with Cross Country Canada (CCC) and lead the program for 12 of those years. He resigned in May 2010 and is still very much involved with skiing, currently coaching the Black Jack Ski Club in Rossland, B.C. He talked with SkiTrax’s Marty Hall about his new New Nordic Academy program.
It’s been 9 months since your departure from the Canadian National Team, what’s been happening with you and your career – bring us up to speed?
Dave Wood: In the spring I began working with the Black Jack Ski Club in Rossland, BC. The program here has younger skiers ages 13 to 17, all in high school. We have an ideal natural environment for Cross country skiers in Rossland.
Most of the training can be completed “out the door”. We have to travel for Roller skiing to find different terrain, but we have everything from flatter gentle terrain to long continuous uphills (10 to 25 km). The trails are superb and with the Red Mountain alpine area only 15 minutes running from town we can do as much ski simulation on foot as one can stand!
The program had a couple of training camps in the summer, the Haig Glacier, and a dryland camp in the Bow Valley. This is an opportunity to begin to introduce these skiers to training at altitude. We began skiing in Early November up at the Paulson trails (local). There are 3 areas for Cross Country here, and the Paulson trails (maintained by the Castlegar club) have snow a little earlier than Black Jack.
I went to Boston in September for a NENSA seminar. I made a presentation and sat in on the rest of seminar. Always good to get into other areas. As well I went to a COC function (Olympic Excellence series) for summer sports in November.
The club hosted a very successful NorAm in December. I did not have involvement with the event, except I worked with the club to build a better sprint course. The tracks and the event were well received.
The club and the Red Mountain Academy are joining forces to create an educational component to our Nordic Program. Al Fisher (Racing Program Director) and I initiated this in the spring and over the summer when we hammered out the details. At the end it has been Wannes Luppens (Club President), Al Fisher and I that are spearheading this initiative.
Now we are into the racing season and going full blast. Life in Rossland right now is being very good to Coach Dave Wood!
I hear you’re announcing a new high school aged skiing program at one of the best training and skiing locales in North America – tell us more about the Red Mountain Academy and its new educational component for your Nordic Program.
DW: The Red Mountain Academy (RMA) has been in operation for many years. It began as an academy program with the Red Mountain Racers (Alpine racing) and over time has expanded. The cooperation with the Black Jack Cross Country ski club was initiated this spring and we finalized the association this past fall with a three pronged program. Read more about the Academy here: www.redskiacademy.com
With the Home Stay Plan athletes that are not local in Rossland are placed with families in Rossland. We also have service providers such as physiotherapy, mental training, etc.
The home stay is organized and delivered through the administration end of the academy program. The athletes stay with families in the area. There is an education for the home stay families with respect to the nutritional needs of the athlete. The cost for this is $750/month, which includes some of the travelling needs. With their application to academy the process for home stay is initiated.
Another component of this program is transportation to and from the training venue to the school. In Rossland you can walk from “home” to school
The Educational Component of the Academy is delivered at Rossland Senior Secondary school. This will provide the athletes with a flexible academic schedule that allows time for proper training and competition programs. Read more about RMA here: www.rss.sd20.bc.ca
The third component of the program is the Training and Competition Program that is managed and delivered by myself. I have several coaches and experts who are assisting me in the Black Jack Racing team. We provide an intensive, individualized training and preparation programs.
Athletes in the academy program will train alongside the athletes training with the Club Program. Currently we have athletes from Rossland, Nelson, and Trail that work with the Black Jack Racing Team.
General program for 2011/12
– May 1 is the training year start
– Will plan for a spring snow camp where it can happen, likely Vernon, however we can do it here in some years
– June is dryland, going into the local mountain trails as the snow melts
– July will have a week at the Haig glacier
– August will have two weeks in the Bow Valley with two trips to the Haig glacier
– Fall camp with altitude. Most likely the Bow Valley if the stored snow works out
– December NorAms
– World Junior trials
– National Champs
– Other racing as is available
In Rossland we enjoy the perfect natural environment for developing Cross Country Ski Racers. We have an extensive network of trails and paths that are ideal for running and ski simulation on foot. As well we have mountain trails that are up to 2200 meters in elevation.
This means we can train between 400 meters and 2200 meters, an ideal situation for altitude training and lower elevation for speed work. We have long continuous roller ski climbs, up to 25 km, or we can have gentle rolling terrain to roller ski on. A lot of this roller ski terrain has very limited traffic.
We have access to a rubber surface running track in Warfield (6km away), an aquatic center in Trail (10 km), gyms in Rossland, and the alpine area (Red Resort) is about 5km from town, a perfect distance for warm up for a hill session. This is as good as it gets for dry land training!
We have three areas where we can ski. The Black Jack Club (www.skiblackjack.ca) is about a 10 min drive from anywhere in Rossland. The club has about 30 km of trails that are groomed daily by one of the two Pisten Bulleys the club owns. The normal season at Black Jack would be December to April. There is a biathlon facility up the highway from Black Jack. There is a 5km loop with the shorter tracks inside the 5 km track. The biathlon facility is about 300 meters higher than Black Jack, and gets earlier snow (2 to 3 weeks) and the snow lasts much longer in the spring. Finally the Castlegar ski club operates a trail system at the Paulson Summit. This is about a 30 min drive from Rossland, and it is also higher (about 1500 meters) so it is another option for early skiing
We can offer a training environment that is very high quality and lets the athletes maximize their training time do to the proximity of all training venues.
Dave, I think that wraps it up for any young teenage skier it doesn’t get any better. Sort of a home away from home feeling with the Home Stay Program and one of the best facilities and training centered programs you could want to be involved with – how do I sign up?
DW:
February 11, 2011 (Rossland, BC) – Come visit Rossland BC for a weekend adventure… and your last tune-up races before the Masters World Cup in Vernon. Black Jack Ski Club in Rossland is hosting two great races on the weekend of Feb. 26-27th: the Kootenay Cup and Black Jack Loppet.
Schedule:
Saturday Feb 26 – Kootenay Cup (Classic)
Sunday Feb 27 – 27th Annual Black Jack Loppet (Free)
February 09, 2011 (Vernon, BC) – Only six days left to register for the 2011 Sparkling Hill Masters World Cup and Join the Excitement! Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to experience a truly international Nordic Event. Come participate with skiers from over 20 countries.
Registration deadline is February 14 and no late registration can be accepted. Registration information can be found in the Registration Section. For more information on the races and their categories, see the Competition Section.
Accommodation is still available both at Silver Star and in Vernon. Information about accommodation for the event can be found in the Accommodation Section of this website. Accommodation is booked directly with the accommodator. A shuttle service beginning March 3 is provided linking accomodation in Vernon and Silver Star to the Event at Sovereign Lake.
Spectators: Spectators are encouraged but there is no parking at the site. Parking is available in Silver Star Lot E and shuttle buses connect to the race site. Shuttle buses also run from Vernon. Athletes and event staff have priority on bus loading.
For information on travelling to the area, and for additional activities and events, please see the Travel Section of this website.
Volunteers are still needed. If you are interested in Volunteering for the event, please register as a volunteer through our online database.
Check our FAQ: if you need more information than found on these web pages, try consulting our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document or contacting info@mwc2011.com.
With the generous support of Sparkling Hill Resort, Sovereign Lake Nordic Club is hosting the 2011 Sparkling Hill Masters World Cup of Cross Country Skiing. This Event is the world championships of cross country for skiers 30 years of age and above. The event attracts 1,100 to 1,400 racers from over 20 countries. The event lasts a week with daily classic and/or free technique ski races ranging from 5 to 45km in length.We would like to thank all of our sponsors, supporters and volunteers who are helping to make this a great event for our community and our international guests.
Raffle: Four prizes (7 night houseboat vacation plus others) and an early bird prize. See the January 2011 Newsletter for details. All proceeds to help fund this event. Prize draw at the closing banquet. The early bird draw is 4 p.m. Mon, Feb 14th at SLNC. Tickets can be purchased at Sovereign, Stussi, from OC members, Board members, Valhalla and Bean to Cup at SilverStar, Bulldog, Pinnacles & other places & persons around town & on the mountain.
February 07, 2011 (Kelowna, BC) – Heavy snow greated the skiers on Sunday for the 3rd leg of the Haywood Multi-stage competition in Kelowna. The freestyle Handicap races got underway with the men’s competition with Drew Goldsack first out of the blocks. Stefan Kuhn followed 10 seconds later with Graham Nishikawa another 5 seconds back.
Nishikawa soon caught up to Goldsack and the two NST skiers battled the elements over the 15km course. In a sprint to the finish Goldsack finished .3 seconds infront of the Haywood NorAm leader. The race wasn’t over however as George Grey, starting in a non-seeded wave start position had the fastest time of the day with a stage time of 38:20.8.
The Canadian multi-stage format allows skiers to compete for single stage honours ever if they miss a leg. In Grey’s case, the 24-hour stomach flu kept him bed-bound during the prologue day.
SkiTrax caught up with Goldsack after his races: “It was a good weekend for me. The conditions have been excellent at the Telemark Ski Club. They’ve done a lot of improvements to the trails since the last time we raced here in 2003. The sprint course was pretty flat but a 200m+ finishing straight made it a suffer fest to the line. The Prologue and 15km (3x5km) courses were quite tough with some really short and hard steep pitches,” he commented.
“I’m finally coming back into some better shape after being sick. I was feeling pretty good this weekend but I’d say I’m not quite back to the form I had before Christmas,” added Goldsack.
The heavy snow didn’t seem to hold back National Team skier Perianne Jones as she steadily pulled away from the Women’s field finishing 2:27 in front of Junior skier Maya MacIsaac-Jones of the Rocky Mtn Racers. MacIsaac-Jones started 5th on the grid. Andrea Dupont finished 3rd with the 4th fastest time on the day while Rebecca Reid, another young Junior finished with the 3rd fastest time on the day and 5th overall.
In the Junior Girls Pursuit, Suzanne Stevenson of Foothills started beside Jill Reynolds of Black Jack and battled over the 5km course only to pull away over the last 60 meters to a 3-second victory. Susanne Fraser of Black Jack finished 3rd in the multi-stage event.
In the Junior Boys Pursuit, Julien Locke of Black Jack was the strongest on the day and won the overall multi-stage race by 50 seconds. Colin Ferrie skiing for Kimberley Nordic picked up second overall and a silver for the stage while Matt Saurett of Edmonton Nordic moved from 5th on the grid to take third on the day.
Mass start events completed the Haywood NorAm Western Canadians in Juvenile, Midget and younger age categories. Almost 450 skiers competed at Telemark, making the 2011 edition of the Western Canadians one of the largest ever.
January 29, 2011 (Revelstoke, BC) – The Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club is looking for an individual(s) who will operate a stand alone cross country ski rental, ski instruction and small retail outlet out of the Club’s Day Lodge. This business opportunity would be solely owned by the proponent. The Club would not be involved in any aspect of this business operation. In return for use of the club facilities, the club is interested in receiving a percentage of gross revenues (to be negotiated) derived from the provision of these services.
In addition, the individual(s) will also be responsible for providing the custodial and ticket office duties associated with the operations of the Club facilities. In lieu of payment for these Club duties, the individual(s) would receive free rental accommodations in the Custodian’s Apartment on the top floor of the Day Lodge. Appendix One is a copy of the letter of offer and schedule for custodial responsibilities, as well as an addendum to the rental agreement for the Custodian Apartment.
December 22, 2010 (Abbotsford, BC) – PacificSport Fraser Valley are currently seeking an enthusiastic and committed individual to join our expanding PacificSport Fraser Valley team in the capacity summarized below. The Sport Development Coordinator provides the Fraser Valley region with a link between community recreation groups, school districts and the local and provincial sport organizations. With the aim of increasing overall sport participation, the Sport Development Coordinator will work with local sport organizations to increase the number of athletes, coaches and volunteers in the communities within the Fraser Valley. The Sport Development Coordinator will also play a supportive role in the Fraser Valley’s development of local high performance athletes.
Application: To apply, send a resume and cover letter as one document saved under your first and last name by email to: lpalm@pacificsport.com Attention: Linda Palm – General Manager, PacificSport Fraser Valley. Please indicate clearly in the subject line or cover email the job title and competition #. Sport Development Coordinator (Fraser Valley) Competition #FV-10-112.
Education/Experience: An undergraduate degree in Kinesiology, Sport Management or a related field; a minimum three years of sport involvement in a leadership position; knowledge of the Canadian Sport for Life model; knowledge of BC sport organizations and experience in sport or recreation programming; NCCP certification and some coaching experience an asset
Skills: Skills include excellent verbal and written communication skills; The ability to initiate and maintain relationships with program partners; The ability to independently identify issues and determine the appropriate course of action, the ability to proactively initiate and prioritize tasks and the ability to organize a diverse workload taking into consideration priorities, deadlines and outcomes; The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate creativity in sport programming is necessary. Overall, the position requires strong organizational skills, accuracy and attention to detail.
Term: February 2011-March 2012 Location: Abbotsford/Langley, BC Type of Position: Full time, term Salary Range: $35,000 – $38,000 Closing Date: 4:00 pm on December 31, 2010
*Note: Salary will commensurate with level of experience, skills, and qualifications, and will be subject to negotiation with successful applicant.
PacificSport – Powering Sport Performance
The network of PacificSport Centres, in partnership with Canadian Sport Centre Pacific, delivers sport performance programs to help athletes and coaches win medals for Canada. Working in support of our national, provincial and regional sport partners, PacificSport Fraser Valley is creating a stronger system for the development of athletes, coaches, performance enhancement teams and facilities in the Fraser Valley region, serving communities from Hope to Surrey. The Canadian Sport Centre Pacific and PacificSport Fraser Valley are both registered not-for-profit agencies.
April 11, 2013 (Prince George, BC) – It’s been almost ten years since the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club hosted a FIS-sanctioned cross-country ski event, but in 2014, Canada’s top skiers will return to Prince George to compete at the 2014 Haywood Noram Western Canadian Cross Country Ski Championships.
