June 27, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – There’s still time to vote for who you think are the most deserving athletes for the SkiTrax Annual North American (NA) Nordic Ski Awards honouring top skiers from across Canada and the USA for the 2012-2013 season determined by votes from readers at skitrax.com. A quick update on how things currently stand…

As expected, Kikkan Randall is leading the race for Best Overall Elite Female Skier, while USA’s Andy Newell and Canada’s Len Valjas are duking it out for the Best Male Sprinter bragging rights.

In the contest for Best Conti Cup Male, USST’s Erik Bjornsen and the Canadian Ski Team’s Graham Nishikawa are neck-and-neck. Other exciting battles include the one for Best Jr. Male honours, with Raphael Couturier and Ben Saxton in a very tight race, while it couldn’t get any tighter in the Best Collegiate Male comp, with Rune Odegaard and Harry Seaton tied for the lead. Joanne Reid is leading the Best Collegiate Female category, with several chasers close behind.

In the Paul Robbins Best Breakthrough or Exceptional Nordic Performance(s) contest, USST’s women’s stars Jessie Diggins and Randall are out front as expected, but Canmore’s Jesse Cockney is right on their heels after his world-class sprinting turned heads at the Alberta World Cup in December.

These awards recognize Elite, U23 and junior skiers, along with Conti Cup, collegiate, biathlon, Nordic combined, jumping competitors plus Paranordic skiers as well.

Don’t miss your chance to VOTE (link below) and perhaps win some great prizes from our award sponsors. Hurry, voting ends on Sunday, June 30 at 11pm EST!

This season’s contenders are up against some very tough competition as North American skiers continued their charge to the top of the international ranks and there are many great names across all disciplines to select from.

In total there are 22 categories for men and women so take your time and make your voice heard.

Plus there are some great prizes as all entrants are eligible to win one of five great prizes provided by Salomon, Swix, FI, Exer-Genie, and Auclair. Please include your email address [at the bottom] after submitting your selections if you wish to be eligible to win any prizes.

Prizes
1st – Salomon S-Lab Skate or Classic boots ($450sk/$299cl)
2nd – Swix T72 Iron (value $400)
3rd – F1 Sprint Skate roller skis (value $269)
4th – Exer-Genie XC Trainer (value $229)
5th – Auclair Rail Gloves (value $50)

Cast your votes and complete as many or as few categories as you like – but you are limited to only ONE entry per person.

Deadline – voting ends at 11pm (EST) on Sunday, June 30, 2013
Winners – announced on July 1, 2013

December 28, 2012 (Toronto, ON) – We have experienced increased registration activity for our SkiTrax FIS Tour de Ski 2012/13 Fantasy Contest as the final deadline approaches and we’re pleased to extend the deadline until 12 midnight EST on Friday, Dec. 28 to allow all readers a bit more time to enter or change their team.

Please note that top Norwegian competitor Marit Bjoergen will miss the Tour – read more HERE – and so will Sweden’s Lisa Larsen, Anders Sodergren and Lars Nelson as Mia Eriksson and Martin Johansson have been called up as replacements.

Here’s how the FIS Tour de Ski 2012/13 Contest works
Register your team of unique individual skiers including four (4) men, and four (4) women plus two (2) Outlaw Skiers (one male and one female) not in the top 15 of the FIS World Cup overall rankings. The menus for all skiers are at registration as well as a link to the FIS World Cup Ranking where you can find more details on each skier.

Deadlines, Points, Prizes
The deadline to register your FIS Tour de Ski 2012/13 team, or to make any changes, is 12 midnight EST on Dec. 28 – the day before the TdS launches. Earn bonus points such as Kick and Glide or Val Climb Points along with other opportunities to score points – all contest rules and information are available at TdS registration.

This year the Tour de Ski runs from Dec. 29 to Jan. 6 covering 9 days. Points will be awarded following each TdS stage based on each skier’s performance and published regularly at skitrax.com so you can follow your team’s progress and see how you compare with other players and the actual TdS standings.

Register HERE.

Good luck to all contestants and thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Mont Ste-Anne, Alpina, One Way, Marwi, Halti, 2XU, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, CCC, Auclair, and Buff.

* 1st Prize – Mont Ste-Anne – 2 nights lodging w/breakfast + 3-day XC gift certificate, tune-up (value $800)
* 2nd Prize – Alpina ESK Ski Boots (value $419)
* 3rd Prize – One Way Premio Ski Poles (value $400)
* 4th Prize – Marwe 610c Roller Skis (value $349)
* 5th Prize – Halti XC Race Suit Hemmo Set (value $269)
* 6th Prize – 2XU Long Sleeve Thermal Compression Top and Elite Socks (value $195)
* 7th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $150)
* 8th Prize – Two free CCC Inside Track Rewards Cards plus a $50 Gift Card to the CCC e-store (value $100)
* 9th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* 10th Prize – Buff Headware (value $23)

December 13, 2012 (Gatineau, QC) – You only have 48 hours to save up to 25% on registration fees of the Gatineau Loppet. By registering before this Saturday, December 15 at midnight, you’ll take advantage of several promotions and big discounts. Hurry up!

The Gatineau Loppet will be held from February 15th to 17th in the Gatineau Park.

Note that several innovations will be honored to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the event, including, our two new linear courses of 38 and 55 km classic that will leave Philippe Lake and also our new Cross-Country Canada sanction for our 55 km classic style course.

GET READY!
www.gatineauloppet.com

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.