December 06, 2012 (Sovereign Lake, B.C.) – International skiers from Sweden, Brazil, Peru, Switzerland and New Zealand are descending on Sovereign Lake for the Teck BC Cup and Haywoond NorAm races this coming weekend.

From across the water, Matthew Bull who is 14 years old and lives in Sydney will be racing in the Teck BC Cup. Bull trains with the New South Wales cross country ski team. He has been ski racing for approximately 7 years and has participated in a BC cup race in 2010 and placed 3rd. He is living with a host family in Vernon for this season to train with the SLNC during Australia’s summer break.

Joining the international racers in the Haywood NorAm will be Catharine Pendrel, an Olympic and World Champion mountain biker from Kamloops who will try her hand at ski racing this weekend. Pendrel, a guest and keynote speaker to Supercamp was brushing up on her ski technique in the past two weeks with the Supercamp coaches. The early season ski camps hosted by Sovereign Lake and Silver Star ran the last two weeks and finished up on Sunday.

Along with the international competitors, Pendrel and Bull will join teams from all over Canada and the U.S. to compete in two days of racing. The assorted competitors from the U.S. are coming from Minneapolis, Winthrop, Oregon and Spokane. Some of the competitors, including the Swedish team will go on to race at the World Cup in Canmore the following weekend.

Saturday’s classic technique races will start with the Teck BC Cup in the morning and the Haywood NorAm and Teck BC Cup mass start taking place in the afternoon. Viewers will be able to watch the races in the stadium from the lodge at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre.

Sunday’s free technique races will include similar scheduling with interval starts for the athletes. For more information visit www.sovereignlake.com.

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.

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.

Happy Trails!

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.

Until the next time,

Torin

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.

www.mwc2011.com

December 21, 2010 (Silver Star, BC) – The Silver Star Loppet is set for Jan. 23, 2011. This mass start event starts at 11:00 am and is skier’s choice of skate or classic technique in a 7.5 km tour or 10 km race or 20km race. This event is for all levels of ability! We are bringing back the race component of the event at the same time keeping an option for people to do the tour.

Cost: $35.00 includes post event BBQ, Children (under 18) $15.00

Register: Race Day –  Sunday, January 23, 9:00-10:00 am at Tube Town

Tour Trails: Bridle Trail, Sidewinder and Meadow Trail (beautiful views with easy terrain)
Race Trails: Bridle Trail, Sidewinder, TJ’s Corkscrew and Meadow Trail (TJ’s spices things up a little bit for the race course.)

Prizes for: 1st, 2nd, 3rd in 10 km and 20km men and women

Location: Tube Town Adventure Park/ Firelight Lodge