Squamish Nordic Ski Club
Squamish Nordic Ski Club Spring Newsletter
CCC Kids Ski Tournament, Whistler Olympic Park, Jan. 25
At least 80 jackrabbits along with their parents from Sea to Sky Corridor communities took park in a fun-filled ski tournament on January 25. Supported by Cross Country Canada and Cross Country BC and organized by the Spud Valley Nordic Club, the "sports day on skis" included games for the kids such as the Mad Dash, the obstacle course, the three legged race, the one ski scooter race, and ended up with a 6 person team relay race up and down hills and through a slalom course to the Olympic finish line. Parents volunteered in support, with over 30 Squamish kids participating.
At only a $2.00 entry fee, all kids, whether in a local club or not, received a bright blue t-shirt depicting skiers in the Callaghan Valley, a water bottle, hotdogs and cookies. Big gold medals for enthusiasm were also handed out to two kids from each team of eight.
Technique Improvement Sessions
Four 1.5 hour sessions (two classic technique, two skate) were delivered during February to Squamish Nordics coaches and members, with instruction by professional coach, Maria Lundgren (Whistler Nordics paid coach). Squamish and Spud Valley clubs also utilized some of Maria's time this season, thereby all 3 clubs sharing resources for employing a coach. Thanks, Maria!GM Coaching Grant Application
Coach Jim Bowers wrote and submitted (the club's first ever grant) application in time for the Feb.15, 2009 deadline. "... Dedicated to supporting athletes at all levels through coaching excellence, General Motors' Making Dreams Possible Program provides one hundred $2,000 club coaching grants and ten $10,000 high performance coach grants, to community sport clubs and high performance coaches nationwide on an annual basis. This spring, another 50+ $2,000 grants will be awarded to community sport clubs across the country for coach training and development ..."
Cross your fingers, folks, a grant would be a big bonus to our existing and growing coaching program! Let's hope GM doesn't go under! D'oh! Thanks, Jim B!
Need a Visor?
An email from David McKee of the Nordic Racers club: "I am a xc skier whose Swix visor finally cracked after 20 years of service. As it is essential for skiing/racing in snowy conditions I decided to make my own and then things took off so I am now manufacturing them. The Nordic Racers bought a batch as part of their customized "clothing" so am offering the same to clubs around the province.
At $45 plus tax it is a one of the cheapest visors available. The club logo is free with an order of 30 or more (possibly less for small clubs). They are also available with generic labeling." www.nordicvisor.com
BC Nordic Photo Contest
What? You haven't you submitted your photos yet? Check out www.bcnordic.com/contest
Jim Bower's group on another fun skinny ski day.
Local Racing Scene and Club Members Results
Squamish Nordics Shine at Coast Cups #4 and #5, Feb. 14 -15, WOP
Info contributed by Jim Bowers
Club members had a great weekend competing against clubs from BC and Alberta during the Regional series Coast Cup races. Coach Jim Bowers led the club's first pack of racing rabbits to participate in these events while supportive members cheered and rang their cowbells. The Whistler Nordics hosted Saturday's races and the Spud Valley Nordics of Pemberton hosted Sunday's. In the individual start free technique race on Saturday, Linnea Uunila finished fourth in the 7 Ð 8 year old girl's 700 m event, and Graeme Bowers and Taylan Gunn Savjord finished sixth and eighth, in the 9 Ð 10 year old boy's 1.4 km event. In the Men's 41 -50 year 10km category Claude Prica placed 2nd! In the men's over 51 "grey beard category " 10 km race Jim Bowers, Sakari Uunila and John Tisdale surprised themselves by finishing first, second and third Ð a Squamish Nordics podium sweep!
In Sunday's team sprint events Taylan and Graeme teamed up for a second place finish against a strong field in the boy's 4 x 300 m race. Sorsha Henning paired with Alexandra Jevons; and Kristianne Chartrand teamed up with Grace Schranz of the Spud Valley Nordics for the 9 Ð 12 year old girl's 4 x 300 m races. It was the first ever race for all four girls and they all skied strongly. Zak Caldwell teamed up Callaghan Valley Training Center athlete Jessie Heckroth to win a fast Open Mens category in the classic technique 1.0km relay (2 laps each) while Jim Bowers teamed up with visiting Foothills Nordics (Alberta) Club president Roy Strum, to place 5th.
One of Sunday's highlights was Chandra Crawford (Olympic Gold Medalist, 2006, Torino, Italy) partnering with Amy Caldwell of the Callaghan Valley Training Centre to win the open women's 4 x 1000 m team sprint. Chandra graciously presented medals to the wining racers in all the categories at the end of the day and photo and autograph opportunities abounded. The kids were thrilled!
Whistler Loppet, 30km, Free Technique, Feb. 22
Claude Prica, 9th overall and 4th out of 25 in Masters 41-50 Men
Squamish Nordics Chocolate Sprints, Feb. 22
Most of our bunnies sprinted 50.0m while the jackrabbits went the full 100.0m on that sneaky gradual uphill to the Olympic finish line. Chocolates for all who participated, many kids beat their times they set in last year's event. Coaches fulfilled additional certification requirements organizing the event while everyone cheered the kids to au chocolat fini.
BC Provincial Midget Championships, Feb. 28-29, WOP
Over 100 young skiers, ages 10-13, from clubs around the province had two days to race on the 2010 Olympic trails at WOP and take home bragging rights and medals. The Champs were hosted by our neighbours, the Hollyburn Jackrabbits Ski Club. The Saturday night banquet was held at Quest University.
A number of skiers from Squamish participated. Erik Heilig (Hollyburn) won the 1998 boy's 2 km classic and was second in the sprints. Maggie Heilig (Hollyburn) and Sarah Bowers (Whistler Nordics) also competed. Hollyburn organized a great event and won the overall club title. The Whistler Nordics place third in the overall club standings, just behind the Larch Hills club from Salmon Arm.
Next year's midget championships are at Telemark in Kelowna. A great chance for some Squamish Nordics skiers to compete at the provincial level, and parents to do a late winter road trip!
BBQ Lunch Social at WOP
A lunch social of burgers and hotdogs followed the Chocolate Sprints at the XC technical building, thanks to a small group of members who helped organize this 2nd social of the season. Members Pat and Wade Yendall of Golden Crust Specialties provided the yummy baked goodies just as they have at the kids' sessions every Sunday!
Along with some venue staff, we also managed to feed hungry members of the 6 person Norwegian national ski tech team who were at the venue for 3 weeks (!), testing ski base grinds and waxes in preparation for the 2010 Olympics. On a previous kids session day, the friendly techs also gave an impromptu waxing demo to club members. And the secret camera footage we took of their waxing secrets for those 3 weeks has now been sent onto the Canadian Nat'l TeamÉboy, did we fool them! Ha (just joking)!
Club Jackets, Signs and Banners
Thanks to the efforts of enthusiastic member and coach Jeff Levine, club members are now sporting some of the new +50 club jackets. The club didn't expect to have jackets until the post-2010 world, but with a special clothing supplier connection back east and generating local sponsorship in a very short time frame, Jeff had the jackets ordered and logos silk screened before we all knew it! Thanks to Golden Crust Specialties, Valhalla Pure, Bean (Around the World) Brackendale, Kiewit and Sons, Magic Potion, Century Signs and Reroute.
Jeff also worked with Century Signs of Squamish who donated the club signs for the kids program and our new large, heavy-duty vinyl club banner.
The visiting Norwegian National Ski Team also got very worried about the future when they saw our youthful Canuck club and our unique training techniques
Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies society Ð the future is closer than you think!
Having (free) use of the tech building, use of race equipment and tools and good deals on ski rentals and tickets for our club programs again this year has been great, thanks to VANOC and staff at WOP.
Our club will want to establish a warm relationship with the new owners/operators before and in the post-2010 legacy era. Remember, VANOC goes "poof" shortly after the Games end!
Therefore, gregarious and growing gang of 140 members, it's time to start paying attention to Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies non-profit society website! www.whistler2010sportlegacies.com
Some of the 55 rabbits and bunnies wrap up the second skill development program season.
A big thanks to the coaches and parents who assisted in making this year another success!
Volunteering at Competition Events
Club members continue to help out as volunteers for a variety of Nordic competition events, from Chocolate Sprint races to World Cups. And the Whistler Olympic Park jackets and toques provided to World Cup vollies are pretty sweet, too!
Guided by the sound of the rifle's beam hitting the targets, a blind skier takes five shots after skate skiing each 2.5 km lap during the IPC World Cup. If that isn't hard enough, there's a one minute penalty for each missed shot! A volunteer official in his shiny new jacket listens and watches on.
And then there's Sigge!
It must be close to 25 years ago that I met the legendary Sigge at a Cascade Cup loppet in Manning Park. He was always showing confused rookie citizen racers like me what the best grip wax of the day wasÉand then, ha, he'd merrily ski by us during the race! No doubt he and his son Anders also have the longest running XC ski store in Vancouver - and they now bring busloads of Vancouver skiers to WOP on weekends.
Chatting with him the other day he confided to me that he just celebrated his 84th birthday and has been skiing for a mere 81 years! So, we have no excuses, folks!
Note: he's using waxable, classic skis Ð the secret to a long life?
Happy Spring Skiing!
John Tisdale