Loppet

Last weekend we marked our winter 2011 season close with our fantastic annual Loppet. It was great fun, and we would like to wish congratulations to all the Loppet participants. Well done everyone! If you haven’t yet looked, you can find the results on Zone 4.

The 29th Annual Vancouver Island Loppet! Photo - Brent Reid

You can check out more of Brent Reid’s wonderful Loppet photos on this photo website.

We would also like to say a heartfelt Thank you to the large teams of hardworking volunteers who actually made the Loppet possible. Thank you to everyone! –and special thanks to Andrew for stepping up to the mic and hosting the whole show for us.

After the Loppet, we realized that the we hadn’t drawn for the ski poles from Ski Tak Hut. We had so many wonderful prizes they were missed! We drew a winner by using a random numbers applicationat random.org (apparently the randomness comes from atmospheric noise – if anyone can explain what this means, we would be happy to hear from you!)  So Gavin MacPhail – the atmosphere was right for your number and you win the poles! Tim McGrady will have them for you. Thank you to Malia Irvine and Sidney Vandermale for writing out and putting all those stickers on the medals.

Some Cookie Loppeteers! Photo - Brent Reid.

And of course, we would like to thank all the people who generously donated prizes, gifts, and services for the 29th Annual Vancouver Loppet:

• Dr Andreas Conradi
• Rossignol
• Ski Tak Hut
• Comox Valley Search & Rescue
• Raven Retail
• Mountain City Cycles
• Tenth Street Chiropractic
• Blacks Cycle
• Extreme runners
• Ski to Surf Shop
• Skadi
• SNSC
• Sue Bloxsome fee
• My Tec Guys
• Wilf Dreher
• Susan Denny
• Maja Senn
• Royal Coachman Inn , Campbell River
• Campbell River Sportsplex
• Strathcona Park Gardens
• Alberni Outpost

See you next year — if not at May Camp!

May Camp

May 6 through 9, we will hold our annual May Camp on Mount Washington. All race program members are encouraged to attend one or all of the days. There is a race camp fee which will cover accommodations, food, and trail grooming fees for racers.

All club members are welcome to come up and share the trails that will be groomed that weekend. There is nothing quite like a lovely spring ski!

Please note: The only trails that will be groomed are the ones leading to the Lower West, and we will have access to these from the bottom of the Hawk Chair. If you want to enjoy these trails during May Camp, and they are very enjoyable, please find a racer in the Strathcona Park Lodge cabin or on the trails and pay $10/person per day or $20/family per day to contribute to our ski club’s grooming expense.

If you have questions about May Camp or grooming fees, contact Dave Battison at info@strathconanordics.com

Devos

The Devo team will be joining the Junior team for a fun-filled weekend of skiing and camaraderie at this year’s May Camp to be held at Mt Washington May 6, 7,8. The team will stay on the mountain with our first on-snow session on Friday after school. Prospective Devos are welcome to join us and get to know the team. For more information, please contact Tim – tim@mcgrady.ca or at 250 890 9449.

Congratulations to all the Devos for some really great finishes at the Loppet and to coach Berend for his second place finish in the 30km classic. We’ll put a heavy stone in Dr Conradi’s camelbak next year Berend!

Dr Conradi and Coach Berend. Photo - Brent Reid

Video

What’s a skiing family to do at the end of the season? Look for some ideas from this late entry in the video contest. However we may need a caveat–Don’t try these things at home folks. No April fooling!

The Loppet deadline is fast approaching–as is our last back-country ski tour. It’s also time to put the finishing touches on your video and to check out the Raven Lodge’s spring hours. Look for more details below.

Last call for the Loppet!

Don’t delay, registration closes on Thursday night. Visit the Loppet webpage for details and course maps. Register on Zone 4. Be sure to join in the Loppet fun this Saturday!

Backcountry Ski Tours – Mount Becher and Mount Cokely

18 people attended the Mount BecherSki Tour on February 27th. It was spectacular trip with a plethora of soft powder and many fun turns. This was the first time trip leader Andrew Pape-Salmon experienced powder right to the base of the old Forbidden Plateau ski area next to the parking lot. About half of the participants were from the Alpine Club of Canada – Vancouver Island Section and the other half from Strathcona Nordics. A great partnership! See Andrew’s photos here.

Mt Becher ski tour group

The next trip is Sunday, March 27th to ski up Mount Cokely, next to Mount Arrowsmith, near Qualicum Beach and Port Alberni. Please contact Andrew if you want to join this trip andrewpapesalmon@shaw.ca

Rabbits

With spring now officially here, spring skiing is in full swing. It can be hard to think skiing when spring weather has descended on the Valley, but there are many great opportunities left this season to build on those newly acquired skills. Once you’re up there you’ll be glad you went!

Don’t forget to check out the Loppet this Saturday–Registration ends on Thursday! Another volunteer or two would be greatly appreciated to help hand out cookie medals and to hand out ski incentives at the stations. A costume judge would be fantastic as well! Please let Alix Wilson know if you are able to help (alibedali@shaw.ca)

Recreational Masters

After 10 weeks, we finally managed to catch up with the Saturday recreational masters group. We caught up with them when they were flying around the Lower West. See you next year!

Masters rec group on the Lower West trails.

Mount Washington Nordic

Take note of the spring hours for Mount Washington’s Raven Lodge.

Raven Cafe:
09:00am – 05:00pm – Sun. – Wed. until Mar. 31, 2011
09:00am – 08:00pm – Thurs. – Sat. until Mar. 26, 2011
09:00am – 06:00pm – Apr. 1, 2011 – April 25, 2011
closed April 11-14 & 18-21

Rentals & Lessons:
09:00am – 04:00pm – Sun. – Wed. until Mar. 31, 2011
09:00am – 08:00pm – Thurs. – Sat. until Mar. 26, 2011
09:00am – 06:00pm – Apr. 1, 2011 – April 25, 2011
closed April 11-14 & 18-21

Raven Retail:
09:00am – 04:00pm – Sun. – Wed. until Mar. 31, 2011
09:00am – 05:00pm – Thurs. – Sat. until Mar. 26, 2011
09:00am – 05:00pm – Apr. 1, 2011 – April 25, 2011
closed April 11-14 & 18-21

Nationals

Our Junior Racing team would like to thank everyone who helped support them throughout the year and in their wax fundraisers and bottle drives. They had an awesome time at the Canadian National Cross-Country Ski Championships in Canmore, Alberta. This young team put in strong performances all-round with outstanding finishes by Michael Ravensbergen, Will Herchmer, and Andrea Lee. Our club was represented well in all categories. Way to go team!

Racer Will Herchmer in action at Nationals in Canmore.

Last call for the video contest!

You have a few more days to put your cross-country ski video together. Finish your 3-minute video and email the YouTube link to info@strathconanordics.com by Friday 7pm and you could be the next big prize winner! See the Video Contest web page for more details.

P.S.

This is our last weekly issue for winter 2011. Watch for upcoming monthly issues. Next month we’ll have details about May Camp and all-club run/hikes and other activities for spring and summer. See you at the Loppet!

Loppet

There’s only one week left to register for the 29th Annual Vancouver Island Loppet ! Don’t miss out on the action–register or volunteer today to end your winter on a high note. It’s sure to be lots of fun for all ages!

Remember there will be loads of prizes this year including best dressed, so start planning your costume. You can find Loppet details on our Loppet webpage. Register on Zone 4. To volunteer, email info@StrathconaNordics.com

Moonlight ski cancelled

Note: The club’s moonlight ski that was scheduled for Saturday, March 19 has been cancelled.

Fantastic opportunity

Come learn how the electronic time system works–or come refresh your memory! We need club members who like technology to come help with the electronic timing and results system for the Loppet. Len Apedaile and Val Wootton will be doing a dry run set up and demonstration of the timing equipment in order to test it and to train/orient new and existing club officials to this system.

When: This Saturday March 19, 1pm-3pm
Where: Club timing hut on the stadium
What:  Timing Equipment Demo & Training, Stadium Plan

Other volunteers are also needed for the Loppet to help with stadium set up, finish line operations, feed stations, marshals, and helping the race secretariat with registration tasks, bib assignments, and race package preparation and distribution. Helping run the event is a great way to get involved if you don’t feel up to skiing. Come support our club and our skiers by giving them a terrific event. Email info@StrathconaNordics.com

Looking for an easy way to help out the club?

Loppet draw prizes – seeking donations! This could be an item from your business, a service, or something you have at home.

If you have anything to donate please call or email Sue 250 334 3267 sbloxsome@gmail.com as soon as possible. Thank you very much!

World masters

Our Masters racers Doug Rose, Rick Morson, Mark Debrujn, Chris Bowlby, Brian Stamp, and Marilyn Atkinson along with coach Dave Battison immensely enjoyed their time at the Masters World Championships at the Sovereign Lake Ski Club in Vernon last week.

“It is very inspiring to race with such a strong field of skiers ranging from age 30 to 92. Our team joined keen skiers from all over the world in these high caliber races,” said Marilyn. ” Coach Dave Battison ensured the team had fast skis to make the best of the great skiing conditions.”

Marilyn, Brian, and Coach Dave at World Masters. Photo: Janice Mclaughlin

The championship included three individual races and a relay race involving 1135 participants from 22 countries. There were 300+ volunteers, some of whom had worked for 3 years on the event!

Highlights of the week included:
• Rick skied well in the 10k skate race
• Doug skied well in 15k and 10k skate races
• Brian achieved personal best times in his 10 and 15km races
• Marilyn got three top ten finishes – 8th in classic 10k, 9th in Skate 15k and 10th in skate 30k, and got Canadian Masters bronze medals in the 15k and 30k skate (It also is the Canadian Masters Championships when the Worlds are held in Canada)
• Chris skied 3 strong skate races
• Mark skied 3 strong classic races

Congratulations to these Masters racers and thank you for the inspiration!

Rabbits

The annual Rabbit Tournament was a great success! Thank you to all the parent volunteers who helped it run so smoothly – it couldn’t have happened without you! Many Campbell River and Comox Valley businesses generously donated items for our draw prize. Big thanks go out to:

Ski Tak Hut
Valhalla Pure Outfitters
Mountain City Cycle
Booster Juice
Town of Comox Recreation Department
Hot Chocolates
Simon’s Cycles
Comox Valley Sports & Aquatic Center
The Ski & Surf Shop
Canadian Tire
Dr. Wade Luksay
Outdoor Addictions
Pedal Your World
Spokes
Discovery Trekking Outfitters
Action Source for Sports
Intersport
Shore Runners
Coho Books
Strathcona Park Lodge
On the Rocks Climbing Gym

And congratulations to the lucky draw prize winners!

Although the weather wasn’t nearly as inviting on Sunday for the official last day of the Rabbit season, it didn’t keep keen skiers away!

Again (it can’t be said enough), a huge thank you to all the coaches who give so much of their time to our children! We hope to see you all back next season!

As for winter 2011, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,..." Photo Larry Reynolds

The future of your ski club

Be part of the discussion! Our club has many exciting opportunities on the horizon. One of the items on the agenda of the last directors’ meeting was the need for us to develop an Event Hosting strategy to plan what kind of future higher level events to pursue as a club, as well as to re-examine our current event calendar (Coast Cup, Loppet, informal races, etc.)

On the higher-level side, we have several opportunities to bid to host events like Western Canadian Championships, NorAms, Nationals, and Paranordic World Cups. Planning for higher level events often requires one to several years advance planning in order to be prepared to bid – events like Westerns and Nationals rotate from east to west and amongst Divisions so the opportunity does not exist every year.

Of particular interest to the board are to look at events that support and inspire our own club coaching, officiating, and athlete development programs. The events above fit those interests very well, and one of our next earliest opportunities could be hosting Nationals in 2013. There is also currently a request from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for expressions of interest for hosting the 2013 IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships. After two successful IPC World Cup events at Mount Washington, the IPC is interested in coming back to the Comox Valley and this event would be a great follow-up. It was decided by our partner organization the Comox Valley World Cup Organizing Committee to respond to this request to keep the options open in the interim.

There will be more discussion on this later in April or May at season wrap up. As a club member, if you are interested in being a part of these hosting discussions, please let Len or one of your board of directors know.

Siberia bound

Club President Len Apedaile is off to Russia for three weeks at the end of March. He will be attending the IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships in Khanty Mansiysk, Siberia–Google Earth it!

Len will take part in these world championships as the assistant technical delegate responsible for biathlon. After that he will visit Sochi for three days do help with an IPC Inspection of the Paralympic courses.

Best wishes to Len on his Siberian adventure–bring us back lots of photos and stories!

Skiing in Siberia at the skiing centre in Khanty Mansiysk. Photo from Discover Siberia

It’s an exciting time to be a cross-country skier! We have lots of local news and activities for you this week, and we can all cheer for our sport and our national team as they shine on the world stage. Read on!

Loppet

Don’t miss out on the awesome 29th Annual Vancouver Island Loppet! Challenge yourself and/or your family & friends to a good long ski–or participate as a volunteer. Fun for all ages! Loads of prizes and categories. Read all about it on our Loppet page. Registration is open on Zone 4.

Some of the Devos in Whistler Olympic Park. Scroll down to see the story below! Photo Jae Yon Jones

Exciting Canadian XC ski news!

Canadian nordic racers achieved best-ever results at the Nordic World Championships in Norway last week.
50 km OSL2O11 – Congratulations to Alex Harvey(5th)and Ivan Babikov (17th)!
Here’s the link (See This file below) to the video to the last seven kilometers of the 50 km mass start, free of the World Championships OSL2O11. If you have not watched it yet this is legendary stuff right in the very centre of the universe of cross-country skiing. Check out the crowds, many of whom camped next to the top of the course.  For those masters, juniors and devos working on your skating technique watch carefully how these guys ski – see if you can pick up the one skate, two skate, free skate, and offset skate and observe when they use which technique and how steep or long the hill needs to be before offset gets used. Also watch their body position, their forward lean, the one skate double poling action, and differences in tempo – particularly towards the end of the race. Note the downhill technique. Enjoy! This file is only available for download until March 20.

Team Sprints – Congratulations to Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw (1st)!
Devon Kershaw and Alex Harvey were the first Canadian men to ever win a medal in a cross-country world championship race–and it was pure gold. If you haven’t yet seen the stellar performance, you can watch it below. Alex Harvey wears the red suit and black hat of the Canadian National Ski Team. You don’t have to speak Norwegian to enjoy the commentary.

Wednesday fun night

Join us tonight for the Wild & Crazy Obstacle Course in the stadium! Everyone welcome–all ages and abilities. See you there at 5:30!

Masters

2 more weekends to go! This Saturday the fast (advanced) group will be going up the lift with Ron Quilter to work on some downhill technique – remember to dress appropriately and don’t forget your ski pass! Looks like it will be snowy. Intermediates meet at the usual time and place for a session with Len. Sunday masters will be back with Len and Maja. See you there!

Rabbits — Double Header Weekend!

We are looking forward to our double header weekend, with the Annual Rabbit Ski Tournament this Saturday, and the last Sunday Rabbits instructional session this Sunday.

Rabbit Tournament
We are in URGENT need of 2 level 2 or higher technique ski judges to help with the Jack Rabbit Sprint station.  We are also short one parent volunteer for the Sprint Race Station. If you are able to assist with either fun and easy job, please contact Alix Wilson at alibedali@shaw.ca  asap.

Also needed are a couple of electric food warmers. If you have one that you could lend for the Tourney lunch, please contact Jae Yon at jaeyon68@mars.ark.com 

_Please  note the Potluck revision_ For Saturday’s Tourney, we are looking for family contributions to a potluck as follows:

• Parents from families with last names beginning A – P are to bring ‘finger food’: veggies, fruit, or cheese and crackers.
• Parents from families with last names beginning Q – Z are to bring healthy bite-size desserts.
• Families of participating Rabbits are invited to join in lunch.
• Please bring your own plates and cups to reduce garbage.                 Reminder- NO NUTS! Thanks.   Thank you to all the very helpful parent volunteers who have made sure that planning is well underway for the Ski Tourney. Right now the forecast is calling for new snow starting on Thursday, and they are calling for snow on Saturday also!

Here are some important reminders to ensure a smooth event:

1. Please arrive early on Saturday! 9:30 is the suggested arrival time, as we need to be in our groups, at the orange Rabbit signs with coaches, ready to go at 9:50 a.m.
2. Everyone participating must have a valid trail pass.
3. The Jackrabbit skiers will travel with their groups through 7 activity stations, based out of the stadium. Get ready for the “Monster Skis,” the “Snowball Biathlon,” the “Rabbit  Relay Race” and more…  Bunnyrabbits will participate in a separate set of stations. Our younger skiers can look forward to the “Egg and Spoon Race”, the ” Dress-Up Relay”,  the “Balloon Toss” and more…these stations will be placed in the middle of the stadium.
4. Please inform coaches in advance if you know that your child/ren will not be at the event.
5. Kids should wear classic ski gear, but those who skate are also welcome to bring along their skate gear (which parents can bring up to the stadium) as well. One of our stations is a Race Loop, and if time allows kids can ski it in both sets of gear (separately, of course!).
6. A hot dog and cocoa lunch will be served for participants and their families, either outside near the snowmobile shed, or inside, starting at 12:30 pm.
7. After lunch we will have a few draw prizes and Technique Awards, and we should wrap things up around 1:30 pm.

Rabbits in the Loppet
Although not officially part of the Rabbit program, coaches encourage all Rabbits to participate in the Vancouver Island Loppet on Saturday March 26th.  A 2km Cookie Loppet for skiers six and under is a great event to get the little ones interested in racing – with a few treats along the way and a cookie medal at the end.  Parent volunteers are needed to help run the stations for this fun family event. If you can lend a hand, please let Alix Wilson (alibedali@shaw.ca) or Lynn (swiftys@telus.net) know.

Older Rabbits are also strongly encouraged to participate in this fun event to challenge and display the skills they learned this year in Rabbits on a 5km course.

Read all about it on our Loppet page. Registration is open on Zone 4.

It’s a very fun event – hope to see you there, either skiing or helping out!

Looking forward to a great time this weekend,

Alix Wilson, SDP Rabbit Coordinator, and Jean Munro, Sunday Session Coordinator

Devos at BC Midgets

Last weekend, a large contingent of Devos travelled to the Callaghan Valley’s Whistler Olympic Park to compete in the annual BC Midget Championships, hosted by the Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Club. This year we had a record number of 21 skiers from our club taking part!

Our competitors where thrilled to be skiing on the Olympic trails and Hollyburn put on a well-organized event. On Saturday there was in individual 2 km classic race and in the afternoon we had 5 teams from our club entered in the relays. Waxing  for the classic race was a challenge with temperatures hovering around zero–a fine line between icing up and not having enough grip. Conditions along the course changed quickly. We did not get on the podium in these events, but Jared Jones posted a very strong 6th place.

Sunday brought sunny, blue skies for the sprint races. Organizers had set up two courses in the stadium.  After a first round of time trials, the excitement started with 3 rounds of heats. Multiple action in the stadium and spectators witnessed some very close races. Strathcona managed 7 top 10-places, with medals for Tallon Noble, Jared Jones, and Ross Lamon. Our club finished 5th out of 13 teams in the overall standings, and we are looking forward to next season already! Thank you to Dr Conradi for the delicious, chocolate gold medals!

Jared Jones and Tallon Noble share the podium with fellow medalists. Photo Jae Yon Jones

The Devo ski season is coming to an end, but we will continue with some activities throughout the summer. This spring, we have the Vancouver Island Loppet and the May Ski Camp. In the summer, we are planning for some rollerblading and hiking. For next year there is talk about an exchange with a ski club in Quebec. Something that has many Devos and parents very excited. Anyone interested in joining the Devos should come to our team meeting at noon this Saturday, March 12 in Raven Lodge.

Masters Racers at World Championships

We hear that our Masters racers Marilyn Atkinson, Chris Bowlby, Brian Stamp, Rick Morson, and Chris DeBrujin are having the time of their life at the World Masters Championships in Vernon. They are racing against the best Masters nordic skiers from 22 different countries and really enjoying the racing and the camaraderie. Remember to ring us back your photos and stories, and give us a full report next week.

Masters racer Marilyn Atkinson. Photo Brent Reid

Club Ski

Join us for a Moonlight Ski on Saturday, March 19th.  We’ll meet in front of Raven Lodge at 7pm, ski for an hour or so and then gather afterwards for some hot chocolate and social time in the Lodge. All ages welcome. Though we hope for plenty of moonlight, please feel free to bring along a headlamp for extra illumination.

Club Shirts

If you still need to pick up your pre-ordered club shirt, please email leanne.webster@shaw.ca to arrange a time to meet at Raven Lodge on weekends or to make alternate arrangements.  There are additional shirts still available for purchase (limited sizes available). Please contact Leanne if interested (long-sleeves $35, short-sleeves $25, youth $20).

Nationals

Our Junior Racing Team leaves tomorrow for the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championships in Canmore Alberta.Our team of 14 – 18 year-olds will race in 5 events over an 8-day period testing their skill and luck against the best skiers from across Canada. Go team!

Coaching courses

We have set dates for our National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) courses for the coming year. These comprehensive courses are free to SNSC members who will coach in our programs and these courses are also required in order to be an SNSC Coach:

• Introduction to Community Coaching (ICC) November 19-20
• Community Coaching (CC) December 10-11

If you already have the ICC and CC courses and are looking to take your coaching skills to the next level, we are offering:

• Learning to Train (L2T) January 7-8

Also in our ski community, the Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors (CANSI) is running a Level 1 course combined with a refresher on April 2 and 3 in the Raven Lodge. To learn more about CANSI or to register, visit their website. You can also contact Karla Wikjord at wikjord@shaw.ca or 250.871.8807 for more information about the course. NOTE: CANSI courses are not equivalent to NCCP courses and fees are not covered by SNSC.

Loppet

Finish your ski season in style–ski or volunteer in our 29th Annual Vancouver Island Loppet! Don’t miss the opportunity to challenge yourself and/or your family & friends to a good long ski. Fun for all ages! Loads of prizes and categories. Read all about it on the Loppet page. Registration is open on Zone 4.

Awesome Andrea Lee!

SNSC's Andrea Lee racing at the 2011 Canada Winter Games. photo Team Ontario

In Canadian XC racing news, the SNSC’s Andrea Lee put in an awesome performance at the Canada Winter Games last week. She won a bronze medal in the 10km classic mass start and a gold as the starter on the 4-person relay team.

Andrea’s performance helped BC finish third in the medal count at the Canada Winter Games, making this the most successful winter games ever for BC! You can follow Andrea at the NTDC on their website.

Rabbits

March has arrived like a lion–with a bunch of new snow forecasted for this week! We are into the last days of Rabbits – this Saturday is the last session for Saturday families and Sunday families have just 2 sessions left (finishing on March 13). Coaches will be putting the finishing touches on their evaluations – be sure to let them know how many days your Rabbit skied out of session so they can calculate the snow goal and hat trick awards. If you haven’t received your child fitness tax receipt, please ask your child’s coach this weekend.

Saturday March 12 is the big Rabbit Tournament, where both Saturday and Sunday Rabbits come together for a day of fun games and challenges finished off with a lunch and draw prizes at Raven Lodge. The main component of lunch is generously provided by Thrifty Foods in Courtenay, and the rest of the meal is potluck style. Families whose last names start with A-L are asked to bring a veggie/salad or fruit to share, and last names M-Z are asked to bring a dessert (no nuts please). There are a few Tourney volunteer positions that need filling urgently – a BunnyRabbit station coordinator is needed, a sound system tech, as well as 2 level 2 technique ski judges. Please let Alix Wilson (alibedali@shaw.ca ) know if you are able to help in any way.

Calling all current and prospective Devos!

The Devos will be having their last team session of the season on Saturday March 12th. Devos and parents are invited to a team meeting following our last session to wrap up 2011 and look ahead to 2012. The meeting will take place at noon on March 12 in Raven Lodge. All prospective Devos thinking about joining us next year are encouraged to attend with parents as we’ll be touching on some important topics for next season.

This weekend, the Devo team is sending 22 Strathcona Nordic Ski Club skiers aged 9-12 to Callaghan’s Olympic Park for the 2011 BC Midget Championships!  Stay tuned for our post-race report.

Good luck to the team of 9- to 13-year-old SNSC racers heading to the Midget Championships this weekend!

Masters racers

Masters racer Brian Stamp is competing at the World Masters this weekend with team Strathcona Nordics. photo Brent Reid

This weekend, we also wish the best of luck to our Masters racers heading off to the World Masters Championships in Vernon. There are 22 countries competing, and more than 1200 masters skiers will be racing!

Next to Canada and the US, Russia and Germany are sending the largest teams of masters racers. Go Strathcona Nordics!! Be sure to bring us home some stories and photos.

You can learn more about the World Masters Championships on the Sparkling Hills website.

Tax receipts

If you haven’t already received your receipt for your child’s program fees, ask your child’s coach for it. The receipts can be used in the Child Fitness Tax Credit program.

Wednesday Fun Night

We’re cancelling tonight’s fun night due to hurricane-force winds and heavy snow, but join us next week for the wild & crazy obstacle course in the stadium! Everyone welcome–all ages and abilities. See you there at 5:30!

Video contest winner

We had an awesome February entry in the video contest! Way to go Dave & his Level 3 Rabbits. Thanks for sharing your special techniques with us.

Lost & found and gear for sale

Remember to use the Gear page on our website to buy, sell, trade, and post your lost and found items. Check it out. There are quite a few entries posted on there at the moment.