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SNSC News — February 2, 2012

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:55:37 +0000

Happy Ground Hog Day! In central and eastern Canada, the ground hogs have predicted an early spring–but with the 417cm snow base at Mount Washington, I think the marmots would say that we can ski for months to come!

Speaking of signs, watch for the new “bag storage area” in the Raven Lodge. They will be installing some shelves as well. Let’s keep the obstacle course for the twoonie race and help the Raven Lodge staff keep the floors and tables clear when we are out skiing.

Coastal Cup 3&4

Register now for these fun and exciting events! All ages and abilities are welcome to race–don’t miss the thrill of the mass start on Saturday February 11and the team sprints and Sunday, February 12.

Register before the February 9 deadline on Zone 4
View the details on the Race Notice

Remember to contact info@StrathconaNordics.com before the deadline with your sprint team member names or we will find a team for you.

Note: racing team members will be assigned to sprint teams by their coaches.

Rabbits

The annual Coastal Cup races are just around the corner – a weekend of exciting races for skiers of all ages! All Rabbits are encouraged to join in on the fun, as well as their parents! For Rabbits born in 2003 and later, Saturday February 11′s Mass Start Free Technique course is only 1 km, and registration is only $5.

Sunday February 12′s Team Sprints (also free technique) for the same age category is 200 m, and also only $5 to join in! What a great way to introduce them to a race setting right here in their own backyards! Many coaches will be skiing the Saturday course with their groups this weekend so their skiers can be familiar with the terrain before the big day!

To all Sunday Rabbits – the make-up day for the session that was cancelled due to extreme weather will be on Sunday, February 12th (during the Coastal Cup weekend).

2011 Child Fitness Tax Receipts will be handed out this weekend - please ask your child’s coach if you haven’t received one.

CIBC Wood Gundy XC Ski Program for Elementary Schools

Do you have a child in grades 3 to 7?Has your child’s school participated in this amazing program? Can you convince your child’s teacher to allow your child and fellow classmates to participate in 3 or 4 cross country ski lessons? The March program still has many available time slots!

Rick Morson of CIBC Wood Gundy passes a cheque for $2,784 to Karla Wikjord from the Strathcona Nordics & CIBC Wood Gundy XC Program for Elementary Schools. Martin Hartig’s grade 6/7 class at Ecole Puntledge Park have been enthusiastic participants in the program. The program takes thousands of local elementary students cross-country skiing each winter. The program is sponsored by CIBC Wood Gundy and Mount Washington Resort.

We are pleased to announce that the CIBC Wood Gundy School XC Ski Program is running again in 2012 thanks to the continued support of Rick Morson of CIBC Wood Gundy and his work with the CIBC Children’s Foundation, the Vancouver Island Society for Adaptive Snowsports, and Mount Washington Alpine Resort.

Contact info@StrathconaNordics.com for more information.

Twoonie race

Join us this Saturday for the Obstacle Relay! All ages and abilities are welcome.

Relay teams consisting of 2 people will complete as many laps as possible of a set course in 20 minutes. There will be a central transition zone where team members will tag their teammate so they can set off.

Leaving the Transition Zone there will be 2 courses; a short loop within the stadium for Rabbits and beginner skiers, and a longer second course that incorporates the 1st bench for stronger skiers. Both courses will incorporate obstacles! Parents are welcome to ski alongside their younger rabbits.

Sign up at the bottom of the stairs at noon
Race team members will be assigned to teams by their coaches
Other individuals may sign up as a team or we can find you a partner
Parent/child teams encouraged
Bib pickup at 1245pm
Race starts at1pm on the stadium

Make it official

Become a certified Level 1 race official! On February 10 and 11, our club is offering the CCC Level 1 Race Official course, which focuses on the duties of minor officials for both Olympic style (interval start, pursuit start, mass start, relays and sprints) and Loppet style (mass participation) competitions.

Friday, February 10: 7pm-9pm; introductory lecture, location TBA
Saturday, February 11: 8am – 5pm; Set up and timing of Coastal Cup #3 race followed by a lecture portion to be held in the new Mountain Centre at Mount Washington Nordic

Sit ski clinic

If you (or someone you know) has physical disabilities that make stand up skiing difficult or impossible–try nordic sit skiing!

On Saturday, February 25, we are co-hosting (with VISAS) a sit ski clinic at Mt Washington for:

Individuals with physical disabilities. You may also bring one friend or family member – although this is not essential.
Participants must have reasonable upper body strength. If you are a wheelchair-user, you must be able to transfer with minimum assistance.
People who enjoy this sport include those with paraplegia, MS, Cerebral palsy, lower limb amputees, and more. Cost: $20 ($12.50 for DSABC members) includes insurance, trail pass, equipment, and instruction.

For more information email info@StrathconaNordics.com

Diane and Sue enjoying a ski. Photo: Brent Reid

BC Cup #2

We wish clear roads and fast skis to the team of racers and race support traveling to Prince George today to take part in the BC Cup #2 races. Go team!

Nordic in the news

Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw are helping cross country skiing to gain a higher profile in the national news spotlight.

CBC tv recently aired a fun, short clip about Alex and Devon and our sport, Nordic Knights.

In Canadian Sport Awards, Alex Harvey has been named the Junior Athlete of the Year and Devon Kershaw and Alex Harvey have been named the Partners of the Year.

SNSC News — January 26, 2012

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:28:40 +0000

Below, we have news for you about programs, courses, things to try, races, corrections, and more!

Coastal Cup

Our club is hosting races #3 and #4 in the Coastal Cup series! Don’t miss the action–race or volunteer on Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12.

View the race notice here.
Register to race using this link.

Contact info@StrathconaNordics.com to volunteer or for more information.

Rabbits

What a weekend of polar opposites! While Saturday Rabbits enjoyed an idyllic day in the sun, Sunday’s session had to be cancelled due to extreme weather! Although we are grateful for the 150+cm of the white stuff that the last system brought, we know that there were many disappointed skiers Sunday morning. Sunday’s cancelled session will be made up – the date is still to be determined, so stayed tuned!

This weekend, coaches will be handing out 2011 tax receipts to all Rabbits who registered and paid in 2011. For families with more than one Rabbit, all tax receipts for all siblings will go to one skier.

Saturday Rabbits be aware that Mount Washington is hosting the annual Yeti Snowshoe race out of Raven Lodge. It is advisable to arrive a few minutes earlier than normal to contend with the extra volume that the race brings.

Get out and enjoy that snow!

Coach Gavin and the Saturday level 2 Rabbits! Photo: Jennifer Brun

Devo

The Devos are now back at full strength with the Quebec exchange over. Welcome back everyone! The coaches would like to remind the kids about the Saturday afternoon Twoonie Races – a fun way to ease into racing for those new to Devos and a great way to continue developing skills for everyone.

The coaches would also like to remind families of the February 3rd deadline to book your hotel in Kelowna for the BC Midget Championship. We’d really like to see as many Devo racers & families as we can participate in this great family oriented event. And finally, remember to register for the Coastal Cup at Mt Washington Feb 11+12 on zone4.ca!

Coaching

This weekend we have part 2 of the Learning to Train coaching course. Congratulations to these coaches as they progress through another NCCP level!

Saturday twoonie race

Back by popular demand–The Poker Run! In case you forgot, here’s how we play:

Teams consist of four skiers, maximum of two Devos in any team.
Sign up as a team, or we can put you in a team.
There will be 10 stations and you will receive a playing card at each station.
After you have 5 cards, you can go to other stations and trade in a card to try and get a better hand.
You can only visit each station once.
After 20 minutes, the team with the best hand wins. Some stations will be located around the stadium and be suitable for small or beginner skiers.
You will not be given a card at a station unless your entire team is present.
For those who haven’t been to Vegas yet, a cheat sheet of the winning hands will be given out.

Sign up at the bottom of the Lodge stairs from noon till 12:30pm. The race starts at 1pm outside the waxing hut. The last card will be given out at 1:20pm. Finish and show of hands at 1:30pm outside the waxing hut.

Anyone with a warm coat who doesn’t mind standing in the snow and giving out cards for 20 minutes–please email andyalisonbrown@yahoo.ca

Sit ski clinic

Do you have physical disabilities that make stand up skiing difficult or impossible? How about trying nordic sit skiing? If you or someone you know would like to try out this sport, now is your chance!

Diane and Sue enjoying a ski. Photo: Brent Reid

On Saturday, February 25, we are co-hosting (with VISAS) a sit ski clinic at Mt Washington for:

Individuals with physical disabilities. You may also bring one friend or family member – although this is not essential.
Participants must have reasonable upper body strength. If you are a wheelchair-user, you must be able to transfer with minimum assistance.
People who enjoy this sport include those with paraplegia, MS, Cerebral palsy, lower limb amputees, and more.

Cost: $20 includes insurance, trail pass, equipment, and instruction.

For more information email info@StrathconaNordics.com

Masters National Championships

Attention Masters racers! The exciting national championships will take place in Golden, BC on March 11-17. For more information, visit the Golden Nordic Club website.

Deadline for registration is February 18.

Correction

Apologies to Masters racer Andy Brown for missing his Bronze medal in the BC Cup #1 medal count. Congratulations Andy, and Andy brings the team count to a total of seven medals from that race!

Officials course

On February 10 and 11, you can become a Level 1 Race Official! The CCC Level 1 Race Official course focuses on the duties of minor officials for both Olympic style (interval start, pursuit start, mass start, relays and sprints) and Loppet style (mass participation) competitions.

Friday, February 10: 7pm-9pm; introductory lecture, location TBA
Saturday, February 11: 8am – 5pm; Set up and timing of Coastal Cup #3 race followed by a lecture portion to be held in the new Mountain Centre at Mount Washington Nordic

Child fitness tax credit

If you have someone under the age of 16 registered in an SNSC program, we have a receipt that you can use on your income tax form. See the Canada Revenue Agency web page for details. Child Sports Tax Credit receipts will be with your child’s coach this weekend.

Try biathlon

Are you looking to try a new sport, which is both exciting and challenging? Maybe it’s time to try the Olympic sport of biathlon.

Biathlon combines target shooting and cross country skiing, and is a fantastic way to help improve fitness, concentration, and breathing awareness.

Explore this unique opportunity every Saturday at the Mt Washington biathlon range, where experienced instructors will introduce you to target shooting in a safe and inspiring environment.
WHERE: Mt Washington Biathlon Range
WHEN: 10:30 – 1:30, every Saturday
WHO: 12 years and older
HOW MUCH: $20 (cash please)
Burning questions? Feel free to send the Vancouver Island Biathlon Club an email at
vibiathlonclub@gmail.com
We look forward to seeing you soon!

Go Canada

Cross Country Canada news…
Devon Kershaw Skis to Bronze in Punishing Estonian World Cup Course, January 22, 2012, OTEPAA, Est.-Devon Kershaw captured his first World Cup medal of the season after winning the bronze on one of the most punishing cross-country ski courses on the globe in Otepaa, Estonia on Sunday.

In his first weekend of racing since finishing a remarkable fourth in the grueling nine-stage Tour de Ski that tests the best all-round skier, the two-time Olympian from Sudbury, Ont., returned to the start line to take on the top country skiers where he finished third with an impressive time of 40 minutes, 37.6 seconds (40:37.6)…

SNSC News — January 19, 2012

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:18:42 +0000

This week we have the scoop for you about programs, fitness tax credits, our skiers in Quebec, BC Cup #1, IPC World Cup, coaches, smiles, thanks, and more. Read on.

Strathcona Nordics and Mont Orford skiers in Quebec City on Wednesday. Story below.

Coastal Cup

Registration is open for the Coastal Cup #3 and #4, which takes place on February 11 and 12! You can:

View the race notice here.
Register using this link to Zone 4.

It’s official

Become a Level 1 Race Official! The CCC Level 1 Race Official course focuses on the duties of minor officials for both Olympic style (interval start, pursuit start, mass start, relays and sprints) and Loppet style (mass participation) competitions.

Friday, February 10: 7pm-9pm; introductory lecture, location TBA
Saturday, February 11: 8am – 5pm; Set up and timing of Coastal Cup #3 race followed by a lecture portion to be held in the new Mountain Centre at Mount Washington Nordic

In Quebec

Our skiers are having a great time in Quebec. They’ve been sledding and skiing in Mont Orford National Park, they’ve learned about the history of the snowmobile at the Bombardier Museum and taken in the sights of 400-year-old Quebec City, they’ve tasted maple taffy at a cabane a sucre, and they’ve been deepening their friendships with their new ski friends from the Mont Orford club.

You can see more photos and follow their travels for the remainder of week on Tim’s blog.

Saturday twoonie races

This week, you can race The Maze. All ages and abilities are welcome. Relay teams consisting of 2 people will complete as many laps as possible of a set course in 20 minutes. There will be a central transition zone where team members will tag their teammate so they can set off. Leaving the Transition Zone there will be 2 courses; a short loop within the stadium for Rabbits and beginner skiers and a longer second loop that incorporates the “1st bench” for stronger skiers. Both courses will incorporate a network obstacles! Parents are welcome to ski alongside their younger rabbits.

Lauren and her mom Shannon enjoy teaming up in the Twoonie Races!

Sign up at the bottom of the stairs noon till 12:30pm.
Teams–Race team members will be assigned to teams by their coaches, other individuals may sign up as a team, or we can find you a partner. Parent/child teams encouraged!
Bib pickup at 1pm
Race starts at 1:30pm on the stadium
Results will be posted in the Lodge immediately after the race.

Masters rec

The Recreational Masters program is off to a flying start with 43 participants in beginner, intermediate, and advanced groups in sessions on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The groups have been working on classic skiing, and great progress has been made in all levels. Skate sessions will start in mid-February. The program includes ten sessions and finishes March 18th.

Coaches

MANY THANKS to all our wonderful Recreational Masters volunteer coaches: John Elson, Dave Pinel, Bob Hauser, Mark de Bruijn, Cliff Haylock, Linda Haylock, Laura Battison, Neil Smith, Ron Quilter, Dave Donald, Jay Dahlgren, Len Apedaile, Chris Bowlby, and Marilyn Atkinson. Bravo coaches!

Masters coach Marilyn (far right) with a Saturday Masters rec group.

Masters coach John Elson (far left) with a Saturday Masters rec group.

Masters coach Dave Pinel (far right) with a Saturday Masters rec group.

BC Cup #1/NorAms

Congratulations to all our racers, coaches, and parent support team on an excellent weekend of racing in Whistler Olympic Park last weekend. Our team brought us home seven* medals–the largest medal-count ever for our club at a single race: Michael Ravensbergen – Gold; Avalon Wasteneys – Silver, Bronze; Alec Stapff – Silver, Silver; Alex Brown – Bronze; Andy Brown – Bronze. The SNSC’s Andrea Lee had an outstanding 4th place overall finish in the NorAm sprints final. Yay team! (*Apologies to Masters racer Andy Brown, whose medal was missed in the newsletter count!)

Thank you

Ariel and Georgina would like to thank all the members of the SNSC who have helped us following the passing of our Mike. The expressions of kind thoughts, the generous donations of comfort food, and all the support at Mike’s memorial service are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Mike and Ariel Becherer skiing in the 2007 Loppet.

Tax credits

Receipts for the federal Child Fitness Tax Credit will be ready next week. Watch for more info in next week’s newsletter.

Carpool

Are you looking for a ride to your SNSC weekend program? Do you have an extra seat and want to share the cost of gas? The carpool page is open for you to connect to share rides.

Good luck

Best wishes to SNSC president Len Apedaile as he heads off this weekend to officiate events at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Nordic Skiing World Cup in Cable, Wisconsin and Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can follow Len and the IPC nordic events on this link.

Return it

Help out the SNSC and the Environment! If you return bottles and cans to the Puntledge Road Return-it Centre in Courtenay or the Anderton Road Return-it Centre in Comox, please consider donating the refunds to the SNSC. When you arrive at the counter at the Return-it Centre, tell them you want to donate the proceeds to the Strathcona Nordics.

A box of empties seem like a drop in the fundraising bucket? If every member of the club were to donate $10.00 in bottle refunds to the club over the course of a year, we would have $4,000.00 to put back into club activities and programming!

If you would like to set up an account at a Return-It Centre near you, contact info@StrathconaNordics.com.

Smile some more

Thank you to everyone using their Strathcona Nordics Thrifty Foods Smile Cards. To date, your purchases have raised $990.00 for the racing suit program! If you shop at Thrifty’s anywhere on the Island and would like a card, contact Berend. bhenckel@telus.net

SNSC Bulletin — January 16, 2012

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:50:45 +0000

Registration is open for the Coastal Cup #3 and #4, which take place February 11-12, 2012! To view the race notice, use this link. To register on Zone 4, click here.

SNSC News — January 12, 2012

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:17:17 +0000

This weekend, we look forward to week 2 of our Saturday and Sunday programs, and we also send off some Junior and Masters racers, a group of back-country skiers, and a large contingent of 10-15 year-olds, who leave for Quebec with their coach-chaperones. Read on!

Mt Orford and SNSC racers on Mt Washington in December. Story below.

Rabbits

What a fantastic beginning to the season we had last weekend! Huge thanks go out to all the parents who got their Rabbits ready to go right on time! Although most group changes will have been made in time for this week’s session, please keep in mind that it is possible a few more refinements will happen if necessary.

Thank you to all of our wonderful coaches who devout 10 weeks of winter weekends, so that our children will grow into adults who love the sport!

If you are a returning skier, please remember to hand in Rabbit Booklets to coaches by the end of January.

Colour

Calling all Rabbits! Cross Country Canada (CCC) wants you to design next year’s Jackrabbit toque. The “winning” design will be worn by 10,000 kids in Canada. You can download the template using this link, print, colour, and submit your coloured template to Alix (on Saturday) or Liz (on Sunday) before March 1.

Be sure to follow these rules:

Contestants must be currently enrolled in a CCC Jackrabbit Program (the Jackrabbit component of CCC’s Skill Development Program for children).
Contestants may design their own design/pattern with 4 colours on the attached template.
The area surrounding the CCC logo should remain blank.
Try not to let the colours overlap or mix too much.
Contestants may use pencil crayons, crayons, and markers to colour the template.

Tour de Ski

The 6th edition of the Tour de Ski just wrapped up in Italy last weekend with Devon Kershaw finishing 4th overall and Alex Harvey finishing 12th. Yay Canada! You can read more about the Tour on the FIS website, and rumour has it that CBC is airing a special about the Tour on Sunday, January 22 from 12-2pm.

Zero skis

Coach Dave created some pointers for us on the care and maintenance of Zero skis. You can read his tips on this link.

Saturday twoonie races

We have another fun race for you this Saturday – Poker Run! Here’s how we play:

Teams consist of four skiers, maximum of two Devos in any team.
Sign up as a team, or we can put you in a team.
There will be 10 stations and you will receive a playing card at each station.
After you have 5 cards, you can go to other stations and trade in a card to try and get a better hand.
You can only visit each station once.
After 20 minutes, the team with the best hand wins. Some stations will be located around the stadium and be suitable for small or beginner skiers.
You will not be given a card at a station unless your entire team is present.

For those who haven’t been to Vegas yet, a cheat sheet of the winning hands will be given out.

Anyone with a warm coat who doesn’t mind standing in the snow and giving out cards for 20 minutes–please email andyalisonbrown@yahoo.ca

A list of last week’s results will be posted on the website and in the lodge.

Mt Orford

This Sunday, we have 17 young racers and three coach-chaperones leaving for Quebec for part 2 of the ski team exchange. All of next week, they will ski and stay with their new friends from the Mont Orford Club de Ski de Fond near Sherbrooke, Quebec. For many of the racers, next week will be their first visit to Quebec and their first time skiing outside of BC.

Coaches Audree, Tim, Gilles, and Berend will reunite their teams in Quebec next week.

Coach Tim says, We’re all really excited about our week in Mt Orford–we had a wonderful week with our Quebec friends here in December,” and “Besides the skiing, we’re looking forward to some outdoor skating and some pond hockey. Our skiers are also looking forward to practicing their French and strengthening their cross-cultural friendships. We’re really grateful for SEVEC and the federal funding that we’ve received to take these 17 young athletes across the country to get this kind of experience,” he added.

Tim will be blogging about the trip–and starting on Monday, we can follow him here.

Mt Brooks

We wish a happy backcountry tour to Andrew and the group heading out to Mount Brooks this Saturday. Bring us back some good photos and stories from your adventure!

Racers

We also wish good luck to the Junior and Masters Racers heading off to the NorAm and BC Cup races in Whistler Olympic Park this weekend! Last weekend’s BC Cup #1 races were postponed in Kamloops due to snow conditions. Best wishes to our racers and the race support team who joins them!

Coaches

We would like to thank our Rabbit coaches for their many hours of volunteer work every week! Three cheers for our coaches!

Saturday coaches (L-R): (Back) Don Johnston, Chris Wilson, Phil Macoun, Eric Smiley; (Middle) Laura Johnston, Gavin MacPhail, Larry Reynolds, Rupert Wong, Lisa Walwork; (Front) Alix Wilson, Shannon Reynolds, Laura Mohtadi (Missing David Damery and Tom Broadley)

Sunday coaches (L-R): (Back) Paul Chatterton, Caroline Fisher, Charlie Stone, Bill Boham; (Front) Sarah Henckel, Maya De Vos, Liz Girard

SNSC News — January 5, 2012

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:36:03 +0000

Happy new year! We welcomed in the new year last weekend with our first club race of the season. This weekend, we look forward to recreational program start up, and we send our Junior Racers off on the provincial racing circuit. Read on for these stories and more!

Note: You can check the Nordic Snow report on Mount Washington’s website and check the road conditions for the Mount Washington Road/Strathcona Parkway on the Drive BC site.

January 5, 2012-“Canada’s Devon Kershaw had the race of his life…” You can follow Canada’s national team progress in the exciting Tour de Ski on the Cross Country Canada website.

Race day sunrise!

Rabbits

The countdown is on – just days until the Rabbits 2012 season kicks off! Please leave extra time for your drive up and plan to be a bit early so all Rabbits are ready to go for 10 am! On SaturdayAlix Wilson and on Sunday Liz Girard will be stationed just inside the Raven Lodge doors (at the top of the stairs) with group lists ready to answer any last minute questions you may have. If you have questions prior to the weekend, please feel free to contact Alix at headharewilson@gmail.com.

Alix, Headhare and Saturday coordinator

While all children are placed by the information we have regarding their ability and age, it may become apparent after the first session that a child may need to be moved up or down a level in order to ensure they get the most out of the program. Alix and Liz will communicate with all families that may be affected by such changes as soon as possible after the session. Our ultimate goal is for kids to ski with others they are comfortable with, ability-wise as well as age-wise.

The forecast says snow should fall leading up to the weekend with mild temperatures and light snow for the weekend. Everyone keep up their snow dances and we should have a great kickoff day!

Coaches

Strathcona Nordics would like to thank our Racing Team coaches for their countless hours of work. This year we have 48 participants in our Devo, Junior, and Masters racing programs with ages spanning from 9 years old to 70+. We couldn’t run these programs without the help of dedicated volunteer coaches. Yay for our coaches!

Racing team coaches: (top L-R) Don Johnston, Berend Henckel, Tim McGrady, (bottom L-R) Laura Johnston, Andrea Stapff, Dave Battison (missing - Rupert Wong)

Coach Rupert Wong

Racing suits

Attention racers and families with new racing suits and jackets! Louis Garneau recognizes they have problems with their new fabric, so they are sending us a new set of replacement suits and jackets in a different fabric. The replacement suits and jackets should arrive at the end of January or the beginning of February.

Racing suits: You can wear your borrowed racing suit for now, and you can trade it in* when the new suits arrive.
Jackets: You can keep your purchased jacket, and you will receive a new jacket from Louis Garneau.

*In addition to receiving a replacement racing suit in a superior quality fabric, you will also have the option to purchase the suit you are currently borrowing for $30. Note: People who bought (not borrowed) suits can keep these suits and will receive new replacement suits from Louis Garneau.

BC Winter Games Trial and All-club Race

Many, many thanks to our small army of club volunteers who got up very early last Saturday morning to be at the Raven Lodge for race set up–and also to those volunteers who spent several hours out on the race course in chilly conditions making sure the race went smoothly–and also to those volunteers spending hours tabulating results and cleaning up after the race!

Special thanks to Marc Lyster of Mount Washington Nordic operations for getting up early for our race day and being very supportive of our various race-day needs!

It was a great race with many strong performances. Congratulations to all participants! You can check out the race results using this link to Zone 4. We will be posting some photos from the race on our club website.

The preliminary BC Winter Games Team list for Zone 6 is:
Avalon Wasteneys
Oliver Barry
Sally Brown
Morgan Meckert
Coaches Andrea Stapff and Berend Henckel

We are awaiting confirmation from BCWG and hope to add more tickets/racers from the trial to our Zone 6 team!

A slide show of photos that people sent in from the race:

Where have you been skiing?

Send us a photo!

The Brown family skied in Pocatello, Idaho over the holiday.

The Browns were also recently spotted skiing in Montana in West Yellowstone.

BC Cup #1

Best wishes to the Junior Racing team as they head off to Kamloops for the BC Cup #1 races. Go team!

Carpool

Are you looking for a ride to your Strathcona Nordics program on Saturday or Sundays? Do you have an extra seat or two and want to share the cost of gas?

We will be opening our Carpool page soon on the club website. SNSC members can use the carpool page to connect and share transport to and from the Mount Washington nordic area, to reduce traffic on the roads, and to ease the environmental burden!

SNSC Race Update — December 27, 2011

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 06:10:36 +0000

Please be advised the race time has changed for the BC Winter Games Zone 6 Trial and All-club Race due to extraordinary circumstances.

The new race start time is 9am!

Here is a summary of the race day information:

Registration deadline, Thursday, December 29 at midnight (No late race entries will be accepted)
Race day, Saturday December 31at Mount Washington Nordic
Raven Lodge doors will open at 7am (Note: Food & equipment services open at 8am)
Bib pick up between 7:30am and 8am
Classic technique, individual start at 9am

For more detailed race information, see the race notice here. You can click here for Zone 4 race registration. The course maps are available by clicking this link.

SNSC News — December 22, 2011

admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:37:24 +0000

Happy winter! We hope everyone is finding time to get out and enjoy the lovely, crisp weather we’ve been having. Additionally, we hope at least a few people have asked Santa for more snow for Christmas. Best wishes to everyone for a happy holiday!

Race

There is only one week left to register for the BC Winter Games Zone 6 Trial and All-club Race. This fun race is open to all club members. However, no late entries will be accepted. The race takes place on December 31 at Mount Washington Nordic.

Don’t delay, click here for the Race notice and click here to register on Zone 4. Note: In the Open Men and Open Women categories, the race results will be divided into 10-year age categories.

Rabbits

Calling all coaches! Rabbits desperately needs YOU! For the first time in many, many years, we have had to cut registration off early, and have a wait list going for both days. We are turning away kids who want to ski due to a coaching shortage.

On top of all groups being at maximum capacity, a last minute change to our Saturday coaching roster has left a group in need of a coach! We need a L1 coach who is willing to take on 5 weeks of coaching (1/2 time), otherwise we may have to tell 8 skiers who are already registered that they canot ski with Rabbits this season! If you are able to contribute to our children’s skiing development, please contact Alix Wilson at headharewilson@gmail.com right away!

The Rabbits Skill Development program runs exclusively on volunteer power. Each Rabbit family is expected to sign up for at least one volunteer position in order to make our program run. If you have yet to sign up for a volunteer position, please click on the Rabbit Volunteer button on the left hand navigation bar of the SNSC website.

Rabbits also needs a ski playground liason for Sunday, as well as ski evaluators for both days!

Gear

There are quite a lot of gear items listed on the bottom of the Gear page. If you are looking to buy, sell, or trade–be sure to scroll down and have a look at the items posted.

SNSC News — December 15, 2011

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:12:45 +0000

Though all the trails aren’t open yet, the ski conditions are nice on Mount Washington! You can find the nordic weather and trail report on Mount Washington’s website. Remember to wear your season’s pass or trail pass at all times when skiing.

If you are wondering about the road conditions, you can check the Drive BC website to see if there are reports for Highway 19 or Mount Washington Road/Strathcona Parkway.

Rabbits

Due to both overwhelming interest in Rabbits and a shortage of coaches, we are sorry to announce that Rabbits registration is being closed. At the moment, all groups are at full capacity. However if you, or someone you know, is interested in being on the wait list, please email Alix headharewilson@gmail.com . Please include the child’s name and age.

In the meantime, we hope to hear from more coaches, so we can make sure everyone who wants to ski has the chance to!

Coaching refresher

This weekend, Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18, attend coaching refresher morning sessions on mount Washington. Find your ski legs, meet other coaches, and learn some new tricks with Coach Dave!

Meet at the new Vancouver Island Mountain Centre (VIMC) (across from the Raven Lodge at Mount Washington Nordic):

9:30am in VIMC
10am –12pm on snow
Bring both classic and skate gear on both days—classic or skate technique depending on snow conditions
Free to SNSC members who are coaching
All coaching levels are welcome!

Email Doug to register dhrecreation@shaw.ca.

VIMSS

The AGM date has changed for the Vancouver Island Mountain Sport Society (VIMSS). Meet at the new VI Mountain Centre this Sunday, January 18 at 1pm.

Mount Orford

SNSC members participating the Quebec team exchange were sad to see their new ski friends leave last Sunday. They look forward to seeing them again next month when our team travels to Mount Orford, Quebec!

You can read (en francais) more about the trip on Mt Orford’s blog.

Saturday December 31, we’re holding our first home race of the season. This is the BC Winter Games Trial & All-Club Race! For racers born in 1997 and 1998, this is the qualifying race for the BC Winter Games, which will take place in February. There are race categories for Atoms through Masters <70, so everyone is welcome to register and race.

You can click the links to see:

Eligible skiers can contact Marilyn our Zone 6 rep to learn more about the BC Winter Games. marilyna@shaw.ca

Saturday fun

Beginning on January 7, we’ll begin a series of fun races every Saturday afternoon! We’ll meet in the Stadium–the flat area above the Raven Lodge parking lot–after lunch. All club members of all ages and abilities will be welcome to join in the fun!

Gear page

Check the Gear page for items to buy, sell, or trade. Use the comments function at the bottom of the page to post items.

Opportunities

Don’t miss out on this opportunity! Volunteer at the 2011 BCWG trial race. Email andyalisonbrown@yahoo.ca today before all the premium volunteer positions have been taken.

This year we are going to develop a series of fun races on Saturdays after lunch. If you are interested in being involved with planning of these events, please email andyalisonbrown@yahoo.ca The volunteer meeting will be Sunday, January 1st 10am at the Raven Lodge.

Smile

Wow! Thanks to all the Thrifty Foods shoppers using their Strathcona Nordics Smile Cards. As of this week, Thrifty Foods has donated a total of $614.10 from your purchases to the club racing suit program, which provides team racing suits for young racers to borrow for the racing season. Contact Berend to learn more bhenckel@telus.net

Biathlon

Calling all biathletes! There will be a trial race for spots on the BC Winter Games Zone 6 Biathlon Team. The trial race will take place at Mount Washington Nordic on Sunday, January 8. You can read the race notice on the VI Biathlon Club website. Contact Pat at vibiathlonclub@gmail.com for more information.

SNSC News — December 9, 2011

admin — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 04:52:55 +0000

One month until the start of recreational programs! There is still time to register if you haven’t already. Remember that Strathcona Nordic Ski Club members get a discount at Ski Tak Hut in downtown Courtenay and at Raven Retail in the Raven Lodge!

Look for news on Masters, Coaching, the Quebec Exchange, Backcountry tours, Rabbits, and more below!

Some of the Mt Orford & SNSc racers pose for a photo under sunny skies in Pacific Rim Park on Wednesday.

Race!

Registration is open for BC Winter Games Zone 6 Trial and all Club Race on December 31. See the race notice here. Click this link to Zone 4 to register.

Rabbits

What a beautiful opening weekend! I’m sure many of you took advantage of the sunny spring-like conditions to get your ski legs back–remember to keep track of those ski days for all Rabbits to go towards their Snow Goal award. Each time you ski outside of Rabbits program (skiing for an hour or more) that time counts toward this award.

The early-bird registration deadline has passed and the majority of Rabbits are signed up for the season, but you still have time to register. Please remember to visit the Rabbit Volunteer Sign-up form, click the Rabbit button up on the left, or click here Your participation is a much needed and a much appreciated part of the Rabbits program–without you, we just can’t do it!

Quebec exchange

This week, we’ve had 17 young SNSC members hosting a team of 17 young nordic racers from Mt Orford, Quebec. The group are having a wonderful time site-seeing and skiing on Vancouver Island. If you see the Mt Orford kids and their coaches on the mountain on Saturday, dites leur “Bonjour!”

Coaching

New and returning coaches, refresh your skills, meet other coaches, and learn some new tricks next weekend (December 17 and 18) with two on-snow sessions with Coach Dave!

Meet at the new Vancouver Island Mountain Centre (VIMC) (across from the Raven Lodge at Mount Washington Nordic). Here’s the schedule for both days:

9:30am in VIMC
10am –12pm on snow
Bring both classic and skate gear on both days—classic or skate technique depending on snow conditions
Free to SNSC members who are coaching
All coaching levels are welcome!

Email Doug to register dhrecreation@shaw.ca.

Backcountry tours

If you are interesting in backcountry skiing this winter, Andrew Pape-Salmon is offering two guided day-tours free to SNSC and Alpine Club of Canada members. Note the date change on the first trip:

January 14, Mount Brooks, Introduction to Backcountry Skiing
March 18, Mount Becher

Contact Andrew if you are interested in joining in one or both of these trips andrewps@shaw.ca

Masters

Masters recreational skiers can look forward to receiving an email letter a week before the first class. The letter will outline the season for you.

Smile!

Thank you to everyone using the Smile Cards at Thrifty Foods! In this short time, your purchases have brought $333.50 to the new racing suit program. If you are a Thrifty Foods shopper (anywhere on the Island) and you don’t yet have a Strathcona Nordics Smile Card, contact Berend bhenckel@telus.net to get a card and/or to learn more about the program.

VIMSS

The Vancouver Island Mountain Sport Society (VIMSS) invites you to become a member! VIMSS was founded to provide financial support to emerging athletes on Vancouver Island in recognition of the extra financial burden that it takes to remain competitive and travel to races the provincial and national level. You can find a membership form and learn more about VIMSS on their website.

VIMSS members can attend the up-coming AGM at the new Mountain Centre on Thursday Dec 22nd at 6pm. Contact info@vimss.com for more information.

Strathcona Nordic Ski Club » Uncategorized

SNSC News — February 2, 2012

Coastal Cup 3&4

Rabbits

CIBC Wood Gundy XC Ski Program for Elementary Schools

Twoonie race

Make it official

Sit ski clinic

BC Cup #2

Nordic in the news

SNSC News — January 26, 2012

Coastal Cup

Rabbits

Devo

Coaching

Saturday twoonie race

Sit ski clinic

Masters National Championships

Correction

Officials course

Child fitness tax credit

Try biathlon

Go Canada

SNSC News — January 19, 2012

Coastal Cup

It’s official

In Quebec

Saturday twoonie races

Masters rec

Coaches

BC Cup #1/NorAms

Thank you

Tax credits

Carpool

Good luck

Return it

Smile some more

SNSC Bulletin — January 16, 2012

SNSC News — January 12, 2012

Rabbits

Colour

Tour de Ski

Zero skis

Saturday twoonie races

Mt Orford

Mt Brooks

Racers

Coaches

SNSC News — January 5, 2012

Rabbits

Coaches

Coach Rupert Wong Racing suits

BC Winter Games Trial and All-club Race

Where have you been skiing?

BC Cup #1

Carpool

SNSC Race Update — December 27, 2011

The new race start time is 9am!

SNSC News — December 22, 2011

Race

Rabbits

Gear

SNSC News — December 15, 2011

Rabbits

Coaching refresher

VIMSS

Mount Orford

Saturday fun

Gear page

Opportunities

Smile

Biathlon

SNSC News — December 9, 2011

Race!

Rabbits

Quebec exchange

Coaching

Backcountry tours

Masters

Smile!

Coach Rupert Wong

Racing suits