Here is a bit of news for your Labour Day weekend.

STRATHCONA NORDICS WEAR

Do you need some new ski clothes for winter 2011?

We are putting in an order for a high quality 2 pc warm up suit from Halti. This is very similar in style and colour to the Halti suit that you’ve seen the Junior racers wearing. These are good quality, functional cross-country skiwear items. They’ll have the Strathcona Nordics logo and sponsors printed on them.

All pricing includes taxes and shipping. The jackets are approximately $160, and the pants are approximately $110. September 7th we’ll be having a sizing session at the Vanier Track in Courtenay from 5pm until 6:30pm. This offer is open to all club members – kids and parents.

We have the sizing kit for 3 weeks from August 30 to September 17th in the Comox Valley. We also will have a sizing session available in Victoria on September 5th – Victoria members can contact Tim at tim@mcgrady.ca for more details.

Deadline for receipt of the clothing order is September 17th!

Note also that we are working on an order for a 2 pc race suit from Podium Race Wear. We are still working with the designer. Look for more details soon!

RACING TEAMS FALL TRAINING

Devos–Devo dryland training is starting! Our first practice will be Tuesday, September 7th from 5-630pm at Vanier School in Courtenay. Subsequent dryland practices will revert back to their usual day on Wednesdays, but the times will be from 5-630pm. We’ll move into the gym later in the Fall when the weather starts to turn. For those new to the program, our dryland practice is an important prelude to our on-snow portion. We’ll be working on fitness, agility, balance, and having fun as a team as well. It would be particularly useful for new Devos, so they feel more confident when we hit the snow. If your child is unsure about whether to join Devos or not, they are still welcome to come out and try dryland training. They can meet and talk with other kids to get an idea of what we’re about. Essentially Devos is a developmental racing team with a focus on fun, fitness and sharpening nordic ski skills and technique. Its a great group of kids who are very motivated and supportive of each other.

Junior and Masters racers–you will have received your schedules from Coach Dave.

CALLING ALL RABBIT FAMILIES

As usual, we need lots of enthusiastic coaches to run this wonderful program. Contact Laura dl_johnston@shaw.ca to find out about all of the wonderful training and support we have for you this fall. Sign up now and beat the rush!

REGISTRATION

Registration will open next month on Zone 4 for membership and programs. More details coming very soon! October 30 will be the deadline for earlybird prices. NOTE: Mount Washington season trail passes are on sale now, and their deadline for earlybird pricing is September 30.

Our ad came out in the Comox Valley “Fall Recreation Reporter” today. However, we are still a few weeks away from having our winter 2011 program information ready.

Browse through our program information from last year. There are no big changes in the works. Our program structure is quite stable. Registration will open online in October.

If you were not a club member last year and you would like to receive program and registration updates, email us to get on the list.

Hikes!

Scroll down to learn more about our upcoming all-clubs hikes. Hope to see you there!

Sunny summer greetings to all Strathcona Nordics. We have some really fun activities coming up!

ALL-CLUB RUN/HIKES

We always have at least two groups for these activities, a running group and a hiking group. Join us for one, two, or all of the following activities:

Sunday, August 15th -  Run/Hike Mount Curran! Meet in the Zellers parking lot at Courtenay’s Driftwood Mall at 8:00 am for car pooling. This is a long hike 4+ hours, so come prepared! Minimum requirements for the trip are light fleece or equivalent, shell, food, and water. We will have a number of groups going up at different speeds.If you have a friend or family member who is ready for action, bring them along.

Sunday, August 22nd – Run/Hike from Forbidden Plateau/Wood Mountain to Raven Lodge! This is a cross-over, where a running group will run from Raven to Forbidden and a hiking group will hike from Forbidden to Raven. Meet at Starbucks in Courtenay at 8:00 am for car pooling, so that your car will be accessible to you when you finish your run or hike. Everyone–who feels up to hiking at a moderate pace for about 8.5 hours or running for 4 hours–is welcome. Eat a good breakfast and come prepared for this one, it’s epic!

Saturday, August 28th – Run/Hike Mount Becher! You can carpool with the Devos by meeting at the Rialto Theatre parking lot at the Driftwood Mall in Courtenay at 8:30am or meet at the Forbidden Plateau/Wood Mountain parking lot ready to go at 10:00 am. Be prepared for several hours of physical activity.

Hope to see you there!

VANCOUVER ISLAND SPORT SUMMIT

Mark September 18 – 25, 2010 on your calendar for the 2010 PacificSport Week & Vancouver Island Sport Summit at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo. There will be workshops for coaches, parents, and athletes.  Our own coach Dave Battison will be giving a workshop there. Online registration is available for most programs now. You can visit their website  http://www.cscpacific.ca/content/PacificSportVanIsle/VIProgServ/CoachPrograms.asp and email Catharine Edwards for more details. cedwards@pacificsport.com

RABBITS!

We need 12 more coaches for all levels of Saturday and Sunday Rabbits for the 2011 season.  Expert ski skills are not required, but enthusiasm is!  Please consider supporting your child’s ski program in this capacity this year.  Contact Laura Johnston at dl_johnston@shaw.ca or Alix Wilson at alibedali@shaw.ca

SOME RACING TEAM MEMBERS CAUGHT IN ACTION AT SEAL BAY PARK

Finishing off a grueling plyo session with some balance exercises.

]]> http://strathconanordics.com/2010/08/snsc-news-august-12-2010/feed/ 0 http://strathconanordics.com/2010/07/snsc-news-july-10-2010/ http://strathconanordics.com/2010/07/snsc-news-july-10-2010/#comments Sat, 10 Jul 2010 20:32:45 +0000 admin http://strathconanordics.com/?p=1052 Summer Workouts

Join your fellow SNSC members on some hikes and runs on the weekends this summer. There are usually two groups per activity–a running group and a hiking one–and you can choose between the two. Either way, come prepared for 2-3 hours of brisk outdoor activity. Remember to dress for the weather and bring yourself drinks to stay well-hydrated.

Mark the following dates on your calendar:
• Sunday, July 11        Group Run/Hike – Nymph Falls – 10:00am start
• Sunday, July 18        Group  Run/Hike – Mount Washington (Raven Lodge) – 10:00am start

Check back in next month for August activities and  dates!

Junior Team

This summer the Junior Racing Team have been busy training 3 days per week and fundraising too. Last week the Junior Team and friends held a bottle drive in Comox. In a sweltering 31 C, the group raised $662.00! The money will go toward travel costs for the next racing season. Way to go team!!

Click here to view the PDF.

Hi Strathcona Nordics members!

Just wanted to say hi and let members know that I’m back from my adventure at the Olympics and am looking forward to getting back involved with our club board. Even though the big show is over, this remains an exciting time to be a cross-country skier with the sport growing across Canada. There are also many exciting events happening next season — especially for our masters skiers – including the new P’yakentsut Loppet & Ski Festival at Callaghan Valley in February — followed by the World Masters event at Sovereign Lake in March when you can get out and ski with the widest cross-section of keen skiers from around the world that you will ever see in BC.

At the club level we have some great new energy on the Board and lots of ideas to continue to deliver and improve excellent programs and services and capitalise on the many legacies from 2010 that are out there. Did you know that the Strathcona Nordics had the single largest contingent of club members involved in both the Olympics (21) and Paralympics (38)? I hope to see some of you around over the summer and into the fall as we get ready for the next ski season. Keep in touch with the website for news and club summer activity updates. Most of all stay active – remember that it is what you do in the summer that has the biggest impact on how well you ski in the winter.

Len Apedaile

apedaile@oberon.ark.com

RELAY — SUPPORT THIS AWESOME NEW TRAIL

There is still a week remaining to sign up for the Vancouver Island (VI) Spine Relay. June 5, 2010 you can run, hike, cycle, mountain bike and horse ride to support the creation of a new trail, The VI Spine. This is a participation-oriented event – not a race.

You can sign up as an individual for as little as one day – you don’t need a team.

View full details on each of the 11 Sections of the Relay here:

http://vispine.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=53

Please sign up at the following webpage – the cost is $30:

https://www.zone4.ca/register.asp?id=1117&lan=1&cartlevel=1

The first 100 registrants will get a free technical T-shirt.

There are five sports to choose from – hiking, cycling, running, mountain biking and horseback riding.

By participating in the Relay, you will help support the development of a permanent, continuous wilderness trail from Cape Scott to Victoria.  Several sections of the Relay are partly or fully on the proposed Vancouver Island Spine Trail – Sections 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11. The other sections tie it all together into a continuous route.

If you can’t participate in the Relay, please consider sharing this email with somebody who might be interested.

Thanks,

Andrew

Andrew Pape-Salmon

Chair, Vancouver Island Spine Relay

andrewpapesalmon@shaw.ca

www.vispine.ca

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to the SNSC’s Andrea Lee who was selected to ski for Canadian National Development Centre (NDC) in Thunder Bay. Andrea will join 9 other top Canadian skiers on the NDC Thunder Bay team. Watch for an up coming story about Andrea Lee in the Comox Valley newspapers and the Strathcona Nordics website.

Congratulations also to our club’s Freya Westanays as she prepares to pursue her skiing and academic goals in Ottawa. Freya will be skiing with Carlton University team as she works on a degree in English Literature there. You can also learn more about Freya in an up coming story in the Comox Valley newspapers and on the Strathcona Nordics website.

The Strathcona Nordics wish both you girls the best of luck! We are proud of you.

RABBITS PASS THE TORCH

Although the season is over, it won’t be long until we begin planning for the 2011 season of Rabbits, and in particular looking for coaches for the season. Please consider setting aside some of your time next winter for coaching and then watch for the call for coaches in the early fall.  The more coaches we have, the more kids can ski.

Our new 2011 Rabbits Skill Development Coordinator or “Head Hare” is Alix Wilson.  She has graciously stepped forward into this coordinating job and will be involved with the Saturday Rabbits program, so a Sunday Session Coordinator to assist Alix is still needed.  If you have any questions about

the Rabbits program, coaching or the Sunday Session coordinator position, please contact her at alibedali@shaw.ca

Thank you to all who have assisted me over the past 4 years to develop a Saturday Rabbits program, and also those who continued to grow and enhance the Sunday program.  Looking forward to seeing many Rabbits on the trails next year…

Laura Johnston

Rabbits SDP Coordinator

NEW WAVE DEVOS

The Devo team is planning an overnight adventure to Tree Island July 14 and 15th. Depending on the number of Devos interested our mode of transport will be either by sailboat or kayak. Please let coach Tim McGrady know of potential interest in the trip as soon as possible. Prospective Devos welcome.

RACING TEAMS

The racing teams are busy with their dryland training programs. If you would like to join the racing team and take part in the summer fitness program, contact info@strathconanordics.com

MAY CAMP

If you missed the story in the newspaper, you can read it below. See photos from May Camp in the Gallery.

May Camp 2010 photo: Lynn Swift

The racers started their days early with an activation run and, following breakfast, got in some early morning skate skiing while the snow was still firm. In the late afternoon, they worked out on their classic skis. The teams entertained each other with games, tricks, and stories, and they shared meal prepartion and clean up duties. The weather gave them everything–they skied in sunshine, blustery winds, a hail storm, and a white out snow storm. Though they didn’t encounter any bears this year, they skied to a soundtrack of drumming grouse and chattering squirrels.

The teams will now strap on their roller skis and hit the track and trails. It will be some months before they are able to ski on snow again; however, Coach Dave Battison said they enjoyed near perfect snow conditions and on the final Monday morning ski of the camp, “We had the best ski ever–the most fun we ever had skiing!!”

SNSC member Andrew Pape-Salmon is part of an initiative to create an awesome new back-country opportunity. They are proposing a trail that stretches the length of Vancouver Island (VI)–from Cape Scott in the north all the way down to Victoria in the south–called the VI Spine.

Relay–you can support this initiative by joining in the relay to increase community support for the development of the VI Spine Trail. Visit their website to learn more about the relay VI Spine Relay or contact Andrew Pape-Salmon by email andrewpapesalmon@shaw.ca or telephone 250-592-7017.

Route–the VI Trail route is an inland route that passes near many communities, yet retains its wilderness character, following historic routes and completed trails where they exist.

Approximately 700km long, the VI Spine is an adventure opportunity that will provide a recreational route for residents and tourists through the beautiful back country of Vancouver Island. Primarily a hiking trail (but permitting non-motorized, multi-use where appropriate) the route traces mountain ridges, through forests and past lakes, similar to many successful long-distance routes in North America.

The VI Spine trail will encourage local economies, both in the building of the trail and in the maintenance of the route. Local hiking clubs will be encouraged to monitor the trail, and businesses to provide services to travellers in their region.

Hike BC--the project is being developed by the Vancouver Island Spine Trail Association, VISTA, a part of “Hike BC,” the BC wing of the National Hiking Trail. The NHT, over the past 30 years has incorporated such significant trails as the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland, the Bruce Trail in Ontario and the Alexander MacKenzie route, the Nuxalk/Carrier “Grease Trail” from Bella Coola to Quesnel.

Though happy to have some extra time on the weekends, many of us miss the fun and exercise of a good cross-country ski! Our racing teams will be heading up Mount Washington next weekend for a 4-day spring training camp, and all Strathcona Nordic Ski Club (SNSC) members are welcome to enjoy some skiing that weekend.

The racing team will be staying on Mount Washington, and all skiing will be done from the base of The Hawk chair lift. This is where the grooming will take place.

You can come up for a ski from the bottom of The Hawk chair lift on:

Friday, May 7 — late afternoon

Saturday, May 8 — morning or afternoon and stay for the team BBQ

Sunday, May 9 — morning or afternoon

Monday, May 10 — early morning only

There will be a drop in fee of $10 to help cover the grooming costs. Skiers must be members of the SNSC.

Call Coach Dave Battison for more details 250-202-0578.

More news…

Junior Racing Team Win Snow-to-Surf Gold

Once again, our Junior Racing Team and friends took first place in the Junior Teams division of the Snow-to-Surf race.

Way to go team!

Last week, Rick Morson of CIBC Wood Gundy presented a cheque for $3,626 to Rob Grantham of SNSC for our Learn to Ski program. Mr Hartig’s grade 5/6 class at Ecole Puntledge Park Elementary are keen participants in the program.

SNSC’s Learn to Ski program took 776 elementary students cross-country skiing this past winter along with 80 adults accompanying the students. The program is sponsored by CIBC Wood Gundy and Mount Washington Resort. Many thanks to CIBC Wood Gundy for helping us continue to spread the love for cross-country skiing!