Nordic Racers Ski Club:
The Leading Edge,
December 1999

Skiing is Underway

The second annual Vernon Silver Star Season Kick-off Weekend was, as usual, a great success and both the kick-off ski clinic and monster potluck supper were well attended. Next year's potluck may require a bigger venue and a larger squad of dishwashers.

Dave McKee's dryland training sessions were similarly well attended, especially when held in sunny Kitsilano along the scenic beaches of Spanish Banks and Locarno. The dozen participants were made aware of several new uses for the steep side streets leading south from Locarno Beach. Local residents were undecided as to whether to: (1) ignore the spectacle of Lycra-clad side jumpers, or (2) phone the chaps from Riverview. See photo.

Hollyburn opened on the 3rd and now has over 100 cm. of base and most runs are open for cross country skiing. This should ensure great Christmas skiing and provide terrific snow for the many club events that are scheduled to commence in January.

Club Events

LEARN TO LOPPET

Dave McKee is once again organizing the Learn to Loppet program to be held on Wednesday evenings at Hollyburn starting January 5th to February 9th. The clinics, which will be lead by Mark Simpson (CANSI level 4 Nordic), will run from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and will stress technique improvement for both skating and classic skiing. The goal is to improve ski times in races or successfully complete one for the first time. Other qualified coaches will be involved.

NOTE!

There is a numbers cutoff (30) for these sessions. Since many club members have already signed up and paid their $60, if you wish to participate, contact Dave ASAP and get your cheque, payable to Nordic Racers, to Dave.

The clinic finale will be the Nickel Plate Loppet on February 26th (30 km classic).

NICKEL PLATE LOPPET

Dave's and Mark's, now highly trained, Learn to Loppet crew as well as all club members are encouraged to compete at the Nickel Plate Loppet on Saturday February 26th (30 km classic) The Sunday skating race has been cancelled this year.

Club Accommodation

Tony Chin has tentatively booked (no deposit yet) two houses at Apex ski resort for Friday February 25th and Saturday February 26th for those attending the Nickel Plate Loppet. Just like at Silver Star, the beds will be on a "first to pay, first to get a bed" basis. As Apex is smaller and less developed than Silver Star it will be more difficult to obtain additional housing should it be required. Please try to contact Tony ASAP when club members can commit to the Nickel Plate events.

The cost of accommodations will be $85.

CARIBOO LOPPET

Tony is also coordinating (should there be willing participants) the booking of accommodations at or near 100 Mile House for Nordic Racer members wishing to ski in the Cariboo Marathon on Saturday February 5th.

The traditional marathon was a 50km classic ski, but there is now a 30km half marathon and a 20km recreation class distance. The race fees are $25 before January 15th and $30 after. Tony has some extra registration forms. To help Tony finalize the housing arrangements, please contact him as soon as possible. No costs have as yet been determined for accommodation.

Tony, as master coordinator of events, can often be of help to club members in suggesting the names of fellow members who might be willing to share rides to these races and Loppets. Don't be shy!!

MANNING PARK

The club has booked twenty seats on Sigge's Manning Park bus for Sunday January 30th. As usual, the spots will be on a first paid, first seated basis with a confirmation date of January 14th. As an added incentive, the club will be subsidizing this trip as members will be charged only $35 (regular price $39). The $35 also includes Manning Park trail fees.

The Manning Park Trip is a social event to bring club members together to ski on the extensive and scenic Lightning Lakes trails. The trails are set for classic and skating techniques. Contact Tony Chin for details and to reserve your spot. Send your cheque (payable to the Nordic Racers) before January 14th to Tony Chin.

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT HOLLYBURN

Hollyburn Racing

Starting in December, there will be informal Wednesday evening ski races on the lit Hollyburn trails. Meet before 6:45 p.m. at the waxing hut, sign up, pay $2 and compete against the aging racers in your club and other local hot shots.

Hollyburn Hot Chocolate

From 7:30 till 8:30 p.m., on Wednesday nights, there will be a Nordic Racers Club host in attendance at the Hollyburn Lodge (just to the left as you enter into the old lodge) to dispense a ticket that is good for one free hot chocolate.

Hollyburn Meet and Ski

Don't wish to race or Learn to Loppet? Meet with Julia McDonnell at the lower warming hut at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday nights and ski the lit trails in the company of our membership chairperson.

The lower warming hut is just to the right of the two food concessions as you ski away from the ticket booth. Call Julia for further information.

The Silver Star Ski Camp

Nov. 27 & 28, 1999

This year's Silver Star Ski Camp was a great success. Over 40 Nordic Racer members made the journey to Silver Star to hone their skills and techniques on those skinny skis without edges.

Highlights of the training included: watching Canada and the USA's national teams racing it out in the skating sprints - Canadians won in women's and men's competition, re-connecting with old friends and ski buddies, and of course making new ones - I think it almost goes without saying that cross country skiers are some of the nicest people around in lycra.

After a day of being put through the paces, the camp participants enjoyed a potluck dinner Saturday night that included Mark Simpson's Granville Island brews and several bean dishes - note to Tony Chin, hand out Beano next year.

The following day the group again rose with vim and vigor to go back out and enjoy all the snow and altitude Silver Star has to offer. Read as "massaging our muscles and trying to remember why we enjoy skiing so much."

A great time was had by all and Tony tells me the accommodation is being booked for next year so make sure you mark it on your calendar!

Leanne H. Johnson

Diary of my First Loppet

The only thought I had in my head at the 3km mark of my first loppet was Kathleen Meyer's classic book, How to Sh** in the Woods. The Nickel Plate Loppet was my first loppet, ever, and I had made the biggest rookie mistake possible - I did not empty out my bowels prior to the race! Eating that 10-ounce rib-eye steak the night before the race seems like a bad idea now. But I digress...

Some background on my skiing history. I first put on a pair of cross-country skis four winters ago. Fell in love with X-C and took lessons in classic and skating. Over the next few winters, I became a fixture at Hollyburn as I worked steadily on my technique. This winter, I joined the Nordic Racers and participated in the "Learn to Loppet" clinic. With passable technique and six sessions in "Learn to Loppet" under my belt, I felt ready for my first loppet. I registered for the Recreation Category (ski one 15km classic lap as opposed to two laps by the real racers) of the Nickel Plate Loppet.

Back to my race...

As the urge got greater, my stride got shorter. Technique went out the window when you have to squeeze your buttocks real tight. I needed to get my mind onto another track. I looked around and for the first time I noticed that I was alone. There were no skiers ahead of me and none behind me. Did I miss the turn? I began to panic. My mind raced through all the evil permutations on how this could possibly happen. I completely abandoned my ski plan - ski at a nice easy tempo - and began to ski faster. Half way up the first hill, I hit the "wall." My heart rate was at its peak and my arms and legs felt like lead. I stopped skiing and walked/herringboned the rest of the hill.

At the top of the hill a sign read "5 km". I was on the right track! I had completely forgotten about my bowel problem! Yeehaw!

And now I wanted to quit.

I've never ever skied 15km, at least not without a lunch break, a washroom break, and numerous other distractions. What possessed me to think I could suddenly ski 15km? Was I out of my mind?! I'm thirty-something and out of shape; if I quit now, would anybody care? As I was all but ready to quit, a lone skier came into view and gave me a life/race-altering jolt.

My first thought when I saw him was "Red Green." If you've ever watched the Red Green show on TV, you will know what I'm talking about. Red Green is a backwoods guy that has a big bushy beard, flannel shirt, goofy hat and 1001 uses for duct tape. Red Green's motto is "If you can't be handsome, then be handy." This was Red Green in the flesh: bushy beard, goofy hat and flannel shirt.

Red passed me as I stood at the intersection debating whether I should continue down the course or beeline it for the lodge. I know my limitations and have no problem letting skiers pass me in a race but the indignity of letting a skier with bamboo poles pass me was too much! I got my race focus back and I dropped into the tracks behind Red.

Red set a very easy pace and I soon got my heart rate down and got my "second wind." From 6 km to 9 km, the course was almost all uphill. Not a steep uphill, but a steady climb. Red didn't aggressively attack the hills, and many times I found myself skiing onto his skis. This unnerved Red and so he would speed up to get away from me. I would back off and then when it looked like the gap between us was growing I would speed up and catch his tails again. I think I just scripted the next ICBC commercial: you don't ski like this so why drive like this? I ICBC'd Red several times during this ascent and felt pretty bad about it. So I worked up the nerve to call out, "You're keeping a good pace, keep it up. I'm going to keep following you. I'm not going to pass you." I think Red accepted my words of encouragement because we reached the high point of the course without any further mishaps.

At the high point of the course there is a wonderful little loop (about 1 km) around an open meadow. Earlier in the day I had an opportunity to talk to the trail-groomer and he explained that this meadow is not groomed as part of the Nickel Plate trail system but because they needed more track distance for the race they were fortunate that they had this upper meadow which allowed them to expand their trail system. As Red and I skied out of the trees into the open meadow, I marveled at how picturesque this meadow was and what a shame that it wasn't part of the normal trail system. But partway into the meadow, I realized why they didn't. The wind began to howl and the snow began to whip around. My mind raced along another evil tangent: what were the conditions like on Mt. Everest when Beck Wethers lost consciousness? Beck later regained consciousness and crawled back down to base camp. Unfortunately Beck suffered from severe frostbite and he lost his nose and several fingers. If I passed out, would I be able to regain consciousness and make it back to the finish line? I needed some comfort and reassurance; I skied onto Red's skis.

Apparently Red didn't need any reassurance and was quite peeved at my skiing onto his skis. He sped up and tried to make a break for the trailhead. I could tell now that this wasn't going to be a friendly ski pack. Red and I weren't going to be like cyclists in the Tour de France who help each other out. This was every man for himself. As we left the meadow and began the descent through the woods, I knew I needed to draft a new race plan. As we began our first long descent, my plan came into focus. Red wasn't very good on downhills. Red's legs wobbled when he got any speed going downhill, he didn't like to tuck, and he did snowplough turns into the corners. My plan was to stay with Red until the last descent at which time I would slingshot past him and make a strong break for the finish line. I would be like Alsgaard when he blew by Daehlie in the final 100 metres at the Nagano Olympics! (I only know all this because Mark Simpson showed us the highlights of the Nagano Olympics at breakfast!)

As Red and I approached the 13 km mark, the cat and mouse game must have gotten to him. On the second to last descent, Red caught an edge and wiped out. The mother of all sitzmarks. I jumped to the left and snow ploughed to avoid hitting him. He had somersaulted on the wipe out and was completely covered in snow. I called out, "Are you okay?" A voice emerged from the human snowball, "Yes, go on." I dropped into a tuck and sped away.

For the first time since the beginning of the race, I was skiing alone. I had one more hill to crest and then the finish line was less than 1 km away. As I climbed this last very steep hill, I thought about the pace that Red would have maintained. I climbed the hill slowly but steadily. At the crest I felt very relaxed and fresh. I surprised myself with how strong I felt at this point in the race. With 0.5 km left to go, I pretended that Red was just ahead of me and that I had to make my move now. So on the final hill coming out of the woods, I dropped into a tuck and sped into the lower meadow. With the finish line in sight, I stretched forward and double-poled. That felt good. So I did it again. I stood up, stretched forward, both heels off and double-poled again. I felt strong, my form looked good and I was flying! I double-poled the last 200 metres! As I neared the finish line, two thoughts jumped into my head.

First, I needed to get out of the tracks to cross the finish line (otherwise I would go around the corner and end up doing another lap. Not!) And second, they couldn't see my number on my chest since my jacket was zipped up. So as I approached the finish line, I unzipped my jacket and flashed everyone! Racer #170 had completed his first loppet!

EPILOGUE

As I stood at the finish line, I couldn't help but wonder about Red. Sure enough, there he was, slowly but steadily striding into view. "Coming into the finish line," cried the announcer over the P.A. system, "is one of our oldest competitors. At 72 years old..."

Red didn't stop at the finish line; he stayed in the tracks and continued around for another lap. I never got to meet Red. Red, whoever and wherever you are, thanks for helping me complete my first loppet and making it so memorable.

Tony Chin

Editors' Note

Although some 70% of the club members indicate they have E-mail, the Nordic Racers executive feel obliged to produce and mail out this newsletter for all members whether they are on E-mail or not. The cost per issue is about $100 - $150. In the future, if there is sufficient interest from the club members, this newsletter can be sent to those with E-mail and save the club part of the publishing costs.

The newsletter staff encourages all club members to submit skiing articles or comments to The Leading Edge.

Loppet Schedule

January - March 2000

Jan 8	Hallis Lake Loppet	Quesnel
Jan 15	Reino Keski Salmi Loppet	Salmon Arm
Jan 22	Telemark Apple Loppet	Kelowna
Feb 5	Cariboo Marathon	100 Mile House
Feb 5	Black Jack Loppet	Rossland
Feb 12	Sun Peaks Loppet	Kamloops
Feb 20	Chateau Whistler Loppet	Whistler
Feb 26	Nickel Plate Loppet	Penticton
Mar 4	Cascade Cup Spring Classic	Manning Park
Mar 11	Sovereign Lake Loppet	Vernon
Mar 18	Vancouver Island Loppet	Mt. Washington

Note:

This is only a partial list of the various competitive ski races that are held around BC. A full list can be found in the Ski Cross Country magazine.