Nordic Racers Ski Club:
The Leading Edge,
March 2001

Club Events

Hollyburn F.A.S.P. Cabin Party

On Saturday, March 24th the Nordic Racers will have their grand, ski season windup party and sleepover at the First Aid Ski Patrol's cabin at Hollyburn. Food will be supplied for an all-inclusive cost of $15.00. Please pay Craig by March 21st.

Appetizers will start at 6:00 p.m. and dinner will start around 6:30 p.m. Appetizers will be ribs, chicken wings, nachos, and salsa. Dinner will be Burgers (beef, salmon and veggie). Dessert - ?

The FASP cabin access trail is located at the bottom (lowest elev.) corner of the Grand National ski trail. From the northeast edge of the corner, head north for some 75 metres to the cabin. Remember to bring a flashlight or headlamp, as the trails will be dark when the dinner/dance/party will be over. The cabin is a 10-minute ski / 20-minute hike from Hollyburn Lodge. For overnighters, bring sleeping bags.

Everyone is welcome! Nordic Racers, their friends, family, etc. Come for just the party or stay overnight (cabin sleeps about 20 friendly people).

If you'd like to attend or help out, please contact Craig Oliver.

CANSI Level 1 Course

When: March 24th and 25th, at approximately 0830 - 1600h

Where: Hollyburn

Cost: $220.00 (including manuals etc.).

Skill Level: You must have the basic components of skating and classic ski technique including double poling, step turning, and one skating.

Contact: Dave McKee ASAP. Class size is limited to 8 skiers.

Diamond Head - backcountry ski

When: April 7th at Diamond Head, which is located 20 km NE of Squamish in Garibaldi Park.

Skill Level: Everyone is welcome from beginner to advanced skier. Book your rental gear ASAP if you don't have your own.

Contact: Craig Oliver is the organizer of this ski event and will provide more information on gear and meeting time.

Arm Chair Skiing

On Saturday, March 31st, CBC television will be featuring the recently completed X-Country World Championships that were held in Lahti, Finland. Check your TV schedule for times for those of you interested in viewing primo cross country skiing.

What Club Members Are Doing

Club members Silke Straßburger and Peter Gumplinger recently competed in what is the oldest, the longest, and the greatest cross-country ski race in the world. The famed Vasaloppet covers 90 km in the Dalarna region of central Sweden between the towns Sälen and Mora. Held for the 77th time this year, the race commemorates Gustav Eriksson Vasa's revolt against the Danish tyrant King Kristian almost 500 years ago and is meant to be an endurance test similar to the journey made on skis by Gustav Vasa to avoid capture by the Danes. The Vasaloppet (classic technique) is probably the most famous and popular sporting event in Sweden and attracts an estimated 50000 spectators along the course and at the finish. The live broadcast is five and a half hours and is one of Swedish television's most popular programs.

Registration is limited to the first 15600 eager skiers who must sign up almost a year in advance to secure a spot. Although an average of 2500 foreigners from some 30 countries participate, there were only four racers from Canada this year. As for women, they were only allowed to compete officially in 1981, and still only number a thousand. The average Vasaloppet competitor is 41 years old and has completed 4 races. About 150 Swedes make up the "Veteran's Club," men who have finished in 30 Vasaloppets or more - two of them competed 50 times! Starters are seeded according to their established race record. For Silke and Peter this meant Group 8 (of 11) and a chance to ski the whole distance together. Temperatures at the start were forecasted at minus 26 degrees Celsius, but the thermometer dropped only to minus 18 degrees Celsius. Peter jealously guarded his place behind her during the "traffic jam" immediately after the mass start, but 35 kilometres into the race he had to insist that she better slow down for him. All passing manoeuvres throughout the race had to be well coordinated in order to avoid separation, as each lane was stacked with skiers at all times.

Fueling up with blåbärssoppa (the famous warm blueberry soup) at the seven food stations along the course, and very pleased with their wax decisions, the pair finished in 8hrs.36min.37sec. Happy with their time, Silke ended up about half way into her field, while Peter finished two-thirds back. Still, to put it into perspective, the race record is 3hrs.38min.57sec, the ladies' record is 4hrs.17min.02sec, and the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustav, finished the race in 8hrs.12min.41sec in 1977, and faster still in the Öppet Spår (training event/ no mass-start) as recently as 1999. Moreover, the winner of the first Vasaloppet in 1922, a race through new powder snow with no made tracks, arrived in good time: 7hrs.32mins.46sec. Peter at least managed to come in third among the four Canadians. On the other hand, a victory in the Vasaloppet is regarded by most of the world's best skiers as highly as a podium place in the Olympic Games or the World Championships.

- Peter Gumplinger

Note: Jon Strom is bringing a group to the 2003 Vasaloppet so there is lots of time to train for interested skiers.

Kudos

Biathlon BC Cup, Prince George, Feb. 24/25, 2001

Three of our Nordic Racers Junior Challenge skiers cleaned up at the Biathlon BC Cup in Prince George this February.

Claire Corbett garnered two silver medals in the Mega Sprint and Sprint races while Mioi Sawada won a silver in the Mega Sprint, gold in the Super Sprint and a bronze in the Sprint. Martin Utley took a gold in both the Mega Sprint and Sprint and a silver in the Super Sprint.

The Sprint race for Claire is 4k with two prone (P) target shootings. Mioi skied 6k with two prone shootings while Martin, in the Boys category, skied 7.5k and shot once prone and once standing (S). Athletes ski a 150 m penalty loop for every target missed. Martin shot 5/5 and 4/5 to win the Sprint.

The Mega Sprint is a modified Sprint that has three shootings and covers longer distances. The shooting pattern is PPP or PSP with penalty loops skied for each miss. Longer distances tend to favour better skiers.

The Super Sprint is a fun race that doesn't count for BC Cup points. Loops are very short, usually less than 600 m, with a mass start. There are two shootings and three loops for a total of 10 targets and a distance of 1.5 to 2k. There is no limit on the number of shots but you can't leave the range until all 5 targets are down.

Chris Bowlby

Chris Bowlby has smoked all her races this year and has won her age category for every Loppet she has entered. For example:

	Time	Place	Overall
Overlander Loppet	1:55.55	1	29
Reino Keski-Salmi	2:16.42	1	33
Cariboo Marathon	3:28.17	1	26
Chateau Whistler	1:40.11	1	33
Cascade Cup	1:59.15	1	10
Mt. Washington	2:14:23	1	15

Chris is also the hard working Secretary for the Nordic Racers executive and a leader in the club's Junior Challenge program. For all her hard work for the club, she is allowed to win a new pair of skating skis every year at the Mt Washington Loppet.

Congratulations Chris!!

David Wyness

David has just (March 5-10) competed in the US Junior Nationals in Marquette (Ishpeming), Michigan and placed fifth in the J2 Sprint Final.

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Click image to enlarge
Photo courtesy of Dave Grove

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Ski Touring in Norway

I knew I was in a different place when I left the chrome and glass and urban Euro-bustle of Schipol Airport in Amsterdam and landed in Oslo, Norway. I was greeted at Gardermoen Airport with polished real wood floors, hewn beams and airport staff cruising around on push scooters instead of electric carts. This must be a nation that values natural environments and self-propelled locomotion! I had landed in the cradle of Nordic skiing. It had been a dream of mine since I discovered Telemark skiing to visit its birthplace and drink deeply of the mountain culture.

I was attending Interski, a world conference of ski instructors, and then going ski touring deep in the heart of Norway. I had heard a lot about how expensive Scandinavia was and found out just how much when my first pint of beer came in at NOK52 ($12)! It took several more to get over the shock!

My journey started with a 320 km bus trip from Oslo to Beitostolen, the site of the Congress. I found the terrain very beautiful with many rivers (whitewater kayakers take note, this is an awesome place to paddle!) and rugged, narrow valleys. Quaint homes and buildings showed clear signs of their Viking roots. My next six days were a blur of skiing, schmoozing, technical seminars and of course, the ubiquitous currency of all ski instructors, partying, but that's another story. The mountains around Beitostolen are smooth, rolling and devoid of trees , similar to parts of the Chilcotin. There was a magic time around 10 a.m., when I could take the ski lift up in my skating gear, and skate ski off-piste on a firm, hard crust. This crust enabled me to get up in the high alpine for a good look. What caught my eye was a mountain range called Jotunheimen. I was determined to escape the pandemonium of the Congress to the quiet beauty of this place.

I gathered some friends equally keen on this special tour. We decided to hire a guide to ensure the success of our trip. We wanted to savor the culture of Norway as much as the terrain and felt that skiing with a local was the best way to ensure this outcome. We met our guide, Pal Frenning, over a few beers and I soon knew he was our man. Pal is a reindeer herder in summer and a ski instructor and guide in winter. Both of these vocations gave him an intimate knowledge of the local terrain and most important, the best touring routes. When we discussed gear, I got the shock of my life when he asked us to wax our skis tip to tail with blue hard wax. My skis never see anything but stone grinds and fluorocarbons, so you can imagine what a leap of faith this was! The next shock was when he showed up on trip day in low cut, single leather boots and a vintage pair of skis. We were decked out with fat shaped skis, lift kits and big plastic boots. Since we had to drag our heavy gear a fair distance, I think he had the last laugh!

This was our first real taste of Norwegian mountain culture, since the style of touring in Norway is fast, light and minimalist. Our plan was to take in two huts and traverse part of the range with light daypacks and some food. Norway is crisscrossed by an extensive hut system; many of them run by the DNT or "Den Norske Turistforeningen." You will find a complete range of services in this hut system, from unstaffed huts to full room and board. Some of the unstaffed huts are stocked with provisions, which you can take and pay for by filling out a credit card slip and dropping it in an honour box. Lucky for us, Pal had gotten keys to some private huts. Our van dropped us off a few kilometres out of town at the point where the road is not plowed in winter. Much to my surprise there was an antique snowcap parked there. This machine was purchased in 1937 by the British army for use by General Montgomery in the Egyptian desert in WW2. It was brought to Norway in 1949 and converted into a snowcat. The best part was that it was a Bombardier from Quebec. Canada Eh!

Our first hut, Synsbeck Hytte, was part way down Lake Bygdin. We stowed our fat skins in our packs and had a great ski along a beautiful, rolling valley, onto the lake and down to the hut, using only hard wax for propulsion. This was no ordinary hut. It was very small, but beautifully built with polished tongue-in-groove floors and a grass roof. This was better than any five star hotels. We doffed our packs, baked in the sun for a while, then set a slow, sinewy, gentle up track (yes still hard wax!) up to a nearby peak, just before sunset. This culminated in a ski run down that dreams are made of. The snow wasn't deep or fabulous, but I was filled with an upwelling of emotion, as I laid down some long, graceful Telemark turns, focusing years of training and mountain spirit into one magic, timeless moment of alpenglow-filled bliss. Thoroughly exhausted, happy and hungry we spilled into the hut for a great meal.

After dinner, Pal told us folk tales, played his mouth harp (a widely used instrument in Norwegian folk music) and fed us dried reindeer heart (if you think liver is bad...) and "96" (the local screech, 96% alcohol). What a magic day this was! The next few days saw us rumbling around in the high country, enjoying the great vistas down onto the 25 km long Lake Bygdin. On the last day of our trip, I let my friends ski ahead, so I could enjoy a few moments of solitude. We were staying at Torfinssbu Hyyte, about half way down the lake. I had a great ski right down the middle of the frozen lake in bright April sunshine, enjoying an endless rhythm of diagonal stride with perfect hard wax grip to catch my buddies at the trailhead. This was a great trip for me, to enjoy the stripped down simplicity of touring with some great friends in beautiful mountain terrain free of the trappings of high technology, Pisten Bully grooming and high priced ski resorts. Norway is a great place to ski, since the mountain culture is built right into the soul of the people. So go there sometime and enjoy the free heel spirit!

Getting There

Oslo is well serviced from Copenhagen, Amsterdam or Frankfurt. Jotunheimen is a national park about 400 km north of Oslo. This park has some of the highest peaks in Norway and is well serviced with huts. You can take a bus from Oslo to Beitostolen for about $120 return. A $30 cab ride will get you to the end of the road, then start skiing! Hut fees range from NOK40 for minimal shelter to NOK280 for a room, two hot meals and bag lunch. There are substantial discounts for DNT members, so it is worth joining (NOK365). 1 NOK= 0.21 $CDN. Check out their website at www.turistforeningen.no. The best time to go is from late February to late April, but avoid Easter, as it can get crowded in the huts. You can have a pretty cheap trip as long as you stay out of the pub! Take light touring skis with metal edges, single boots and of course, hard wax!

- Mark Simpson

Fairmont Chateau Whistler Cup a Huge Success!

Sunday morning dawned bright, clear, cold and sunny; perfect conditions for this annual event. The move from late to mid February was a good one, as the Whistler valley was enjoying perfect midwinter conditions. I went for a ski at sunset on Saturday to dial in the course. The conditions were superb, with excellent packed powder trails and a nice firm track. It took a bit of detective work to sleuth out the new race course and even my inner circle sources were not entirely sure what course designer Chris Bishop was going to throw at us. After smoking out the backroom of Wild Willies' new cross-country store with my witch's brew of waxes, I went to sleep full of anticipation. Racers were not disappointed, as the 30k course was a great mix of stiff climbs, technical downhills and some great vistas.

I spoke to Chris about his strategy: "It is part of our tradition to mix up the course every year so racers don't get bored, also using reverse flow to give local skiers a new experience. We used a combination of climbing and descending to give some nice flow and some technical challenges. Cross country skiing is about going downhill as well as uphill." I think this approach is great and I will keep the Whistler Loppet on my calendar every year. I've skied the same course at races like Salmon Arm and Manning several times and these races just don't have the same appeal to me any more. I think the racing scene will stay healthier when races change distance, technique and format often. I hope the folks at Cross Country BC in Vernon are paying attention to this concept. This race could not have run without the support of many volunteers and sponsors and I would like to thank all of these people who helped out. Please support the local businesses that sponsored this race. One of the volunteers I met, Diana Sillery, an instructor at the Cross Country Connection and a Pilates trainer, had one of the best spots on the course, at the roundabout, near the picnic tables on the fairway. She observed, "It was a great place to be, some people had big smiles, some had big frowns, it was interesting so see all the different techniques, some people were very smooth, some didn't make it and went right into the trees!" It was also great to see many jackrabbits out on the course. I spoke to Delores from the Spud Valley Jackrabbits who was proud to have several kids in the race. She invited me and all skiers to attend the "Over the Hill and Dale" fun loppet in the Spud Valley (Pemberton) on February 25. This 11k race is free technique over a flat course in the Pemberton Valley. This will be a family oriented event, so bring your kids out.

The oldest skier on Sunday was 75 years old and the youngest 5 years old. This is an incredible age spread that clearly shows how cross-country skiing is a sport for all comers. The top female in the 30k was Nikki Kassel from the Cross Country Connection with a time of 1:29:40. The top male was Glen Bond from Vernon with a time of 1:17:44. In my books everybody who showed up was a winner in this great event. Please support it in years to come. I would like to see the event move to Saturday and have some fun races on Sunday like sprints or relays.

- Mark Simpson

Buy and Sell

[Ad space in our newsletter and on our website is free for club members; contact Feng at 738-5695 or fengski@yahoo.ca for details.]

Postscript

The West Coast Velocity inline skating club is starting practices at the Seymour Demonstration Forest, UBC, and Iona Island. This is a racing-oriented club, but they do have participants of various speed/fitness levels.