Nordic Racers Ski Club:
The Leading Edge,
December 2005

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In This Issue:
World Cup Success at Sovereign Lake and Canmore | Club & Other Events | Hollyburn Hot Chocolate | Learn to Loppet | Upcoming Loppets, Race Notices and Trips | Tuesday Night Races | Community Bulletins | World Cup Coverage on CBC | The Wax Hut | Loppet Schedule 2005/06 | Buy and Sell

World Cup Success at Sovereign Lake and Canmore Nordic Centres!

Canada's Beckie Scott and Sara Renner Capture the Podium

The Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre near Vernon, BC and the Canmore Nordic Centre delivered successful world-class competitions and festivities at the first Cross-Country Skiing World Cup in Canada since 1994.

Almost 10,000 spectators lined the race course at Sovereign Lake over the two-day race weekend (Dec 10-11) which included more than 600 volunteers.

Part of the volunteer contingent included the Nordic Racers' very own Andrea Heal, Bruce Clarkson, Alena Branda, Laddy Branda, Geza Baranyi, Sherryl Yeager, Colin Gray, Gerry Furseth, Dave Neufeld, Don Howieson, Lawrence Taylor, Eva Psenicka, Terry Meyer, Christine Grimard, Paul Heraty, Jamie Stirling and Tony Chin.

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Sovereign Lake and Canmore delivered early and fantastic snow conditions (not too mention the wonderful scenery) as usual, and showed the participating European teams and live European World Cup audiences (60 million worldwide) that Canada has what it takes to host first-rate World Cup events and put on a great show! The FIS (International Ski Federation) were exceptionally pleased with the level of organization at the races and the atmosphere generated by the throngs of cross-country ski enthusiasts in North America.

Hosting the World Cup on home turf allowed Cross Country Canada to suit up nine women and eight men in the field of 160 athletes representing 23 nations.

These races also provided an opportunity for some up and coming young Canadian skiers to gain valuable World Cup racing experience.

Canada's Beckie Scott roared to five consecutive victories as she claimed a silver medal in the women's 15 km pursuit and a gold in the women's sprint races at Sovereign Lake. This past weekend in Canmore, AB, Beckie Scott handily beat Russian rival Julija Tchepalova to win the gold medal in the women's 15 km classic race, and a silver medal in the 10 km individual race. Beckie Scott and Sara Renner capped their weekend in Canmore to win their first ever silver medal in the team sprint relay on Sunday. Renner posted fantastic results as she skied to a third place finish in the women's sprint races and fifth place in the women's 15 km classic race. Both Scott and Renner maintain their positions as members of the FIS "Red Group" during the next phase of World Cup competitions.

Club and Other Events

Events and activities sanctioned by the Nordic Racers are indicated by an *

Hollyburn Hot Chocolate*

Every Wednesday evening (starting January 4th, 2006) throughout the ski season, drop by Hollyburn Lodge between 7:45 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. and pick up a ticket for one free hot chocolate from a Nordic Racer host. If you'd like to be a host, please contact Andrea Heal. This involves about 45 minutes of "work" (for two hosts per night) sitting by the fire.

Note: this is a club benefit that is for current and paid-up Nordic Racer club members only.

Learn to Loppet*

Learn to Loppet, the Nordic Racers adult ski program, is starting in January 2006. Learn to Loppet Classic and Learn to Loppet Advanced Classic will start up on Wednesday, January 11th and Thursday, January 19th, respectively. What is L2L?

Learn to Loppet Classic is for the skier who wants to develop the technical and mental skills to perform well at a loppet race. The program is intended for a wide range of skiers at various fitness and technique levels. It is suitable for beginner racers (i.e., those just getting into racing) but the program is not suitable for the beginner skier.

Learn to Loppet Advanced Classic is designed for the skier who has completed at least one Nordic Racer Learn to Loppet course in past years and has taken part in several loppets.

The course will work on fine-tuning technique with a focus on racespecific skills such as terrain transitions and downhill technique. This class will have a high energy pace and will put on lots of kilometres.

Students are expected to have a good fitness level and good basic technique.

Learn to Loppet Skate/Advanced Skate starts in February. To avoid disappointment register early for these clinics.

For more info, check out the Learn to Loppet webpage at www.nordicracers.bc.ca/events/learn.html and register online via Sporg.

BC Cup #1 Race Notice

BC Cup #1 - BC Cup Series and University/College Series.

Dates: Saturday, Jan 7, 2006 (Mass Start, Classic Technique; Sunday, Jan 8, 2006 (Individual Sprints, Free Technique)

Location: BC Forest Service 99 Mile Ski Trails, 100 Mile House

Host Club: 100 Mile Nordics

Entry Deadline: Tuesday, Jan 3, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. Late entries will not be accepted.

Full race notice details and registration are available at www.100milenordics.com

BC Cup #2 Race Notice

Dates: Saturday, Jan 21, 2006 (Interval Start, Free Technique; Sunday, Jan 22, 2006 (Mass Start, Classic Technique)

Location: Telemark Cross Country Ski Area, Westbank, BC (25 km west of Kelowna)

Host Club: Telemark Cross Country Ski Club

Entry Deadline: Tuesday, Jan 17, 2006 at 8:00 p.m. Late entries will not be accepted.

Full race notice details and registration are available at www.telemarkx-c.com

Cariboo Marathon*

The Nordic Racers will be heading up to The Hills Health Ranch and Spa for a weekend of great Cariboo skiing (Feb 10-11). The Cariboo Marathon is on the same weekend too! You can ski 20, 30, or 50 km, or just ski at your leisure and stop for a martini and enjoy the scenery at BC's biggest loppet! Cost is $65 for two nights' accommodation in a rustic cabin with kitchen facilities.

Register online for accommodations (only). For more information contact Jamie Stirling at stirling@hayco.com.

Manning Park Bus Trip*

Need a change of scenery? Then join the Nordic Racers on Sunday, January 29th, 2006 and enjoy a day of skiing at beautiful Manning Park. The cost is $45 and includes your Manning Park trail ticket and transportation on a luxury bus.

The Nordic Racers will also be hosting a fun 6 × 1.5 km classic team relay race around the lodge. The buses fill up quickly, so the earlier you reserve your seat the better!

For more details, check out http://www.nordicracers.bc.ca/events/#manning and register online via Sporg.

Cascade Cup at Manning Park*

We all love the Cascade Cup at Manning Park - and not just because it's a Nordic Racer hosted event! This year we have booked accommodations so that you don't have to spend nearly 2.5 hours in your car prior to the race! The cost is $55 for two nights' accommodation (March 3-4).

Register online via Sporg for accommodations (only). For further information, contact Jamie Stirling at stirling@hayco.com.

Tuesday Night Races Need You!

The blazing Tuesday Night Races are already underway for the 2005-06 season. This year's focus is to attract more skiers - not just the racers! These races are designed for fun and with less emphasis on who crosses the finish line first.

Everyone is welcome! Each race has a unique theme that will appeal to all cross-country skiing enthusiasts. The start time is 7:00 p.m. (sharp) at Hollyburn Lodge, with sign-up at 6:30. Cost is $2.

A Cypress trail ticket must be purchased (or you must have a Cypress Season Pass) and a Cypress Waiver must be signed.

Yoko Poles is once again the proud sponsor. For complete race info, schedule and results, check out www.skiingbc.info/pages/nordic/tuesdaynight/.

The Holly Burn Club Race*

The XC ski races in 2010 will be (1) traditional relay, (2) sprints, (3) sprint relay, (4) continuous pursuit, (5) mass start and (6) individual start. If you are like most skiers, you haven't even heard of some of these formats.

Over the next few years we want to give everybody the opportunity to experience these formats.

What will be the format for the Holly Burn 2006? Stay tuned! If you are interested in learning about these new race formats, then join the Holly Burn Race Committee as we tackle yet another exciting new race format.

If you'd like to join the Holly Burn Race Committee, please e-mail Tony.

Community Bulletins

Project Podium - Support the Canadian Olympic Team

The 14-month 2006 Project Podium Calendar contains an incredible lineup of skiing, racing and backcountry photos in a new landscape format, combined to provide an exciting way for Canadians to support their Olympic Team in 2006 and the dream of the podium in 2010.

The inclusion of a free pullout poster featuring National Ski Team 2006, 2010 and 2014, and a page of useful coupons make the calendar a must have for all ski enthusiasts.

Included in this year's special Olympic edition are photos from last season's best ever World Ski Championships, and a pullout poster featuring team bios and photos.

To order your calendar check out the Cross Country Canada online store at http://cccski.com

The Wax Hut

The Three "S's" of Ski Prep

Scour, soak and saturate: inexpensive ski prep that everyone can do!

If your bases are hard and white then your bases have oxidized and will be slow on the snow. Spend a few dollars and buy a Scotchbrite medium or heavy duty pad and a light duty pad. Wrap a cork or a hand brush with the green pad and scour the base. It may leave scratch marks on the base, but take that as a sign that a thin layer of the oxidized base has been removed. Proceed to wrap the cork or hand brush with the white pad and aggressively scour the base. This removes the scratches and leaves a smoother looking base.

You will also want to remove some of the dirt and old wax that has accumulated in the base. Get a block of the softest wax that doesn't contain any additives: i.e., white paraffin wax. Melt this wax into the base - really soak it in! Then wipe off wax with a paper towel while it is still wet. Repeat this several times. The warm, liquid wax will pull out any old wax in the base. Now you have a clean, fresh base to work with, and your skis are ready to be saturated with your preferred wax (I use an inexpensive red wax). Iron, scrape and brush your skis repeatedly. For fast skis, repeat this process many times, as each time you do this the wax will saturate a little deeper into the base.

Your skis are now ready to receive the wax of the day that is appropriate for the snow type and temperature to ensure plenty of glide!

-Tony Chin-

Did you enjoy watching the World Cup races at the Sovereign Lake and Canmore Nordic Centres? Send a personal message to CBC at cbctvsports@toronto.cbc.ca advocating for more Nordic sports coverage.

World Cup Coverage on CBC

CBC Television has provided national coverage of the Nordic World Cups from Vernon and Canmore in December, featuring Canada's best in Cross Country over three weekends on CBC Sports Saturday.

Coverage focused on the 15 km & 30 km Pursuit competitions from Sovereign Lake (Vernon) on December 10th and the Mass Start 15 km and 30 km competitions from Canmore on December 17th.

No need to worry if you missed the coverage during the World Cup weekends as the CBC will be airing a complete package of those events from both World Cups on Saturday, December 24th.

The CBC will be putting the sprints into the spotlight! Check out the tentative CBC schedule on CCC's website www.cccski.com

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Podium at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre

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Loppet Schedule 2005/06

DECEMBER

December 30: BC Winter Games Trials, Zone #2 (Okanagan), Kamloops, BC

JANUARY

January 2: BC Winter Games Trials, Zones #3, 4 and 5 (Lower Mainland), West Vancouver

January 5-8: NorAm/World Junior/U23 Championships Trials, Val Cartier, QC (Interval Start, Sprint, Pursuit)

January 7-8: BC Cup #1, BC Cup Series, College/University Series/Junior Sprint Series #1, 100 Mile House, BC (Sprint, Mass Start)

January 14: Reino Keski Salmi Loppet, Salmon Arm, BC (Classic Technique)

January 21-22: BC Cup #2, BC Cup Series, College/University Series, Kelowna, BC (Interval Start, Mass Start)

January 22: Overlander Ski Marathon, Kamloops, BC (Free Technique)

January 28: Kelowna Apple Loppet, Kelowna, BC (Free Technique)

January 28-29: Coast Cup #2 & 3, Mount Washington, BC (Coast Cup Series - Mass, Interval Start)

January 29: Nordic Racer Challenge, Manning Park, BC (Team Sprint)

FEBRUARY

February 1-5: World Junior & U23 Championships, Kranj, Slovenia

February 4: Nickel Plate Loppet, Penticton, BC (Classic Technique)

February 11: Canadian Birkebeiner, Edmonton, AB (Classic Technique)

February 11: Cariboo Marathon, 100 Mile House, BC (Classic Technique)

February 11: Coast Cup #4, Pemberton, BC (Sprints)

February 12: Coast Cup #5, Whistler, BC (Interval Start)

February 23-26: BC Winter Games, Rossland BC (Interval, Sprint, Relay)

February 26: Whistler Loppet, The Western Edge, Whistler, BC (Free Technique)

MARCH

March 4: Cascade Cup Marathon, Manning Park, BC (Classic Technique)

March 11: Sovereign Lake Loppet, Vernon, BC (Classic Technique)

March 25: The Holly Burn, West Vancouver, BC (Free Technique)

Check out Cross Country BC's competition schedule for complete information, including licence requirements, at www.crosscountrybc.ca.

Buy and Sell

[See our separate buy and sell web page. Ad space in our newsletter and on our website is free for club members; contact Feng at 604-738-5695 or fengski@yahoo.ca for details.]