Nordic Racers Ski Club:
The Leading Edge,
January 2006

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In This Issue:
Canadian Women Kick Some Butt | Club & Other Events | Hollyburn Hot Chocolate | Upcoming Loppets, Race Notices and Trips | Uller's Winter Triathlon | Club Members In the News | What Nordic Personality Are You? | Loppet Schedule 2006 | 2006 Winter Olympic Games Cross-Country Schedule | Buy and Sell

Click images to enlarge

Photo credits from top to bottom: Beckie and Sara post-victory pose at Sovereign Lake (Anthony Knez); Beckie and Sara share the podium - Individual Sprints (Mark Simpson); Men's Individual Sprints (Mark Simpson); German men on podium - Men's 30 km Pursuit (Anthony Knez)

Canadian Women Kick Some Butt

More photos and observations from last month's exciting Viessman World Cup at Sovereign Lake

I was thrilled to watch some world class skiing recently at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre as Beckie and Sara did us proud with several podium visits during two exciting days of racing. Here are some quick technical observations:

• The racers who included two skate in the their sprint race after gaining top speed with one skate always did well.
• The amount of bending at the knees in double poling was different from nation to nation.
• There was very little rotation in any of the skating manoeuvres.
• Sprint racers are built differently from long distance skiers; there is a new breed of Nordic skier emerging.
• Despite the best efforts of the dynamic women in my ski club, the Italian men preferred dancing with each other in the saloon.

We were lucky to have racers of this calibre in our neighbourhood. I was also quite lucky to bump into some World Cup racers out training on the trails. They were all very friendly and all were skiing quite slowly for training. So remember, train slow, long and strong to build good technique, then crank up the tempo on race day.

-Mark Simpson-

Beckie Scott, Sara Renner and the rest of the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team left for Europe on January 9th to participate in three World Cup stops before heading to Torino, Italy for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. The Canadian Olympic Committee will officially name the entire Canadian Olympic Team on January 26, 2006. The first cross-country skiing events scheduled at the Torino Olympics will be the Women's 15 km Pursuit and the Men's 30 km Pursuit on February 12, 2006. **See the Olympic cross-country skiing schedule**

Club and Other Events

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

Hollyburn Hot Chocolate*

Every Wednesday evening 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 race-specific 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.

2006 Spoke/Overlander Ski Marathon

Highlights for this year's event includes $7000 in race and draw prizes, and a Kid's Race!

Date: Sunday, January 22, 2006 (10/30/50 km Free Technique)

Location: Stake Lake Nordic Centre, Kamloops, BC

Host Club: Overlander Ski Club

Entry Deadline: online until January 21st.

Full race notice details and registration are available at www.overlanderskiclub.com/skimarathon.html

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 × 1.1 km classic team sprint 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.

BC Cup Sprint Championships

Dates: Saturday, Feb 4, 2006 (Individual Start, Classic Technique); Sunday, Feb 5, 2006 (Team Sprint, Free Technique)

Location: Stake Lake Nordic Centre, Kamloops, BC

Host Club: Overlander Ski Club

Entry Deadline: Tuesday, Jan 31, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. Late entries will not be accepted.

Full race notice details and registration are available at www.overlanderskiclub.com/Sprintchamps06.htm

Cariboo Marathon*

The Nordic Racers will be heading up to The Hills Health Ranch and Spa for a weekend of great Cariboo skiing on Feb 10-11, 2006. 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.

7th Annual Uller's Winter Triathlon

Uller, the Norse God of snow and master of the skis and the bow (legend says he was also a ladies' man to boot) beckons you to Apex Mountain for the 7th Annual Uller's Winter Triathlon.

Test your prowess and speed in this mountain bike (12 km), cross-country (10 km) and snowshoe (8 km) triathlon style event.

Date: Saturday, Feb 11, 2006

Location: Apex Mountain Resort

Entry Deadline: online until January 21st.

For event information and registration contact Lisa at lisa@apexresort.com

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 from March 3-4, 2006.

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

Mt. Washington Ski Trip*

The Nordic Racers will head to Mt. Washington for the Vancouver Island Loppet on the March 18th, 2006 weekend, so keep your calendars open to attend this free-technique loppet.

Note: Race registration is not included with club accommodations! You must register separately to take part in the loppet. Register online for accommodations via Sporg.

Tuesday Night Races at Cypress Mountain!

Don't let the rain scare you away! Cypress has snow (finally) and the Tuesday Night Races are back on track for the 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 p.m. Cost is $2.

A Cypress trail ticket must be purchased and a Cypress Waiver must be signed.

For complete info 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. What will be the format for the Holly Burn 2006 on March 25th? Stay tuned!

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

Club Members Making the News

BC Cup #1 Interval Start - Classic

Several members of the Nordic Racers participated in the BC Cup #1 competition on January 7th at the 99 Mile Ski Trails near 100 Mile House. The results are as follows:

Junior Girls 5 km - Classic

• Zoe Braul - 0:18:09

Juvenille Boys 5 km - Classic

• Alistair Hardy-Poirier - 0:17:48

Master Men's 10 km - Classic

• Barton Pietras - 0:46:46

Reino Keski-Salmi Loppet

A healthy contingent of Nordic Racers attended the 22nd Annual Reino Keski-Salmi Loppet, loppet at Larch Hills Ski area on Saturday, Jan 14th. The Nordic Racer results are as follows for the 36 km (classic) distance:

Name	Time	In Class
Lars Ole Valøen	1:57:29	5
Hakan Lillquist	2:21:49	2
Gerry Furseth	2:27:35	11
Lars Sjöblom	2:29:18	13
Magnus Johansson	2:30:09	14
Colin Gray	2:35:19	20
Barton Pietras	2:37:49	15
Silke Gumplinger	2:47:50	7
Peter Gumplinger	2:55:52	20
Georgia Heraty	2:58:27	6
Philippa Wall	3:01:29	2
Magnus Bratlien	3:05:32	3
Dominique Barabé	3:09:22	10
Charles Hamfeldt	3:16:18	10
Julian Douglass	3:28:25	18
Andrea Weiss	3:28:25	11

What Nordic Personality Are You?

Click image to enlarge

Italian skier Cristian Zorzi cries after not advancing to the finals at the 2005 Silver Star Night Sprints - definitely Type #1 (photo: Marina Knez)

#1 You are the high achieving type who, at the end of a busy workday, races up the mountain (with or without snow tires) to do interval training, then you go into the lodge for a gigantuous carb-load.

Because you tend to shovel your food, spaghetti dinners can be particularly unpleasant to watch. Your nose drips a lot too.

#2 You are social, and spend more time yacking than skiing.

You are the type who drives home from Cypress, with a cell phone in one hand, while turning up the volume to "I believe in miracles, where ya from, you sexy thaing!"

Some people mistake you for a movie star.

#3 You like gear, and especially funny hats, like the woolen ones that have the built-in ear muffs and visor.

You like to carry a big pack, so you have a flashlight, an extra fleece and granola bars just in case you get lost in the dark up at Cypress.

With more x-c experience, you are likely to join the x-c club executive and purchase expensive timing equipment. You blink a lot.

#4 Because you are so laid back, some people mistake you for a squeegee kid.

But fortunately you were raised in a good home, and everybody likes you, because you give out extra tickets when you volunteer at the Nordic Racer hot chocolate night.

Had your fate not been so, you probably would have drifted into some alternate form of recreation like smoking drugs. You're a bit accident prone.

Which personality type are you?

-Andrea Heal-

Loppet Schedule 2006

JANUARY

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 (Relay / Continuous Pursuit)

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) Cancelled

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.

2006 Winter Olympic Games Cross-Country Schedule

February 12: Women's 15 km Pursuit Men's 30 km Pursuit February 14: Women's Team Sprint Men's Team Sprint February 16: Women's 10 km Classic February 17: Men's 15 km Classic February 18: Women's 4 × 5 km Relay

February 19: Men's 4 × 10 km Relay February 22: Women's Sprint Men's Sprint February 24: Women's 30 km Free, Mass Start February 26: Men's 50 km Free, Mass Start www.torino2006.org for details

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.]