Nordic Racers Ski Club:
The Leading Edge,
December 2006

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In This Issue:
Vancouver 2010 Nordic Update | Club & Other Events | Hollyburn Hot Chocolate | Learn to Loppet Programs | Personal Coaching | Adult Race Team | Manning Park Trip | Cariboo Marathon Trip | Officials Course Schedule | Silver Star Pics | Ice Breaker Dance Pics | Loppet Schedule | Volunteer at IPC World Cup

Vancouver 2010 Nordic Update

Beautiful Callaghan Valley, located 20 km from Whistler, will welcome the world to the Nordic Competition Venue for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The area will host cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon, and Nordic combined as well as the Paralympic Nordic events.

Construction crews are on schedule to complete the venue by mid-2007 with a much anticipated public opening in December 2007. This gives athletes and officials, event and technical organizers from the Lower Mainland two years of much needed training time before the Games begin on February 12, 2010.

The Nordic Competition Venue encompasses about 250 hectares and will include nearly 14 kilometres of competition trails, a four kilometre biathlon loop, and eight kilometres of training trails.

The total capacity of the Nordic Centre is 30,000 people; spectator compounds will have 5000 seats and there will be standing room for 7000. Satisfying media and broadcast requirements will be paramount for the organizers as they have allocated separate compounds for each with 500 work stations slated for media use alone.

Get Involved!

Training and Test Events Calendar Jan 2008: NorAm/BC Cup (cc) Mar 2008: National Championship (cc) Feb 2009: World Cup Ski Jumping / Nordic Combined Mar 2009: World Cup Biathlon Mar 2009: World Cup Cross-Country Skiing Mar 2009: World Cup Para Nordic

Interested in volunteering? Contact Marina for CCBC application and info.

Volunteers will be an integral part of the Games and will help ensure that the competitions run smoothly and the Games are successful. Overall, 1500 people per day are needed for the Nordic venue alone.

Breaking down the volunteer requirements looks something like this: 250 general volunteers, 200 staff volunteers, and about 650 sport technical volunteers. Of these 650 sport technical volunteers, 250 will be needed for cross-country, 250 for biathlon and between 150 and 200 for ski jumping. Anyone interested in becoming a sport technical or non-technical volunteer is encouraged to fill out the CCBC volunteer application form.

Training and test events in Callaghan will begin in 2008 and volunteering at these events is the best way to gain experience for 2010! (Check out the upcoming IPC World Cup volunteer opportunities).

Legacy Plans

Current legacy plans will allow the Nordic venue to be used by local residents, visitors and elite athletes alike. This includes the development of approximately 25 kilometres of recreational trails and sport development programming.

Club Activities, Events and Ski Trips

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

Hollyburn Hot Chocolate*

Be sure to drop by Hollyburn Lodge between 7:45 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. every Wednesday evening throughout the ski season and pick up a free hot chocolate token from your Nordic Racer host.

If you'd like to be a host, please contact Rosie Cooper. Hosting duties involve about 45 minutes (for two hosts per night) sitting by the fire.

Hot Chocolate nights will begin January 3, 2007.

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

Learn to Loppet*

Learn to Loppet is starting up again in January 2007. What is L2L?

This program is for skiers who want to develop the technical and mental skills to perform well at loppets, the popular mass-start ski marathons. If you're a beginner racer (but not a beginner skier), Learn to Loppet may be for you. The Classic clinic starts on January 10th, and will run for four consecutive Wednesdays. The cost is $75.00.

Learn to Loppet Advanced

Have you completed at least one Learn to Loppet course or participated in a few loppets? If so, then the Learn to Loppet Advanced program may be for you. The course concentrates on fine-tuning technique and race-specific skills. Participants are expected to have a good fitness level and good basic technique.

Advanced Classic starts on January 11 and runs on two Thursdays at Cypress with an additional weekend day at Manning Park or Whistler. L2L skate clinics start in February. The cost is $75.00.

For complete details and registration information check out the website.

Adult Racing Program*

Would you like a change from doing loppets or need to experience a different type of race? Are you looking for shorter races to test your mettle? Join the Adult Race Team! That's right, these races are NOT just for the young — they're for all ages. The BC Cup races are Olympic-style races with shorter distances and a variety of start formats.

The Race Teams meet at Cypress on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. for training. Participants are expected to race at BC Cup races; a coach will accompany the teams and provide coaching and wax support at these races. The fee is $150 for the ski season. This includes coaching only; travel expenses are extra.

Contact coach Jamie Stirling for details and schedule.

Personal Coaching*

Take your skiing to the next level with a program tailored exactly to your needs. CANSI-certified coaches Tony Chin and Jamie Stirling are now offering personal coaching for club members. The cost is $600 for masters and $150 for juniors. The program includes:

• on-line training diary ($25 value)
• feedback on training (for six months)
• goal setting session
• fitness testing
• personal training plan (YPI)
• support at three BC Cup races
• minimum two private on-snow technique sessions

If you are interested in competing in the BC Cup Races and/or need personal coaching / race coaching, masters (adults) should contact Jamie Stirling and juniors should contact Paul Heraty for more details.

Manning Park Trip*

Join the Nordic Racers on Sunday, February 18th, 2007 and enjoy a day of skiing at beautiful Manning Park. The cost ($49) will include your Manning Park trail ticket and transportation on a luxury bus.

The Nordic Racers will also be hosting the annual Nordic Racer Cup — a fun classic team sprint relay race on the same day!

For more details, see the events webpage.

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 2-4, 2007. The Cariboo Marathon is on the same weekend too! You can ski 20, 30, or 50 km, or just ski at your leisure and enjoy the scenery at BC's biggest loppet!

Check out the events webpage for forthcoming trip details and cost information.

Mt. Washington Ski Trip*

The Nordic Racers will head to Mt. Washington for the Vancouver Island Loppet on the weekend of March 31, 2007, so keep your calendars open to attend this free-technique loppet or just ski for fun. Accommodations will be at Strathcona Park Lodge.

Stay tuned for further trip details and cost information.

Officials Course Schedule

Interested in becoming a cross-country official? There is one more Level 1 officials course for the season, from January 19 to 20 in Courtenay, BC.

For more information and to register contact Valerie Wooten-O'Neill at 250-339-5202.

Silver Star Trip November 2006

Silver Star Mountain Resort and Sovereign Lake's world-class trail system and fabulous weather welcomed nearly 100 Nordic Racers to the club's annual early season weekend camp. Photos courtesy of Brian Hardie

Chit chat on the trails

Feng and Josée on the move

Wiggin' out at The Saloon

White-knuckle ride back to Vancouver

Many thanks to trip organizer Teri Martin and ski camp coaches / instructors Lars Ole Valøen, Mark Simpson, Jamie Stirling, Tony Chin, David McKee, TK Campbell, Jeff Teachman and Tania Armstrong for making this year's Silver Star trip another success!

Ice Breaker Halloween Dance

Over 80 people packed the Vancouver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club and got their ghoul on at the club's annual Ice Breaker Halloween dance / social. This year's event featured hot world beat DJ Tarun “Tspoon” spinnin' the tunes and bhangra drummers. A big thank you to event organizer and hostess Rosie Cooper, décor and prize wrangler Eva Psenicka and all the event volunteers! Photos courtesy of Brian Hardie

The ever effervescent Rosie

Meet the coaches!	“Gee whiz these XC skiers sure can rock. And that Amazon blond is sooo hot!”

Loppet / Race Schedule 2007

DECEMBER

December 16: Coast Cup #1, Coast Cup Series, Cypress Mountain

December 28-29: Canada Winter Games Trials, Smithers, BC (Interval Start, Sprint)

JANUARY

January 4-7: Nor Ams / World Junior / U23 World Championship Trials, Nor Am Canada Cup Series, Rossland, BC (Interval Start, Sprint, Pursuit, Adaptive Skiing)

January 14: Kelowna Apple Loppet, Interior Loppet Series, Kelowna, BC (Free Technique)

January 20: Reino Keski Salmi Loppet, Interior Loppet Series, Salmon Arm, BC (Classic Technique)

January 20-21: BC Cup #1, BC Cup Series, 100 Mile House, BC (Interval, Mass Start)

January 20-21: Nor Am / WSC Trials-P1, Nor Am Canada Cup Series, Canmore, AB (Sprint)

January 27-28: Coast Cup #2 & 3, Coast Cup Series, Mt. Washington, BC (Team Sprint, Interval Start)

January 28: Overlander Ski Marathon, Interior Loppet Series, Kamloops, BC (Free Technique)

January 29: Tips Up Cup, Vernon, BC (Free Technique)

FEBRUARY

February 3: Cariboo Marathon, 100 Mile House, BC (Classic Technique)

February 4-11: Canadian Masters Championships / Black Jack Loppet (FT), Salomon Marathon Cup Series, Rossland, BC

February 10-11: Canadian Birkebeiner, Edmonton, AB (Classic Technique)

February 11: Whistler Loppet, Whistler, BC (Free Technique)

February 17: Nickel Plate Loppet, Interior Loppet Series, Penticton, BC (Classic Technique)

February 17: Coast Cup #4, Coast Cup Series, Pemberton, BC (Sprints)

February 18: Nordic Racer Cup, Manning Park, BC (Team Sprint)

February 18: Coast Cup #5, Coast Cup Series, Whistler, BC (Interval Start)

MARCH

March 3: Cascade Cup Marathon, Manning Park, BC (Classic Technique)

March 3: Sovereign Lake Loppet, Interior Loppet Series, Vernon, BC (Free Technique)

March 4: Spud Valley Lake Loppet, Pemberton, BC (Classic Technique)

March 24: The Holly Burn, Cypress Mountain, BC

March 31: Vancouver Island Loppet, Mt. Washington, BC (Free Technique)