CANMORE, Alta. — Cross Country Ski de fond Canada’s Events Committee is pleased to announce the Sovereign Lake Nordic Ski Club in Vernon, B.C. will play host to the 2020 Canadian Ski Championships in March 2020.
Clubs throughout the area, including Sovereign Lake, Larch Hills in Salmon Arm, Telemark out of Kelowna and Kimberley along with Black Jack from the Kootenay’s and Revelstoke have continued to support high-performance racing programs over the last 10 seasons.
“Sovereign Lake Nordic has played a critical role in providing Canadian cross-country skiers access to snow early in the season as the anchor to our NorAm program,” said Dave Dyer, CCC’s events director. “It was time we finished the season off in the same style as we have become accustomed to every December by going back to the Vernon region for our national championships.”
Dyer added the Selection Committee was especially impressed with the evolution of the leadership group and dedicated staff at Sovereign Lake Nordic.
The premier event on the 2020 domestic race calendar will fall immediately after the World Cup Finals in Canmore, Alta., March 20, 2020.
Homologated in 2005 to meet FIS standards in preparation for the return of the FIS World Cup to Canada, the trails at Sovereign Lake will provide a variety of options for both senior and junior skiers at the 94th running of the Canadian Ski Championships event.
“SLNC last hosted the Canadian Ski Championships in 1995 making the 2020 Nationals Campaign the 25th Anniversary of that event. An annual stop on the Haywood NorAm circuit each December, hosting other world-class events such as the 2005 World Cup and 2011 World Masters Championships, SLNC is poised to once again welcome our country’s top athletes during these eight days of racing,” said Pat Pearce, Chair of the Bid Committee. “The Organizing Committee is excited to get to work on its tasks to host the 2020 Canadian Ski National Championships.”
Located just 22 km from downtown Vernon, and 50 minutes from Kelowna International Airport, at an elevation of 1667m, Sovereign Lake Nordic Club and Silver Star Mountain Resort together provide over 105km of daily groomed Nordic ski trails. Its high elevation, moderate winter temperatures, world-class grooming and outstanding early and late season ski conditions provide some of the best cross-country skiing in the world.
SLNC is the largest not-for-profit ski club in North America, founded in 1974, with backcountry skiing roots dating back to the early 1930’s. With over 1850 members and a thriving Youth and Master’s program of over 340, Sovereign operates a full-service facility with night skiing, large rental/retail shop and tuning services. We host over 29,000 visitors annually and offer a busy S’Cool Ski Program for more than 1700 local children across three school districts.
The 2019 Canadian Ski Championships will be held at the Nakkertok Nordic Centre, March 13 – 20, 2019. A two-day pursuit will lead off an action-packed week of domestic racing prior to the World Cup Finals slated for Quebec City.
Sovereign Lake Nordic Club is seeking a highly motivated and skilled coach available for full-time employment effective September 5th, 2017. This position offers an annually renewable contract with fair compensation package. The Club Coach position is not reliant on grant funds, offering stable and secure employment. Compensation is based on experience, abilities, certifications and track record of coaching athletes at a National Level.
Sovereign Lake Nordic Club offers the largest daily groomed network of ski trails in Canada (with partner SilverStar), is among the largest clubs in the province (with over 1650 members) and sits at a high elevation providing exceptional skiing conditions for 8 months a year. This past season, club members skied from October 14th through to June 4th on 100% natural snow. SLNC has an exceptional track record of hosting world class racing events including the 2011 World Masters Championships, the 2005 World Cup and annual NorAm.
Vernon, B.C., is a small city providing exceptional amenities with endless outdoor recreation opportunities taking place on three lakes, over 200km of hiking and biking trails, endless paved country roads and world class cross country and downhill skiing.
Resumes will be accepted until Sunday, August 13th. Please provide 3 industry references and 2 personal references. Click here for the Club Coach Job Description. For more information please contact Troy Hudson (SLNC General Manager) at (250) 558-8916 cell, or by email at troy@sovereignlake.com.
The BC development team getting ready to ski out of the biathlon stadium at Whistler Olympic Park last weekend.
While most people have moved on to other sports by May, the more obsessive skiers are starting the new training year on snow.
Canada’s “first” cross-country ski “races” of the 2017/2018 season were held on May 6. “First” because, while we haven’t exhaustively researched this, it was the first Saturday after May 1, which is the traditional new year for the Northern Hemisphere. “Races” is also a bit misleading as most athletes were viewing the events as an opportunity to do some intensity.
Here then, in the order which photos arrived, are the places where people are skiing in May. Did we miss one? Share in the comments below or email photos with caption and credit info to info@fasterskier.com.
Sovereign Lake, Vernon, B.C.
The Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre (SLNC) re-opened from May 4 to 7 for the Spring Fling camp and the “SLNC 1st Annual Pushups Classic Time Trial” race. The May camp has been running for years, but was moved to earlier in the month to ensure prime conditions. A number of clubs brought athletes out for technique lessons and long snow sessions. Canmore Nordic broke the pattern by focussing on low-elevation training with shorter training sessions. As the Canmore athletes live at 1,400 metres above sea level, the opportunity to train at 400 metres was more exciting than skiing at 1,700 metres.
The first day of camp on May 4 was a warm one, but the 16 k of trails held up well.
Julien Locke (Canadian National U25 Team) disappearing into the mist.
Three generations of Williams (Madeleine Williams, her baby and her parents) enjoying the sun and snow.
Canmore Nordic found bluebird skies and fresh tracks.
Graham Nishikawa smiling early on the first of four long ski days for him.
+17 C on Thursday, May 4, 30mm of rain on Friday, May 5, fresh snow on Saturday morning, and this salamander doesn’t care because he skipped the time trial.
SLNC General Manager Troy Hudson (second from left) explaining the race rules to Gareth Williams, Annika Richardson and others on May 6 at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre.
If the stairs are reappearing, it must be spring!
Sovereign Lake closing day: May 7, and the last set track here until November. (Photo: Troy Hudson)
Canmore, Alberta
The Canmore Nordic Centre lost its snow at the end of April, but Sunshine Meadows just a short drive west in Banff National Park hosted a large group of skiers starting May 9. Ivan Babikov is leading a training block for the Canmore-based national team members, Chris Jeffries has the Alberta World Cup Academy crew, and a number of other groups are there as well.
OK, not in Canada, but Canadians Dahria Beatty and Russell Kennedy went and enjoyed some superb skiing conditions. They raced at Bysprinten in Mosjøen, Norway, and then moved on to Sjusjøen’s 100 kilometres of trails.
Dahria Beatty and Russell Kennedy in Sjusjøen in early May. (Courtesy photo)
Russell Kennedy, Annika Taylor, Dahria Beatty, Brian Gregg, Caitlin Gregg in the Susjøen stadium. (Photo: Russell Kennedy)
Dahria Beatty, Russell Kennedy, and friends enjoying some spring skiing in Norway in early May. (Photo: Dahria Beatty)
Kennedy and friends skiing on a warm May day in Sjusjøen. (Photo: Russell Kennedy)
Russell Kennedy enjoying May sunshine in Sjusjøen. (Photo: Russell Kennedy)
Dahria Beatty in Norway in early May. (Photo: Dahria Beatty)
Sun, snow and Norwegian friends. (Photo: Russell Kennedy)
Menihek, Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador
The Menihek Nordic Ski Club is officially closed, but has snow and will set track for Mother’s Day, according to club president Gerry Rideout.
Menihek “Happy Trails” on April 21. (Photo: Gerry Rideout)
Whistler Olympic Park, Whistler, B.C.
This venue is closed to the public, but has been hosting camps on natural snow. Biathlon got the first weekend of May and cross-country has the Victoria Day weekend. These photos are from the biathlon camp on the Olympic trails, mostly below 900 metres in elevation.
The XC stadium in May sunshine.
The BC Development team getting ready to ski out of the biathlon stadium at Whistler Olympic Park last weekend.
Skiers on the connector trail between Whistler’s biathlon and XC Olympic trails.
The low bridge on the Olympic XC trails.
The Hub, an intersection that leads to the lower trails, closed in April.
800 meters from the finish of the Olympic blue loop, with just Hermod’s Hill to go.
The view from Hermod’s Hill. (Yes, John Aalberg and Hermod Bjørkestøl designed these trails, too.)
“Callaghan Gold” got its name the first (trial) season in which WOP started storing snow in 2013. Sawdust (seen here in early May 2017) was used to cover the snow over the summer and discoloured it. Expect white snow this October.
Sovereign Lake General Manager Troy Hudson (second from left) explains the rules of a time-trial format he came up with the night before on May 6 at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre near Vernon, B.C. (Photo: Gerry Furseth)
On May 6, Sovereign Lake hosted a classic time trial with a twist.
Instead of using a standard interval start, each skier drew a number, did that many pushups, put their skis on, and started the 5-kilometre, one-lap course. When one skier hit the 5-metre line, the next skier stepped up to the pushup station.
Troy Hudson, general manager of the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club (SLNC), came up with the format the night before, so the special equipment was all improvised. The numbers 1 to 10 were written on plastic coffee spoons drawn from a coffee cup. The pushup station was a floor mat from the entrance of the day lodge. Start and finish times were taken from the interval start clock (the club has one, and it’s easier than keeping your phone from going to sleep at crucial moments).
At the start line, Hudson explained the rules, had Telemark’s Gareth Williams (named to the national U25 Team the night before) demonstrate, and then started Annika Richardson (of the national junior team, NTDC Thunder Bay and Hollyburn Ski Club) precisely at the 10 a.m. start time.
Attentive viewers will notice that Richardson (1) and her Hollyburn teammate Jenna Sim (5) did 10 pushups, while Telemark coach Adam Elliot (3) did one pushup. Evan Palmer-Charrette (9), of NTDC Thunder Bay, and Williams (11) both drew one pushup, which makes for a fast start sequence, which is even faster as there is no delay for missing bibs. The video ends suddenly when the videographer realizes that his own start (18) would go smoother with no phone, two gloves and some skis.
“It wasn’t a race, it was a blast!” Graham Nishikawa, a guide for Canada’s Para-Nordic Ski Team, said after.
Nishikawa and Palmer-Charrette both did two 5 k laps at a target heart rate to suit their training goals during a volume block. A Sovereign board member participated on skin skis borrowed from the rental pool as she was skating that day. One of the local masters worked on striding technique at 5 k race tempo instead of the 30 k race tempo used during the loppet season. Most entrants were in the middle of a volume block on snow and many had skied at least an hour before the start.
Williams and Richardson ‘won’ the event and got the glory: a seat in the winner’s chair:
Gareth Williams (l) and Annika Richardson (r) soaking up the glory of their time-trial wins on Saturday, May 6 at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre near Vernon, B.C. (Photo: Troy Hudson)Sometimes you don’t need to be digital. (Photo: Troy Hudson)
“I wish I had slightly bigger baskets, then it would have been ideal!” Palmer-Charrette said of the on the course conditions, right before he realized a large part of his pole basket had broken off.
“It was my first time trial on skin skis, only because I forgot my other skis,” Nishikawa explained.
Will there be a second-annual SLNC pushups classic time trial? Absolutely. Unless Hudson thinks of something even more fun.
Sun stretches over the hills during a cross-country lesson at Crested Butte in Colorado. The nordic center there is hosting its annual Crested Butte Nordic Thanksgiving Camp from Thursday to Sunday. (Photo: Xavier Fane)
We’ve been hearing about West Yellowstone since, well, the U.S. Ski Team officially started its annual Fall Camp there in 1978. But surely, Montana’s southern tip can’t be the only place to get on snow this time of year…
That’s why we provided a guide to Thanksgiving on-snow camp venues in the U.S. and Canada (we realize this week isn’t Thanksgiving in Canada, but we’re sticking to areas that offer skiing around this week in late November for all intents and purposes). If we’re missing an early season camp, we apologize — it’s a big continent — but let us know so we can feature that camp in next year’s guide.
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What:Yellowstone Ski Festival
Where: West Yellowstone, Montana
Each year, the Rendezvous Ski Trails see hundreds of skiers each day during the Yellowstone Ski Festival on Thanksgiving week in West Yellowstone, Mont.
When: Tuesday, Nov. 24, to Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015
How many years running? 20+
Target audience: Masters and beginners (clinics available for both), as well as elite racers
Endurance United team members get ready for a day of skiing during a morning run in West Yellowstone, Mont., at this year’s 2015 Yellowstone Ski Festival. (Photo: Gabby Naranja)
Anticipated participation: An estimated 4,000-5,000 skiers throughout the week. “It varies from year to year depending on the snow conditions and the snow level,” West Yellowstone Ski Education Foundation Program Director Moira Dow explained. “Because we’ve gotten snow early this year and good snow, we have been able to get the word out. Like right now the trails are packed. We will probably have a lot of people coming for longer periods of time.”
Advance reservation required? Racers must preregister. Trails are open to public; trail pass required.
Grooming report: Essentially everything is open. “It’s full-coverage skiing on good skis with full tracks,” Dow said. More details | Webcam
Green Mountain Valley School nordic skiers meet up during a ski on the Rendezvous Ski Trails this week in West Yellowstone, Mont. (Photo: Gabby Naranja)
What makes this camp unique? “The number of trails and the quality of snow that we have. We’re one of the few places in the country that does have consistent, early, good snow. In addition to that, we have a lot of industry participation. And we have great evening programs for people. We have not just skiing, we have the full package for everybody and anyone, from the beginner skier who wants to get out on the snow for the first time, to the SuperTour elite athlete who can train at high altitude, and good snow in the early part of the season.”
Special events:
U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Bryan Fish and the former vice president of Fischer Skis U.S. nordic division, Peter Ashley, will be featured speakers
Freebies: “Everything at the indoor expo at night is free. Anybody who has a trail pass can get into the outdoor demo area for free. In addition, on Wednesday and Friday night we have ‘après-ski’… [with] complimentary adult beverages and junior beverages, sledding, some music, and fun stuff like that. Just a little bit more of a party atmosphere after the sun goes down and before the expo opens.”
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What:Crested Butte Nordic Thanksgiving Camp
Where: Crested Butte, Colorado
The Crested Butte Nordic Thanksgiving Camp, now in its 14th year, is a fundraiser for Crested Butte Nordic, a nonprofit dedicated to getting people on the local trails. (Photo: Xavier Fane)
Skiing at Crested Butte Nordic in Colorado. (Photo: Xavier Fane)
How many years running? 14 as an official organized camp: “Crested Butte has really good and reliable early season snow so the Nordic Center decided we should try to get folks to come here and get some instruction from our great instructors,” said Drew Holbrook, marketing director for Crested Butte Nordic and the Grand Traverse ski race. “We also have a wonderful venue for early season nordic skiing and we’ve been fortunate enough to have been on-snow every year.”
Target audience: All ages and abilities, “from never-evers to master blasters looking to improve their technique,” Holbrook said. “If parents are skiing along with children, kids ski free. All kids 17 and younger get free passes and rentals. And, actually, all season long we do that — people 17 and younger ski free. At the Thanksgiving Camp we also do free kids clinics. So if a parent is taking a clinic, then they can have their kids taken care of all day.
Anticipated participation: Several hundred skiers on the trails throughout the long weekend. For clinics, projecting 75-80 participants.
Advance reservation required? Pre-registration recommended for clinics.Nordic Center trail passes available any time. Skiing at Lily Lake, a 10 k early season trail system four miles up Kebler Pass Road, is free.
Trail pass rates: $18/day, skiers 17 & younger ski free. $130 for a 10-punch transferable pass.
Grooming report: With about a foot of snow at the venue in town, “it’s looking like in-town skiing for the camp,” Holbrook said. As of Tuesday, Ruthie’s Run (5-kilometer loop at the nordic center and up on the bench) and Lily Lake (six miles west of town up on the pass) were groomed. “We’ll have over 10 kilometers of high quality skiing available,” Holbrook added. More details
Here’s a deal: Kids 17 and under enjoy free rentals, passes and clinics at the Crested Butte Nordic Thanksgiving Camp. (Photo: Xavier Fane)
What makes this camp unique? “As a non-profit, our mission is to get people out on the trails skiing. We are not making a ton of money off it,” Holbrook said.
“We just want people to come here and use our trails and make it affordable. A lot of people come back year after year and work with the same instructor. They get to know each other and get to know the other people that come into camp. So it’s definitely got this small feel to it, it’s kind of personalized.”
Special events:
For the first time, a race (on Sunday): 5/10 k freestyle + kids’ race with new homologated course on Ruthie’s Run. “It’s engineered, seeded, and mowed,” Holbrook said. “Due to the engineering, we are able to groom the race course with a lot less snow than we used to need. That enables us to count on having this race and count on have a good race venue close to town.”
Winter Kick-Off Party (Saturday night): Fundraiser for Crested Butte Nordic, tickets $30/adult,$10/children.
Wax clinic, nutritional talk and Nov. 25 is opening day at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, with free skiing all day.
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What: CXC Thanksgiving Nordic Festival
Where: Telemark Trails in Cable, Wisconsin
After three nights of blowing snow, CXC Thanksgiving Nordic Festival organizers were ready to groom the Telemark Trails in Cable, Wis., on Nov. 22. (Photo: Facebook)
When: Wednesday, Nov. 25, to Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015
How many years running? First year. “Our goal for the festival is to show the template to other communities, what it takes to make snow … to provide a business and operations template to other places around the Midwest so they can do these festivals in late November and then have a reliable loop for the winter,” CXC Executive and Athletic Director Yuriy Gusev explained.
A 1 k loop was made and groomed for the first-annual CXC Thanksgiving Nordic Festival in Cable, Wis. (Photo: Facebook)
Target audience: All skiers; open to the public
Anticipated participation: Based on the camp’s Facebook page, at least 75 plan on attending, and Gusev estimated that paired with a local turnout would amount to 200-300 skiers. “We don’t want to make it a big deal … just to show the community this is an opportunity to ski,” he said.
Advance reservation required? Yes, for clinics (instructed by Gusev on Friday, Saturday and Sunday).Trails open to public.
Trail pass rates: $50 season passes, good for the festival and the whole winter. Trail passes can be purchased at www.cxcskiing.org/skipass, Telemark condominium office and Cable Area Chamber of Commerce Office.
Grooming report: Skiing on a 1 k loop at Telemark started on Sunday: “Usually there’s no natural snow this time of year, so our plan was to make snow,” Gusev said. “It just didn’t get cold like it normally does.” Once temperatures finally cooled late last week, the snowmaking crew was able to work on blowing and laying out a 1-kilometer manmade loop, some of which will be used for the 2016 Junior Nationals sprint course. More details
What makes this camp unique? “Anytime you have early snow, you stand out. I think it can be a key component to have this … to provide a reliable base for the rest of the winter, especially for youth programs where the snow is critical and also for entry-level participants. We’ve seen already with the couple snowmaking areas in the Twin Cities how much impact these have on the ski industry and local ski shops. They’ve been able to actually do relatively well in snowless winters.”
Special events: Fischer Demo
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What: Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Ski Camp
Where: Granby, Colorado
A November day at Snow Mountain Ranch, which opened for skiing earlier this month and remains open with 50 k groomed with a set track. (Courtesy photo)
How many years running? First time in recent years
Target audience: Beginner skiers to seasoned racers
Advance reservation required? Yes.
November skiing at Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, Colo. For the first time this year, a five-day camp was held for masters. It ended on Tuesday. (Courtesy photo)
Participation: Capped at 24. “Smaller is better from both a coaching and athlete viewpoint,” Snow Mountain Ranch’s Nordic Center Director Bill Pierce explained. In its first year with little marketing, the five-day camp attracted four athletes.
“It was really small, but it was great,” Pierce said. “It’s so early that people don’t expect there to be snow [when] it’s 60 degrees in Boulder. … We just want to put another option out there; a lot of skiers want to be on snow in early November and Denver is really easy to get to.”
Trail pass rates: $350 for the camp, includes all coaching sessions and day passes
Grooming report: 50 kilometers groomed and track-set. Snow Mountain Ranch started grooming Nov. 4 and opened for skiing on the 14th. According to Pierce, they have anywhere from a 4-5 inch base to 10 inches in some places. It was snowing there on Thanksgiving, with four inches of snow expected to fall today. More info | Webcam
What makes this camp unique? “This is the earliest masters camp in North America on-snow as a pre-Thanksgiving camp,” Pierce explained.
The idea was to run a masters camp similar to an elite or junior camp, with two-a-day sessions combining workouts and technique — all at 9,000 feet above sea level. The focus was on transitioning from dryland training to snow skiing, with an emphasis on technique and slow volume at high altitude.
With a small but mighty coaching staff (two of which are USSA certified), Pierce said the ability to work with athletes helps them set, understand and achieve skiing goals.
“We all speak the same language,” he said of the coaches. “You can go to a lot of places, and a lot of places you feel like you’re getting a lesson. There’s a difference between a lesson and coaching.”
“[This camp is] just another opportunity in the country to go skiing all day,” he added.
When: 2 1/2-day weekend and 5-day midweek camps (schedule):
A gaggle of skiers at a junior camp head out on the trails at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre on Nov. 14 in Vernon, British Columbia. Roughly 800 skiers took to the trails that day. Each winter, Sovereign Lake hosts a series of weekend and weekday camps, called SuperCamp. (Photo: Gerry Furseth)
Camp #1:Nov. 20-22
Camp #2: Nov. 23-27
Camp #3: Nov. 27-29 (with Pro-camp option)
Camp #4: Nov. 30-Dec. 4
Camp #5: Dec. 4-6
Camp #6: Jan. 15-17
Camp #7: Feb. 19-21
How many years running? 26 (The SuperCamp program started in 1989)
Target audience: All ages and skill levels from beginner to elite racer.
Advance reservation required? Yes.
Anticipated participation: Typically around 225 to 250 participants, hoping for 260 this year.
“In its heyday in the early ’90s [SuperCamp attracted] upwards of 400,” Sovereign Lake Nordic Center General Manager Troy Hudson explained. “We want to get back to those numbers by offering some great new initiatives like focussed Masters Pro camps for racers and more options such as the biathlon camps which are proving to be very popular.”
Trail pass rates: Dual area trail passes included in camp fee, ranges from $339 to $925 Canadian dollars per person (depending on length of camp, and half or full days). Pricing
VR40 blue-wax skiing on Nov. 16 at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre in Vernon, B.C. (Photo: Ryan Olson)
Grooming report: Sovereign Lake has 40 kilometers groomed and Silver Star has an additional 40 k open. More details (and webcam)
What makes this camp unique? “I’m often asked, what is Supercamp?” SuperCamp coordinator Shane Landreville wrote in an e-newsletter. “That’s a great question and because Supercamp offers so much more than a traditional ski lesson, it’s a difficult concept to explain and it’s difficult for people to wrap their heads around it. Quite simply, Supercamp is a Nordic experience.”
SuperCamp attracts top-level coaches, as many come from across Canada to get early snow before they start their season at home. Each camp includes lectures and lessons on waxing, how to build a training plan, and sports nutrition, as well as access to the national altitude training centre gym, and best of all, 105 kilometers of trails between Sovereign Lake and Silver Star — many of which are used for World Cup, NorAm, and World Master events.
With half- and full-day options, the camp is at an altitude of 1,600 metres (5,250 feet). Many of the accommodation options are on the nordic trails. You can ski or walk to restaurants and bars in the evening.
Biathlon camps are either five days long or a single afternoon, and a new Pro camp is more racing focused.
The Silver Star alpine area opened earlier this week, as did the separate Fat Bike trail system.
Special events:
Keynote speakers, a sports nutrition lecture, and wax clinics
Stretching classes, body pre-activation sessions, and for 5-day campers, two 30-minute massages. “Skiing for a solid 2 days or 5 days is tough, it really is, so taking care of your bodies is important,” Landreville wrote. “For our 5 day camps, you can also take part in the excursion to the spa and pools at Sparkling Hill Resort.”
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Also: Canada’s Early Season XC Venues
What: Frozen Thunder
Where: Canmore, Alberta
Fresh snow at the Canmore Nordic Centre: A n Olympic Legacy Venue now a regular host of Canadian based World Cups. (Photo: Pavlina Sudrich)
How much snow: Boreal Glide, a 2.5 k manmade loop, is open for both freestyle and classic. Course map | Weather
Good to know:
According to according to Julie Moffet, the regional operations coordinator at Forêt Montmorency, la Forêt is the only place in North America with cross-country skiing as early as Oct. 30 all the way to Easter in April.
No races or special events are scheduled, simply skiing and snowshoeing for all.
To reserve a room on the trails (with two single beds and a shared bathroom), with access to a cafeteria, two lounges with a fireplace, game room, auditorium, and wax room, visit http://www.foretmontmorency.ca/en/lodging/
Quiet serenity away from the stadium at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre on Nov. 9.
By Gerry Furseth
VERNON, B.C. – Both Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre and Silver Star Ski Resort had a ‘soft-opening’ for cross-country skiing on Thursday, Nov. 7. By Saturday, there were classic tracks and 75-kilometres of trails set. FasterSkier’s Gerry Furseth spent Saturday on the Sovereign Lake side, where 100 of some 1,700 club members picked up their season passes and 236 visitors bought day passes.
A popular place: the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre parking lot on Nov. 9, two days after opening for the 2013/2014 season.
Although most were local, skiers came from as far as Saskatchewan. A good collection from the neighboring clubs, Larch Hills and Telemark, made the roughly one-hour drive to kick off the season. About 15 skiers drove five hours from Vancouver, representing at least three of the coastal clubs.
To the East, Canmore has Frozen Thunder and about half of the national team. On the opposite side of the country, La Forêt Montmorency neighbours the epicentre of Québec skiing with another large group of national team members. Of the early skiing destinations in Canada, Sovereign Lake and Silver Star comparatively fly a little under the radar.
Like most nordic areas in the region, Sovereign Lake is operated by the local ski club. The day lodge staff and the track setters are paid, but a large amount of volunteer work makes the system and events possible.
There is a definite family feel with trails named for founding members (i.e. Wylie Loop, for Carl Wylie) and founder’s grandsons (Lars Taylor, a local star, long retired from racing). A photo of Matt Wylie racing at the Canmore World Cup last season is featured on the wall of fame, putting him one up on his cousin Alysson Marshall. A perennial NorAm destination, the club hosted World Masters in 2011 and hopes to bid for nationals in a few years.
Farther up the hill, Silver Star is a major alpine destination, known for champagne powder and 7 metres of annual snowfall. The resort maintains 50-plus kilometres of trails without a need for snowmaking. The main street of the village is groomed, but not set for classic.
A fun way to end a long day is to ski up to Long John’s and order a pint of liquid carbohydrates – local and organic, of course. The community has a mandatory gingerbread-house colour scheme, which sounds tacky but somehow looks great once the snow arrives.
For the last decade, skiers have stayed at Silver Star while racing at Sovereign Lake.
The dual-area pass is changing the way visitors see the area. Pat Pearce, the chair of Sovereign Lake Nordic, said “it has gotten much more popular … the idea of skiing across [to Silver Star], having lunch and skiing back.”
Larch Hills coach Brian May brought 50 juniors to the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre last weekend.
“We are in a real evolution and growth of the programs right now,’ said Sovereign Lake head coach Darren Derochie, who moved to the area in 1987 to try to make the Olympic team in 1988. He represented Canada at the 1992 Games.
“Our junior development program is around the two dozen range, whereas a few years ago we only had a handful of kids of that age,” Derochie explained.
The club executive and staff excitedly announced “mid-winter conditions on November 9th.” Seeking truth behind the claim, FasterSkier carefully inspected 15 k of the system, and while there were twigs sticking up through some of the trails, there wasn’t a single rock or dirty patch.
The classic tracks were good, but after two consecutive nights of heavy snowfall, it was a bit soft for skating in some areas. The end result of the two-hour inspection: “mid-winter” is a good description, as long as your idea of mid-winter includes heavy snowfalls. Don Wylie, part of the track-setting team, said a night of packing without new snow would get the skating lanes up to their usual standard.
Saturday night brought only 5 centimetres of new snow, allowing the track setters to catch up and create firm skating lanes. Another 15 k of trail opened Sunday, including Upper World Cup, which in this author’s opinion, is in better condition than the last five Decembers. For Furseth, this is the earliest ever switch from rock skis to race skis: most years he’s still on rock skis during early season NorAms. Classic was trickier Sunday, with a high of -2 degrees Celsius and some glazing in the tracks.
Some skiers end up at national training centres, but they certainly don’t start there.
Canadians skiers were well represented during the opening day of the Sparkling Hill Masters World Cup (SHMWC) at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club in the North Okanagan Saturday. The Canadian contingent finished the day with a total of twelve (14) medals – three (3) gold, four (4) silver and seven (7) bronze.
British Columbian Nikki Kassel led all female racers, 35-39 years, in the 15 kilometre freestyle event with a time of 0:45:04.8. The Prince George skier jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. She was all smiles after crossing the finish line.
“It’s a beautiful gliding course. When I did the pre-ski, I thought it was going to be a lot harder course but it wasn’t. It’s a fast snow that’s cold and dry,” said Kassel, one of the 472 Canadians taking part in the seven-day SHMWC. “I’m happy with (placing first). It’s a good way to start the week.”
Other Canadians getting their week off to a solid start were Pat Pearce (President of the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club, F55-59) and Catharine Pendrel (F30-34) with gold medals. Canadian silver medals went to Olav Stana (Sovereign Lake Nordic Club, M55-59), Marta Green (Sovereign Lake Nordic Club, F30-34), Nancy Burden (F45-49), Olwyn Ringheim (F80-84). Canadians collecting bronze were Kirk Howell (M35-39), Steve Cyr (M40-44), Karine Perrin (F30-34), Doris Hausleitner (F35-39), Sheila Kealey (F45-49), Shirley Gray (F65-69), Thor Vilkstrom (M80-84). Races slated for Sunday are all classic technique races and include the men’s 30 km, men’s 15 km, women’s 15 km, men’s 10 km and women’s 10 km.
Saturday’s blue skies highlighted the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club and provided the perfect backdrop for the much-anticipated event which attracted 1,134 athletes from 22 countries. SHMWC Event Chair Bruce Cummings is fielding an avalanche of positive feedback from well-travelled athletes.
“It’s all come together above and beyond expectations. The volunteers have been outstanding. There’s more than 300 of them and they’ve all been working hard,” said Cummings in the Event Tent. “Everybody I’ve talked to are impressed with the event. You hear words like ‘outstanding, superb’ and ‘glorious.’ I can’t describe how good this all feels.
“The weather has been absolutely perfect. The snow is fast and everybody loves the conditions,” he added.
World Masters Association Honorary President Dieter Heckman is credited by many for giving the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club the green light to host the event. Heckman is thrilled with the good start the SHMWC is having and noted that the people he’s talked to have said the course is the “best ever.”
“The course is up and down but not too difficult,” said the Switzerland resident. “The people here have been very friendly and I liked the (First Nation) singers and dancers at the opening ceremonies. You don’t see that often.”
The SHMWC Awards Ceremonies get underway at 6 p.m. on race days in the village at Silver Star Mountain Resort. Racing kicks off each morning at 9 a.m. Sunday, Monday and Wednesday to Friday, March 12. Racers will take a break from the action on Tuesday, March 8
While snow is being helicoptered in to Cypress for the Olympics, just five hours north-east of Vancouver skiers at Sovereign Lake are skiing in ideal conditions.
The Olympic teams that were using Sovereign to prepare for the Olympics have now moved on and Sovereign Lake is setting up for it’s Masters Camp taking place on Feb 13th and 14th.
“We offer advanced instruction in our camps at Sovereign as we have our own Olympian at Sovereign Lake, Darren Derochie, who is now our head coach,” said Scott Lemon, manager of Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre.
“The sky is blue, the weather is great, and the snow is fast.”
Those interested in registering for the camps or skiing at Sovereign Lake can visit the website at www.sovereignlake.com.
Sovereign Lake is located 22km from Vernon, B.C. Canada.
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