Melfort Cross Country Ski Club Celebrates 30 Years

Melfort Cross Country
Ski Club Celebrates 30 Years
By Joyce Claggett and Cori Grabill
The Melfort Cross Country Ski Club
celebrated its 30th anniversary by
sponsoring an event at the Fairy Glen
Community Centre on Sunday, March 6,
2016. Former as well as current members
gathered to reminisce about the beginnings
of the club back in 1986. Participants
were able to view photos, memorabilia,
a variety of skis and a display showcasing
our Jackrabbit Ski Program as well as visit
with some of the founding members,
past executive members and many of the
current club members and executive. All in
attendance were able to enjoy a great lunch
and refreshments as well as were eligible to
win a variety of wonderful door prizes.
The Melfort Cross Country Ski Club
is very proud of their network of 20
km of groomed trails which are able to
accommodate skiers of all ability levels.
These trails are situated 9 km north on
Highway 6 and 2.5 km west of Gronlid,
SK. The club also maintains ski trails at the
Melfort Camp Grounds and at the Melfort
Rotary Park in Melfort, SK. The trails at
Rotary Park support our Jackrabbit Ski
Program which is for children ages 3 to
10 years.
Our Jackrabbit Ski Program began in
January 2015 with 8 participants in the
first year. All instruction, provided by 2
parent-coaches trained at the ICC level,
was at the Bunny Rabbit Level, as only 2
skiers were of Jackrabbit age. January 2016
began our second0 year of the program
with an increase in skiers of Jackrabbit
age, and two older skiers - we did a
combination of Bunny Rabbits/Level1/
Level 2 Jackrabbit skills and ran more
age appropriate games for the JR’s and
BR’s separately. Coaching staff consisted
of 2 parent-coaches trained at the ICC
Level, one additional parent-coach with
considerable personal ski experience
(classic, skate, and biathlon), and several
willing parent assistants. The City of
Melfort agreed to let us run the program
at Rotary Park in Melfort - a great location
Continued on next page...
Melfort Celebrates continued...
Photos from Melfort’s
30th Anniversary Celebration.
reaching to ring a bell), doing a “mini
loppet”, treasure hunting, dressing the
snowman and just playing in the ski
playground or going for a ski with their
friends. Our ski families have been very
supportive which has been a particular
blessing, and have been active in
helping on and off the ski area. Looking
ahead, the first two years of this club
have been growing and learning years,
and the vast majority of our skiers have
never been an skis before. They have
developed into happy skiers who enjoy
coming out to ski on wet Saturday
mornings and go skiing with their
families (many of whom are also new,
or being re-introduced to the sport),
which was a specific goal for us as a
newly formed club! Now we are hoping
to host some coaching sessions! With
our numbers increasing, we have a need
to get more coaches trained with ICC
for the coming year, as well as increase
our current coaches’ training to the
CCC Level. Many of our skiers are now
moving up into the Jackrabbit Levels
and we want to be able to give them
opportunities to develop more physical
literacy in the sport as they grow. Most
of all, we want to continue to keep the
kids and families interested in county
skiing, so it is a sport they do for life!
Cross country skiing is an activity that
is suitable for all members of a family,
for the program - large green space that
regardless of age or ability level. It is a
has some small hills and flat terrain,
sport that keeps you physically active,
and has been largely underused in the
is easy on your joints and body and
winter. Our club groomer has been
allows you to enjoy nature and the great
inventive with helping create a great
outdoors. The membership fees are very
instructional area and
reasonable and
interesting trails for
our club is able
...our
club
is
able
the kids in this space!
to lend sets of ski
We have been able
equipment out
to
lend
sets
of
ski
to rent the hall space
to people who
at the All Saints
are interested in
equipment
out
to
Anglican Church,
trying out this
which has provided
sport before they
people
who
are
bathrooms and more
actually invest
than adequate space
in their own
interested
in
trying
to warm up and have
equipment.
hot chocolate. Some
The club strives
out
this
sport..
of the Bunny Rabbits
to keep all trails
and Jackrabbit’s
well maintained
favourite activities have been games like
and groomed throughout the ski season.
“What Time is it Mr. Wolf?”, tag, “reach
The membership works hard at keeping
and ring” (skiing under hoops and
Continued on next page...
2
Nordic NEWS
ISSUE 41
Hudson Bay Expands Trails
Although it was sad to see the
Edam Ski Club disband this year, our
club benefitted. Up until this year,
the Pineview Ski Trails just a few km
south of Hudson Bay were the only ski
trails groomed regularly by our club.
The trails in town and at the school
were done by by various individuals
and often at the last minute.
With the help of Cross Country
Saskatchewan’s Facilities Grant, we
were able to acquire what Edam no
longer used: a Skandik Skidoo with
the accompanying groomers. Now the
trails in town and at the new school are
kept in top shape and are always ready
for the school skiers. We also bought
a rough cut mower with the advice of
Larry LeClare from Edam which was
used to cut the Jungle Trails in town as
well as add a nice skate trail between
our two shelters at Pineview. Thank
you to CCS and Larry!
Our club has experienced many positives
in our 30th year: our membership has
reached almost 90 this year which is
an increase over the past few years, we
were able to purchase 3 sets of skis for
use in our Jackrabbit program with the
help of a grant from the Melfort Multi
K Run, one of our Jackrabbit member’s
toque design was chose as one of the
top 10 in the CCC Jackrabbit Toque
Design Contest and you can check out
the activities of our Jackrabbit group on
their Facebook page “Melfort Jackrabbit
Cross Country Ski Club.”
Thanks to everyone who made our
30th Anniversary Celebration a
success: businesses who supported us
with prize donations and services, our
membership, our executive and trained
instructors for this support through
another successful ski season. We look
forward to continually growing our
club in the years to come. Happy skiing
everyone!
... Melfort’s 30th Anniversary continued from page 2
our warm up cabin and out buildings
in great shape as well as maintaining
signage along our network of trails.
The Growled trails are enjoyed year
round by skiers, hikers, cyclists, runners
and horseback riders, etc. We co-hosted,
with the Tisdale Track Club, the first
annual Wapiti Bush Run on our trails
in August 2015. We are set to help host
the second annual Wapiti Bush Run,
which is deemed the second largest trail
run in the province, in August 2016.
This event provides an 8.5 km run for
competitive runners as well as a 5.5 km
run for joggers, hikers and more casual
participants.
Joyce Claggett is the head of club publicity at the
Melfort Ski Club while Cori Grabill oversees the
Jackrabbit Program Coordination and Instruction.
ISSU E 41
Nordic NEWS
3
Prince Albert Ski Club
Facility Grant
The Prince Albert Ski Club replaced
our 2009 Tracked ATV with a new
Tracked ATV in September 2015. The
club would like to thank Cross Country
Saskatchewan for providing a Facility
Grant to help our club fund the purchase.
The Club Grooming Crews volunteered
250 hours to groom our ski trails at Little
Red and Cooke Municipal Golf Course
this past ski season. About 40% of the
grooming hours at Little Red was using
the new ATV. The ATV was also used in
the fall to pull a mower to prepare the ski
trails for the winter season. The grooming
crews use the Tracked ATV to pull the
six foot TIDD when grooming the wider
freestyle trails and to pull the four foot
TIDD when grooming the classic trails.
The lack of snow in November and
December and the mild temperatures
in March made for a short ski season in
Prince Albert and area.
4
Nordic NEWS
ISSUE 41
Top of page: Prince Albert Ski Club Grooming Team.
Above: The new Tracked ATV that was received in September 2015.
Rocanville Cross Country Ski Club
– Facility Repair Project - 2016
In 2010 the club purchased a
Bombardier snow machine to replace
an old long track snowmobile. This
allowed the operator to be in a comfortable heated cab and be able to set
two classic tracks and an area in the
middle for skate skiing all at the
same time.
The snow machine is about 40 years
old and requires a certain amount of
maintenance and repair all the time.
During the 2014-15 season, it was
noted that a tire needed to be replaced
and when using the groomer, you
could occasionally feel the tracks slip
After lots of effort,
the tracks went
back together.
a cog on the drive sprockets. It was
evident the sprockets needed to be
rebuilt and the tire replaced. In order
to do this, it was necessary to split the
tracks and pull them off the wheels.
There were a large number of bolts
that needed to be taken out to split
the tracks and then we found other
problems including two more tires that
needed replacing. We located a business
in Calgary to rebuild the sprockets and
sell us the tires required. After lots of
effort, the tracks went back together.
We are pleased that the groomer is now
ready for the 2016-17 season.
Above: The Bombardier grooming machine with a heated cab.
Right: Pictures of tires and tracks while split apart.. Photo of groomer put back together.
ISSU E 41
Nordic NEWS
5
Buffalo Narrows Ski Club
Grant Follow Up Report
Our project was the purchase of a
new towing machine for the ongoing
grooming and maintenance of the
Buffalo Narrows Waskawihew Ski Trails.
In December the club purchased a very
well-maintained 2013 Yamaha Grizzly
700. This machine has been a huge
upgrade on our previous grooming
vehicle, a 1996 Skidoo Skandic. The
improved power and especially reliability
meant that our trails stayed in great
shape throughout winter (once we
had enough snow!). This upgrade also
allowed our groomer to pull both our
leveler-packer and tracksetter at the same
time, making the process much more
efficient than before. Our new quad will
also allow us to pull a tow-behind brush
cutter in summer and fall and make presnow trail preparation much easier.
6
Nordic NEWS
ISSUE 41
Like most clubs across Western Canada,
the Buffalo Narrows Ski Club had some
difficulties with Mother Nature this
winter. Because of an extremely dry fall
and winter, the club wasn’t able to lay
tracks until mid-January. A few of our
die-hard skiers were able to adapt on the
frozen bays near town up to that point
in time. Once we did get grooming
we were able to put to use our new
grooming machine, a Yamaha Grizzly
700, which was a huge upgrade from the
1996 Skidoo Skandic used during our
first two years. A special thanks to
Cross Country Saskatchewan for
supporting that purchase!
This winter saw our membership grow
once again, which was largely due to an
expanded after school ski program,
in which the club is very involved. Our
Learn to Ski Saturday lessons combined
with after school programming allowed
kids to access coaching 3 days a week
– not a single day was cancelled due to
weather! We also partnered with the
local K-12 community school to host
our first major loppet, which brought
130 youth participants to our trails
from across Northern Saskatchewan.
Other highlights included sending our
first ever contingent of athletes to the
School Ski Championships in La Ronge,
and having close to 60 skiers out at
our “Skeaster Egg Hunt” searching for
chocolate bunny droppings in lateMarch.
The 37th Duck Mountain Loppet
That was Favoured by Mother Nature
Submitted by Bruno Lemire, Loppet Chariperson
Despite an unusually mild winter
and lack of snow in many parts of
Saskatchewan, the Duck Mountain
Loppet was dealt a “winning hand” by
Mother Nature, with enough snow and
acceptable temperatures.
With the plus 3 degree temperature on
Friday, skiing conditions on Saturday
morning were deemed FAST! However,
by mid-morning Mother Nature smiled
upon the Duck Mountains by gracing
them with a gentle blanket of soft moist
snow. This new snow greatly helped to
make the track a little slower and safer
for the one hundred and sixty seven
skiers.
Overall, the skiers’ comments were very
positive. From my perspective, some of
the notable highlights were:
• Having Mr. Peter Whitehead (Regina)
here for his 36th Duck Mountain
Loppet
• The number of skiers achieving
their personal goals. Those who
were qualified for special attendance
certificates this year were:
school aged children? Out of the
twelve children (17 years and under)
who participated, only two were from
Kamsack and area.
Bronze Certificate (7 years)
In other years our loppet coincided
with the school break, which may have
accounted for some children being away.
Also with the school closed they may
not have had access to the FREE skiing
equipment at the school. This was not
the case this year as the loppet was held
one week after the school break. Should
anyone have any suggestions toward
a possible solution to this problem,
please contact me or any member of the
Kamsack Ski Club.
Bill Blackwood and Pauline Bloom
(Teulon, MB),
Maureen Blight (Danbury),
Aldona Torgunrud (Regina)
Silver Certificate (10 years)
Nancy Howes (Saskatoon),
Neil Malcolm (Regina)
Gold Certificate (15 years)
Susan Gilroy (Regina),
Allan Bear (Kamsack)
Life Certificate (20 years)
Joyce Wolfe (Regina)
•H
aving the forty-four new skiers
participating in our loppet for the first
time. Hopefully, they enjoyed their
day and return many times in the
future to explore all of the offerings
that the Duck Mountain Provincial
Park offers to cross country skiing.
•H
aving 55% of the Life Members
return for another year.
However, despite all of the above
positives, there is still “a fly in the
ointment”. Where are all of the
Finally, on behalf of the Kamsack Ski
Club, I wish to thank the sponsors,
donors, town of Kamsack, Duck
Mountain Provincial Park staff,
Kamsack Ambulance, In Good
Taste manager and staff of the Duck
Mountain 4 Season resort for their
friendly, efficient service and delicious
meal and the twenty four volunteers
manning their posts. A special thank
you to Kev Sumner, Allan Konkin and
Sharon Rudy in fulfilling their duties
as members of the Loppet Planning
Committee. To all of the skiers without
whom there is no loppet.
See you next year on February 25, 2017.
Above: Registration at the
2016 Duck Mountain Loppet.
Left:: Nancy Howes, the recipiant
of a Silver Certificate, with her
husband Rob.
ISSU E 41
Nordic NEWS
7
Lamplighter Loppet
Grows Again
By Anne Stupak
8
Nordic NEWS
ISSUE 41
I just wanted to share this report
and pictures with for the Nordic News
and our event grant application that
will follow once we have the hall rental
bill.The report is as follows.The 6th
Annual Lamplighter Loppet grows
again. Forty-six skiers came out from all
over the province to join in the fun of
the family evening of skiing of the 6th
annual Lamplighter Loppet hosted by
the Good Spirit XC Ski Club. When so
many loppets were being canceled due to
lack of snow our trails were in excellent
condition with most of the credit going
to the groomers and Mother Nature. The
Rec Hall at Good Spirit Prov Park is the
ideal venue to host such an event with
lots of room for hosting the supper and
the games that round off the evening’s
event.The skiers are invited to ski the
trails till no later than 9 pm with many
clocking in up to 30 km with in that
time. Most families do about the 15 km
and some only go as far as the shelter and
back for a round trip of 9 km. The temps
were ideal and with the full moon there
was very little need for headlanterns even
though they are mandatory. The skiers
were fed chili and all the fixings. Once
everyone was back the games were ready
to begin. There were games that presented
a challenge, some were fast paced, and
some needed creative thinking. But
all of them were fun, fast and highly
competitive! It was a great evening for
every age group.Thanks to the Sask Ski
Assoc. for the support of both the prizes
of buffs and touques and the support of
the events grant.
News from Flin Flon
By Dave Price - VP Flin Flon SKi Club
Pictures from Flin Flon’s school ski meet.
To increase interest in skiing in Northern
Manitoba, Flin Flon invited Cranberry
Portage and The Pas skiers. Approximately
65 skiers participated--23 skiers from Flin
Flon travelled to the School Ski meet in La
Ronge. They had two good days of skiing.
Flin Flon was very well represented
in last Saturday’s Don Allan Saskaloppet
in La Ronge, with coach Brett placing
4th in the big 45k event – covering the
distance in 2 hours 20:21. Our other
skiers – Jason Kozar, Nichelle Bedford,
Grady Bedford, and Parker Mathews
finished in the top 3 in their events
(check Zone 4 and click on Results for
complete information on times and
placings). Way to go you guys – and
congratulations to the La Ronge club
for rising from the ashes following the
big burn that went through their area
last June.
It’s been nice to see such heavy traffic
on our trails just lately. This past
Wednesday, 60 students from Flin
Flon, Cranberry Portage and The Pas
competed in the first Northern Schools
Ski Event organized by Dean and the
Flin Flon School Division. The kids
were kept moving for the whole time
they were here – first skiing one or two
laps of the 2.6k loop, then skiing a relay
and finally dashing madly around a
short loop on the Beaver Pond in the
cash sprints. Students and staff had a
great time – and there’s no doubt we
should plan to put on a similar
event next year – hopefully with more
schools from both sides of the border
participating. Congratulations Dean and
FFSD for putting on this great event!
As I write, I’m hearing an ominous
drip-drip-drip outside my window – the
above zero temperatures in the forecast
for the next few days, the breeze and
any sunshine we may get, won’t do our
trails any good. Did we ever get lucky
with our events the past few days?! Let’s
hope we’ll still have a base to work with
once things cool off - supposedly next
Tuesday – meanwhile, our trail crew and
equipment will be taking a break.
ISSU E 41
Nordic NEWS
9
Sask Cup Provincials
Saskatoon Nordic hosted Provincials
on Feb 28- 29. The SNSC organized the
skate race on Saturday and the classic
race on Sunday at the Willows Golf and
Country Club. There was enough snow
for a nice base; thanks to the excellent
grooming by the volunteers from Saskatoon Nordic Ski Club. The race was
well attended attracting 112 racers from
across Saskatchewan.
Mini Midget Girls
Junior Men
Mini Midget Boys
Junior Boys
Pee Wee Girls
Juvenile Boys
Full results can be found on zone4.ca.
Para-Nordic Sit Female
Senior Women
Pee Wee Boys
Junior Girls
Senior Men
Juvenile Girls
Congratulations to the 2016 Provincial
Champions!
Atom Girls
Skate-Anna Crump, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Anna Crump, Saskatoon Nordic
Atom Boys
Skate-Taras Beveridge Warich, Saskatoon
Classic-Taras Beveridge Warich, Saskatoon
10
Nordic NEWS
ISSUE 41
Skate-Isabel McKague, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Farren Shirtliffe, Saskatoon Nordic
Skate-Fergus English, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Fergus English, Saskatoon Nordic
Skate-Heidi Wall, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Julia Bourassa, Saskatoon Nordic
Skate-Kelsi Paul, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Kelsi Paul, Saskatoon Nordic
Skate-Kaidan Andrews, La Ronge
Classic-Hunter Halkett, La Ronge
Skate-Andrew Brisbin, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Andrew Brisbin, Saskatoon Nordic
Skate-Nick Martin, Flin Flon
Classic-Nick Martin, Flin Flon
Skate-Kyrilo Gnyp, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Simon Chambers Crease, RSC
Skate-Brett Down, Regina Ski Club
Classic-Brett Down, Regina Ski Club
Skate-Haley Robinson, La Ronge
Classic-Haley Robinson, La Ronge
Skate-Chloe Bargen, Elmhurst Ski Club
Classic-Shannon Butler, Saskatoon Nordic
Skate-Janice Grundahl, Regina Ski Club
Classic-Janice Grundahl, Regina Ski Club
Photo on opposite page: women’s classic race.
From top to bottom: start line for Atom Girls,
podium for Senior Men’s Classic race,
Pee Wee boys and girls racing, Men’s classic
race , combined start for the classic race.
Para-Nordic Standing Female
Skate-Anna-Lise Hodgins, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Anna-Lise Hodgins, Saskatoon Nordic
Para-Nordic Standing Male
Skate-Jesse Ehman, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Jesse Ehman, Saskatoon Nordic
Master 1&2 Men
Skate- Brett Unrau, Flin Flon
Classic-Brett Unrau, Flin Flon
Master 3&4
Skate-Ivan English, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Ivan English, Saskatoon Nordic
Master 3&4 Women
Classic-Kary Hepworth, La Ronge
Master 5&6 Men
Skate-Robin Butler, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Robin Butler, Saskatoon Nordic
Master 7 Men
Skate- Sid Robinson
Classic- Sid Robinson
Master 5&6 Women
Skate-Kathy Butler, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Kathy Butler, Saskatoon Nordic
Master 7 Women
Skate-Kathy Rae, Saskatoon Nordic
Classic-Kathy Rae, Saskatoon Nordic
Midget Boys
Skate-Alex Wilson, Sturgeon River Nordic
Classic-Richard David, Flin Flon
Midget Girls
Skate-Jessica Gill, Sturgeon River Nordic
Classic-Jessica Gill, Sturgeon River Nordic
ISSU E 41
Nordic NEWS 11
Left to right: Jayme Woodhouse, La Ronge; Jenna Beaulieu, Sturgeon River ; Phyllis Bend, Regina; Nathan Weiman, Regina; Matt Gill,
2016 Western Championships
By Laurie Weiman
The 2016 Western Canadian
Championships (also a NorAm event)
were hosted by the Caledonia Nordic Ski
Club at the Otway Nordic Ski Centre
in Prince George, British Columbia
from February 18-21. Four athletes
attended: Matt Gill (Sturgeon River
Nordic), Nathan Weiman (Regina
Ski Club), Jenna Beaulieu (Sturgeon
River Nordic) and Jayme Woodhouse
McKenzie (La Ronge Nordic),
representing Saskatchewan, plus Phyllis
Bend as coach and Laurie Weiman
as manager. Other senior skiiers
representing Saskatchewan, but skiing
for out-of-province clubs, included
Scott Fraser, Nick Martin and Simon
Chambers-Crease.
Everyone arrived in Prince George on
Wednesday, February 17th – the day was
spent shuttling athletes, equipment and
skis between the airport, race venue and
hotel. Thursday, February 18th was an
official training day with athletes skiing
all of their courses for the weekend: skate race, sprint classic and the classic
distance. This was necessary as courses
12
Nordic NEWS
ISSUE 41
were closed well in advance of the races,
all of which started early in the morning. On the official training day, athletes also
tested klisters in preparation for their
classic races. While the courses were
challenging, the trails were well packed
and set to a high standard.
The first race was on Friday, February
19th - 3.75 km skate technique for
both females and males. The weather
held out, albeit there was some rain
throughout the day, but mild. Glide
wax included HF and powders ironed in
with a diagonal rill. Matt placed 15th
and Nathan placed 22nd; Jayme placed
20th and Jenna 21st.
Saturday, February 20th was classic
sprint races of 0.8 km for both females
and males. Friday was a long day for
everyone – conditions changed rapidly
as the day warmed up and time was
spent testing skiis, preparing glide wax
and preparing for qualifiers and the
subsequent heats. Qualifiers started at
9am with individual time trials. The
wax was challenging for all teams as the
course was very icy due to melting the
previous day and cold conditions at the
beginning of the day. Some athletes
chose to use hairy skiis, zero or skate
skiis, while others opted for using their
classic skiis. The waxes of the day were a
variety of klisters. Matt placed 15th and
Nathan placed 19th; Jenna placed 14th
and Jayme 22nd.
The race on Sunday, February 21st was
a 10 km classic for the males and a 7.5
km for the females. Conditions were
below freezing overnight and the snow
stayed cold, however, their race time
was at 1:30 pm, so the air temperature
had warmed up to plus 2 by the time
they raced. The tracks were well set, the
course was hard glazed and fast. Matt
placed 19th and Nathan placed 22nd;
Jayme placed 19th and Jenna 20th.
Overall, the weekend provided valuable
experience for our Saskatchewan athletes
and they performed well among their
neighbouring provinces. Well done to
the effort of our team!
2016 Nationals
By Laurie Weiman and Phyllis Bend
The 2016 Ski Nationals were hosted
by the Whitehorse Cross Country
Ski Club at the Whitehorse Nordic
Centre in the Yukon Territory from
March 19-26. This was also the site of
the 2010 Ski Nationals and the 2007
Canada Winter Games.
Team Saskatchewan consisted of six
athletes: Ragnar Robinson (Open
Men – La Ronge Nordic), Matt Gill
(Juvenile Boy – Sturgeon River Nordic),
Nathan Weiman (Juvenile Boy – Regina
Ski Club), Anna Sigurdson (Junior
Woman – Sturgeon River Nordic),
Jenna Beaulieu (Junior Girl – Sturgeon
River Nordic) and Janice Grundahl
(Juvenile Girl – Regina Ski Club),
plus Les Parsons, Phyllis Bend and
Andrew Brisbin as coach, manager
and wax support. Other skiers from
Saskatchewan and skiing for out-ofprovince clubs, included Scott Fraser,
Nick Martin and Simon Chambers-Crease.
Athletes arrived in Whitehorse one
to two days in advance of the races
to take advantage of official training
days by skiing their Sunday race
course and revisiting any difficult
parts of the course. While the courses
were challenging, Whitehorse had an
abundance of snow, the trails were
perfectly groomed and set to a high
standard. The weather for the entire
week was sunny and warm – making
waxing challenging as conditions
changed rapidly throughout the day.
The grip wax throughout the week was
a mixture of klisters and soft hard waxes.
Team meetings were held regularly
and led by Les Parsons who created
a positive atmosphere and sense of
openness. Athletes regularly discussed
their goals for each race, their race
strategy, a review of their race, what
went well, what could be improved
if they had the opportunity to repeat
their race and words to assist in
focusing themselves.
The first race for Saskatchewan athletes
was on Sunday, March 20th. It was a
classic race with interval starts – 5.0 km
for Junior Women, Junior Girls, Juvenile
Boys and Juvenile Girls and 10.0 km
for Open Men. The weather was clear,
sunny and warm requiring klister…the
snow and trails were quite soft for those
athletes racing in the early afternoon.
All Saskatchewan athletes held their own
amongst a very strong and competitive
field. Matt Gill and Nathan Weiman
had strong placings in the Juvenile
Boys Catagory finishing 39th and 45th
respectively.
Monday, March 20th was a recovery
day and preparation day for the
Tuesday, March 21st distance skate
races with interval starts. For our
athletes, that meant skiing the course,
segmenting their race and completing
a segmentation map. The distances
were 15.0 km for Open Men, 10.0 km
for Junior Women and Junior Girls,
7.5 km for Juvenile Boys and 5.0 km
for Juvenile Girls. One again, our
Saskatchewan athletes raced hard and
gave their best. Ragnar placed 40th,
Matt placed 39th, Nathan placed
45th, Janice placed 51st and Jenna
placed 62nd. With almost 500 athletes
in attendance at Nationals, all age
categories were well represented.
Wednesday, March 23rd and Thursday,
March 24th were the skate sprints – 1.2
km for Junior Women and Open Men;
1.0 km for Juvenile Boys, Junior Girls
and Juvenile Girls. Anna Sigurdson
finished 23rd in the Long Sprint
qualifiers. While all other Saskatchewan
athletes had good races and gave
good performances, the fields were so
Continued on page 15...
ISSU E 41
Nordic NEWS 13
FORTY FIRST ANNUAL CENTALOPPET
Hosted by Flin Flon Ski Club
March 6, 2016
Actual Time - Age Groups
Bib
Name
GIRLS 14 & UNDER
57
Tara Whitbread
51
Sarah Faktor
58
Jessie Kozar
29
Brooke Baynton
21
Mackenzi Schwartz
20
Gianna Watt
62
Maia Bellisle
59
Keira Wood
17
Marty Pockett
18
Ava Williams
74
Mackenzie Trumbley
12
Kala Abrahamson
40
Renae Thompson
47
Isabelle Plamondon
31
Parker Ledoux
63
Ariana Bellisle
14
Skylar Maxwell
48
Anika Plamondon
39
Jenna Thompson
54
Janae Neufeld
32
Cooper Ledoux
JUNIOR WOMEN (15-19)
35
Hasana Church
36
Suzanne Nelson
41
Valentina Thompson
SENIOR WOMEN (20+)
50
Kendra Spencer
55
Jacquelyn Neufeld
30
Joanna Ledous
23
Corine Mathews
70
Claire Bowman
46
Kara Plamondon
19
Christine Williams
5
Deanna VanCaeseele
65
Tara Ducawich
43
Susan Thompson
26
Heather Powell
61
Laurie Bellisle
66
Patty Korchinski
22
Nichelle Bedford
16
Penny Grove
67
Susan Shairp
24
Fran Gira
44
Lucille Martin
11
Fran Reiben
45
Anita Tetlock
53
Jan Imrie
10
Heather Jacobson
BOYS (14+ UNDER)
34
Grayden Bedford
9
David Richard
28
Caleb Baynton
6
Chase Bishop
25
Bradley Powell
7
Harley Sherman
13
Avree Abrahamson
15
Kenneth Morris
72
Liam Grindle
38
Braydon Thompson
4
Noah VanCaeseele
JUNIOR MEN (15-19)
8
Nathan Whitbread
14
Nordic NEWS
ISSUE 41
Actual
Corrected
Time
Act Time Corr Time
Age
Sex
Time
Seconds Seconds Category Position
13
13
13
9
10
10
10
9
10
9
11
10
12
9
8
7
11
5
9
4
5
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
12
12
13
19
20
23
23
29
29
32
32
32
35
35
35
35
37
40
41
45
48
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
23
57
33
59
39
7
13
2
43
10
28
43
18
37
41
42
25
15
39
44
17
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
3
11
2
0
0
11
0
8
0
0
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
7
0
9
7
59
26
0
0
6
0
28
0
0
743
777
813
1199
1239
1387
1393
1742
1783
1930
1948
1963
2118
2137
2141
2142
2245
2415
2499
2744
2897
-492.61
-458.61
-422.61
-791.41
-537
-389
-383
-248.41
7
-60.41
369.27
187
719.4
146.59
-80.96
-328.65
666.27
-604.45
508.59
-575.56
-122.45
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
JG
66
64
62
72
67
61
60
58
48
51
23
36
17
41
52
59
18
69
22
68
55
16
14
17
F
F
F
:
:
:
16
23
35
:
:
:
59
57
16
0 :
0 :
0 :
2
5
22
:
:
:
49
47
40
1019
1437
2116
169.52
347.24
1360.95
SW
JG
SW
38
25
9
24
29
35
37
38
39
40
41
43
43
44
44
46
46
50
51
51
53
61
64
64
75
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
25
45
28
20
21
40
32
48
24
41
35
35
23
29
47
22
24
26
18
26
28
18
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
52
45
20
48
39
15
10
45
32
38
47
50
14
45
26
17
43
36
43
32
0
41
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
15
33
13
5
5
23
15
31
6
23
16
16
3
9
25
0
2
3
0
0
0
0
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
58
36
29
3
27
36
4
12
5
11
53
56
26
57
50
14
40
39
0
0
6
0
1552
2745
1700
1248
1299
2415
1930
2925
1472
2498
2147
2150
1394
1785
2846
1337
1483
1596
1123
1592
1680
1121
958
2016
809
303
327
1416
904
1872
365
1391
1013
1016
206
597
1550
14
160
219
-470
-82
6
-850
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
12
1
15
27
26
7
13
3
24
8
11
10
33
19
5
46
40
31
65
53
49
73
14
13
11
12
8
10
10
9
9
6
8
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
11
12
14
22
24
29
32
33
38
40
47
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
13
43
2
51
35
26
26
57
16
51
46
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0
0
0
2
0
0
3
0
4
0
8
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0
0
0
51
0
38
38
9
28
0
34
673
763
842
1371
1475
1766
1946
2037
2296
2451
2866
-95
-209
-610
171
-877
38
218
9
268
-621
514
JB
JB
JB
JB
JB
JB
JB
JB
JB
JB
JB
54
57
70
37
74
43
32
47
29
71
21
15
M
:
10
:
18
0 :
0
:
30
618
30
SM
45
What a great day we had last Sunday
for the 41st running of the Val & Ivor
Hedman Centaloppet – and so nice it
was to have Ivor out there to enjoy the
proceedings! In spite of gray skies, a
total of 74 skiers took part – our second best turnout since the late 1980s.
Participants ranged in age from 4 to 76
– and many added colour to the event
by skiing in fancy dress – some can
be seen in the group of prize winners
below. Fastest skier over the course
was 15 year old Nathan Whitbread in
a time of 10 minutes and 18 seconds
– and winner of the Centaloppet Cup
was 8 year old Bradley Powell. Many
thanks to all our volunteers and prize
donors – and we’ll look forward to the
42nd running of this great event a year
from now!
Prize Winners
Centaloppet Cup Winner
Corrected Time
41st Annual
Val & Ivor Hedman
Centaloppet
By Dave Price - VP Flin Flon Ski Club
Youngest Skier
Cartwheels Across the Finish
Bradley Powell (age 8)
Janae Neufeld (age 4) Oldest Skier
Tony Spooner (70+)
Heather Jacobson (70+)
Largest Family
Noah Van Caeseele
Happiest Face
Susan Thompson
Most Sportswomanlike
Laurie Bellisle & crew
Second place – Corrected Time
Third Place – Corrected Time
Broke Baynton (9)
Top Finishers – Actual Time:
Senior Male (20+)
Greg Bellisle 12 minutes : 22 seconds
Senior Female (20+)
Kendra Spencer 25:52
The Corey & Susan Thompsons (x6)
Cooper LeDoux
Mackenzie Trumbley
Most Determined
Junior Men (15-19)
Valentina Santa Cruz
Junior Women (15-19)
Most Spectacular Wipe-out
Nathan Whitbread 10:18
Hasana Church 16:59
Boys (14 & under)
Grayden Bedford 11:13
Girls (14 & under)
Brooke Baynton
Caleb Baynton
Friendliest Skier
Best Dressed – from Gryffindar
Party Waiting to Happen
Rocky & Bullwinkle Award
David Richard
Where’s Waldo? Award
Mackenzie Schwartz
Best Dressed
Greg Bellisle
Tara Whitbread 12:23
... 2016 Nationals continued from page 13
competitive they were unable to secure
a spot in the top 30 to proceed to
heats. It’s important to note that our
Saskatchewan athletes had technique
that matched that of other provinces. That
evening, Saskatchewan was fortunate to
have the High Performance Coordinator
from Cross Country Canada, Lisa
Patterson, join their team meeting.
The final day of races was Saturday, March
26th, which would be the long distance,
mass start, classic race for all athletes.
The Open Men’s race of 50.0 km started
at 8AM so the snow was cold and hard
packed. Conditions were tough for the
Junior Girls (7.5 km), Juvenile Boys (10.0
km) and Juvenile Girls (7.5 km) as their
early afternoon start times meant wet snow
conditions creating considerable suction.
We had some of our best performances
of the week – Ragnar placed 40th, Matt
placed 15th, Nathan placed 47th, Janice
placed 64th and Jenna placed 62nd.
Overall, the week was very successful and
provided valuable race experience with
back-to-back races at the highest level for
our young Saskatchewan athletes. The
competition was grueling and well done to
the effort of our team!
ISSU E 41
Nordic NEWS 15
Past President
Craig Francis
3651 Selinger Cres
Regina, SK
S4V 2H3
[email protected]
H 586-7828
CCS 2015-16 Board of Directors and Staff
President
Dan Brisbin
226 Churchill Dr
Saskatoon, SK
S7K 3Y7
[email protected]
H 382-0709
Director
Alison Meinert
22 Birch Place
Saskatoon, SK
S7N 2P6
[email protected]
H 230-8474
1860 Lorne Street
Regina, SK S4P 2L7
Officials and Coaching
Development
Geoff Wilson
RR 2
Prince Albert, SK
S6V 5P9
[email protected]
H 980-6198
Director
Jennifer Ryan
1411 River St E
Prince Albert, SK
S6V 0B8
[email protected]
H 922-2334
Director
Paul Carson
303 415 3rd Ave N
Saskatoon, SK
S7K 2J2
[email protected]
H 227-5756
High Performance
Director
Bob Jarvis
Box 127
Flin Flon, MB
R8A 1M7
[email protected]
H 204-687-3764
Director
Kary Hepworth
Box 588
Air Ronge, SK
S0J 3G0
[email protected]
H 420-9654
Director
Gloria Stang
Box 632
Hudson Bay, SK
S0E 0Y0
[email protected]
H 865-3266
Director
Vacant
Executive Director
Alana Ottenbreit
1860 Lorne Street
Regina, SK
4P 2L7
[email protected]
H 586-1941
W 780-9240
C 552-9236
F 780-9462
Have a Story or Photos
to Share that Might
Interest CCS Members?
Please submit any articles or
stories to Alana [email protected]
before Sept. 15, 2016.
Publication Mail Agreement #40063014
Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:
Administration Centre Printing Services
111-2001 Cornwall Street
Regina, SK S4P 3X9
Email: [email protected]