Author Archives: Ashley Janes

Loppet thank you’s!

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This year saw the highest turnout in the history of the Yellowknife loppet, and for good reason: great weather, great tracks, great cookies and great volunteers made this an unbelievably good loppet year. 

We had 345 registered participants and a very large number of helpers who made this possible.

A few particular thank you’s:

  • The Snow Farmers (Bruce Look, Rob Tumchewics, Steve Reitsma and Greg Littlefair) – for incredible tracks!
  • Damian Panayi – Event Coordinator extraordinaire
  • John Stephenson – Trail Grooming coordinator, parking marshal
  • Niels Konge – for the use of the Pistenbulley Groomer
  • Blair and Kelley Weatherby of Weatherby Trucking for once again and for many years clearing our loppet parking area at no cost
  • Chris Cameron and the team from Yellowknife Amateur Radio Society for providing participant tracking and communications
  • Stacey Menzies – Chalet Coordinator
  • The Rotary Club for helping again with the chili lunch at the chalet
  • Ashley Deavu and the students from K’alemi Dene School for preparing the chilli
  • Tom Deleff – Jackson Checkpoint Manager
  • Carrie Young, Marc Winkler, Joanne Stasson – Banting Lake Checkpoint
  • Sarah Beattie, Elaine Anselmi, Ariel Holmwood-Bramwell, Meghan Housley, and Beth Cowan who made the Banting Lake Soup
  • Chris Rose, Sam Kennedy – Vee Lake set up and sign in
  • Kathi Woodward for making her usual (gasp) 100 dozen cookies!

And the many other people who contributed: Cheryl Mandeville, Shauna Morgan, Chuck Hubert, Al Sexton, Linda Whitford, Brian Latham, Blair Carter, Debbie DeLancey, Tania Hercun, Alex Lothian, Chris Joseph, Sara Minogue and Kerry Wheler.

And of course also a special thank you to TerraX Minerals, headline sponsor of the Yellowknife Gold Loppet.

And thanks to all the loppetteers who made it a great day of skiing!

Spring duathlon April 15

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Registration is now open for the spring duathlon at the ski club on Sunday, April 15, our final on-snow event of our 50th anniversary season. You can sign up here on Zone4.ca.

The duathlon will follow a “Ski-Run-Ski” format. To add to the fun, the course will also include a handful of easily negotiated obstacles. You can enter as an individual or as a team of two or three and enjoy a post-event BBQ in the sun.

Bib pick-up and sign in is from 10:00-10:30 am; start is at 11:00 am.

If entering as a team, all team members must register individually

Registration deadline is at 6 pm on Saturday April 14.

Cost: $10 for open and rec participants; free for youth and tots.

Categories & Distances:

  • Tots – 100m ski, 100m run
  • Youth – 500m ski, 500m run, 500m ski
  • Rec – 1.5km ski, 1.5km run, 1.5km ski
  • Open – 3km ski, 3km run, 3km ski

If you’d like to volunteer, contact Mike Argue at 867-444-9257 or mikeargue@hotmail.com.

Yellowknife Gold Loppet April 8

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Registration is now open for our premier recreational skiing event on April 8!

What is a loppet?
A loppet is a fun and sociable long-distance cross-country skiing event for all ages and abilities. The term “Loppet” originated in Scandinavia from great events such as the Mora Vasaloppet in Sweden. The Yellownife loppet includes 4 km, 15 km, and 25 km groomed tracks through the wilderness with check points, drinks and cookies along the way and a bowl of hot chili at after your ski.

When is it?
Sunday April 8, 2018. Start between 10:00 – 11:30 am, Trail closes at 3:00.

Where is it?
The start line is on the ice at the end of Vee Lake Road, a 20-minute drive from downtown Yellowknife. Download the Loppet Trailmap here.

How do I register?
Register before midnight on Friday April 6 on Zone4.ca. Registration fees are $30 for adults, $20 for Juniors (6 – 17), free for kids under six and $5 for dogs. 

How can I help?
The loppet depends on volunteers. If you would like to be part of this event without the skiing part, please email Cheryl Mandeville at cheryl3553@gmail.com.

The details:

  • Please register all your family members, including infants in pulks and packs.
  • Sign-in and bib pickup will be at Overlander Sports between 10 am and 5 pm on Saturday April 7.
  • You must begin your ski between 10:00 and 11:30 am. We will not be able to track any skiers starting after 11:30.
  • If you are skiing with a dog, we ask you to start at 11:30. Please note that we must limit dogs to one per skier, on a leash while in the start area, and no skijoring!
  • If you wish to ski the 25 km route, you must arrive at Jackson check point (7 km mark) by 12:30 pm. All skiers arriving at Jackson after 12:30 will be diverted to the 15 km route.
  • For safety reasons, you must stop at all check points, including the Start and Finish, to make sure your name and bib number are marked off the safety list. If check point volunteers do not mark your bib number off the list, we may send search and rescue out looking for you!
  • You must check in at each check point before it closes. Please consider this before you decide whether to register for the 4 km, 15 km, or 25 km route. Banting Check Point will close at 2:00. Jackson Check Point will close at 1:30 pm. The Finish Line will close at 3:00.
  • The tent at Vee Lake will be taken down at 4:00 pm.
  • Free apres-ski lunch will be served at the Chalet from 1 to 5 pm. There will be limited drinks and snacks only at Vee Lake.

Sounds amazing. So who is making this happen?

The Yellowknife Gold Loppet is of course organized by the amazing volunteers of the Yellowknife Ski Club. A big shout out to our headline sponsor, TerraX Minerals Inc.

Ski race results and thanks

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Thanks to everyone who came out to the YK Races this past weekend!  The weather cooperated for a very fun-filled couple of days at the club.
 
The results can be found here:
 
Special thanks goes out to:
 
Kerry Wheler – Event Organizer
Cherie Jarock – Volunteer Coordinator and Cookie medal maker (yes, she made all of those delicious cookies!)
Damian Panayi – Timing Coordinator
John Stephenson – Chief of Course
Tania Hercun – Stadium Coordinator
Ozgur Oner – Kitchen Coordinator
 
And to the MANY volunteers who helped out on race day:
 
Chris Hotson, Paul Guy, Sean Marshall, Colin Morris, Trena Heseltine, Meghan Schmurr, Elaine Anselmi, Kelsey Pike, Monte Kehler, Danielle Stachiw, Sean Petersen, Kirk Tastad, Meghan Beveridge, Mindy Willett, Sara Minogue, Alex Lothian, Brett Wheler, Mark Cliffe-Phillips, Cindy Wood, Maureen Van Overliw, Steve Reitsma, Erica Janes, Joanna Wilson, Christine Scott, Andrew Kotaska, Catherine Pigott, Yvonne Pike, Stacey Menzies, Steve Kokelj, Tom Deleff, Jess Dunkin, Michael Gilday, Sara Beattie, Mike Argue.

Yellowknife ski races Feb. 24/25

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Race weekend is Feb. 24/25, with classic races Saturday and free technique Sunday.

Everyone is welcome and registration is now open on Zone4. There will be cookie medals for all participants!

This will also be a fun event for spectators. Complimentary light refreshments and hot chocolate will be served in the chalet Saturday, as well as marshmallows for the fire. Specialty coffee will also be sold courtesy of Coffeelicious from 12:30 to 3:30. 

On Sunday, One of a Thai will serve up a Sunday lunch ($14-$16 a plate). from 11:30 to 3. Complimentary fruit, cookies and hot chocolate will also be on offer in the chalet. 

In case of cold weather cancellations (cutoff is -20 C for midget and older; -15 C for Bantam and younger), ski trails are still open and food is still on. 

Full details here: 2018 YK Ski Race Notice

50 years of the Inuvik loppet

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The 50th anniversary Top of the World Loppet will take place in Inuvik April 7-8. (It’s true that this is the same weekend as our Yellowknife loppet, but if you want to make this big journey you are hereby absolved of guilt and encouraged to do so.)

April 7 will be free technique, with 100 m, 300 metre, 1.3 km, 5 km and 15 km distances, followed by a catered feast, awards and family dance. Sunday will feature classic technique on the same distances. Ski rentals are available and volunteers are needed.

Find more info: inuvikskiclub.ca or email inuvikskiclub@gmail.com.

And keep your eyes peeled for airfare/accommodation packages. 

UPDATE: Feb/March adult ski lessons

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Registration has been extended for our next set of adult beginner ski lessons. 

  • Beginner – Wednesdays, Feb. 14, 21, 28 and March 7, 7-9 pm with Rob Matthews. $80, plus a $40 trail use fee for non-members. 
  • Beginner classic/skate – Thursdays, Feb.  8, 15, 22, March 1, 7-9 pm with Kevin Durkee. $80, plus a $40 trail use fee for non-members.
  • Beginner – Sundays, Feb. 18, 25, March 4, 11, 1:30-3:30 with Rob Matthews. $80, plus a $40 trail use fee for non-members.

Sign up on Zone4. 

Sunday Lunch schedule

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We’ve added four more Sunday lunches to our events calendar. These are a great way to enjoy the trails, the newly renovated chalet (there’s a nice toddler play area downstairs) and the company of our wonderful members!

Jan. 28 – Sunday Lunch at the Ski Club 11:30-2 featuring Coffeelicious
Feb. 4 – Sunday Lunch at the Ski Club 11:30-2 featuring One of a Thai
Feb. 18 – Sunday Lunch at the Ski Club 11:30-2 featuring Flavour Trader
Feb 25 — Sunday Lunch at the Ski Club 11:30-3 featuring One of a Thai

Cash only, please! 

50 years of skiing

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As the Yellowknife Ski Club prepares to mark its 50th anniversary, it’s worth going back to this excellent profile of the club’s beginnings by Jenny Whitaker in the Dec. 2012 issue of Edge Yk. 

Western Canadian Championships, 1993: David Gilday at left, John Stephenson and John Argue in front of the old trail map. The location of the old clubhouse is marked in the lower right hand corner. Today, the Kids Corner Childcare Centre on Haener Drive sits on the spot.

Western Canadian Championships, 1993: David Gilday at left, John Stephenson and John Argue in front of the old trail map. The location of the old clubhouse is marked in the lower right hand corner. Today, the Kids Corner Childcare Centre on Haener Drive sits on the spot.

“The Yellowknife Ski Club blazes the trail for how to run a super volunteer organization that just keeps on growing,” it begins. 

Read the full article on Edge YK: Up, Up and Away