A big thanks to all who made our Snow Show a huge success this year. Between the bake sale, gear sale, chilli sale, silent auction and 50/50 draw, we managed to raise almost $10,000. Thanks especially to the winner of this year’s 50/50 draw, who immediately donated the proceeds right back to the club. 

And a special thanks to those who contributed to our silent auction! This year we raised nearly $7,000 thanks to the generosity of the following donors:

• ABC Auto
• Ahmic Air
• Autotec
• Blachford Lake Lodge
• The Book Cellar
• The Brick
• CBC North
• Central Mechanical
• Corother’s Home Hardware
• Metro Huculak, YK1
• Days Inn & Suites
• Lana deBastiani
• EMCO
• For Women Only
• Frostbite 50 – YKMC
• Great Slave Helicopter
• Happy Pooch
• Kerry’s Firewood & Salvaging
• Konge Construction
• Northern Images
• Overlander Sports
• Panayi Family
• Quality Furniture
• Greg Robertson
• Bluefish Services
• Roy’s Audio Video
• Signed
• John Stephenson
• Tania Hercun
• True Value Hardware
• Kathi Woodward
• Yellowknife Motors
• Diep Duong
• Stephen and Amanda Dunbar
• Eva Willet
• Robbie Craig
• Catherine Pigott
• Crowe Mackay

Nine Yellowknife skiers raced their hearts out at the Canada Winter Games this week in individual start, sprint and mass start races. 

Team NT cross country skiing is made up of Jack Panayi, Jack Kotaska, Donny Boake, Nicolas Bennett, Rae Panayi, Kea Furniss, Ruby Pigott, Ella Kokelj and Clair Littlefair. Coaches supporting NT skiers include Head Coach Sheena Tremblay as well as Kevin Durkee, Stephen Dunbar and Mike Argue. 

Team NT cross country skiing at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alberta.

Team NT coaches at the Canada Winter Games. Head Coach Sheena Tremblay, Stephen Dunbar, Mike Argue and Kevin Durkee.

While conditions were challenging for some, race days have resembled home with temperatures in the low teens; perfect conditions for speedy NT racers who have raced competitively with athletes from across the country. 

The girls: Claire Littlefair, Ella Kokelj, Kea Furniss, Ruby Pigott and Rae Panayi.

The games closed out with mixed relays on Saturday. What a week!

After nine years of living, skiing and volunteering in Yellowknife, Paul, Miriam, Tyson and Moira Green have moved to Prince George, B.C. The YK Ski Club wants to wish them well, and recognize their contribution to our club.

Paul Green was the first N.W.T. athlete to win a medal at the Canada Games in 1991, a feat that made the CBC’s World at Six. He later competed with the national biathlon team. He spent the last several years running the club’s biathlon program, serving as head coach for the NWT Biathlon Team for the Arctic Winter Games.

Miriam Green began skiing as a youth in Ottawa, winning medals in the Canadian Junior Championships and competing in the World Junior Championships in Italy in 1989. In Yellowknife, she spent four years coaching Jackrabbits, four more with Track Attack and several years with the High Performance kids.

I’ll quote from a nomination form for a CCC award in 2016: “Parents, skiers and coaches we spoke to commented on the fact that she is always smiling. It may sound cliche, but she radiates health and vitality from the inside out and young skiers instinctively trust her and look up to her, as do their parents. As a model of how cross-country skiing can shape a person and a life into adulthood, there is no finer example than Miriam.”

From Miriam herself: “It was awesome to be able to share a passion for cross-country skiing with like-minded families! It was rewarding to see the athletes develop, not just in the sport but also as individuals. It was fantastic to work with the other coaches; I really appreciate the time and thought they put in to coming up with fun and challenging practices, which my own kids have benefited from, and which I’ll bring to any future coaching I do.”

Their children, Tyson and Moira, were both part of the High Performance ski team and have lots of skiing ahead. 

Good luck to them!

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. 

Check out how many people and businesses contributed to the silent auction at this year’s Snow Show (and that’s not the mention our excellent bidders). This is a great fundraiser for our high performance skiers and a HUGE show of support for our club!

• Ahmic Air
• Arctic Jewellers
• Aurora Ford
• Birchwood Coffee Ko.
• Blachford Lake Lodge
• The Book Cellar
• The Brick
• Corother’s Home Hardware
• Robbie Craig
• Crowe Mackay
• Eecol Electric
• EMCO
• Eland Organic Day Spa
• The Fat Fox Cafe
• For Men Only
• For Women Only
• Frostbite 50 – YKMC
• Gourmet Cup
• Metro Huculak, YK1
• Kerry’s Firewood & Salvaging
• Nicole Loubert
• Luluz Market
• Merle Norman
• Northern Fancy Meats
• Northern Images
• Old Town Glassworks
• Overlander Sports
• Quality Furniture
• Racquet Club
• Radiance Mbodied
• Greg Robertson, Bluefish Services
• Roy’s Audio Video
• Shopper’s Drug Mart
• Signed
• Simplistic Hair
• Subway
• Thanh Dat Clothing & Gift
• True Value Hardware
• Visual Effects
• Vixen Hair Den
• Weaver & Devore Trading
• Kim Weir
• Linda Whitford
• Kathy Woodward
• Yellowknife Golf Club
• Yellowknife Motors
• YK1 School Board

The Snow Show will be held Nov. 4, Wax & Wine is Nov. 16 and the Jackrabbits family dance season kickoff is Nov. 24. All this and more now revealed on our 2017/2018 events calendar. Watch this space for more details as each event draws near. 

The Yellowknife Ski Club manages 14 kilometres of groomed trails and our ski chalet near the intersection between Highway 3 and the Ingraham Trail. From November to April, we run programs and activities for all ages. 

You’ve had a fantastic and long season of skiing at the Club. It’s been our strongest membership year since founding in 1968. Now you wonder, how can I help to make the Club even better next year? The answer: DONATE! Continue reading →