Cross Country NWT has named its roster for the 2018 Arctic Winter Games after territorial trials last weekend in Fort Smith. 

The full list includes 19 skiers and one alternate. All but four of the kids on this list are part of the amazing Yellowknife Ski Club!

The biathletes are Ruby Pigott and Spencer Littlefair for ski and Effie Lockhart for snowshoe … three more Yellowknifers!

The games take place in the South Slave region from March 18 to 24. Biathlon will be in Hay River and skiing will be in Fort Smith.

The downstairs of the chalet is beginning to take shape with new cubbies, new carpeting and gorgeous new windows.

You can still donate to this rather large project (and there’s still time for legacy sponsorships) directly through Zone4.

New board member, past board member

The energetic Steve Reitsma has joined our board as programs director, leading all of our programs as well as reviving adult ski lessons — details to come. 

Kevin Durkee has resigned as volunteers director in order to focus on volunteering as a coach, leaving an opening for someone who’d like to take on this role. 

We are also seeking volunteers to take on the roles of vice-president, director of fundraising and director of facilities. 
 

Wanted: Loppet coordinator

And one more thing: we still need a coordinator for the 2018 Yellowknife Gold Loppet on April 8.

This is our flagship event: a fun, sociable, long-distance cross-country ski for all ages and abilities that draws about 300 people a year and continues to be one of the most amazing mass skiing events North of 60. 

We already have a long list of volunteers and event supports, but lack an overall coordinator. If you’re interested, even just a little, please contact Chris Joseph (ykskiclubpresident@gmail.com) or Kerry Wheler (kerrywheler@gmail.com).

And if that sounds like a bit much, but you’d still like to help out, we’re also looking for volunteers for World Snow Day (Jan. 21) and for the Yellowknife Ski Races committee (Feb. 24/25). Contact Kerry Wheler (above). 

This little beauty is now part of our grooming fleet thanks to Aurora Dodge Yellowknife and Arctic Cat! 

A big thank you to Ryan Wourms, Wayne Willis, Jayson Weber and Chris Hotson (and test drivers Jacob Weber and Oliver Reitsma, why not?) for making it happen, and showing it off at our Snow Show!

Now … if you wanna drive it, you’ll have to join our crew. Contact Chris Hotson, trails director, at 867-445-3396 for details on our next grooming workshop,  Dec. 17.

Don’t miss our annual Snow Show at the chalet on Sat. Nov. 4 from 10 am to 1 pm. 

This is your chance to get a peak at the new paint job and kitchen in the chalet, and more!

• Gear swap
• Sign up for programs
• Silent auction
• Chill on a bun & bake sale
• Early bird discounts

Know somebody new to skiing or new to town? Bring a date!

Head to Zone4 now to take advantage of our early bird rates. 

Membership fees:

Family – $280 ($260 Early Bird)
Individual Adult – $120 ($100 Early Bird)
Individual Youth (5 – 18) – $40
Individual Child (<5) – $10

Early bird rates are in effect until after the annual Snow Show, planned for Saturday, Nov. 4. Come on out from 10 to 1 pm for our gear swap, program registration and chilli on a bun. 

Thanks everyone for the wonderful ski season. We would like to invite members to attend our Volunteer Appreciation BBQ on Tuesday, June 27 starting at 5 p.m. Awards for our outstanding volunteers will take place at 6:30 p.m., followed by our Annual General Meeting at 7 p.m. Child care will be available starting at 7p.m. We anticipate the AGM will be less than 1 hour – painless!

Upstairs chalet renovations will be completed, so come and see the new look of the ski club while enjoying food and drinks in the sun on the deck.

We are looking for new directors on the board! Please contact ykskiclubpresident@gmail.com if you would like more information before the AGM. We look forward to seeing you all there.

The Yellowknife Ski Club would like to send out a heart-felt thank you to all who helped out with the Yellowknife Gold Loppet. It was a great day in the sun, and we are already looking forward to next year! Here are a few of the key volunteers and sponsors who helped make it happen.

• TerraX Minerals, our new headline sponsor.
• Weatherby Trucking Ltd. for finding time to clear some parking space on a very busy day.
• The 3 a.m. groomers; Rob Tumchewics, Bruce Look, David Speakman and Steven Reitsma.
• The chili servers from the True North Rotary Club.
• Overlander Sports for event sign-in space.
• Advertising and communication support from Kerry Wheler and Lisa Scott.
• Safety riders Dave Taylor and Tom Girroir.
• Vee Lake support from Tom Ashley.
• Bib checks from Chris Rose, Alyssa Holland and Tamika Mulders.
• Event planning support from Chris Joseph and John Stephenson.
• Photography by Steve Schwartz.
• Design support from Don Van Vliet.
• Clean up help from Catherine Pigott and Lily-Ann Kodzin.
• Chili from Ashley Deavu and the Kalemi Dene School.
• Sign-in help from Mindy Willett and Pam Dunbar.
• Checkpoint managers Leon Brady, Shawne Kokelj, Christine Scott, Cheryl Mandeville and Sarah Beattie.
• Inventory by Anna Tumchewics.
• Chalet host Sandra Mann.
• Kathi Woodward and Linda Whitford for the home-baked cookies and energy bars.

And to our amazing event organizer Damian Panayi for another great Loppet! 

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. Continue reading →