Thanks to our NWT Championships volunteers

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Our club played host to the NWT Territorial Ski Races last weekend and it was a beauty event. We were thrilled to have over 130 skiers, including skiers from Fort Smith and Hay River, and dozens of volunteers. Congratulations to everyone who skied the course! 

You’ll find the day one (classic) results here and here. And day two results (free) here. 

Cross Country NWT has posted a few photos, and one again, the Yellowknifer caught up with the action. Thanks James McCarthy!

Let this one of two of our most hard-working coaches suffice: Mike Argue and Kevin Durkee. 

Now bear with me for the thank you’s to volunteers. Just check out this enormous list. 

Thank you!

Biathlon Polar Cup March 26/27/28

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We’ll have about 20 athletes, including 14 from Hay River and six from Yellowknife, as well as several dozen parents and volunteers on site for the Biathlon Polar Cup March 26-28. The chalet will be in use by our visiting athletes so members, please cede the building to our guests (washroom use excepted) who will arrive Friday. 

Competition starts at 2 pm Saturday and noon on Sunday, with sighting in firearms starting an hour earlier. Trails in use include the Biathlon 1 km and 1.25 km. 

It’s been many years since we’ve hosted a biathlon competition: major thanks to Belinda and Doug for making this event happen!

The Yellowknife Gold Loppet sponsored by Gold Terra

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Due to COVID we are once again offering a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ Loppet! We’ll groom the trails, send out some maps, give you some pointers, and the rest is up to you!
 
Over 50 km of fresh tracks will be available: Back Bay, Yellowknife Bay, Burwash, Frame Lake, Deh Cho Blvd, Kam Lake, Range Lake, Walsh Lake and Madeline Lake. Thank you to our community of groomers! (Note: we will not be using our ski club trails due to the Polar Cup biathlon event taking place the same day!)
 
 
Or if you prefer this version:
 
 

Registration ($10, $5 for kids) is now open on Zone4.ca.

Why register?

  • Get an event package with a fleece-lined buff (available while supplies last – approx 400 for the earliest registrants), map, event bib, Loppet stickers, and Kathi’s cookies
  • Connect with others through our Facebook event page to share questions, goals, stories, and photos
  • Win prizes! (Bluefish kite-flying trip… gift certificates… cookies…)
  • Support the largest ski event in Yellowknife, in a COVID-safe format!

Here are the COVID rules:

  • Choose your own ski adventure from any of the groomed trails in and around town (see map).
  • Please ski clockwise on all trails.  
  • Choose a route that is safe for your level of experience and navigation. 
  • There is no start or finish time, or any check-in/check-out.
  • There are no checkpoints, no patrols and no aid stations.  
  • Make a safety plan. Notify a friend or family of your route and plan. Ski with a buddy if possible. Be aware cellphones may not be functional due to temperature or reception.
  • Bring gear, hydration, clothing in case of injury or emergency. 
  • Please follow COVID regulations from the Chief Public Health Officer. 
  • We want to keep everyone safe, while still enjoying and celebrating the great skiing around Yellowknife. Have fun out there! 

Event Package Pickup and Information

Thank you to the Rotary Club for assembling the event packages!

Note: Buffs are reserved based on earliest registration, not earliest pickup. If your registration page listed an option for a buff, it means you were one of the first 400 and a buff is waiting for you.

Three options:

  • Self-serve pickup starting Thursday March 25, outside the Ski Club Chalet. Look for the yellow Loppet flag and self-serve bins. Please follow written instructions on the clipboard and use the sign-out sheet.

OR

  • In-person pickup for those needing advice or further information, courtesy of Loppet expert Damian Panayi. Come to the Ski Club parking lot Friday March 26 from 2-5 outside the Ski Club Chalet. Look for the yellow Loppet flag.

OR

Photos and Prizes

Enter our draw for prizes by posting a selfie or other photo on facebook or other social media with the hashtag #ykloppet2021, or email ykskiclubvolunteerdirector@gmail.com for us to share. 

Best Selfie and Best Dressed Skier also win a prize. Get out your capes and costumes!

Prizes include: Bluefish kite-flying expedition! Gift certificates! Cookies!

NWT Territorial Ski Championships

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The Yellowknife Ski Club and Cross Country NWT is pleased to host the NWT Territorial Ski Championships in Yellowknife on March 20/21.

This is a family event with categories for all ages. Anyone is eligible to enter. 

All participants must register for the event at zone4.ca before Sunday, March 14 at midnight. Race fee is $5 per race. Under 8 years of age are free. Late entries cannot be accepted.

We are following COVID-19 protocols:

  • If you are sick stay home!
  • Spectators must maintain physical distance.
  • Plan to be outside as there will be limited use of the chalet.
  • Bring your own drinks and snacks.

Cold weather policy: As per Nordiq Canada racing rules, the racing cut off temperatures will be -15 C for under 12 years (U12) and -20 C for other age categories. The ‘event jury’ will monitor the weather forecast and will announce via email on the day of the event by 1pm if races will be cancelled. In case of cancellation, participants are encouraged to go for a recreational ski. No refunds will be issued.

Want to help out? Email Kerry Wheler at ykskiclubevents@gmail.com by March 17 to join the crew. 

March break kids ski camp!

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For the first time in many years, we’re running a kids ski camp during March break. 

Kids will need to come equipped with skis/boots/poles. No skiing experience necessary!

The camp will run from March 15-19, from noon to five pm, and is for kids ages 8-12. The cost is $250 plus ski club membership ($40 per kid). 

This camp will be led by fun and energetic athletes from our high performance ski team. 

Register, and find more details, on Zone4.ca.

Questions? ykskiclubprograms@gmail.com

More adult ski lessons starting this weekend!

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We’ve added a new set of beginner classic ski lessons to take advantage of the nice weather. 

This course is for adults who are relatively new to skiing. We’ll cover fundamental techniques that will quickly improve your comfort on skis and skiing ability. 

This course will include four lessons from 1-3 pm over four Sundays: Feb. 21, Feb. 28, March 7 and March 14. 

Location: Ski Club chalet

Register here on Zone4.ca.

Cost: $80, plus $40 trail fee for non-members. (Note, if you rent skis from Overlander, trail fees are waived for the duration of the rental.)

Please arrive 15 minutes early, dressed warm, with skis waxed. Access to the chalet remains limited by our COVID exposure plan. (That is, the chalet is used for changing and storing equipment while skiing, but not for socializing. Guests are asked to wear masks, follow the signage and NOT enter the chalet if self-isolating for any reason.)

Ski-at-School is launched!

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The Yellowknife Ski Club has officially kicked off a new Ski-at-School program designed to share our love of skiing with kids who are not currently accessing our youth programming. We hope to eliminate some of the systemic barriers we know exist by offering support to new and existing school ski programs during regular class hours or as after-school programs. Club coaches are sharing their knowledge — primarily through games that introduce fundamental techniques — to help make skiing a fun, positive part of physical education programs already in place. 

The Ski-at-School program will also aim to empower more teachers to use existing school ski equipment by helping them build confidence on snow and in ski instruction. We are offering a FREE “Skiing 101” workshops for teachers on the Feb. 26 professional development day. For more information or to sign up contact Kerry Wheler at ykskiclubevents@gmail.com or Shirley Zouboules at shirley.zouboules@yk1.nt.ca.

We are thankful for the ongoing support from Cross Country NWT as well as new additional funding from Nordiq Canada, AltaGas, and the GNWT Regional Youth Sport Events program that makes this initiative possible. These amazing partners are making it possible to create and strengthen community bonds, while empowering our NWT youth to be physically active, lifelong skiers! 

Questions/Comments/Feedback? Reach programs director Bernadette Knox: ykskiclubprograms@gmail.com. (And thanks so much to our volunteer, Bernadette, for making this happen!)

World Snow Day

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We’ll celebrate World Snow Day on Sunday, Jan. 17, with free trail use for non-members. In lieu of a chalet gathering, we’ll have free snacks for pickup at the trailhead. Normally, we also offer free ski rentals courtesy of Overlander Sports and YK1. We won’t be able to do that this year. Instead, Overlander has kindly offered to discount their regular ski and snowshoe rentals from $25/day to $15 for the day. Please help us spread the word!

We are also seeking volunteers to ski the trails that day with people new to our club. If you have some free time and would enjoy showing someone around, get in touch with Kerry Wheler: ykskiclubevents@gmail.com.