Good Spirit Cross Country Ski Club and Yorkton Cross Country Ski Clubs are aiming for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games set to start Feb. 7 through to the 23rd in Sochi Russia. Club Presidents Darryl Stevenson from Good Spirit and Barry Rogers of the Yorkton club have challenged each club to ski the distance to Sochi before the winter Olympics end on Feb. 23. The distance set for each club to ski is 12,887 kms, which may seem an impossible goal to some but when taken on by all club members the task becomes doable. Club presidents Darryl and Barry felt that with both clubs having approximately 80 club members, it would mean about 160 kms per skier, if all take on the challenge.
Darryl Stevenson states that distance is very obtainable, given that most Good Spirit skier average 10-20 kms every skied in visit to the Good Spirit trails. So he feels that his club can reach Sochi well before the club in Yorkton. Where as Barry Rogers of the Yorkton Club states that with the Yorkton trails so close to the city on the Deer Park Golf Course, that club members will go out more frequently and can ski a few loops in an evening clocking in 8-16 kms per visit. So the challenge is on to see just how far each club can ski before the Olympics end Feb. 23, 2014. On which day the Yorkton club will host the Sochi Challenge windup, with prizes for the top four mileage makers as well as special recognition to the winning club who accomplished such a huge challenged together.
As a way to gear up for the upcoming ski season, the Yorkton XC Ski Club is hosting a Nordic Waxing Clinic on Nov. 15 at the Deer Park Golf Club house starting at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come and registrations are being taken at [email protected] The clinic is free for club members and a $5 charge for non members. Membership forms for Good Spirit and Yorkton clubs will be on hand for anyone wishing to become a member of either club.
Learn the basic waxing techniques for better kick and glide in all types of snow conditions.
"We are very pleased to have our club member Warren Popick instruct this clinic for us," Rogers says. "Warren is passionate about promoting Cross Country Skiing in the area and there is no better way to do that then by helping skiers learn how to prepare and wax their skies, so that their ski experience can be a good one."
The Good Spirit Club and the Yorkton XC Club both have several planned events for the upcoming ski season along with the regular events such as night ski Tuesday night at Yorkton to the Wednesday night supper skies at Good Spirit. Each club hosts family events through out the ski season such as Poker Derby's and Ski Safari as well as Learn to ski days. The Good Spirit XC Ski Club will again host the Lamplighter Loppet on the family long weekend Feb. 15, which is a night ski ranging from 8-20 km depending on the skier.
"We get skiers from all over the province coming to ski the trails and it is the extra challenge of skiing them at night that seems to entice them," Anne Stupak states. "It's growing every year and being the only night loppet in Canada really puts Good Spririt on the ski map."
Yorkton XC Ski club is hosting a "Learn to Ski Day" on Nov. 30 during the "Sports Day Canada" event nation wide celebrating all sports in Canada. Our Yorkton club hosted a learn to ski day last year and we were overwhelmed by the response we had! This year the club is going to be prepared with skies varying in sizes from juniors to adult in both skate and classic style. Cross Country Sask. has an inventory of skies that we will have available to those that wish to try the sport of cross country skiing before making the commitment of a purchase. Now we just need the snow to come enough so that we can have the trails groomed for that day.
The Club will have the Deer Park Club house open for the day so that families and friends can come and give the skies a try. The event will be Free to the public but membership with the club is welcomed to help offset the cost of hosting the event. We want anyone that wishes to give cross country skiing a try and having good equipment that fits really goes a long way to make that first experience a good one.
Roger states that the Yorkton club will be grooming for both classic and skate skiing this year.
"We felt that by grooming for skate skiing we will attract the younger skiers who may have the skill level and drive to take them to a competition level. We would love to see one of our skiers prefect their skiing that it may lead them to represent Canada on the international stage such as the Olympics. In addition, provide the skate trails for those of us that just want to go faster with no dreams of becoming competitors."
For more information of Good Spirit XC Ski club or Yorkton XC Ski Club contact Anne Stupak at 306-783-6617.
