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Whistler Nordics ready for cross-country season

Focus on youth development, building volunteer base for Games

By Andrew Mitchell

The Whistler Nordics are gearing up for more than the winter season these days, as the club looks toward 2010 and the challenge of hosting Olympic and Paralympic Nordic skiing events. Hundreds of volunteers will be required for the Games, as well as for test events in the Callaghan Valley that will start taking place in 2008.

As well, the Nordics are refocusing club efforts on youth programs, fielding a competitive racing team, organizing the annual Whistler Loppet, and drawing in new members through a second year of Twoonie Race nights. Last year’s Twoonie season was a success, helping to increase membership from about 60 members to more than 200.

“Youth programs also grew a lot, which helped, and a lot of their parents got more involved through the Twoonies,” said Tom Barratt, who will return as club president after the Nordics annual general meeting nearly two weeks ago.

The guest presenter at that meeting was Rob Bernhardt, the chief of competition for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Bernhardt talked about the need to recruit local volunteers and train officials from clubs over the next few years. The Whistler Nordics, partnered with other clubs form the Lower Mainland, will host the Games as well as help to run the cross-country, biathlon and ski jumping facilities being constructed in the Callaghan Valley.

“We are encouraging people to become a Whistler Nordics member, and take some courses, because it’s a good way to volunteer for the Olympic events — specifically cross-country, but also biathlon and jumping,” said Barratt.

“It’s customary for the Games organizers to go through the clubs for this. Some volunteers will help with parking and tickets, but we also need people to help with timing, course-marking, announcing. We’ll be getting some help from Cross-Country B.C. and Cross-Country Canada.”

According to Barratt there are two reasons why it’s important to build up a core of local volunteers. The first is to build a base of expertise and develop the sport locally, ensuring that the Nordic Centre is a lasting legacy for the province that is “suitable for all kinds of events and athlete development.”

The second reason has to do with the limited accommodation available, as well as the cost of housing volunteers and officials from outside the region. Barratt says the Games would have no trouble bringing in volunteers from Nordic clubs across Canada, the U.S. and Europe, but there is nowhere for them to stay.

As well, there are the test events to consider — everything from the national championships to World Cup competitions in cross-country, biathlon, ski jumping and Nordic combined.

Having a healthy local club, in terms of membership, is a crucial part of ensuring that there will be enough volunteers in 2010.

“There will be room for (volunteers) to do all kinds of things, they don’t need to be full-on officials. They also don’t have to commit themselves to the whole thing, they can go in and out,” said Barratt.

“(Through the Twoonie Races and Loppet) we really want to draw in and engage people, and put out the welcome mat for mountain bikers, people who are into triathlons, runners — people who are looking for a winter sport that enhances their training through the off-season.”

The Whistler Nordics have hosted several training sessions to prepare marshals and officials, and additional sessions will be held through the winter starting in December.

Barratt says the Whistler Nordics are still comparatively small. The larger clubs in the Interior of the province have upwards of 800 members and the Canmore Nordic Centre that hosts the national team has about 1,500 members.

The Lower Mainland clubs are also large, with Hollyburn alone claiming more than 200 members in its youth program.

Whistler’s youth program is growing steadily, recently expanding to include older kids at the high school level.

There are a few key changes to the youth program this year that bring the program into step with other clubs in the provincial organization. The most noticeable change is that the Whistler Nordics are getting rid of their colour system, and identifying kids in the Jackrabbits program as Level 1, 2, or 3.

The youngest group, the Bunnies, are typically 4-5 years old as of Dec. 31, and the $55 fee includes one hour lessons on Sundays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Jan. 7 to March 4, meeting at the Lost Lake Warming Hut.

The Jackrabbits Level 1-2 program (formerly green and yellow) is for skiers aged 6-7, and runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Sundays, and also costs $55.

The Jackrabbits Level 3 program (formerly orange, red, blue and purple), is for kids aged 8 and older and runs the same time as the Level 1-2 programs, as well as Thursdays from 4:30 to 6 p.m. — after which participants may join the Twoonie races.

All youth registration includes an entry into the Coast Cup.

The Whistler Nordics also have a recreational program, which is for kids from Grades 6 to 12 of all ability levels, classic and skate. The cost is $80, and sessions take place every Monday in January and February, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

The Nordic Racers program will have two to three training sessions per week with a certified competitive coach, and participants will take part in Coast Cup events around the province, as well as local races. It’s open to skiers aged 10-17 and includes classic and skate techniques. The $130 registration fee includes entry to at least four events.

On the Twoonie Race side, memberships are just $25 for adults, $15 for children and $60 for families with two adults and one child. Additional children can be added for $10.

All Twoonie participants are required to be members of the Whistler Nordics in order to receive insurance through Cross-Country Canada and Cross-Country B.C.

Duncan Munro, who is coordinating the Twoonie series, has created a blog website at www.nordictwoonies.blogspot.com .

The first event is scheduled for Dec. 21, then every Thursday after Jan. 4 until March 1. Registration will get underway at 5:30 p.m. each night, and the races will start at 6:15 p.m.

Many of the races will take place under the lights at Lost Lake, although a few will require headlamps as well. To keep things interesting the organizers constantly changed race formats and lengths, with the fastest loppers finishing in between 20 and 30 minutes.

For more on the Whistler Nordics, visit www.whistlernordics.com.