With their club hosting last Saturday's Coast Cup team sprint at Whistler Olympic Park (WOP), it's only fitting that a number of Spud Valley Nordics athletes showed out to defend home turf.
Dalia Fortier and Ella Koshul, representing both Spud Valley and the Whistler Nordics as the "CCU Rockets", struck gold in the U12 girls' event.
Meanwhile, the all-Spud Valley pairing of Teja Stevens and Luke McGowan (a.k.a. "CCU GivR") earned top prize among U12 boys.
Lily McGowan and Veya Stevens didn't quite win the U16 girls' category, but the "CCU Snazzy Skiers" acquitted themselves well with a silver medal effort on behalf of the Spud Valley Nordics.
An honourable mention goes to the "CCU Gummy Bears": the Whistler Nordics duo of Aaron Harder and Reed Murray. They fell just short of podium position in fourth amidst U14 boys.
With arctic air departing and the rain holding off, a total of 223 participants aged two to 59 descended upon Callaghan Valley for a vibrant day of racing the uncommon team sprint format. Eight organizations were in attendance: the Spud Valley Nordics, Whistler Nordics, Sea to Sky Nordics, Hollyburn Cross-Country Ski Club, Nickel Plate, Strathcona Nordic Ski Club, University of British Columbia and Nordic Racers.
Each pair skied three laps of a sprint course, with many dressed in all kinds of festive costumes.
