Teck BC Cup #2 gets underway at the Otway Nordic Centre this morning.
It is the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club’s (CNSC) second stop of three on the provincial cross country racing circuit. Race #1 was in Salmon Arm and the Championships will be held in Kamloops Feb 17-20.
A total of 259 athletes have registered for the event which has 14 age categories for each gender with ages ranging from five (Atoms) to 70 (Masters). Races go Saturday and Sunday.
Eighty-three are local racers from CNSC.
Fifteen other ski clubs are also represented. Registered skiers are travelling from Whistler (Whistler), Pemberton (Spud Valley Ski Club), Vancouver (Hollyburn Ski Club), Kamloops (Overlander Ski Club), Kelowna (Telemark), Vernon (Sovereign Lake), Salmon Arm (Larch Hills), Smithers (Bulkley Valley), Vanderhoof (Nechako), Williams Lake (Williams Lake Ski Club), Revelstoke (Revelstoke), Yellowknife (Yellowknife Ski Club), as well as Cariboo Ski Touring, Nickel Plate Nordic, and Wapiti Nordic.
Come out and cheer for all our Caledonia Nordic athletes but keep an eye on a few skiers that are having a strong season so far:
- Kaia Andal (Junior Girl)
- Jordan Bax (Juvenile Boy)
- Josh Fiala (Midget Boy)
- Damian Georgyev (Midget Boy)
- Cole Turner (Juvenile Boy)
- Martin Williamson (Midget Boy)
This race is on the list for athletes trying to qualify for the BC Ski Team, BC Development Squad, and BC Talent Squad. This is no small task as in 2016 Team BC set a record for most medals won by a province in a single National Championship (hosted in Whitehorse). This season’s National Cross Country Ski Championships will be hosted in Canmore, AB. We anticipate seeing many of the racers who are competing here at CNSC competing at nationals.
Conditions have been somewhat challenging the last two weeks. After receiving above-average temperatures and rain, CNSC was an absolute skating rink, leading to closure of the facility for three days. This was a desperate move to save the snow for the remainder of the ski season for BC Cup racers, members and Biathlon Nationals to be hosted in March. Groomers have been working tirelessly so we can continue to train and prepare for the events ahead. Teams can look forward to some fast ski times, firm track and fun out here at CNSC.
