News Archive

Posted Nov 9,2009

Halloween Fun

Posted Oct 29,2009

Posted Oct 26,2009

What we do for snow!

Check out what some Yukon boys do, in order to get in some early skiing in Ottawa!   Click on the following link XCOTTAWA

Posted Oct 5,2009 (updated Oct 26)

2010 Haywood Nationals Technical Package

The technical package for the 2010 Haywood Nationals to be held in Whitehorse March 14-21 has now been posted. Click on the following link to download in pdf format.

2010 HAYWOOD NATIONALS TECHNICAL PACKAGE.

Posted Sept 29,2009

Club Profile: École Émilie-Tremblay Jackrabbit Club, Whitehorse,YK

The École Émilie-Tremblay Jackrabbit Club is unique and successful, and is based in a Francophone school in Whitehorse, Yukon. Their program is delivered to all children from JK to Grade Six, and all the certified coaches are teachers. The EET Jackrabbit program has run since the mid-nineties, but in 2001, teachers Marc Champagne and Clémence Roy, created a program called "Les boules de feu" ("Fireballs") to increase student fitness, promote the benefits of an active lifestyle, and experience the incredible Yukon wilderness. The name was chosen shortly after a fireball lit up the morning sky above the school and the name evokes the speed and energy of their students. EET offers the Bunny-Rabbit, Jackrabbit and Track-Attack programs twice a week, all winter long, as part of the classroom physical education program for all students. They also do trail-running in Fall and Spring, interspersed with other occasional activities like snow-shoeing, biking and swimming. This program is considered a strength of their school and a source of pride. They have fit, active students and when they participate in skiing or running activities, EET stands out because of the performance of all their students, as opposed to only a few athletes. The parents, teachers, administration and school board have all embraced the program, and they truly believe that the emphasis placed on active living and nutrition pays dividends in the classroom. Students are more focused and better able to learn. If anyone is interested in beginning a similar program, Marc would be more than happy to speak to them via xcyukon@northwestel.net

Posted Sept 13,2009

Coaching Courses

The list of upcoming coaching courses is available through the Coaching Workshops link

Posted Sept 13,2009

David Greer's Updates

Check out the latest news from David Greer at davidgreer99.blogspot.com

Posted June 10,2009

How to Acquire NCCP Community Coaching Certification

To acquire Community Coach certification in cross-country skiing you must successfully complete the following:

1. Introduction to Community Coaching Workshop

2. Community Coaching Workshop

3. Community Coaching Experience Form

4. Community Coaching - Making Ethical Decisions (MED) Online Evaluation

If you are not sure if you are a "certified" community coach please link to Cross Country Canada's website for details.

 

 

February 2009

Posted Feb 4,2009

Grit and Determination!

PRAZ DE LYS SOMMAND, Fra.—Graeme Killick led the Canadian charge into the top-15 at the World Junior Cross-Country Ski Championships in Praz de Lys Sommand, France on Tuesday. The Fort McMurray, Alta. native finished in 15th spot in the men’s 20-kilometre pursuit competition, which combines 10 kilometres of classic skiing followed by 10 kilometres of skate skiing, with a time of 55 minutes 08.8 seconds. Killick was joined in the top-30 with teammate, David Greer, of Whitehorse, Yukon, who finished in 25h with a time of 56:21.3

“This was a great race for Graeme, and I was also very happy for David,” said Eric de Nys, coach of the Canada’s development team. “They skied well in both legs and being their first world championships are happy.” Russia’s Petr Sedov won the men’s pursuit with a time of 52:54.1. Russia’s Raul Shakirzianov, was second at 53:42.5, while Norway’s Hans Christen was third (53:43.5).

Meanwhile, Janelle Greer, also of Whitehorse, Yukon, led the Canadian women in a 10-kilometre pursuit race in France. Greer clocked a 37th place time of 35:12.6. “Janelle showed a lot of grit and determination, and for her first world’s at 16 years old, this is a great performance,” said de Nys. Norway’s Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg won the women’s event with a time of 31:57.1, while Finland’s Krista Lahteenmaki was second (32:21.5), and Sweden’s Hanna Brodin claimed the bronze at 32:27.5. The World Juniors continue in France on Thursday with the five- and 10-kilometre skate-ski races.
 

For photos of David's pursuit race download the following

David Greer (text in French)(pdf)

Posted Feb 3,2009

Busy weekend for Yukoners on the local,national and international scene!

With our Don Sumanik races wrapping up, Colin Abbott at Eastern Championships, and Janelle Greer at World Junior Championships, Yukoners had a busy weekend. Download the following CCY press releases for more information about the races.

Don Sumaniks (pdf)

Eastern Championsips/World Junior Championships (pdf)

Don Sumaniks Award Ceremony

L-R Heidi O'Conner-Brook, Elsie Sumanik, Afan Jones, Knute Johnsgaard

January 2009

Posted January 26,2009

Nishikawa back on the podium

Graham had a good set of races in Rossland BC this past weekend. Please download the following press release for full details. Rossland Norams (pdf)

Posted January 20,2009

Tough Day for Nishikawa

Read about the Nishikawa's World Cup this past weekend by downloading the following press release. January World Cup (pdf)

Posted January 12,2009

Family Affairs

In a surprise move today, Cross Country Canada has given the nod to Emily Nishikawa to suit up for a World Cup appearance later this week.

Nishikawa was given a start position for the classic sprint event, scheduled for Friday January 16 at the Callaghan Valley Olympic site. In the trials for the event held a week ago in Canmore, Nishikawa was severely disappointed after falling while in the lead in her semi-final race. However, Cross Country Canada looked at her qualifying time for the event – she finished in a tie for first place in the race – and made the pick based on that result.

Nishikawa is traditionally a strong sprinter, particularly in classic technique events. Emily joins her brother Graham, who was chosen to compete in the men’s pursuit race on January 17th. The Nishikawas aren’t the only ski family doing well on the world stage. Last week, both Janelle and David Greer were named to represent Canada at the World Junior Cross Country Ski Championships scheduled for the end of the month in France.
 

Posted January 8,2009

Greers take on the World!

Cross Country Canada has announced that two Yukon skiers will form part of the 10-athlete contingent representing Canada at the World Junior Cross Country Championships later this month.

Both Janelle and David Greer will be heading off to Praz de Lys, located in the French alps, for the race series.

For more details on their trip please download the following press release

Greers take on the World (pdf)

Posted January 6,2009

Agony and Ecstasy – Yukon Ski Team Wraps up Canmore Norams

There weren’t any podium appearances on the final day of the Canmore Norams on Tuesday, but there were some superb, and unexpected, performances by young Yukon athletes all the same.
For more information, link to zone 4 or download the following CCY press releases.
Haywood/Noram Trials-Day 3(pdf)
Haywood/Noram Trials-Day 2 (pdf)
Haywood/NorAm Trials-Day 1 (pdf)

Dec 2008

Posted December 18, 2008

Did You Take A "Community Coaching(CC)" Workshop This Fall?

Forms required to fulfill course are now on-line at "Coaches Corner"

Successful Start to The Racing Season 

Posted December 15, 2008
The Yukon ski team skied tough in snowy conditions and at altitude to bring home medals from this past weekend Noram races at Sovereign Lake B.C. For details from all three days of racing please download the following articles:
Noram's Day One
Noram's Day Two
Noram's Day Three

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM NORAMS AT SOVEREIGN LAKE

All Squad Christmas Party and Family Potluck

Posted December 5, 2008

The All Squad Christmas Party and Family Potluck is scheduled for Saturday December 13, 2008 from 12:30 p.m. (after ski practice) – 2:00 p.m. in the upstairs banquet room at Mount McIntyre Recreation Center. Please bring:

* something to share for the family potluck lunch (drinks will be provided)

* plates, utensils and cups for your family

* dry food donation for Mary House

Watch for Santa ... he’ll be joining us!

For more information call Chris Cash at 633-6924.

Nov 2008

Grey Mountain Lions Club SKI FEST Posted November 26, 2008 Are you 8+ years old and like skiing? We are having 3 super Saturdays for SKI FEST this season. These fun-filled days will have music, great activities, food and drink...and the cost is free!! Find Out More ..

Oct 2008

Coaching Courses

Posted October 30, 2008
Coaching courses are coming soon! These courses have a minimum number needed in order to run. Please make sure you register soon so that we can offer these great learning experiences.

 

1) To find out what course you need for the varying levels please go to Coaching Certification.

2) To find out dates and times of course please go to Coaching Workshops

3) To register for all courses please contact Bob Nishikawa at 668-3172 or by email

 

Squad Programs

Posted October 2, 2008
Cross Country Yukon very excited for the start of another ski season! Another great group of dedicated volunteer coaches have stepped forward this year.

Under the direction of Head Coach, Alain Masson, the following coaching teams have been developed.

Blue/Red Squad: Head Coach-Alain Masson,
Assistant Coach-Sara Neilson

Green Squad: Head Coach-Jonathan Kerr/Scott Puskas,
Assistant Coaches-Andy Preto and Lauren Crooks

Purple Squad: Head Coach-Nick Stratis,
Assistant Coaches-Sherri Hogeboom, Elizabeth Reid and Perry Hynes

Orange Squad: Head Coach: Carolyn Coombs,
Assistant Coaches-Sean Mather, Erik Blake, and Jud Deuling
 

A big Thank You to all coaches who will be putting in hours of volunteer time this year!

June 2008

Developing Physical Literacy

A Guide For Parents Of Children Ages 0 to 12

Posted June 18, 2008
Childhood obesity and rising inactivity among children threatens the future health of Canada, and the problem needs to be addressed NOW if we are to prevent a generation of children from growing up with chronic health problems.

We also know that being physically active later in life depends on feeling confident in an activity setting; and that confidence, as an adult, most often comes from having learned fundamental movement and sport skills as a child.

Therefore, to create an active and healthy population ALL Canadian children need a sound foundation of movement and sport skills to build on later in life; and this foundation is called Physical Literacy.

Download Developing Physical Literacy Guide

* This is large document and it may take several minutes for it download.

April 2008

Nishikawa Named to National Junior Team

Posted April 18, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Mix a ton of hard work with talent, great coaching and community support and what do you get? Another Yukoner named to the National Junior Cross Country Ski Team.

This week, Emily Nishikawa got the nod to be the newest member of Cross Country Canada’s Team 2018, recognizing her potential to move up to the senior squad and, maybe someday, a shot at an Olympic berth.

Nishikawa joins fellow Yukon Ski Team member David Greer, who was named to the elite squad last year and who remains on the roster for the upcoming season.

Yukon hasn’t had two skiers on a national squad since the early 1990’s.

"This is great news for Emily" said Alain Masson, the Yukon Ski Team’s Head Coach. "She’s been working incredibly hard for years and this gives her the recognition she deserves."

Nishikawa will continue her full time training at the Callaghan Valley training centre, where she’s been working for the past season.

David Greer will continue his training at the Pierre Harvey training centre in Quebec.

"These are two really talented athletes. They’re both great role models for the rest of the team and the kids are all thrilled for them" noted Masson. "We saw some great results from them both during the last season and no doubt we’ll see even more next year."

Both Nishikawa and Greer made podium appearances at the recent Haywood Ski Nationals held at the Whistler Olympic site. Nishikawa picked up a gold medal in the sprint race, while Greer added a silver to his collection of honours with a second place finish in the classic race.

Probably the highlight of the last season for Nishikawa didn’t involve a podium performance at all. She was a last minute pick to compete for Canada in one of the World Cup races held in Canmore in January – quite an honour for a skier of her age.

By the look of things, there will be many more to come.

March 2008

Cross Country Yukon Announces Bonus Program Recipients

Posted March 31, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
A few Yukon skier are feeling richer today.

Cross Country Yukon has announced the recipients of its bonus program, which rewards skiers who perform well at the national championships.

This year, the program paid out almost $4,000 to nine skiers, all of whom finished in the top ten in races at the recent Haywood Ski Nationals held at the Whistler Olympic facility.

Not surprisingly, top of the cash heap was Graham Nishikawa, who had consistent top ten results in the meet. He was joined by sister Emily Nishikawa, Janelle and David Greer, Jeff Wood, Colin Abbott, John Parry, Brittany Smith and Bryn Knight.

Yukon Ski Team head Coach Alain Masson was happy to be handing out the awards. "While we are awarding a little less than we died last year, we are giving money to more skiers than we ever have before – a really good sign. This is a testament to the depth our program has been attaining. It's especially significant that these fine results were attained at one of the most competitive national championships we’ve seen in years."

The Cross Country Yukon program has been in place since 2004. It was designed to both recognize the exceptional accomplishments of its young skiers and to help offset the high training and racing costs that the athletes face when they compete at the national level.

Payouts under the program range from $500 for a senior skier placing top of the podium at the nationals to $60 for a junior skier who makes 10th place in a nationals race.

Greer & Smith: Yukon Champs

Posted March 31, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
The Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club was the scene of some intense late season racing as northern skiers hit the trails for some tough competition in the Yukon Championships this past weekend.

The two day event boasted a classic race on Saturday, followed by a free-technique, or skate, race on Sunday.

To nobody's surprise, Canadian Junior National Team member David Greer showed his class and dominated the Open Men's categories on both days, winning the event handily. The open men's group faced a tough 10 km classic course on Saturday, followed by a 15 km skate course on Sunday that was described by racers as "brutal".

In the Open Women's event, Brittany Smith took the overall title by winning both day's races. The women competed in a 7.5 km classic event on Saturday and a 10 km race on Sunday.

Along with their Yukon Championship medals, Smith and Greer were awarded the Gordon Taylor trophy for their performance.

In the younger age groups, Fabian Brook and Nesha Wright were awarded the Schiffkorn trophy for their exploits. The trophy is awarded to the best midget skiers over the two day event.

Meanwhile, in a sprint finish worthy of the Olympics, Dahria Beatty and Janelle Greer finished in a dead heat in Sunday's Juvenile Girls event. Greer won the Saturday classic event for the girls, while the Juvenile Boys race was won by Jeff Wood, who took Sunday's skate event as well.

Race organizers, and skiers, were challenged by the weather.

A surprise snowfall in the early hours of Saturday morning, after the courses had been prepared, left the skiers with some slow tracks to tackle, but chief of competition Alan Frostad had his forerunners out early, fixing up race conditions for the athletes.

On Sunday, an overnight burst of frigid, sub -20 temperatures once again had Frostad worried, but it warmed up in time for the race start to proceed as scheduled. The cold, slow snow had more than one racer struggling for glide on the hills, making difficult courses even more challenging for the athletes.

Skiers and organizers alike were happy with the weekend. Yukon ski team head coach Alain Masson noted that "these were true championship courses and our skiers – of all ages - really showed that they are made of true championship material."

Along with Yukon skiers ranging in age from 4 to 50+, the event attracted the Hanthorn family (all six of them!) from Ft. MacPherson. The NWT skiers took advantage of the superb Whitehorse trail system to get in some quality racing and tough competition in the classic event on Saturday.

View Classic Race Results

View Freestyle Race Results

NCCP Community Coaching Certification

Community Coaching certification for the sport of cross-country skiing is now available.

To acquire certification you must have successfully completed the following:

Certification Status

To find out your current NCCP status you can access your transcript details on the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) website at http://coach.ca. Your transcript provides a summary of the workshops and "experiences" in which you have been trained and evaluated. To do this, click on the link to "Check Certification Status" and then enter your Certification Card number (CC#) and your last name. If you do not know your CC# you can request it via database@coach.ca. If you have a problem with your certification records you should contact your Division Coaching Coordinator.

Making Ethical Decisions (MED) Online Evaluation

"Making Ethical Decisions" is one of the Community Coaching outcomes that the CAC requires you to be evaluated in if you are to obtain certification at this level. Before you start the evaluation, you will need:

Please be advised:

Now that you are ready to take the Make Ethical Decisions Online Evaluation for Community Sport, please visit: http://elearning.coach.ca/course/view.php?id=33.

Strong Finish for Yukon at Ski Nationals

Posted March 24, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Team Yukon wrapped up the 2008 Haywood Ski Nationals, being held at the 2010 Olympic site in Callaghan Valley, with more strong performances over the weekend.

In the free technique sprint race on Friday, Emily Nishikawa led from start to finish in her Junior Women’s final to claim gold. Nishikawa had a bit of a slip in her semi-final, but won a photo finish call to take a third place call in the heat and advance to the A final.

The gold medal was welcome relief to Nishikawa, who had struggled in races earlier in the week.

In the Juvenile Girls sprints, Janelle Greer had a disappointing day, catching an edge and falling in her quarter final. As a result, she didn’t advance and finished 19th overall. This was not an uncommon fate for skiers; defending Olympic champion Chandra Crawford suffered a similar fate, falling while in the lead in her final. Icy conditions and rutted snow chewed up by almost 600 competitors added an extra dimension to the challenging courses.

Jeff Wood had another strong day, narrowly missing the A final in the Juvenile Boys 1 km sprint event. Wood went on to easily win the B final, giving him an overall 7th placing.

On Sunday, the skiers moved to the long distance classic event.

Weather conditions once again became a factor, with the first few categories starting their races in near blizzard conditions and finishing in bright sunshine and warm temperatures. The snow – 25 cm had fallen in a short period – was soft and slow, and many skiers struggled with their wax.

In the Open Men’s 50 km race, Graham Nishikawa hung on to a strong 5th placing in what was described as the most competitive field ever seen at a Canadian Nationals. Nishkawa had trouble with his grip in the early laps in the race, but his skis improved as the day wore on.

The men’s race was won by strong man Ivan Babikov, celebrating his recent acquisition of Canadian citizenship. The attrition rate was high and only about half of the starters managed to complete the snowy, hilly course.

In the younger age groups, Colin Abbot had his first appearance on the podium with a bronze medal in the Junior Boys 15 km race, while Jeff Wood also picked up a bronze in the Juvenile Boys 7.5 km race.

Head Coach Alain Masson was pleased with the team's results over the week. "We had a good team this year. It’s not just the medal count that matters; we also had a lot of top 10 performances by our skiers in every age group and all in very strong fields. The team is consistent on every day in every race."

The consistency showed in the overall club standings calculated at the end of the week’s racing. The Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club finished in fourth place out of all clubs in the country. Foothills Nordic from Calgary took the top honours for the 5th year in a row.

The Haywood Ski Nationals was the first major event hosted at the new Olympic facility at Callaghan Valley and was a major test for both skiers and organizers, who used the event to fine tune their the venue for the upcoming Olympics.

Yukon Championships Scheduled For March 29-30, 2008

Posted March 20, 2008 by Allan Frostad (Chief Of Race - Yukon Championships 2008)
The Yukon Championships will be held on March 29-30, 2008 at the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club. The registration deadline is 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday March 26, 2006. For more information, visit the Yukon Championships web page.

Yukoners Conquer the Elements at Nationals

Posted March 19, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Yukoners were on the podium once again at the Haywood Ski Nationals at the Olympic site in Callahan Valley on Wednesday.

Janelle Greer topped her Juvenile Girls category easily today, adding another gold medal to her growing collection. The Juvenile Girls skied a 5 km race using skate technique.

And Graham Nishikawa bested all but Ivan Babikov as he battled to 2nd place in a massive 155 man field , coming up with a silver medal for the 15 km course. The Open Men’s field is one of the strongest seen in years at a Canadian Nationals, with skiers coming from around the world to test the 2010 Olympic facilities.

Conditions were tough for the skiers, and especially for Yukon skiers who are used to dry, fine snow. Heavy wet snow fell throughout the day, with almost 10cm accumulating during the course of the race. The fresh snow made for slow conditions, poor visibility, and a rutted and treacherous course. There were spills and broken equipment galore throughout the day, especially on the long technical downhills featured in high level courses like these.

While Greer and Nishikawa were the only Yukoners on the podium, quite a few of their teammates weren’t too far back.

Jeff Wood narrowly missed a podium spot in the Junior Boys 7.5 km race, finishing in 4th spot and only 7 seconds out of the bronze medal position.

Brittany Smith, skiing in the Junior Girls 5 km race was only 36 seconds from first, but the gap was enough to drop her to 5th place.

David Greer, a bit tired after a silver medal performance in the previous day’s classic race, dropped to 8th position in the Junior Men’s category, and Colin Abbott hit the top 10 in the Junior Boys 7.5 km.

The next race on the calendar is on Friday when the skiers get to test their mettle in a free technique sprint race.

Greer Hits Podium at Nationals

Posted March 18, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
The Yukon Ski Team picked up its first medal of the Haywood Ski Nationals on Tuesday.

David Greer took the silver medal spot with a time of 29:30, less than a half second back of the gold medal winner, Frederic Touchette of Quebec. After the race, he commented that he didn’t think he’d had a good race and had been hurting throughout, but others obviously had similar problems.

It was a tough day for the skiers, who faced difficult waxing conditions, icy tracks and fresh wet snow falling throughout the day on the hilly Olympic courses. Skiers lacked both grip and glide as they struggled to adjust to skiing in soft snow, something many Yukoner skiers have never had to face in their racing careers to date.

In the intensely competitive Open Men’s category, Graham Nishikawa showed that his form is up to snuff when he finished 7th overall, out of a field of 160 athletes from around the world, only 53 seconds back of gold medallist Stephan Kuhn. Nishikawa was only seconds back of top ranked Canadian national team member Devon Kershaw, who has been burning up the tracks on the world cup circuit in Europe recently.

In other categories, Janelle Greer was 6th Juvenile Girl, Jeff Wood picked up a 10th place in the Juvenile Boys, Bryn Knight was 10th Junior Women followed closely by teammate Emily Nishikawa in 11th spot and Colin Abbot was 12th Junior Boy.

Races continue on Wednesday, when the skiers compete in their first skate race of the meet.

Strong Day for Yukon at Nationals

Posted March 17, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
The first test at the 2008 Haywood Ski Nationals for the Yukon Ski Team was a sprint relay, using classic technique. In a sprint relay, skiers compete in teams of two on a short sprint course. One skier completes a loop then hands off to the other; this process is repeated three times.

This makes for exciting racing, as skiers go head to head with up to 15 other teams at a time. Leads change constantly as the athletes fight it out on the hills and tight corners. Multiple rounds of heats make it really tough for the racers, who end up skiing 6 laps of the course in pretty short order.

In the challenge boys relay, Yukon narrowly missed the podium as the team of Lee Hawkings and Jeff Wood finished in 4th place, just ahead of the duo of Logan Potter and Nansen Murray.

Emily Nishikawa and Bryn Knight, both junior skiers, entered the open women’s category, pitting themselves against stronger and older skiers. Without any real expectations for placing, their race strategy was just to “go fast” and try and hang in. Both skiing strongly, they moved easily through to the final and finished 5th overall. And the sister combination of Janelle and Brittany Greer also cruised easily into the final round, but a fall on a tricky corner by Janelle dropped the team into 9th spot.

On the open men’s side, Graham Nishikawa and David Greer teamed up, using the relay as a tune-up for the distance races that come later in the week. Holding their own in a big field, the pair finished in 7th spot.

John Parry and Colin Abbot, also using the sprints as a tune up for the distance races later in the week, ended up mid-pack with a 15th place spot.

The Haywood Ski Nationals has attracted over 500 of Canada’s best skiers, along with the U.S. national team, who are using the meet to get a look at the 2010 Olympic courses. Skiers from around the globe have turned up to take a look at the courses; sixteen countries are represented at the event.

The Yukoners had a bit of adjustment to do when it came to weather and snow conditions. Snow at the Whistler Olympic Park is soft, warm and wet, unheard of conditions in Whitehorse.

Yukon Teams Heads to Nationals

Posted March 12, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Cross Country Yukon has finalized the team that will represent the territory in the National Cross Country Ski Championships.

The Haywood Ski Nationals will be held at the newly constructed, state of the art Olympic venue now known as the Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley, just north of Vancouver. Over 500 skiers, the cream of the crop of Canada’s Nordic community, will attend the event, which is comprised of a series of five races spread over an eight day stretch.

Competition for selection to Cross Country Yukon's 2008 National Championship Team was incredibly competitive with 19 skiers meeting the minimum criteria for selection to one of the twelve places allocated for the trip. This team has the potential to be one of the most competitive ski teams ever to represent the Yukon at a National Championship event.

The 2008 National Championship Team is as follows: Brittany Greer, Janelle Greer, Brittany Smith, Heidi Brook, Graham Nishikawa, David Greer, John Parry, Colin Abbott, Nansen Murray, Jeff Wood, Logan Potter and Lee Hawkings. In addition, Yukoners Emily Nishikawa and Bryn Knight will be competing as part of the Callaghan Valley Training Centre team and Sam Lindsay will be competing for the Augustana University team.

The team will be headed by veteran coach Alain Masson and assistant coaches David Gendron and Dominic Bradford.

The first race of the meet will be on March 14, when the skiers hit the trails for a team sprint race.

Bronze Medal for Richard at World Championships

Posted March 3, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Duchane Richard won a bronze medal in day one of the World Masters Cross Country Ski Championships in McCall, Idaho on Saturday. The race was won by Gabriele Andersen of the U.S. team.

Richard, a familiar sight on the ski trails in Whitehorse, was competing in a 15 km classic technique race. She competes in the F07 (age 60-64) category.

The next race on the schedule for Richard is a 30 km race on March 6.

The world championship event has attracted over 1,200 skiers representing some 23 countries for a full week of competition.

February 2008

Cross Country Yukon's 2008 National Championship Team

Posted February 26, 2008 by Alain Masson (Head Coach - Cross Country Yukon)
The Board of Director's of Cross Country Yukon, it's Head Coach Alain Masson and the High Performance Committee are pleased to announce the selection of the team that will represent the Yukon at the 2008 Haywood Ski Nationals in the 81st edition of the Canadian Cross Country Ski Championships. Scheduled for the newly constructed, state of the art Olympic venue now known as the Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley, the event promises to attract the top cross country skiers from across the country.

Competition for selection to Cross Country Yukon's 2008 National Championship Team was incredibly competitive with 19 skiers meeting the minimum criteria for selection to one of the twelve places on the team. The team that was selected has the potential to be one of the most competitive ski teams ever to represent the Yukon at a National Championship event. Each who qualified should feel particularly proud of their selection.

The 2008 National Championship Team is as follows:

Top four Women:

Brittany Greer
Janelle Greer
Brittany Smith
Heidi Brook

Top four Men:

Graham Nishikawa
David Greer
John Parry
Colin Abbott

Next four highest points carrier (independent of gender or category):

Nansen Murray
Jeff Wood
Logan Potter
Lee Hawkings

First Alternate: Michael Abbott

A Perfect Day for Sprinting!

Posted February 25, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
The Sportees Sprint races were held on Saturday in perfect conditions!

This year was a classic technique sprint – a new format for many of the racers who are more familiar with freestyle sprints. Spectators watched the sprinters compete in and around the stadium or perfectly laid out courses in fast conditions.

Thirty-four competitors, ranging in age from 6 to 60 years, took part in the races. The round-robin format saw all competitors racing in three sequential rounds, as skiers advanced through the heats. In the final round, there were many exciting finishes, with the fastest skiers competing in the final heat of the third round.

Younger skiers raced in heats of four over a 300 metre course, while the older group faced off in groups of 5 over a 600 metre course.

The results in the 11 years and under category were:

Female

First: Morgan Paul
Second: Eliza Paul
Third: Zoe Painter

Male

First: Marcus Deuling
Second: Caelen McLean
Third: Gavin Vervloet

In the 12 and older category, the results were:

Female

First: Ziggy Reimer
Second: Kendra Murray
Third: Odette Rivard

Male

First: David Greer
Second: Alain Masson
Third: Knute Johnsgaard

Yukon Mines Gold at Westerns

Posted February 25, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
The Yukon Ski Team wrapped up three days of racing at the Western Canadian Championships in La Ronge, Saskatchewan this weekend with a major medal haul.

Topping the list was Emily Nishikawa, who, despite being a junior, has been cleaning up in the Senior Women’s category at the Westerns. Nishikawa picked up gold medals in both Friday’s free technique race and Sunday’s classic race to add to the sprint gold she earned earlier in the week.

Nishikawa was followed into the finish of the classic race by Bryn Knight, who has been fighting injury for much of the season. This didn’t slow her down too much on Sunday however, as she picked up a silver in the Senior Women’s 10 km race, just over a minute behind her teammate.

In the Midget Girls category, Dahria Beatty won both the Friday and Sunday races, adding to her silver sprint medal earned earlier in the week.

And Brittany Smith, competing in the Junior Girls category, earned a bronze medal for her performance, her first of the event.

On the boys side, Jeff Wood led a pack of Yukoners through Sunday’s 10 km classic course to win a spot on the podium and a bronze medal. Teammates Logan Potter, Michael Abbot and Colin Abbot were just seconds back. The quartet skied the whole race together, but couldn’t quite catch the leader, who crossed the line 23 seconds ahead of Wood.

Whitehorse native Sam Lindsay, who now skis for the Vikings team out of Camrose AB, was fourth overall in the men’s 15 km category, but was the first Junior man across the line, a strong result.

The team now heads back to Whitehorse. Next up for the younger skiers is the Arctic Winter Games in Yellowknife, while the older skiers will be fine-tuning for the National Championships, which will held at the new Olympic site in Callahan Valley, just outside of Whistler.

Westerns Day 1: Yukon Medals

Posted February 23, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Once again showing the western half of the country that they are a force to be reckoned with, the Yukon Ski Team started the Western Canadian Cross Country Ski Championships in La Ronge, Saskatchewan with strong performances.

Leading the charge, and no stranger to the podium, was Emily Nishikawa who handily won the senior women’s sprint race. Not far behind was teammate Janelle Greer, who picked up the silver medal spot.

The medal performance was especially notable for the pair as neither of them are senior women. Nishikawa normally competes in the Junior Women’s category, while Greer is younger still and competes as a Juvenile. Aside from medals, by competing in the Senior group, the pair also bring home some prize money.

Meanwhile, Dahria Beatty finished a strong second place in the Midget Girls’ category behind Suzanne Stevenson of the Alberta team.

On the men’s side of the house, Jeff Wood narrowly missed the podium in the Junior Boys’ group. Wood was the third fastest qualifier, but couldn’t quite keep the speed through the heats to make the podium.

Getting to the race may have been the hardest part for the skiers. After a flight to Edmonton, they had with a 10-hour bus ride to get to La Ronge.

Races continue on Friday with a free-technique race and Sunday when the skiers have a final, classic technique test.

Children Fitness Tax Credit

Posted February 13, 2008 by Chris Alstrom (President - Cross Country Yukon)
Starting with the 2007 tax year, the Government of Canada allows a non-refundable tax credit based on eligible fitness expenses paid by parents to register a child in a prescribed program of physical activity.

For information from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for Parents concerning the Children's Fitness Tax Credit, please go to: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/whatsnew/fitness-e.html

For the Children's Fitness Tax Credit Eligibility Checklist, please go to: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/whatsnew/checklist-e.html Please note that the CCCs Skill Development Program for children (Bunnyrabbit, Jackrabbit and Track Attack) is eligible for the Tax Credit.

Information on calculating eligible fees and completing receipts will be forthcoming. The CRA webpage with this information is: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/whatsnew/organi-e.html#receipts

School Challenge Postponed Until March 26, 2008

Posted February 13, 2008 by Amanda Deuling (School Challenge Coordinator - Cross Country Yukon)
Due to a change in the date of the Polar Games the School Challenge has been postponed until March 26, 2008. For more information visit the School Challenge webpage.

January 2008

Cross Country Yukon Announces Arctic Winter Games Team

Posted January 31, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Cross Country Yukon has announced the names of the athletes who will represent Yukon at the Arctic Winter Games, to be held in Yellowknife in March.

The team will consist of twenty young athletes, led by three seasoned coaches.

Team selections by category are:

Midget Girls: Dahria Beatty, Nesha Wright, Holly Bull, Kathryn Peters

Midget Boys: Fabian Brook, Isak Baril-Blouin, Trevor Bray, Eric Fekete

Juvenile Girls: Heidi Brook, Kendra Murray, Odette Rivard

Juvenile Boys: Knute Johnsgaard, Logan Roots, George Rivard

Junior Girls: Brittany Pearson, Ziggy Reimer

Junior Boys: Logan Potter, Nansen Murray, Jeff Wood, Lee Hawkings

The skiers were selected based on their outstanding performance in the Don Sumanik selection races, held earlier this year.

Head coach for the trip will be Sara Nielsen. She’ll be assisted by Johanna Smith and Scott Puskas.

Sportees Sprint Race Update

Posted January 27, 2008 by Kathleen Wood (Chief Of Race)
The Sportees Sprint Race will be held at the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club on February 23, 2008. Participants will race each other using classic technique over short courses designed specifically for sprinting. Each participant will complete several sprints, with the fastest skiers advancing to the final round. Come out and watch or better yet sign up and test your fitness level. For more information and to download the entry form, visit the Sportees Sprints web page. The sprints are being sponsored by Sportees and hosted by the Whitehorse Cross Country ski Club.

Seconds Count (a lot)

Posted January 27, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Finishing less than six and a half seconds behind the top sprinter in the world sounds pretty impressive, but racing on the intensely competitive World Cup sprint circuit, Graham Nishikawa discovered that it’s only good enough for 52nd place.

Graham Nishikawa Competing At World Cup - Photo Credit: Bob Nishikawa

That was the result in Canmore on Saturday in the men’s 1.2 km sprint, as Nishikawa battled it out in the qualification round to try and win a place in the heats, and ultimately, to get onto the podium.

Despite the placing, Nishikawa wasn’t displeased with the result. "I was so close," he commented after the race. "I was only 2 ½ seconds off qualifying, and I got the best FIS points I’ve ever received in a race. At this level, I don’t even know if I’ve had a good race or not, I just go as hard as I can and hope to qualify."

The race was eventually won by Emil Joensson, from Sweden, who outsprinted a Russian and a Fin to take the men’s title in an exciting contest that kept the photo finish cameras working overtime.

On the women’s side, hometown Canmore favourite Chandra Crawford delighted the thousands of fans lining the fast, relatively flat course as she claimed her first ever world cup victory. Crawford used a combination of superb gliding ability and tactical smarts to top the podium.

On Friday, Nishikawa raced a tough 15 km free technique race, finishing in 50th place, less than 3 minutes behind Italian Valerio Checchi, who claimed gold in the event with a time of 36:04, despite the cold and slow conditions.

And racing in her first ever World Cup event, sister Emily Nishikawa raced to a 53rd position finish in the women’s 10 km race, finishing 6:52 behind Ukrainian Valentina Shevchenko.

Graham now heads off to Ottawa to compete in the Eastern Canadian Championships which begin next weekend, while Emily goes to Wisconsin to compete in a series of U.S. regional races.

Disappointing First Day for Nishikawa

Posted January 23, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Things get pretty tight when you’re racing against the biggest guns in the ski world.

Graham Nishikawa, skiing in the Canmore World Cup men’s classic sprint was only 13.7 seconds behind the leader in the qualification round; but that was only good enough for 47th place and so he didn’t advance into the heats. Only the top 30 men advance to the heats from the qualification round and Nishikawa needed to find four more seconds over the 1200 metre course to make the cut.

Nishikawa was a bit disappointed in his placing, but not his time. "Being only 4 seconds back of making the heats wasn’t a bad result for me,” he said after the race. “I’m in good shape and hopefully on Friday I’ll be up there."

It was a Norwegian sweep in the men’s race. Boerre Naess won both the qualification round and the title as he won the men’s A final ahead of four other Norwegians and a lone Russian.

It was a tough course, but despite the hills the Norwegian men chose to go without grip wax, double poling the climbs.

Top Canadian man for the day was Sean Crooks, who finished 18th overall.

On the women’s side of the race, hometown Canmore favourites Chandra Crawford and Sara Renner both made it into the heats. Crawford finished 12th overall, while Renner was two spots back in 14th position. These were good results for both women; Crawford is a strong sprinter but is noted mostly as a skater, while Renner is on the comeback trail after taking a year off to have a baby.

The women’s competition was won by Slovenian skier Petra Majdic.

The races resume on Friday with an individual start, free technique race. Men will be racing 15 km and women will be doing 10 km. Nishikawa will be joined at the race by his sister Emily, who will be making her first world cup appearance.

Emily Nishikawa Gets World Cup Nod

Posted January 22, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Emily Nishikawa got a big surprise on the weekend with a last minute chance to start a World Cup race, a real rarity for a junior skier.

Nishikawa had narrowly missed a chance to compete for Canada at the World Junior Championships recently. She was just preparing to head off to the States to compete in some regional races when she got a call from Cross Country Canada telling her that they had an unfilled spot on the start list for one of the four World Cup races being held in Canmore this week.

"I was thrilled," said the teenager. And who wouldn’t be? Even though she has no expectations for results, getting the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best in the world is a once in a lifetime opportunity for any skier. She immediately changed her travel plans and headed for Alberta.

Nishikawa will be competing in an individual start 10 km race on Friday. Joining her is brother Graham, who is competing in three of the four races being held in Canmore this week. Graham’s first race is on Wednesday, when he competes in a 1100 metre classic sprint race.

Yukoner Heads off to World Cup

Posted January 15, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Cross Country Canada has announced the Canadian line-up for the upcoming Canmore World Cup races and local favourite Graham Nishikawa is on the list.

Nishikawa will race in three of the four races scheduled for Canmore: two sprint races (one classic and one free technique) plus a 15 km free technique distance race.

Nishikawa was recently ranked 5th in the country in sprints and 10th in distance events. The World Cup provides him with the opportunity to move further up the rankings as the skiing elite of the country jockey for the opportunity to show their stuff against the best in the world as they work towards the 2010 Olympics.

These will be the first World Cup races to be held in Canada since 2005. The first race in the series will be a continuous pursuit race, scheduled for January 22, followed by the classic sprint on January 23, the distance race on January 25 and the final, free technique, sprint on January 26.

Headlining the Canadian contingent will be former Olympic medallists Chandra Crawford and Sara Renner on the women’s side, and Devon Kershaw on the men’s side. Kershaw turned in impressive World Cup results last season.

Nishikawa won’t the only Yukoner at the races. Alain Masson will be one of the crew providing technical support to the Canadian team for four days of racing.

Cross Country Canada Chooses World Junior Team

Posted January 11, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Cross Country Canada has announced its team selections for the World Junior Championships and no Yukoners made the cut.

"Naturally, we’re disappointed and so are the athletes" said Alain Masson, head coach for the territory’s squad. "However, we have to remember that everyone we sent to the trials performed well, we had three podium performances and we had two athletes who almost made the team. The fact that four of our Junior skiers produced their best ever individual results during the trial was a great surprise which bodes well for the rest of the season and next year."

Both Emily Nishikawa and David Greer were close to being chosen for the team, but narrowly missed out in the final selection. Based on results from the Noram series of races to date, Nishikawa had the most realistic chance of qualifying.

There will be future opportunities for the talented squad to make the World Junior Championships team as they all have at least one more year of eligibility left to make the cut.

Skiers Finish Week with Strong Placings at World Junior Trials

Posted January 6, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
The Yukon Ski Team competed in back to back races, and as usual had some impressive results, at the World Junior Trials in Duntroon, Ontario over the weekend.

Saturday, the skier to watch was Janelle Greer, who picked up a podium position with a 3rd place finish in the Junior Women’s 1.1 km free technique sprint race. Greer, who normally competes in the juvenile category, went head to heat with women three years older than her. “She is really showing tremendous promise and no doubt we’ll be seeing her on the podium a lot in the future,” said Team Yukon coach Alain Masson. Alysson Marshall, who is member of the National Junior Team, topped the field.

Emily Nishikawa, traditionally a strong sprinter, had a disappointing day, finishing 2nd in the B final for an overall 8th placing.

Sunday, the skiers faced more challenges in the last race of the event, an individual start classic race.

Conditions were a little tough for athletes from the north as the race was run in +7 temperatures and steady drizzle.

However, this time Bryn Knight rose to the occasion with a strong 2nd place finish, only 20 seconds behind Quebec’s Stephanie Drolet. This is a really promising result for Knight, who has been fighting a shoulder injury and has missed much of the first part of the season. Not far behind Knight were teammates Emily Nishikawa, who finished 5th, and Janelle Greer, just seconds back in 6th position.

On the male side, David Greer had a strong showing, finishing the 15 km junior men’s race only 1:30 behind the winner for 4th place. Greer sat out the sprint on Saturday to rest up for the classic race.

On the senior men’s side, Graham Nishikawa, who also sat out the sprint race, had a disappointing 11th place finish, behind National Ski Team member George Grey. Nishikawa was using the race to try and move up in the national standings and get better start positions in the upcoming World Cup races being held later this month in Canmore.

The results of the three trial races will now be used to choose the team that will represent Canada in the upcoming World Junior Championships, to be held in Poland next month. Cross Country Canada is expected to announce the teams later this week.

Strong Start for Nishikawa at World Junior Trials

Posted January 3, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
It was a hot start on a cold day for Yukoner Emily Nishikawa, competing in the first race of the new year in Duntroon, Ontario on Thursday.

Nishikawa finished second in the Junior Women’s 10 km continuous pursuit race, the first of three races that will decide which athletes head to Poland next month to represent Canada at the World Junior Championships. Calgarian Marlis Krumm was first across the line, 29 seconds ahead of Nishikawa.

The continuous pursuit race combines classic with skate skiing. The athletes change skis and poles in a transition between a leg of each technique while the clock keeps running.

Nishikawa was pleased with her performance, and looks good for the weekend. Head Coach Alain Masson said that "Emily is really strong right now. If she performs on the weekend like she did today she’ll be a good bet to make the team for the World’s."

The day started out with Yukon-like temperatures, which, combined with 10 cm of new snow, caused a 3-hour delay for the races as organizers waited for things to warm up. Aside from the frigid air temperatures (rules don’t allow racing when it’s colder than -20), organizers had to deal with frozen grooming equipment and a shortage of volunteers that had them scrambling to get trails groomed and results produced.

In other Yukon results for the Junior Women’s race, Bryn Knight, making a comeback after a shoulder injury that kept her sidelined for several months, had a strong first half but faded late in the event to a disappointing 18th placing, behind team mate Janelle Greer, who cracked the top 10, about 2:30 behind the leaders. And Brittany Greer, competing in the women’s under-23 category, finished in 5th place, just out of the medals.

On the men’s side of the competition, Graham Nishikawa, competing in the Open Men’s 20 km competition, finished in 8th place, a minute off winner George Grey’s time. Nishikawa wasn’t feeling his best going into the race, and was disappointed in the result.

Among the junior men, David Greer picked up a strong 6th placing. He was with the lead group at the 10 km mark, but had a bad transition and lost contact as the group moved into the skate portion of the race.

The races, part of the elite Haywood Noram series, continue on the weekend.

Ski Team Heads East

Posted January 2, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
The Yukon Ski Team is off to its first major challenge of the new year as it heads into competition at the next installment of the Haywood Noram race series.

Hosted by the Highlands Nordic Ski Club in Duntroon, Ontario, the meet will consist of three races: a mass-start continuous pursuit race on Thursday, a sprint race on Saturday and an individual start classic race on Sunday.

Aside from providing skiers the opportunity to test themselves against the best in the country, the event is the selection tool for Cross Country Canada to choose the team that will represent the country at the World Junior and Under 23 Championships to be held in Poland in February.

And for senior skiers like Graham Nishikawa, the event provides another opportunity to move up the ranks and qualify for better placings on the start grids for the upcoming World Cup races in Canmore.

Along with Nishikawa, the team consists of Brittany and Janelle Greer, Emily Nishikawa, Bryn Knight, David Greer, Sam Lindsey, Colin Abbot and Nansen Murray.

The skiers will be led by team Yukon head coach Alain Masson and assistant coach David Gendron.

December 2007

Don Sumanik Memorial Race / Arctic Winter Games Trials - Classic Event Rescheduled

Posted December 31, 2007 by Afan Jones (Chief Of Race - Don Sumanik Memorial Races)
The classic race for the Don Sumanik Memorial Race / Arctic Winter Games Trials has been rescheduled for Saturday January 12, 2008. The entry deadline has been extended to Wednesday January 9, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
View Updated Race Information

Sportees Sprint Race Postponed

Posted December 31, 2007 by Bob Nishikawa (Events and Technical Chair - Cross Country Yukon)
The Sportees Sprint Race has been postponed until February 23, 2008. Details of the race will be posted as soon as they are available.

Don Sumanik Memorial Race – Arctic Winter Games Trials

Posted December 17, 2007 by Afan Jones (Chief Of Race - Don Sumanik Memorial Races)
Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club hosted the annual Don Sumanik Memorial Race Sunday afternoon on the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club trails. The event was sponsored by the Grey Mountain Lions Club. The race also served as one of the trial races for the Arctic Winter Games team selection for Cross Country Skiing.

The event is a two-day total time event. Due to lack of snow, the classic portion of the race was postponed. However, the recent snowfall allowed the freestyle event to proceed. The temperature was on the chilly side at –15 Celsius.

The lack of snow lead organizers to change to individual starts, rather than mass starts that were planned, so ski racers were not always sure how they compared with other competitors in their age class until the final results were posted.

Variations of the Canada Winter Games loops were used. One, 2.5, 3.75 and 7.5 km courses were run from the main stadium area. The longest course required the ski racers to make two loops through the stadium.

Forty four cross country ski racers took part in Sunday’s race. There were some close races in the older age classes. The 7.5 km Open Men’s class was won by Colin Abbott, with a time of 23 minutes 36 seconds. Nansen Murray finished second, 16 seconds behind Abbott in a time of 23:52. Likewise, a mere three seconds separated third and fourth place finishers Jeff Wood and Logan Potter with times of 24:21 and 24:24 respectively.

The Open Women’s class was won by Emily Nishikawa in a time of 27 minutes 11 seconds. Second place finisher Brittany Smith crossed the line 27 seconds behind Nishikawa with a time of 27:38.

View Race Results

Many thanks go out to all the volunteers who put up with schedule changes and uncertain snow conditions and to Grey Mountains Lions for their ongoing support for this event.

Nishikawa Wins Quebec Noram Race

Posted December 17, 2007 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Graham Nishikawa demonstrated to the Canadian ski community that he is a force to be reckoned with as he scored a decisive victory in the Open Men’s 20km continuous pursuit race on Saturday.

The race, held in Quebec City, consisted of a 10 km classic loop followed by a 10 km free technique loop on a cold, snowy course.

Nishikawa covered the hilly 20 km race route in just over 58 minutes, including the time it took to switch skis and poles between the two loops. Former National Team member Robin McKeever was 11 seconds behind in the hard fought race that attracted a field of over 60 in the intensely competitive open men’s category.

The fatigue from Saturday showed a little as Nishikawa lined up once again on Sunday to race a 10 km classic race. Still, he finished a strong fourth place, only 17 seconds behind winner Alex Harvey, who had skipped the Saturday race.

The Noram races have been a major test of stamina of late, as the men have competed in seven races in the series over the last three weeks. Nishikawa had some disappointing results in the first few races, but has been getting better and better as the season progresses.

Yukon ski team head coach Alain Masson noted that “the competition in this series is intense. There are at least ten men in each event that have the potential to win and they are all hungry.” The skiers, most of whom train full time, are all vying to either keep or gain coveted spots on the Canadian National team as the country gears up towards the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

The only other Yukoner competing in Quebec was National Junior Team member David Greer, who finished 8th on Saturday and 7th on Sunday in the junior men’s category. Greer, after a stellar season last year, is feeling tired as he adjusts to training full time.

The skiers now get a well-earned break from racing, as the Noram series takes a one month hiatus.

Don Sumanik Memorial Races (Arctic Winter Games Trials)
Freestyle December 16, Classic Postponed!

Posted December 13, 2007 by Bob Nishikawa (Events and Technical Chair - Cross Country Yukon)
The Free Technique will still take place on Sunday, December 16, 2007 but the Classic Race has been postponed until further notice. Check this website for updates!

For more information and to download the entry forms, visit the Don Sumanik Memorial Races web page. The races are being hosted by the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club and sponsored by the Grey Mountain Lions Club.

Noram Race Golden for Nishikawa

Posted December 10, 2007 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)
Yukon Ski Team member Emily Nishikawa finished off a tough three day competition in Canmore on the weekend with a gold medal in the Junior Women’s 5 km classic ski race.

The race was part of the elite Haywood Noram race series, which attracts the best skiers in the country for intense head to head competition.

Undaunted by the world cup courses in Canmore, widely acknowledged to be some of the toughest in North America, Nishikawa was out of the starting gate like a rocket and never slowed down.

Skiers started the individual start competition at 15-second intervals, so Nishikawa wasn’t sure how she had placed until the final competitor crossed the line, but she knew she’d done well. “I felt strong today, really good all the way,” she commented as she waited for the final results to be announced.

The medal was Nishikawa’s second of the competition. She also picked up a bronze in the first race of the meet, a 10 km continuous pursuit race, in which competitors ski one loop using classic technique, then switch skis and poles and finish off with a skating loop.

In other action, Graham Nishikawa turned in a strong performance in the extremely competitive (and extremely exciting) open men’s sprint race on Saturday.

Racing head to head in heats of six skiers, Graham advanced to the men’s A final with a series of consistent top-two performances over the 1.1 km course.

In a final that thrilled spectators, the men were six wide funneling into the four finish lanes. It took two photo finish calls for the jury to sort them out as there was less than two metres separating Alex Harvey (the clear winner) from the sixth place athlete – a disappointed Nishikawa.

Graham also turned in strong performances in the continuous pursuit race with a 4th place finish behind Ivan Babikov and an 8th place in the classic event on Sunday, also won by Babikov.

In other performances, National Junior Team member David Greer picked up some good early season results, a 7th place in the junior men’s category in continuous pursuit and a 12th place in the classic race. Greer is in his first year on the National Team.

The races were the first trial run for a series of four World Cup races that will be held on the Canmore courses in January of next year.

November 2007

Organizing Games and Special Ski Events Workshop

Posted November 7, 2007 by Mary Waddell (Learning Facilitator for Cross Country Yukon)
A learning and participatory experience for ski coaches working with young skiers which will include the following:

All interested coaches, parents or wannabe coaches are welcome to participate.
Read More ..

October 2007

All Squad Halloween Event

Posted October 26, 2007 by Alain Masson (Head Coach - Yukon Ski Team)
The All Squad Hallween Event will be held on Tuesday October 30, 2007 at the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club.
Read More ..

Selection Criteria 2007 - 2008

Posted October 26, 2007 by Mike McCann (High Performance Chair - Cross Country Yukon)
Cross Country Yukon has just released the first draft of the Selection Criteria for 2007 - 2008. This first draft is available for comments and feedback for the next two weeks at which time the document will be revised and submitted for final approval to the Cross Country Yukon's Board of Directors to become the official selection tool for the current ski season.

Download Draft Selection Criteria For 2007 - 2008

If you have any comments or questions, please email Mike McCann the chair of Cross Country Yukon's High Performance Committee.

Coaching Opportunity Program

Posted October 26, 2007 by Alain Masson (Head Coach - Yukon Ski Team)
Each year Cross Country Yukon offers a coaching opportunity program for coaches to gain practical coaching experience. Cross Country Yukon is now accepting applications for coaching assignments for the 2007 – 2008 ski season. The deadline for all applications is December 1, 2007.
Read More ..