News Archive

> Posted January 16, 2012

Cross Country Canada Names Under-23 and Junior World Championship Teams

It is now official, 5 of the 16 skiers named to the Team that will represent Canada at the World Junior/Under 23 in Turkey are from the Whitehorse Ski Club. You should all feel very proud of such an achievement as this is a great community effort!

Cross Country Canada Names Under-23 and Junior World Championship Teams

 

> Posted January 15, 2012

Historic finish for Yukon skiers at the World Junior Trials in Whistler

It was an amazing last day of racing for the Yukon skiers at the World Junior Trials in Whistler, BC.

The first race of the day involved the open men competing on a 15 km individual classic race. David Greer and Knute Johnsgaard who needed a good result to secure a spot on the team that will represent Canada in Turkey next month both delivered great performances. David was the fasted Under 23 skier and 3rd in the Open Men category. Knute was 2nd for a third race this week in the Open Junior category. Both skiers should see their selection confirmed this week.

David Greer and Knute Johnsgaard on the podium:

Following the men, the women competed on a 10 km interval start classic race. A similar scenario resulted with Dahria Beatty easily winning the gold in the Junior Women category and Emily Nishikawa winning the gold in the Open Women category.

History will be made later this week when the team is announced as never before have we seen so many Yukon skiers nominated to represent Canada at an international competition.

Dahria Beatty, Janelle Greer, Emily Nishikawa, David Greer and Knute Johnsgaard should all get their confirmation in the next few days about the Championships.

Haywood RACE Report: Whitehorse dominate trials

 

> Posted January 14, 2012

Another Good Day for Yukon skiers in the Skate Sprint at the NORAM in Whistler

The weather in the Callaghan Valley returned to its usual self with heavy moist snow for most of the day.

The competiton today consisted of an individual skate sprint that took place in less than ideal conditions with heavy snow accumulating on the course during the races.

It was another good day for the Yukon skiers. Janelle Greer capturing the gold in the Junior Women category securing a spot for the Team that will represent Canada in Turkey next month at the World Junior/Under 23. She will join 2 other Yukon skiers that managed to secure a spot by winning a race yesterday. Both Dahria Beatty and Emily Nishikawa will also be part of the team.

Here are the result summary from today's sprint race;

Janelle Greer 1st in the Junior Women
Knute Johnsgaard 2nd in the Junior men
Graham Nishikawa 2nd in the Open men
Dahria Beatty 4th in the Junior Women
Emily Nishikawa 7th in the Open Women 
Jeff Wood 14th in the Junior Men
Lee Hawkings 20nd in the Open Men
John Parry 21st in the Open Men
Colin Abbott 23rd in the Open Men
Holly Bull 30th in the Junior Women
David Greer 30th in the Open Men
Fabian Brook 41st in the Junior Men
Logan Potter 43nd in the Open Men

 

> Posted January 13, 2012

Great first day at the World Junior Trials/Under 23 for Yukon skiers

It was just below zero and sunny, with hard packed klister conditions greeting the racers as they prepared for the first of the Haywood NorAm trial races, a skiathlon format, with a classic leg, followed by a skating leg.

In the Jr. Women's class, 10k race, the future of the Canadian women's team was on display as 8 of the top 10 racers came from the J1 class, with 2, or in several cases more, years of junior eligibility remaining.

Whitehorse Ski club did well with Dahria Beatty dominating both sections of the race, to finish 37 seconds ahead of Mont Ste Anne's, Anne-Marie Comeau. Comeau narrowly beat Janelle Greer, also of Whitehorse, who had closed a significant gap over the second half of the race, to finish a 10th of a second back in 3rd.

With the win Beatty, who has 2 years of junior eligibility remaining, should be guaranteed a spot at the World Junior Championships next month. It will be a return to the W Jr's for Dahria who made the team in 2010, but missed out in 2011.

The men's side saw Raphaël Couturier of Skibec dominate with almost a
30 second lead over Whitehorse Ski club member Knute Johnsgaard.  Alex Mahoney from Rocky Mountain Racers, who had been in the top 3, took a wrong turn in the stadium and was disqualified in a jury decision.
Alexis Turgeon of Skinouk, finished 3rd, unofficially 25 seconds behind Johnsgaard.

Couturier, looks to have staked his place at the World Juniors, continuing the strong early season form he had shown in the December Haywood races.

It was Whitehorse at the top again in the Senior Women's races as Emily Nishikawa won by a 6 second margin over Alysson Marshall of Larch Hills.  Emily is a U23 eligible athlete and will likely be heading to Turkey and looking to better her 16th place result at last year's U23 World Championps.

The 3rd place skier was Alana Thomas from Nakkertok, with Annika Hicks
(Canmore) and Marlis Kromm (Foothills) in 5th and 7th the next best placed U23 skiers.

The men's race started with a pack of skiers together on the first lap. Gradually a gap built to the lead as Graham Nishikawa of Whitehorse pushed the pace, with Kevin Sandau and Brent McMurtry of Foothills and Graham Killick of Banff forming the lead group.

At the 15k exchange Graeme Killick dropped a bit from the lead group, who would decide the podium positions. As they entered the stadium it was a sprint to the finish between club team mates Sandau and McMurtry, with Kevin Sandau winning by 1/2 of a second. Graham Nishikawa was 3rd about 15 seconds back.

30 seconds later Graeme Killick came across the line in 4th and the top U23 skier. Brian McKeever (Foothills), who had been ill earlier in the week, finished 5th followed by David Greer of Whitehorse in 6th (2nd U23). Jess Cockney came through in 8th overall as the 3rd U23 skier.

Dahria Beatty 1st in the Junior Women 10 km skiathlon
Emily Nishikawa 1st in the Open Women (1st in under 23) 15 km skiathlon
Knute Johnsgaard 2nd in the Junior men 20 km skiathlon
Janelle Greer 3rd in the Junior Women 10 km skiathlon
Graham Nishikawa 3rd in the Open men skiathlon
David Greer 6th in the Open Men (2nd in under 23) 30 km skiathlon
John Parry 10th in the Open Men 30 km skiathlon
Fabian Brook 22nd in the Junior Men 20 km skiathlon
Lee Hawkings 22nd in the Open Men 30 km skiathlon
Jeff Wood 24th in the Junior Men 20 km skiathlon
Holly Bull 30th in the Junior Women 10 km skiathlon
Logan Potter 32nd in the Open Men 30 skiathlon

Dahria and Janelle on the podium in the first race of the day:

 

> Posted October 21, 2011

Healthy Eating for Athletes

Registered Dietitian Kim Neufeld gave a presentation to Blue Squad skiers recently on what to eat before, during, and after training and why this is important. Feeling like you just don't have the fuel to go that long race, download Nutrition - Yukon Ski Team Presentation 2011-10-20.pdf to see best nutrition practices to enhance performance.

 

> Posted Sept 2, 2011

DEVELOPMENT SQUADS REGISTRATION: TUESDAY SEPT 6th 4:30 in banquet room of Mt Mac

What to bring to registration:

1) cheques (need 3) or cash (no credit/debit)
2) child's health care #
3) See registration packages on your representative squad pages.

Please call Amanda at 332-4734 with any questions

Read All Our News Items ...

 

 

 

March 2011

> Posted March 21, 2011

Nishikawa Finishes Season at Swedish World Cup

While his teammates were burning up the trails at the Haywood Ski Nationals in Canmore, Graham Nishikawa was mixing it up with the best in the world in Scandinavia at the World Cup Finals.

The World Cup Final consisted of four races: a sprint, a short 3 km classic race, a 20 km pursuit and a final 15 km free technique race with a handicap start based on the results from the previous races.

Participation was limited to the top 50 skiers in the World Cup standings plus the winners of the various Continental Cup series around the world. Nishikawa was given the invite after taking the title at the Haywood NORAM race series over the 2010/2011 season.

The overall World Cup Final was won by Norwegian super star Petter Northug, while Nishikawa placed a respectable 37th overall. His best placing of the series was in the final 15 km free technique race, where he finished 27th.

Top Canadian in the series was up and coming phenom Alex Harvey, who narrowly missed cracking the top ten. Harvey has been having a stellar year, with performances including wins at the World U23 Championships and podium performances in several World Cup races.
 

> Posted March 21, 2011

Successful Wrap-Up for Ski Nationals

Dahria Beatty added another medal to the Yukon total at the Ski Nationals on Saturday. She had a bronze medal performance in the Junior Women’s 20 km free technique race, just over a minute behind home town favourite Annika Hicks. Rounding out the category with a solid 8th placing was Heidi Brook.

In the Senior Women’s 30 km race, Emily Nishikawa made the top 10 in a stellar field that included three Olympians. The placing was good enough to give her the number two spot in the meet’s aggregate rankings, behind National Ski Team member Brittany Webster.

And continuing her series of strong performances for the meet, Kendra Murray finished 6th in the Junior Girls 7.5 km race, moving her to 5th place in the aggregate standings for the five race series.

Top Yukoner in the Senior Men’s 50 km race was David Greer in 22nd position, followed closely by Ray Sabo. The race was won by Olympian George Grey, who took the occasion to announce his retirement from ski racing and the National Ski Team.

With the various illnesses that have decimated the Yukon team recently, the Whitehorse club dropped to 6th place in the aggregate national standings, down from its 3rd placing last season. There were 68 clubs from across North America represented at the event this year.

Still, it was a good event for local skiers. Head Coach Alain Masson noted that "the results show good depth on the team, with strong performances by our skiers in almost every category." The team finished off the event with a total of six podium appearances.
 

> Posted March 18, 2011

Sprint Day #2 at Ski Nationals

The Junior and Juvenile skiers on the Yukon Ski Team got their chance at the tough Canmore sprint courses on Thursday. Once again Kendra Murray turned in a strong performance, although not quite enough to add to the team’s medal count.

Murray has been having a breakthrough meet, beginning with a gold medal in the team sprint last Saturday and a bronze in the Junior Girls 5 km free technique race on Sunday.

In today’s sprints, Murray qualified in 6th place in the preliminaries, then improved mark that to finish in fourth place in the heats, just out of the medals. Skiers from Quebec swept the top three spots in the Junior Girls category, led by Alexia Rancourt of the Monte Ste Anne club.

Murray was the only Whitehorse skier to make it past the qualification round, although Holly Bull was tantalizingly close, missing the mark by less than 3 seconds on the 1 km course.

A similar fate awaited Trevor Bray. Skiing in the Juvenile Boys category, he missed jumping to the quarter finals by a 4 second margin.

The meet wraps up on Saturday with a free technique distance race.
 

> Posted March 17, 2011

Sprint Day at Ski Nationals

There were strong performances by local skiers at the sprint races at the Haywood Ski Nationals on Wednesday, although the intense competition didn’t add to the medal count for Yukon skiers.

Almost every skier on the team got through the qualification round to the heats, always a good sign of technique, fitness and race strategy.

Top performance for the day came from Emily Nishikawa. She finished in 6th place behind National Ski Team member Dasha Gaizova, who outsprinted Olympic gold medalist Chandra Crawford for the win. Head Coach Alain Masson was impressed. "With competition at this level, making the A final is a great achievement."

In the Junior Women’s group, Dahria Beatty picked up another 6th place for the team. Teammate Janelle Greer had a strong qualifier but faded in the quarter finals to finish 16th overall. Like many on the team, Greer is feeling the effects of a virus that has decimated the Yukoners.

David Greer, more of a distance specialist than a sprinter, didn’t advance beyond the quarter finals in the Open Men’s group and finished in 17th place. Meanwhile, John Parry was having a great race and looked in position to make the final but a miscalculated lane change in the semi resulted in him being relegated to 30th place by the jury.

Knute Johnsgaard made it through the semi-finals in the Junior Male group but didn’t quite have enough to get a podium spot; he finished in 9th position, while teammates Jeff Wood, Logan Potter and Lee Hawkings were all knocked out in the quarter finals.

The Junior Boys/Girls on the team get their sprint chances on Thursday. The Ski Nationals wrap up on Saturday with a free technique distance race, after which the athletes and coaches get a shot at a well-deserved rest.
 

> Posted March 14, 2011

Strong Start for Yukon at Ski Nationals

Yukon women came out of the starting gate with a blast this weekend at the 2011 Haywood Ski Nationals, picking up five medals in the first two days of competition.

The first race on the program was a team sprint, where teams of two skiers each ski three laps of the course, tagging off to their partner after each lap.

Emily Nishikawa and Janelle Greer teamed up to dominate the Open Women’s competition, besting the powerhouse clubs of Mt Ste Anne and Nakkertok.

Next up was the Challenge Girls category, for Junior skiers. And again it was a Yukon pair with gold around their necks at the end of the day, this time the dynamic duo of Dahria Beatty and Kendra Murray.

The men’s side didn’t fare as well, with the best finish of the day a 7th placing by David Greer and John Parry.

The men’s team has been ravaged by illness, with top senior skier David Greer just recovering from a bout of pneumonia, while others are suffering from colds and flu.

On Sunday, the second day of the week-long competition, the athletes switched to interval start skating races.

And once again the Yukon women came out flying, led by Emily Nishikawa, just coming off a stellar performance at the Halifax Canada Winter Games.

Nishikawa was the top Canadian and second overall in the women’s 10 km event, just behind U.S. skier Chelsea Holmes. And Dahria Beatty took a silver medal in the Junior Women's race, which was skied on the Canmore World Cup course, noted for being one of the toughest courses on the world cup circuit.

Flying out of the starting blocks and picking up a bronze in the Junior Girls category was Kendra Murray. Murray is “skiing the best she’s ever done in her life” according to team Yukon head coach Alain Masson.

he Haywood Ski Nationals has attracted almost 700 of the best senior and junior racers in North America to Canmore, which is putting on a great show for all, helped by weather somewhat warmer than we have been seeing in Whitehorse of late.

The team gets to rest on Monday, then switches to classic technique races on Tuesday. Classic technique races are traditionally Yukon’s strong suit and more medals are expected.

 

February 2011

> Posted February 28, 2011

2x4 for Relays

In a tremendous last effort, both men’s and women’s relay teams finished just out of the medals at the wrap up cross country event of the Canada Winter Games in Halifax.

The relays, always a highlight of the Canada Games, were intense, but unfortunately both teams came up a bit short of the podium.

The teams were hampered by illness, as a number of the skiers were suffering from various viruses picked up at the games. And when you are up against the best U23 skiers in the country, even a minor illness that shaves a few seconds off your times makes a huge difference.

In the end, it was the powerhouse Alberta team which has dominate the men’s competition, taking the gold for the men, while Yukon finished over a minute out of the medals.

On the women’s side, British Columbia took the gold, while Yukon was 40 seconds out of a podium spot.

Overall, it was an extremely successful week for the team. Led by Emily Nishikawa, who single-handedly picked up three of Yukon’s five medals, the team had many top ten finishes in the face of very tough competition.

Nishikawa is the first Yukoner since Lucy Steele to win three medals in a Canada Games. Steele picked up three golds and a silver back in 1991 when she represented the territory at the PEI games.

The team now gets a chance to rest and recuperate as it prepares for the Haywood Ski Nationals, which kick off on March 11 in Canmore.
 

> Posted Februrary 24, 2011

Nish Goes 3 for 3 at CWG

Emily Nishikawa’s tally has now risen to three medals in three races at the Halifax Canada Winter Games.

Competing in the women’s 10 km mass start classic race, Nishikawa picked up the silver medal in today’s race, only 2 seconds out of first place. The gold medal was taken by Alysson Marshall from B.C. in a time of 29:32.

Nishikawa’s silver medal joins her gold from the free technique race and her bronze from the sprints earlier in the week.

Top male finisher for the day was David Greer, who finished in 8th position in the men’s 15 km classic race, just under two minutes out of first place. The men’s race featured an Alberta sweep as Jesse Cockney took top honours with a time of 37:03, followed closely by two of his teammates.

Other strong performances for the day on the women’s side came from Janelle Greer in 6th place, Dahria Beatty in 7th, Kendra Murray in 19th and Heidi Brook in 25th.

Rounding out the men’s field were Ray Sabo in 11th place, John Parry in 14th, Colin Abbott in 24th and Knute Johnsgaard in 25th.

On the sit-ski course, Ramesh Ferris was the top Yukoner with a 7th place finish in the 5 km race, followed by John Austring in 10th.

The last races on the schedule for the skiers are the relays, scheduled for Saturday.
 

> Posted February 22, 2011

More Hardware for Nish at CWG

Emily Nishikawa added another medal to her haul at the Canada Winter Games today, this time a bronze she received in the women’s 1000 metre sprint competition.

It was a super day for the whole team, as the complete men’s and women’s contingents from Yukon advanced from the qualifiers to the quarter finals.

On the women’s side, only Nishikawa made it to the A final, while Dahria Beatty and Janelle Greer got to the B final and finished 8th and 10th respectively. Kendra Murray and Heidi Brook were eliminated in the quarter finals.

After a great start on the men’s side, the quarter finals proved disappointing as none of the Yukon contingent were able to advance to the semis.

On the sit-ski course, John Austring advanced to the semi-final and ended up in 8th place overall. Ramesh Ferris did not qualify for the quarter finals.

Races continue on Thursday with the mass start classic event on the schedule.
 

> Posted February 21, 2011

Gold for Nish at CWG

Powerhouse Emily Nishikawa took gold in her first race at the Canada Winter Games.

Coming off a stellar performance at the Eastern Canadian Championships where she dominated the open women’s group, Nishikawa took the top spot in the 7.5 km free technique race. Ski conditions were reported to be fast, with Nishikawa stopping the clock in 19:37.

The victory was particularly sweet for Nishikawa; in the first race of the 2007 CWG in Whitehorse, she was denied a podium spot after a broken pole mid-way through the race put her out of contention.

The rest of the Yukon women’s side also turned in strong results, with Dahria Beatty coming in 7th, Janelle Greer 11th, Kendra Murray 18th and Heidi Brook finishing in 26th, all in the top half of the strong field.

In the men’s 10 km free technique race, Yukon’s top skier of the day was veteran David Greer, who finished in 11th place, 1:30 behind Alberta’s Kevin Sandau. He was followed closely by Colin Abbott (15th), John Parry (16th) and Knute Johnsgaard (22nd).

In the inaugural CWG sit-ski competition, John Austring and Ramesh Ferris finished in 7th and 8th positions.

Races continue on Tuesday with the always exciting sprint races.
 

> Posted February 13, 2011

Double Trouble at Easterns

The three race mini-tour race series at the Eastern Canadian Cross Country Ski Championships turned into a mini-Nishikawa festival as siblings Emily and Graham Nishikawa dominated the elite Open Women’s and Men’s race categories over the weekend.

The mini-tour consisted of a short distance prologue on Friday followed by a sprint race on Saturday and a distance race on Sunday. The distance race featured a handicap start, with the overall series leaders – the two Nishikawas – heading out of the starting blocks first while the rest of the massive field tried to chase them down.

At the end of the day, the two held their ground. Graham finished the race with a two minute margin over Kevin Sandau of the powerhouse Foothills Nordic Club, while Emily had a full minute in hand over Sarah Daitch of Ft. Smith, who picked up the silver for the weekend.

The win is especially golden for Graham as it puts him into a solid lead in the Haywood NORAM standings and with it a berth in a series of World Cup races in Scandinavia this coming March.

In other results, Colin Abbot, recently returned from the World University Games in Turkey, finished 5th in the U23 group, Lee Hawkings took 7th in the Junior Men – 1 category, Nansen Murray was 12th in the U23 and Brittany Pearson was 12th in the Junior Women – 2 category.
 

> Posted Februray 11, 2011

Nishikawa Day at Easterns

A pair of Nishikawas picked up a pair of gold medals at the Eastern Canadian Cross Country Ski Championships today in Cantley, Quebec.

In the first day of the three day competition, Graham Nishikawa was first across the line in the 3 km prologue event, stopping the clock in just over 7 minutes. Kevin Sandau from Foothills Nordic took second place, almost 10 seconds back.

Then, in the open women’s competition, Emily Nishikawa took top honours, with a 12 second margin over Heidi Widmer, also of Foothills.

The three-day meet is particularly significant for Graham as he fights for the lead in the Haywood Noram series with Drew Goldsack. The two were tied for the lead going into the Easterns, but with the win today he sneaks ahead of Goldsack, who finished 5th.

The leader of the series at the end of February gets a spot on the Canadian team heading off to World Cup races being held in Scandinavia in March.
 

> Posted February 7, 2011

Nishikawa Takes Silver at Westerns

In a tight finish, Graham Nishikawa narrowly missed taking the gold at the Western Canadian Cross Country Ski Championships in Kelowna over the weekend. He finished the weekend only 0.3 seconds out of the top position, just behind Drew Goldsack of the Rocky Mountain Racers club.

The Westerns used a three-race “mini-tour” format, consisting of a short distance classic technique prologue, a sprint race and a final longer distane distance free technique race with a staggered handicap start, so that the first across the line was the overall winner for the series. This concept is fairly new in Canada, and makes for exciting racing for athletes and spectators alike.

Skiing in heavy snow, Nishikawa started 15 seconds behind Goldsack and quickly caught up to him, then battled for the lead throughout the 15km race segment. However, Goldsack took the tape in a sprint finish.

In the Junior Female category, Dahria Beatty held on to take the bronze medal for the series, with Maya MacIsaac-Jones, also of the Rocky Mountain Racers taking the gold, just under a minute ahead of Beatty.

Almost 450 skiers competed at the Westerns, making this year’s edition one of the best attended ever, reflecting the large number of clubs located within driving distance of the Kelowna site.

> Posted February 1, 2011

Abbott Top Canadian Male at World University Games

Colin Abbott of Whitehorse and representing Carleton University, led the men in the 15 km pursuit with a time of 48.39 for a 36th place finish. Colin is joined in Turkey by local support staff, Sara Neilson and Kirk Potter.

January 2011

> Posted January 30, 2011

Cleaning Up in Orford

While some of their teammates were competing at various places around the world, a trio of Yukon skiers stayed home and stacked up the hardware at the Haywood NORAM races in Orford, Quebec on the weekend.

Graham Nishikawa, David Greer and Knute Johnsgaard competed in the three race series, known as a mini-tour (think of it as a shorter version of the Tour de France, but on skis). The tour consisted of a 4 km prologue on Friday, followed by a 7.5 km interval start classic technique race on Saturday and a 15 km free technique race on Sunday. Awards were presented based on the sum of the times clocked in the three races.

Nishikawa dominated the elite Senior Men’s category, crossing the line first in all three race segments and taking the overall title by a whopping 2:38. Meanwhile, in the men’s U23 category, David Greer pulled off a similar feat, handily taking gold, almost a minute ahead of his nearest rival.

Not far behind was Knute Johnsgaard, who pulled off the fastest times in the first two races in the Junior Men’s group, but narrowly lost the overall Junior title on the third day. He ultimately finished the tour in second place, just 0.3 seconds off the gold for the overall Junior title, but top of the heap in the JM1 sub-category.

Across the ocean in Estonia, Emily Nishikawa finished 22nd in the U23 World Championships sprint race on Saturday. She qualified 19th in the preliminary round, but faded in the quarter final heats and didn’t advance to the semis.

Then on Sunday, Janelle Greer, competing at the Junior World Championships in Estonia, finished 36th in a 10km pursuit race dominated once again by the powerhouse Norwegian team.

At the World University Games in Turkey on Saturday, Colin Abbott finished 18 seconds back of the leader in a sprint qualifier, but his time wasn’t good enough to move him into the heats.

> Posted January 28, 2011

Greer Shines Again

Janelle Greer was the top Canadian female once again in the World Junior Cross Country Ski Championships.

Competing in the Junior Women’s 1.2 km classic sprint race, Janelle was one of two Canadian skiers to advance from the qualification round into the heats, but was knocked out in the quarterfinals.

At the end, she finished in 21st place, the top Canadian result for the day. German Lucia Anger picked up the win.

And competing today in his first race at the World University Games in Turkey, Colin Abbott finished 49th overall in a 10 km classic technique race.

Meanwhile, back in North America, brother David Greer picked up a pair of medals in the U.S. Supertour series this week.

Competing in Lake Placid New York, David was awarded a silver medal in the U23 category in a 10 km classic technique race and a bronze in a 15 km skate race later in the week. The Supertour field was huge, with over 200 men contending for honours in the open category each day.

> Posted January 27, 2011

Yukoners Continue to Shine

For the second day in a row, a Yukoner topped the Canadian female contingent racing at the World Junior and U23 Cross Country Ski Championships in Estonia.

Leading the Canadian contingent in the Under 23 category was Emily Nishikawa, a veteran Yukon Ski Team member. She finished the 10 km free technique course in 28:41, good for 16th place overall and only 14 seconds behind Hanna Brodin of Sweden, a top 10 sprinter on the World Cup circuit. This is a great result for Nishikawa, who has been suffering from a shoulder injury for much of the season.

Topping the field in Thursday’s race was Finnish skier Krista Lahteenmaki, who finished an astonishing full minute ahead of the second place skier. Lahteenmaki had to miss s out last week’s World Cup due to high haemoglobin levels.

The race was skied in cold conditions, with temperatures barely above the legal -20..

Competition continues on Friday with a classic technique sprint race.
 

> Posted January 26, 2011

Greer Top Canadian in Estonia

Janelle Greer was the top Canadian female in day 1 of the World Junior Cross Country Ski Championships today.

Competing in Otepaa, Estonia, Greer finished 35th overall in a field of 87 of the best junior skiers in the world. Greer, who trains full time in Canmore, is a member of the national Canadian Junior team as well as the Yukon Ski Team.

Greer finished the tough 5 km course in a time of 15:06, 1:16 behind the winner.

The race, an interval start skating event, was dominated by the powerhouse Norwegian team, who took the top five spots in the race.

Canada had four skiers competing in today’s event, with three of the four finishing in the top 50 of the field.

Competition continues on Thursday with the first race of the Under 23 competition. Whitehorse’s Emily Nishikawa will be on the start line as one of four women representing Canada in this group.
 

> Posted January 10, 2011

Local Skiers to Represent Canada at World Championships

Two young Whitehorse skiers have been named to the team heading off to Otepaa, Estonia for the 2011 World Junior and U23 Championships.

Emily Nishikawa will be competing in the under-23 category, while Janelle Greer will be competing as a Junior.

The two skiers are both old hands at international competition. Nishikawa represented Canada at the 2010 World U23 Championships, while Greer was a member of the Canadian team competing at the Junior Worlds in 2009.

“Representing your country at a world Championship event is a huge accomplishment for any skier” noted Cross Country Yukon head coach Alain Masson. “This is a great endorsement of two fine athletes.”

Cross Country Canada made the team selection based on race results in the recent three race Haywood NORAM held in Thunder Bay.

The World Championships are composed of 5 races for both men and women and run from January 25th through the 31st.
 

> Posted January 9, 2011

Mixed Results for Yukon at T-Bay NORAMS

Fighting cold windy conditions and some illness among the team, Yukon skiers turned in a mix of good and heartbreaking performances at the intensely competitive three race Haywood NORAM series held in Thunder Bay over the past few days.

The series started off with a pursuit race last Thursday. The format, which mixes both classic and skate techniques, was skied in barely legal -18 temperatures with strong winds that had skiers suffering throughout the day.

In a heartbreaking finish after 30 km of jockeying for position, Graham Nishikawa was narrowly outsprinted by national team member George Grey to come second in the senior men’s race. The gap between the pair was only 0.4 seconds, tantalizingly close, but disappointing all the same for Nishikawa.

Meanwhile, in the senior women’s field, the top Yukoner for the day was Emily NIshikawa, who finished 5th overall. However, she was the top U23 athlete, a placing that almost certainly gives her the nod to represent Canada at the World U23 Championships to be held at the end of the month in Estonia. Representing Canada at the World’s has been Emily’s goal for the season and making the grade in the first race of the qualification was a considerable relief for her, especially as she has been plagued with a shoulder injury for much of the season.

Next up in the T-Bay series was a classic sprint race on Saturday. And once again a heartbreaker for a Yukoner. This time it was Janelle Greer, competing in the Junior Women’s category, who was outsprinted to the line. It took a photo finish to separate her from Heidi Widmer from the Foothills Ski Club, but Widmer got the nod for the gold from the jury.

Other strong results for the sprints were Emily Nishikawa (4th Senior Woman, 2nd U23), Graham Nishikawa (4th Senior Man) and Knute Johnsgaard (4th Junior Male).

The final race, once again skied in cold conditions, was a distance free technique race on Sunday.

Once again, it was Graham Nishikawa narrowly missing out on the top step of the podium as George Grey took the honours in the 15 km race, beating Nishikawa by 5 seconds. Also in the Open Men’s race, David Greer had a strong finish with a 5th place result. He was the second U23 male, which may also give him a chance at the Canadian team for the Worlds.

The full Canadian team is expected to be named in the next few days by Cross Country Canada.
 

> Posted January 8, 2011

World Junior Trials

Lee Hawkings and Colin Abbott, members of the Yukon Ski Team, enjoy a well deserved pizza at the World Junior Trials in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

December 2010

> Posted December 30, 2010

Sprinters Shine at GMLC Ski Race

Over twenty young cross country skiers braved -15C, cold winds and blowing snow at Thursday's classic sprint race. The Grey Mountain Lion's Club sponsored event featured three rounds of a 900m course at Whitehorse Country Ski Club.

Temperatures warmed up just enough to successfully stage the first race of the month, after three races had to be cancelled in earlier weeks due to cold temperatures.

The club’s groomers worked hard the preceding 24 hours to provide the best conditions possible under difficult circumstances.

The top men for the day were David Greer followed closely by Colin Abbott and Knute Johnsgaard. In the women's race Emily Nishikawa edged out Dahria Beatty in the last few metres, followed by Kendra Murray who took third place.

The races gave the skiers some much needed competition as they prepare for the next in the elite NORAM race series in Thunder Bay next week. These races will double as selection races for the Canadian team being sent to the World Junior and U23 championships being held in Estonia in late January.

The next race in the Grey Mountain Lion's Club series will be a free technique distance race in mid-January and will be hosted by Biathlon Yukon.
 

Posted December 14, 2010

Yukoners Rise to the Top at NORAMs

Whitehorse skiers started the national competition year with consistent strong performances over the weekend as they hit the snowy trails in the first NORAM races of the season at the Sovereign Lakes Nordic Club in southern B.C.

The first race of the season outside of the territory for the team was a classic sprint, run over a tough hilly course on Saturday. Consistency was the name of the game as seven Yukon Ski Team members hit top 6 results in their categories.

Stars for the day were Junior Female skiers Janelle Greer and Dahria Beatty, who finished first and second in their category. Graham Nishikawa was also on the podium, picking up a silver medal in the open men’s race, while David Greer, not normally known as a sprinter, narrowly missed the podium, picking up a 5th place finish.

Meanwhile, other Whitehorse skiers advancing to the final rounds in the sprint heats were Jeff Wood and Knute Johnsgaard, who finished 4th and 5th respectively in the Junior Male group and Katie Peters and Holly Bull who finished 5th and 12th respectively in the Junior Girls category.

This was an amazing day for Yukoners, who are generally better known as distance racers rather than sprinters.

On Sunday, the skiers competed in a free technique distance race.

The weather turned on both athletes and organizers, with heavy wet snow accumulating overnight and continuing through the race, making the hill courses soft and slow and limiting visibility.

Top result for the day was Graham Nishikawa, who hit the podium once again as the first Canadian across the line and second overall behind Lars Flora of the U.S in the Open Men’s 15 km race. Nishikawa’s silver was matched by Katie Peters who tied for second in the Junior Girls 5 km race.

Peters consistent high placing over the weekend also gave her the nod for the aggregate award in her age group.
 

Posted December 12, 2010

Great Opening Day For Yukon Skiers At NORAM Races

It was a great opening day for Yukon skiers at the first NORAM races of the 2010-2011 ski season. In total, 7 Yukon skiers achieved A Final (top 6) results today in the individual sprint races held in the classic technique. Here is a breakdown of the results from today.

Open Men: Graham Nishikawa 3rd, David Greer 5th, Colin Abbott 30th
Junior Female: Janelle Greer 1st, Dahria Beatty 2nd, Kendra Murray 13th
Junior Male: Jeff Wood 4th, Knute Johnsgaard 5th
Junior Girl: Katie Peters 5th, Holly Bull 12th

This was an amazing day for the Yukon skiers usually better know for their distance results than their sprinting skills.

For complete results, go to http://zone4.ca/results.asp?id=3236

October 2010

Posted October 28, 2010

New Officials Registry Now Activated

The CCC Official's Registry has been relocated and reactivated with many new features. Check out your profile, record your event experiences and print a certificate of your training profile through the online option.

Monique Waterreus Award Winner Announced

Dahria Beatty was awarded the presitigious Monique Waterreus award at the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club AGM on September 29th.

The award is given annually to a junior skier in the club who has excelled at national or international competition, and Beatty certainly fits the bill.

She represented Canada at the World Junior Championships in January, holding her own against athletes from around the world, despite being one of the youngest in the field. Then she won the Junior Women's Aggregate title at the 2010 Haywood Ski Nationals. In between, there were a host of stellar performances at local and national races.

Finally, topping off a stellar season, she was named to the Canadian National Junior Ski Team, joining two of her fellow Whitehorse teammates.

September 2010

Posted Sept 3,2010

Registration Packages

Green Squad (pdf)
Purple Squad(pdf)
Orange Squad Year 2 (pdf)
Orange Squad Year 1 (pdf)

August 2010

Posted August 15,2010

Registration for 2010-2011 Squad Program

Registration will occur on TUESDAY SEPT 7th from 4:30-5:30 at Mt. Mac. This is registration for Orange, Purple and Green Squad Programs (age 8-14). For more information please contact Amanda at 332-4734.

February 2010

Posted Feb 19,2010

Fast and Female

We are excited to host a Fast and Female event on March 15th. Fast and Female is run by Canadian Olympian Chandra Crawford to empower girls though sport. This event is open to female skiers 8-19. Please click on Fast and Female in the sidebar for more information!

November 2009

Posted Nov 30,2009

Tim Horton's SKI 'll Fest

60 kids age 6-11 took part of this fun event! Look for another SKI' 'll Fest on January 9th

Posted Nov 9,2009

Trip Selection Criteria

CCY 2009-2010 Selection Criteria is now posted. Please link to Trip Selection in the side bar to download the document.

Posted Nov 9,2009

Halloween Fun

October 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.

September 2009

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"

Posted December 15, 2008

Successful Start to The Racing Season 

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

Posted December 5, 2008

All Squad Christmas Party and Family Potluck

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

Posted December 5, 2008

Grey Mountain Lions Club SKI FEST

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

Posted October 30, 2008

Coaching Courses

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

Posted October 2, 2008

Squad Programs

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

Posted June 18, 2008

Developing Physical Literacy

A Guide For Parents Of Children Ages 0 to 12

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

Posted April 18, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)

Nishikawa Named to National Junior Team

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

Posted March 31, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)

Cross Country Yukon Announces Bonus Program Recipients

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.

Posted March 31, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)

Greer & Smith: Yukon Champs

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.

Posted March 24, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)

Strong Finish for Yukon at Ski Nationals

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.

Posted March 20, 2008 by Allan Frostad (Chief Of Race - Yukon Championships 2008)

Yukon Championships Scheduled For March 29-30, 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.

Posted March 19, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)

Yukoners Conquer the Elements at Nationals

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.

Posted March 18, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)

Greer Hits Podium at Nationals

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.

Posted March 17, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)

Strong Day for Yukon at Nationals

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.

Posted March 12, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)

Yukon Teams Heads to Nationals

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.

Posted March 3, 2008 by Claude Chabot (Media Contact - Cross Country Yukon)

Bronze Medal for Richard at World Championships

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 ..