Contributed by the Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club
Revelstoke Nordic skiers kicked off their 2013-14 competitive season at the NORAM races held by the Sovereign Lake Nordic Ski Club this past weekend.
The event is a traditional, early-season gathering for Nordic skiers and is attended by athletes from Canada and the United States. Conditions were very cold and Saturday’s race was cancelled for the junior skiers as the temperature was below the -18C cutoff. Fortunately, the temperature rose slightly above -18 on Sunday and organizers were able to offer the skiers a race.
Four Revelstoke Nordic skiers competed in Sunday’s five kilometre individual start classic event. Alana Brittin and Kate Granstrom skied up an age category as juvenile girls, and placed eighth and 32nd, respectively. Daniel Blackie placed 29th in the juvenille boys and Tayla Koerber was 18th in junior girls.
“I’m very pleased with our skiers’ performances today under such tough conditions,” said coach Matt Smider. “The combination of cold temperatures, high winds and elevation made this a grueling race. This was a great opportunity to get some early season race experience, as we now shift our focus towards the BC Winter Games and the BC Cup circuit.”
The team’s next race is the Okanagan Cup and BC Winter Games trials in Revelstoke on Dec. 29. This will be an opportunity for athletes born in 1999 and 2000 to qualify for the BC Winter Games, which will be contested at Callaghan Valley near Whistler in February.
