New ski gear for our young skiers

Nordic Skier home, kids activities, RSS Mar 23, 2024Mar 27, 2024Kids Activities, update

Our club is working on getting new gear to replace the rental gear used by the kids in the Skill Development Program. Some of the gear is already ten years old. Here is another opportunity to help the club.
First the club is starting a fundraiser through Nordiq Canada toward this goal. And locally, The Guide’s Hut right here in Fernie has donated $2,000 worth of ski equipment with some additional amount related to the sales during February.

The Guide’s Hut

Supporting local businesses is supporting your community!!

The Guide’s Hut has so graciously donated $2,000 worth of junior nordic ski equipment to the children & youth’s programming junior rental fleet! Additionally, they will be donating a portion of the total sales of Nordic equipment sold in February up to a total of $2,000.

Looking for Nordic equipment & the opportunity to support FNS?

Visit our friends over at The Guide’s Hut & check out their awesome selection of inventory in store! The team can usually have skis set up & ready to go same day!

THANK YOU The Guide’s Hut

And thank you members, community & guests for supporting local small businesses & non-profit organizations!

Nordiq Canada Fundraiser

Give toward our goal of updating our fleet of ski gear for our young skiers. A fundraiser page is up at www.canadahelps.org/

A tax receipt will be issued for your generous donation.

Use the button below to visit the page today.

I want to make a donation

Skill Development Program

The ski lessons of the SDP program are going ahead for the 2023 – 2024 season. Lessons are expected to start in early January. Enrollment has now ended on December 9.

The Skill Development Program offered to our young skiers by the Fernie Nordic Society was actually developed by the nation-wide organization Nordiq Canada. The program is standardized across the country. All our volunteer coaches are trained according to the established structure to provide a consistent level of training to our skiers.

The levels in the program are aimed at the various age groups:

Bunnyrabbit Program for children 5 years and younger
Jackrabbit Program for children from 6 to 9 years old
Track Attack Program for children 10 years and older

The Fernie Nordic Society provides training at these levels at our weekly Saturday morning and Tuesday or Thrursday after school sessions. Lessons run from January to March all at the Elk Valley Nordic Centre. We also have additional training at other times of the year such as dry-land training during summer and autumn. Events may combine the efforts of other clubs nearby. This is a great opportunity for young skiers to improve their skills in a fun atmosphere and to challenge themselves.

Saturday Lessons

10:30 – 11:30 am

Tuesday After School
Lessons
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Thursday After School
Lessons
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Cost of lessons

Bunnyrabbit $60 for either the Saturday, Tuesday or Thursday sessions
Jackrabbit $70 for either the Saturday, Tuesday or Thursday sessions
TrackAttack $80 for either the Saturday or Tuesday sessions

Please note that enrollment into the program is done ONLINE for the 2023-2024 season. Please visit the online Zone4.ca page to register your child. Classic ski rentals for the season are available for youngsters enrolled in our program at a very low cost. Be sure to select this option during the online registration.

For more information about our program, or to register your child, you may also use our Contact Us page.

Any questions? Get in touch with a volunteer.

Important Documents

The documents attached below are our basic guidelines for running a fair training program for our young skiers. They are aimed at our parents and our volunteer coaches. We ask all parents and coaches of the 2023-2024 season to read them, to sign the relevant release forms and return to the coaches at the first ski lesson.

Documents (click to open and/or save):
Coaching Code of Condu ct
Parents Responsibilities
Parents Fair Play & Photo Release

KALTIRE has sponsored the province-wide SDP program for the last few years

10th Annual Community Fun R***s

The event will happen on February 24, 2024 on the trails of the Elk Valley Nordic Centre.

Come to ski, come to race, or come to cheer! Compete against your friends and enjoy the great trails. This is an annual community event that is really a fun race open to everyone. Participation is open to all skiers, club members or non-members alike, all ages and abilities.

As in previous years, there are several popular categories to choose from, a short distance and a longer one for the young or older skiers – your choice! – and the Chariot Glide category with an adult pulling a chariot with a passenger. The keyword here is FUN, so wear a funny hat or costume if you dare!

The event in 2024 will be held on the trails of the Elk Valley Nordic Centre. Participation is free for members of the Fernie Nordic Society. A trail pass is required for non-members. Our goal to make it a fun event for young skiers as well as older ones. Thank you to all volunteers organizing this event.

2024 COMMUNITY FUN RACES!

LOCATION: Elk Valley Nordic Centre on Mt. Fernie Provincial Park Road (maps HERE)

DATE/TIME: Saturday, February 24th with a 10:00 am start for bib pickup

Two ski courses to choose from. The 3 km long loop up the Lizard Lookout, around the Cedar Loop and back to the finish. The longer 7.5 km course goes across the bridge, around the Galloway Loop and back to the finish line. I hear there may be prizes or medals on the line?!

Participation in this event is free for everyone although non FNS members require a trail pass $15.

Registration/bib pick-up and warm-up will start at 10:00 a.m. and the race will beging promptly at 10:30 a.m., following a quick racer meeting. Cost of registration includes daily trail pass.

Parking may be limited, so please follow the indications from the parking attendants when you arrive.

Categories and distances

Lizard Lookout and Cedar Loop – 3 km – (all ages & Chariot Glide)
Galloway Loop – 7.5 km (teens and adults)

Register online here

Click here to register

Gentle notes!

Each 3 km and 7.5 km wave is a mass start
All for fun, fun, fun.
Costumes encouraged!
Don’t have nordic skis? Call The Quest at (250) 423-9252 or Gear Hub at (250) 423-5555 for rentals. Locations may be found HERE
If you’d like to help with this event, please visit our SignUpGenius page to choose an easy task

Two courses to pick from

Results of the last event in February 2023

Details of the times for each participant are shown on the www.webscorer.com website. Click on the following icons to access each page.

Races

Click here for results

Relays

Click here for results

Thank you to our hosts and sponsors!

Fernie Golf Club, Happy Cow Fernie, Fernie Chiropractic Inc,
Mantra Spirit Studio Fernie, Le Bon Pain Fernie, The Quest Fall Line Snow Sports,
Fernie Brewing Co., The Vogue Theater, Giv’er Shirt Works, Big Bang Bagels, City of Fernie

Previous Events

A sportive morning at the Nordic Centre February 27, 2020
Fun activities for Saturday morning February 18, 2020
This Saturday, an event for skiers of all ages February 18, 2020
Community Fun Race – 7th edition February 19, 2019

Inclement Weather Protocol

FERNIE NORDIC SOCIETY (FNS) FACILITY CLOSURE POLICIES
INCLEMENT WEATHER PROTOCOL
Ambassador, Grooming & Skill Development Programs

This policy PDF is available for downlo ad.

This policy provides guidance regarding the Fernie Nordic Society’s operations, including our Ambassador Program which supports the opening & closing of the Elk Valley Nordic Centre (EVNC) warming hut, grooming program, events & our Skill Development Program (SDP) during inclement weather. The policy does not apply to recreational skiers who are advised to “ski at their own risk”. However some services may not be provided during some weather conditions.

FNS reserves the right to close the EVNC and Fernie Golf Club trails, including the EVNC warming hut; this may happen at any time due to excessive rain events, wind events, lightning, cold and any other extreme weather phenomenon. The Ambassador Program that operates the EVNC warming hut will only be operated at temperatures of -20C or warmer. SDP & events will be cancelled at temperatures below -15C.

AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
The volunteer run ambassador program may be operated at temperatures of -20C or warmer. The persons responsible for making this call are Mike DeJong & FNS board of directors; specifically Jane Stevens, club secretary & lead of the program. If temperatures are colder than -20C, **the warming hut will not be opened** and a fire will not be laid.

VOLUNTEER GROOMING PROGRAM
The grooming equipment may operate at temperatures of -20C or warmer. The person responsible for making this call is Mike DeJong & FNS board of directors. Volunteer groomers are asked to stay very close to the EVNC warming hut on cold days. If the temperatures are colder than -20C, the grooming equipment will not operate for the safety of the volunteers.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM & EVENTS
SDP (Events will observe the SDP guidelines) will be cancelled at temperatures below -15C as measured/estimated at or before noon on Tuesday & Thursday & the night before or early morning on Saturday at the EVNC. FNS grooming & operations director Mike DeJong; alternatively, the FNS board of directors, is responsible determining if the lessons need to be cancelled and for informing FNS Administrator, Alisha Rella, of the decision. Alisha Rella is responsible for informing the SDP coaches & SDP families via email & social media if the session has been cancelled. SDP coaches should consider the following safety measures when skiing with young children during cold days (temperatures below –10C).

If children are inappropriately dressed they should be excused from the session and their parent should be notified.
Inform skiers and parents that a hat should be worn at all times. Ensure ears are covered to avoid frostbite.
Bring children inside when they say they are cold.
Choose areas that are protected from the wind and avoid activities in open areas.
Keep the young children close to the Warming Hut in the event that someone does get cold.
Allow additional time to warm-up; it takes longer to get the body warmed-up for sport activity in cold weather.
If in doubt cut the session short.

Events planned for 2023-2024 season

5th Annual Fernie Flying Viking Challenge

How about a fun challenge for yourself and your friends? Ski on the 25 km circuit of trails from the warming hut of the Elk Valley Nordic Centre and the trails of the Fernie Alpine Resort. There is a prize for best costume! A short ride on the chairlift is included in the fun. Do the loop twice to complete the event. Or a partner and you may ski the circuit together once, adding up to 50 km.
There are categories for Mini-Vikings too! Ski as fast or as slow as you want, by yourself or with a friend, on either a 1.3 km, 3.4 km or 7.5 km course. Add some fun with a costume..

Where: Elk Valley Nordic Centre

When: Sunday, March 24, 2024

Read More: our main event page is https://www.fernienordic.com/vikingchalleng e

Registration Page: https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=340859

Click here to register

The 7th Annual Great Fernie Pumpkin Hunt

The Fernie Nordic Society is excited to be hosting one of our community’s favourite events of the year! This popular event is open to the general public and is aimed at children up to 9 year old and their family.

What to expect?

When: Saturday, October 21, 2023
Where: Elk Valley Nordic Centre next to Mt Fernie Provincial park
Cost: $10 per pumpkin. Tickets can be purchased at Grow Children’s Boutique in Fernie – across from museum on 2nd Ave. (Exact cash only please)
Choose a Time Slot: 11am-12pm, 12:30pm-1:30pm or 2:00pm-3:00pm

Fun searching for your favourite pumpkin!
Hot chocolate (bring own mug), bbq food by donation
Emily Park Photography & more!
Prize for best costume

More events to come:

Several of our group events should return this season:

Full Moon Skis at the golf course or at the Nordic Centre
Griz Days event
Community Fun Races
Fernie Flying Viking Challenge
Illuminated ski loop on Saturday evenings from 6 to 8 pm at the Nordic Centre

Check our calendar HERE. Make sure that you are on our email list so you do not miss anything.

P.S. the club is still looking for an energetic person to take the lead on some of these events. Give us a shout! It will be much rewarding.

10th Annual Community Fun Event

Several participants in a previous event

The Community Fun Event is returning on Saturday February 24, 2024 on the trails of the Elk Valley Nordic Centre. The event is open to everyone, club members and non-members alike.

Read all the details HERE

Coaches Corner

Meet our dedicated coaches for the 2024 season of our Skill Development Program. All lessons are happening at the Elk Valley Nordic Centre on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

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