The Bulkley Valley Nordic Centre was host to racers from Terrace to Prince George, as well as a strong local contingent of athletes. This was the first race of the season for the Nordic Club and despite marginal weather conditions, the two-day event went off without a hitch.

Warm daytime temperatures combined with freezing overnight threatened to create difficult conditions both for grooming the race course and for waxing.  Expertise and a bit of luck prevailed, though, and athletes enjoyed great conditions.

Saturday’s event was a classic technique race, with distances ranging from 0.75km for the youngest competitors (some as young as 5 years old) to 7.5km for the senior racer and masters categories. A total of 47 racers participated, over 30 of which were local athletes.

This event was a qualifier for the BC Winter Games, which no doubt added an extra degree of determination to many athletes’ performance on the course. The BV Nordics defended their home turf well, finishing the day with eleven gold, 10 silver and 6 bronze medals across 17 categories.

On Sunday, 45 racers competed in a freestyle technique race of the same distance. Like Saturday, conditions were good considering the temperature and snow conditions and blue skies and sunshine put a smile on the faces of the many volunteers and spectators lining the stadium.

Local racers held strong in the skate technique races on Sunday, once again bringing home many of the medals for the day. Probably the most exciting finish of the day was in the Juvenile Boys 5km race, as Travis Pete and Hamish Woods, both of Smithers, crossed the finish line less than 0.5 seconds apart. Pete had the win, but barely! Another close finish between Zoe Hallman and Mia Recknell of Smithers saw Hallman eek out the win just 1.1 seconds ahead of Recknell. These close finishes show that we have a strong field of athletes here in Northwest BC, many of whom swap podium positions from one race to the next. This strong sense of competition amongst athletes is matched only by their camaraderie seen after the finish line, with high-fives, hand-shakes and a little bit of healthy ribbing.

Volunteers and athletes will be at it again this weekend as the BV Nordic Club hosts its first biathlon race of the season, which is sure to be another exciting event.

New this year, Teck has joined forces with Cross Country BC to support the regional development of cross-country skiing in the province.  This means more medals and prizes for regional cup races, like the one in Golden, and support for coaches and athletes.

The Bulkley Valley Cross Country Ski Club is still accepting registration for annual memberships and passes.  For more information or to register, please visit www.bvnordic.ca. 

Cross Country BC (CCBC), the provincial sport governing body for cross-country skiing in British Columbia is a not-for-profit, club-based organization of more than 16,000 members.  CCBC offers programs and services to support the continuous development of cross-country skiing for all ages and abilities, from introductory experiences to international excellence. Teck Resources Ltd. is the title sponsor of Cross Country BC’s Skier Development Program, thereby supporting excellence in sport and providing youth with experiences that will help them prepare for the future.  For more information on Cross Country BC, please visit www.crosscountrybc.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Cross Country BC                                                                                                      Bulkey Valley Cross Country Ski Club
Magi Scallion                                                                                                                Suzanne Pearce
778-990-2453                                                                                                               250-877-3609
marketing@crosscountrybc.ca                                                                                     news.bvnordic@gmail.com