Jan. 1, 2014 (Penticton, BC) - The second race of the Okanagan Cup series will be held on Sunday, Feb. 2nd, 2014 at the Nickel Plate Nordic Centre. This is a free skate technique race with distances of 1km for the youngest age group starting at age 5, and increasing based on age category up to 15km for adults.
As an all-ages event, this race will offer both fun and competition in a world-class cross-country ski location! The 2015 BC Midget Championships to be held at Nickel Plate Nordic, and this season’s Teck BC Cup #2 provides the club the opportunity to learn to host higher-end races. This experience is in preparation for the 2016 Winter BC Winter Games to be held in Penticton, with the Nickel Plate Nordic Club set to host the cross-country ski events.
The Teck OK Cup is the regional version of the BC Cup Series, the cross-country ski competitive series in British Columbia. Other regions in the series include Northern, Kootenay, and Coastal, with clubs from each region attending races.
The goal of the BC cup regional series is to allow competitive racing for all ages without the need for extensive travel, while allowing new skiers to compete at a high level event.
The Teck OK Cup #1 was held in Revelstoke on Dec. 29th. As a qualifier for the 2014 BC Winter Games, 214 skiers started this race. Along with coach Jerome Jang, six Nickel Plate Nordic Junior Racers attended the Teck OK Cup #1 and skied in difficult waxing conditions of zero degrees with new, wet snow. Nickel Plate Junior Racer Rachel Shanner qualified to attend the BC Winter Games Feb. 23-25 in Mission.
Skiers are invited to come for the Nickel Plate Classic Loppet on Saturday, February 1st and stay for the Free Technique Teck OK Cup #2 on Sunday. Skiers from Salmon Arm, Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, and Revelstoke are to attend the Teck OK Cup race #2, with over 200 skiers expected for the weekend of racing.
Registration opens Sunday, December 29th at 8:00 am on Zone4.ca. See www.nickelplatenordic.org for the Race Notice, links to registration, course maps, and directions to Nickel Plate Nordic.
Cross Country BC, a non-for-profit club-based organization, is the provincial sport governing body for cross-country skiing in British Columbia. Cross Country BC 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:
Jerome Jang (Chief of Competition) at 250-494-1972 or jang.jerome@gmail.com
Kathryn Golbeck (Media) at 250-497-0999 or kathryngolbeck@shaw.ca