Dear cross country ski supporter,
You are likely aware that our sport is on a very strong trajectory in BC, from recreational to high-performance, and this season promises to be another exciting one! Specifically with high-performance, an opportunity has come up with a very short deadline. If this interests you, please read on…
Cross Country BC has the opportunity to purchase a new classic rollerski treadmill from Sweden at a significant discount, IF it can be included with an existing order to western Canada in late September. The benefits of a rollerski treadmill are highlighted further below, but in short, it is a much needed step if we want BC’s young athletes, coaches, and development systems to get to the next level. (As background, we have almost 200 young athletes on our various provincial teams this year, from 20 different clubs across BC.) The treadmill would be used extensively at our provincial testing camps in Whistler, plus our clubs and athletes would be able to reserve and use the treadmill throughout the year.
The cost of a professional rollerski treadmill is not cheap, at approximately $35,000 delivered, including taxes. If we can raise at least 50% from our ski community ($17.5k), this will give us the confidence to proceed on such short order.
At this point in time, I am humbly asking for pledges only, i.e., how much would you donate to this initiative IF we can achieve the 50% threshold in pledges? If, as a group, we can achieve at least $17.5k in pledges, then we all pay up. If we don’t reach the threshold, we all save our money and let go of this opportunity. (Note that donations would be tax deductible.)
If you’re interested in making a pledge, please email me at wannes@crosscountrybc.ca as soon as possible, and no later than Sep 15. Time is tight, but we already have some keeners onboard that believe strongly in this opportunity, and are sitting at $14.5k in pledges so far.
For just one example of BC’s current high-performance trajectory, see graph further below. Our ski community in BC is creating something very special!
If this initiative resonates with you, please consider forwarding this email to likeminded folks. “Many hands make light work.” Thank you very much.
Wannes Luppens
Executive Director
Cross Country BC
ROLLERSKI TREADMILL
Cross Country BC’s Objective
Build provincial high performance Nordic testing facilities which allow future research and adequate testing for athletes on a trajectory towards provincial, national, and international success.
Cross Country BC’s Goal
To focus on sport specific research while helping provide the opportunity for coaches to expand their biomechanics knowledge and physiological understanding through a closed environment of a rollerski treadmill.
For cross country skiers, the benefits of a rollerski treadmill allows the ability to change the focus of a training session through exact intensity, gradient, and duration in a ski specific environment. In addition to the physiological advantages, technique on a rollerski treadmill helps decrease the adaption time with two camera angles allowing direct live feedback to any technical changes that need to be made.
The treadmill would reside in Whistler, complemented by Canadian Sport Institute Pacific’s team of experts.
Below (from a couple years ago): BC athletes & coaches (and one Alberta athlete) with 2 of the very best skiers in the world… Johannes Klæbo and Ragnhild Haga from Norway.
