2022-23 Club Membership Contest »

Amazing results with 2022/23 club membership drives across BC!

First off, THANK YOU for all your work and leadership in building healthier communities.  You may be curious how membership compares to previous years in BC, given the unprecedented increase we saw in 2020/21, and which we were able to maintain in 2021/22.  The very good news is that we’re down only slightly:  down 5% compared to this day last year and down only 2% from two years ago.  To put this in perspective, we’re still up 52% compared to the pre-Covid season of 2019/20.  So it appears that cross country skiing is experiencing a fundamental shift in popularity, versus just a temporary spike.  (Of course, all these figures are on average;  some clubs are lower and some clubs are even higher.)  

A huge THANK YOU to this year’s Membership Contest sponsors for their support.  Each of the below readily stepped up again and are fantastic to work with.  To see what they contributed please scroll to the bottom of this page.

And finally, the Club Membership Contest results:

This year we have 5 first-time winners and 1 repeat winner!  In the past 7 years, we’ve now had a total of 30 different winning clubs.  Remember, to win, a club needs to have the highest % of its previous winter’s total membership.  Last year we saw a strong showing by northern BC clubs; this year it’s the Kootenays.

  • Group A:  Kimberley with its first victory ever!  Kimberley has over 1,600 members already, extremely impressive for such a small community.  The others were not far behind and very close together, led by Telemark, then Caledonia and Sovereign in a virtual tie, then Overlander.  
  • Group B:  Nelson hangs on for its first victory ever!  1156 members is very impressive for a small community.  Valiant effort by Revelstoke on the homestretch, going from last place to almost winning it all, finishing with over 1,000 members.  Bulkley Valley and Larch Hills tied for third, followed by Fernie.
  • Group C:  Black Jack passes Hollyburn on the homestretch for its first victory ever!  Black Jack will crack 1,000 members soon, very impressive for a small town.  Golden finishes 3rd followed by Strathcona and Nickel Plate.  Big effort by Snow Valley to catch up to Toby Creek on the homestretch.
  • Group D:  Whistler stays in front of Whiskey Jack for its first victory ever!  Kudos to 100 Mile with the biggest gain of any club in BC in the past week, almost catching Nordic Racers in 3rd.  Big efforts by Omineca and Williams Lake in the final week as well, finishing in front of Cariboo and Morice Mountain.
  • Group E:  Tetrahedron (aka Dakota Ridge) wins in back to back years!  Vancouver Skiers, Sea to Sky, and Sun Peaks are next.  Big efforts by Valhalla Hills and Wells Gray in the final week. 
  • Group F:  Phoenix stays in front for its first victory ever!  Clinton, Manning, Spud Valley, and Barriere are next.  Kudos to Fort Nelson with the biggest gain of the week in the group.

Here’s the data for clubs that have already achieved 80% of last winter’s total membership.  Current membership totals are also shown for reference.  

2022-23 Club Membership Contest – Prize Giveaway!

To add a bit of extra excitement to your club’s membership drive, Cross Country BC is collecting some fantastic prizes to give away to the winning clubs. 

The following have been donated so far:

  • From Rossignol:
    • Prize #1: A fleet of kids’ ski gear – perfect for your Skill Development Program, Ski S’Kool program, equipment rental pool… your choice! 
      • 15 beginner classic ski packages (various sizes of waxless skis, boots, bindings, poles). Value of $5,250.
      • Plus the option to buy up to 10 more packages for only $115 each (subject to availability). Value of $3,500.
    • Prize #2:  A fleet of kids’ ski gear (skis/boots/bindings/poles) for only $115 per set.  Max of 15 sets. Value of $5,250.
    • If your club is looking to buy or expand its ski fleet, please see HERE to find out more about Rossignol’s fleet program.

 

  • From Fischer and Swix:
    • 2 classic ski packages, each valued at ~$600
    • Assorted Fisher and Swix swag​

 

  • From The Pinnacles Suites at Silver Star Mountain
    • Two night stay for up to 8 people in a Suite.  For anytime during the 2022-23 Ski Season excluding the Christmas Holidays and Long Weekends).  Value before taxes $958
    • https://pinnacles.com/
    • “With spectacular views of the slopes and mountains, spacious suites offering all the comforts of home and the charm of the original day lodge at our core, The Pinnacles Suites is a favourite among Silver Star accommodations.”
    • Discount for ALL members:  15% discount on any new accommodation booked by Dec 1 with code ‘CCBC’.  From Nov 4 to Apr 10, 2023, excluding Dec 17 to Jan 2 and long weekends.  Book online at pinnacles.com or call 1-800-551-7466 or email reserve@pinnacles.com.  (Not valid with any other offer. Restrictions apply. Direct bookings only.)

 

  • From Sovereign Lake Nordic and SilverStar Mountain Resort:
    • 3 day XC Supercamp for 2023/24 season (valued at $630)
    • “From First Timer to Big Timer” Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre and Silver Star Mountain Resort offer Canada’s most established cross country ski improvement camps for all skiing abilities & fitness levels. Whether you are a competitive Master's racer, a first time skier, or somewhere in between, come and enjoy our 105km of rolling terrain, professional coaching, exceptional grooming and the best early snow in the country.
    • www.xcsupercamps.com

 

  • From Nipika Mountain Resort:
    • A getaway for two, including two nights' accommodation in a private cabin. Valid for any season, subject to availability. Spring/summer/fall activties include hiking, mountain biking, trail running, and disc golf. Value of $650.
    • www.nipika.com
    • “Nipika Mountain Resort is the place to stay, experience and explore in the Canadian Rockies.”

 

  • From Tin Poppy Retreat
    • 2 nights stay for up to 10 people at Lavender Cabin (Solar powered), see accommodation, for any time during the 2022-23 Ski Season. Value before taxes $850.
    • 10 min from Larch Hills Nordic trails system
    • ~12 Kms of onsite snowshoe trails
    • Private sauna, complimentary Wifi, pets welcome
    • Tin Poppy Retreat is a solar powered retreat located in the Larch Hills between the Shuswap and the North Okanagan valley, 25 minutes from Salmon Arm and Enderby. The160 acre pet friendly property has four unique cabins all within a 5 - 10 minute walking distance from each other. The retreat has kilometers of onsite maintained hiking/snowshoes trails for guests to enjoy and is just minutes from the Larch Hills Nordic ski trails.
    • https://www.tinpoppy.ca/about

​Prizes can be used by clubs as they see fit:  to raffle off, for a family in need, to use as a volunteer draw prize, for a kids program, for an Early-Bird prize … your choice!

To win, a club has to have the highest percentage of members registered*, as of midnight Dec 1 2022, as compared to its previous winter’s total membership.   For example, a club with 200 members last year and 140 members by Dec 1 would be at 70%, and a club with 160 members last year and 120 members by Dec 1 would be at 75%.

To make things fair as well as have more winners, clubs have been divided into 6 groups and a winner will be selected from each group, for a total of 6 winners.  The prizes will be randomly distributed amongst the winners.  The groups, along with last winter’s club membership totals, are shown below.

In the past two winters almost every club has had record membership.  Amazing!  What is possible this year?

*As reported in the Zone4 membership database