With winter fast approaching and snow right around the corner, Arrowhead Nordic Ski Club’s 26th season promises to be an exciting one, with a return to events, races, programs, and classes, the addition of new terrain for members, and the Muskoka Loppet being added as a qualifier for the World Masters Cup.
“It’s going to be a very unique year this year,” says John Cowan, a member of the ANSC board of directors.
The club will proceed with the season following COVID-19 protocols, and will require that all participants aged 12 and over provide proof of double vaccination in order to access programs and events, as per the Ontario government and Nordic Canada’s policies.
The club will also be practising COVID-19 screening, sanitization, and social distancing protocol, to ensure the health, comfort, and safety of all members and staff.
Arrowhead Nordic Ski Club is offering a variety of ski programs for a number of different age groups. They offer the Bunnyrabbit and Jackrabbit programs for children four to nine years of age and the Track Attack and Lynx programs for children aged nine to 13 years of age. Each program focuses on appropriate levels of experience and skillsets of their members.
The club is also hosting the “ARC” (Arrowhead Race Crew) program for youth aged 11 to 18. The ARC program encourages young athletes to develop and hone their skills in a team environment, teaching them the importance of cooperation and teamwork.
They also offer a Masters Ski program, geared for adults 18+ who have a moderate level of fitness and are looking to improve their skills.
This Saturday, Oct. 16, the club is hosting a provincial level camp at Arrowhead Provincial Park.
“The camp will bring a bunch of athletes here from mostly Central Ontario, some from Ottawa. It’s an opportunity for these athletes competing against each other to get out and do some dry-land training,” Cowan says.
Every year, Arrowhead Nordic hosts the Muskoka Loppet, which was cancelled in 2021 due to COVID-19. This season, the race will be happening on January 30, 2022, and will be used as one of the qualifying races for the Masters World Cup which is being held in Canmore, Alberta in 2022.
“Hopefully this will help bring in some more racers,” Cowan says.
The club is also branching out from its traditional terrain this season, and is working with Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Reserve to host some of its events and programs on their trails. This is a new concept for the ski club, as they have never operated outside of Arrowhead Provincial Park before.
“Arrowhead is wonderful, probably one of the top facilities in Ontario,” Cowan says, “but it is nice to be able to go out and see some different terrain and some different style skiing too. Most of the skiing that we see at Arrowhead right now is skate skiing but when it gets over to Limberlost, you get into the old backcountry, classic skiing stuff, which is a lot of fun. This is a big first step for us, a new feature for members this year.”
The club will be hosting a ski swap on October 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Arrowhead Provincial Park pavilion. Anyone who is interested in participating in the swap is asked to drop off and register their gently used ski equipment at Algonquin Outfitters in Huntsville from October 21-23. The club asks that the skis entered into the swap are fairly up-to-date and in decent condition. The ski swap will take place outdoors and abide by COVID-19 social distancing protocols.
“We want to make sure everyone is out there safe and having an enjoyable time,” Cowan says.
Arrowhead Nordic will also be teaching private lessons and training courses, so anyone interested in becoming a coach can learn the techniques behind the art of teaching skiing. The club is always looking for new leadership, and Cowan encourages anyone interested in getting involved as a leader for the club to reach out.
Arrowhead Nordic Ski Club aims to be an inclusive, informative, and welcoming environment for everyone, no matter their age or skill set.
“What’s unique about cross country skiing is that we are a cradle-to-grave type of sport,” Cowan says. “It’s really about providing opportunities for all ages and abilities.”
For more information on Arrowhead Nordic Ski Club and their upcoming 2021/2022 season, visit arrowheadnordic.ca.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox so you don’t miss anything!
Click here to support local news
Join the discussion: