The Strathcona Nordic ski club recently competed in the Teck BC Cup #2 at the Larch Hills Ski area near Salmon Arm, B.C. The event drew the largest registration of the season with more than 500 racers competing. The format for the weekend was a sprint race using free technique on day one followed by an interval start distance race using classic technique.
In the sprint races, U14 athletes and younger competed in a non-elimination “King’s court” format with older athletes following an elimination format. All Strathcona skiers advanced to the heats after their qualifying race, with 10 finishing in the top five. Siblings Ben Galik U12 and Gillian Galik U14 both won gold medals in their categories. Jakob Kainz, an international student from Austria, won gold in the U18 boys division. Anna Chatterton won silver for the U18 girls. Rounding out the medals with bronze were Maddie Galik U16 and Hugo Henckel U18. Amelia Moore U12, Gavin Chatterton U16 and Carly Ram U16 finished fourth, and Talia MacPhail-McGrady finished fifth for the U14 girls.
The second day was a distance race with a challenging course with lots of climbing. The weather was cooler with sun warming up the tracks later in the day making for some challenging waxing conditions. The racers persevered with some great results. Amelia, Carly and Gavin all finished in the silver medal position. Gillian, Anna and Ben finished just off the podium in fourth, and Talia was fifth for the U14 girls despite a crash mid-course.
This weekend, the club is hosting its Coast Cup races on Mt. Washington. Among the competitors is Maya Jonas, a visually impaired skier, who has been training on the mountain throughout the week. Members of the masters and junior race teams have been taking turns guiding her during training sessions.
For more information about the club, visit www.strathconanordics.com