Spring-like skiing in January
Adozen members of the Central Okanagan Outdoors Club took advantage of one of the best bluebird days of the ski season so far for a cross-country (classic technique) refresher at Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club last Sunday.
Their experience ranged from never-been-on-skis-before to 30-plus years. The look on their faces ranged from a-deer-caughtin-the-headlights to a furrowed brow as they focused on shifting their weight from one ski to another.
The head-bob technique of shifting the nose from one side to the other — nose, knees, toes — helped most to learn or remember to put all of their weight on one ski while sliding that foot forward. One woman, who shall remain nameless, admitted she’s always had a problem with commitment. The Ski Sheriff joked he assumed she meant the weight shift, not her personal life.
The Sheriff also taught the two methods of getting off the snow after a fall. The first is simply moving your torso from the side over until you are over your skis and on your knees, then sliding one foot forward and pushing against that knee to stand up.
The second, easier for those who haven’t had two total hip replacements, is lying on your back, bringing your skis up and over your head, grabbing the front of your skis just ahead of the bindings, then rolling side-to-side until you roll onto your knees. One foot forward and stand. There was much laughter as the Sheriff demonstrated, and as a few tried it out, to jokes about the similarity to certain insects.
There is Cross-Country Skiing for Dummies part two but so far, no one is mentioning dates. No insects in that lesson but there is a dippybird technique, a.k.a. double-pole abdominal crunches.
Most could hardly wait for the end of the one-hour-plus lesson to put what they had learned into practice. The sun was pouring down on freshly groomed trails and the blue sky was a perfect backdrop to a leisurely ski up the Riverside Trail and back on Log Cabin. With temperatures now above 0 C in the valley bottom, Kelowna Nordic had a very pleasant –1 C on Thursday. With this much sunshine, it’s like spring skiing. In January.
*** On the subject of cross-country skiiing, the Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors recently appointed Denys Lawrence of the North Okanagan as CANSI president. CANSI is the national body that oversees the development of technique and methodology for both cross-country and telemark skiing.
The longtime resident of Silver Star Mountain Resort brings a well-rounded perspective to both disciplines of Nordic skiing with years of coaching and instruction as well as operations.
“I have made many great friends from across the country. Most of them have come to see me at Silver Star. I am very lucky to live and ski here in the Okanagan,” he said.
*** Big White Ski Resort completed a number of improvements and changes during the off-season. Here are a few:
* Plans are underway to expand the award-winning Kids’ Centre into the area that was formally the Loose Moose Emporium. This addition will provide the youngest skiers aged three and four with much-needed room to play and prepare for the start of lessons. Children five to seven years of age will also now have their own area. Traffic flow will be greatly enhanced, allowing for new exits onto the snow for children in lessons and less congestion for parents when registering their children. Registration will be more efficient with three more sign-in sites so dropping off children will be faster and easier even on the busiest days.
* The new Clocktower Coffee Co. offers the best in expertly-roasted, organic fair trade espresso and coffee drinks, fresh smoothies, comfort food prepared from scratch daily, gourmet sandwiches, fresh pastries and house-made ice cream sandwiches.
* Big White knows how much everyone loves Masters Week so for the 2016-17 season, the resort has added a second week.The dates are: Jan. 30-Feb. 3 and Feb. 27-March 3. Masters of all skiing and snowboarding abilities can enjoy seminars, wine tasting, apres high tea, sleigh rides and more.
* Season passholders can now renew their passes online, even sign the liability waiver online, allowing everyone to head straight to the lifts.
* The return of Big White’s at Big White is at 7 p.m. on March 4 in the Village Centre Mall. Tickets are $60 per person and are available through concierge@bigwhite.com. The fun-filled weekend includes the Telus Kelowna Cup with an evening tasting that celebrates the best of the BC wine industry. The Telus Kelowna Cup Psychic Slalom ski race goes on March 4 with participant sign-in at 8 a.m. in the Happy Valley daylodge.
* Horse Drawn Sleigh Dining Tours: For a culinary experience unlike any other, climb aboard an old-fashioned, horse-drawn sleigh and admire Big White’s pristine beauty as majestic Clydesdale horses guide the sleigh through a snow-covered forest to a cozy cabin in the woods.
* New for summer 2017: Big White has officially started constructing a world-class, lift-serviced mountain bike trail network. The resort’s goal is to create a unique riding destination in the Okanagan that speaks to the soul of mountain biking with trails and services that are built, staffed and provided by riders for other riders. The authentic, grassroots biking experience will fulfill the goals of enduro, downhill, freeride and youth mountain bikers.
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Regional parks staff with the Central Okanagan regional district have quite a lineup of activities planned for the remaining winter months.
Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m. feature Story Time at the EECO, a free, weekly one-hour drop-in program for children aged three to five and their caregivers. Younger ones love the nature-themed stories and songs followed by an art or craft at the Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan located in Mission Creek Regional Park, Springfield and Durnin roads in Kelowna.
The program is an excellent way for preschoolers to interact with others while learning more about the natural world. For more information, go to regionaldistrict.com/ parks, drop-in or call the EECO at 250-469-6140.
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Get the whole family dressed for winter and into the outdoors today for Unplug and Play in Mission Creek Regional Park.
Parks staff are providing free, fun Families in Parks winter events between 10 and 11:30 a.m.
Program leaders will host games to get everyone outside and active. Then everyone can come inside the EECO for warm cocoa and activities to take away any chill.
To pre-register your family, drop in to the Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan or phone 250-469-6139.
J.P. Squire, aka the Ski Sheriff, is an Okanagan Sunday reporter and an avid outdoors enthusiast. His column appears every weekend. You can contact him at jp.squire@telus.net.