Opening Day - The Nordic season is about to begin! Whistler Olympic Park's official opening day is Thursday, Nov. 28. Depending on the snow situation, trails might be open earlier (check conditions at www.whistlerolympicpark.com).
With almost 56,000 skier visits last season, the park is looking forward to another successful winter. New programs include ski lessons with shuttle service to the park, a Wednesday night snowshoe/biathlon/dinner adventure, introductory courses to ski jumping as well as a five-day Nordic camp for kids during spring break. Special events will be organized for families and kids, for example "World Snow Day" on Jan. 19 and programs that are part of the International Ski Federation's "Bring Children to the Snow" campaign.
The park will host 15 sports events in all four Nordic disciplines like Toonie races on Wednesday nights for skiers of all levels, the B.C. Winter Games and the National Championships in ski jumping and Nordic combined.
The park's opening hours throughout the season are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. midweek with extended night skiing hours on Wednesdays (9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 27 to Feb. 26) and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends/holidays.
The other Nordic venues in the region are ready for the season: Whistler's Lost Lake Cross Country Connection (www.crosscountryconnection.ca) and Cypress Mountain's Nordic Area (www.cypressmountain.com/nordic) will open as soon as snow conditions allow.
Early-season training tips - Winter is finally here and you cannot wait to get out on the trails, but there are a few things you should consider to successfully start into the season:
Your first sessions on snow should be on easy terrain. That way, you can work on proper ski technique while your cardiovascular system catches up. Early season is also a good time to ski without poles, which will improve leg strength and power, which is key to good ski technique. You can incorporate this with a few ski drills to work on some of your weaknesses. If you do not know what your weaknesses are, take a ski lesson. Alternatively, look at training videos or watch more experienced skiers to understand how to perform specific drills correctly. Spend 15 to 30 minutes at the beginning of your ski session doing drills and no-pole skiing and you will start the season as a more efficient skier.
Glide wax application on waxless classic skis - Waxless classic skis seem to be maintenance free because their unique fish scale pattern saves the routine chore of applying temperature-specific kick wax. Especially in the Sea to Sky snow conditions, a little preparation can help improve ski performance significantly. If your skis are slow in cold snow, sluggish in warmer conditions and pick up snow clumps when it is sunny, glide wax helps. Antoine Arcand, Rental Shop Supervisor at Whistler Olympic Park, explains how:
Clean the entire length of the ski with a base cleaner to remove dirt and wipe thoroughly with a cloth, allowing drying. Use a small nylon brush or old toothbrush on the grip zone (fish scales) if the dirt does not come off easily. You are now ready to apply the glide wax. For recreational skiers, there are wax products that do not require a waxing iron and can be applied directly to the ski (such as Toko Grip and Glide or Swix F4 Easy Glide). These are applied from tip to tail over the entire ski. Also apply over the grip zone; this will reduce wear and tear and improve the glide performance of the scales.
Silke Jeltsch is an administrator at Whistler Olympic Park. She can be reached at [email protected]
