Alicia Wallace
Rossland News
Black Jack Ski Club was once again the site for cross-country ski racing events last Saturday and Sunday. The club hosted the Haywood North American Cup (NorAm) and the Teck Kootenay Cup over the weekend. The two events ran concurrently with close to 300 competitive athletes registering across the weekend’s races.
The races afforded the public the opportunity to see some of the fastest skiers in North America, including Olympians from both Canada and USA.
Alysson Marshall of Larch Hills Ski Club was the open women’s classic champion and Kris Freeman of Freebird Ski Club won the open men’s classic event both days.
“Day two of the NorAm event saw Alysson Marshall and Kris Freeman again win first place in the senior events, the Women 11 km Classic and Men 15 km Classic respectively. Black Jack’s Remi Drolet achieved another podium finish, winning the Juvenile Boy 7.5 km Classic,” explained Black Jack committee member Wannes Luppens.
Everyone was pleased and relieved when race day mornings revealed sub-zero temperatures. The snowpack was “fantastic for race conditions given how little snow there was,” said Luppens.
The week preceding the race events, Rossland experienced a warm weather pattern with temperatures creeping into the double digits. Heavy rain and significant snow loss was a concern to all involved. To ensure the race went on in true Rossland spirit, an army of volunteers rallied together over two days and relocated the entire event to Black Jack’s higher elevation biathlon trails. Here at an elevation of 1,450 metres, snow was shovelled onto the trails. Organizers would like to thank the sponsors of the event and everyone involved for their continued support.