SLNC Wins BIG at BC Championships!

Congratulations to the full SLNC race team of over 60 participants that took part in this past weekend’s BC Championships at Telemark Ski Club in West Kelowna. With a  record 628 athletes registered for the three days of racing, Sovereign was able to secure some key podium positions in addition to numerous overall aggregate championship awards.

A HUGE CONGRATS to each and every participant this weekend!!!! A special shout-out to all of the helpers, coaches, and parents for keeping the team prepared. Below are all the Top 5 placements from this past weekend with links to the full results.

Day#1 Mass Start: (Full Results)  https://zone4.ca/race/2018-02-16/f9bf5738/2018-teck-bc-championships-ft/results/

  • 4th Place Atom Boys Chase Pighin
  • 3rd Place Atom Girls Linnaea Heidt
  • 2nd Place Junior Boys Ian Oliphant
  • 1st Place Junior Women Hannah Mehain
  • 3rd Place Masters Men 30-39 Kevin O’Connor
  • 2nd Place Masters 50-59 Paul Hardy
  • 1st Place Masters Women 60-69 Maureen Clement
  • 1st Place Masters Men 60-69 Gerry Brenemen

Day#2 Individual Start Classic (Full Results) https://zone4.ca/race/2018-02-17/965d74ca/2018-teck-bc-championships-cl/results/

  • 1st Place Atom Girls Emily Lane
  • 3rd Place Atom Girls Shayla Flanagan
  • 4th Place Atom Girls Linnaea Heidt
  • 1st Place PeeWee Boys Simon Heidt
  • 5th Place PeeWee Girls Eula Palmer Bird
  • 4th Place Juvenile Boys Lucas Sadesky
  • 5th Place Junior Boys Ian Oliphant
  • 1st Place Junior Women Hannah Mehain
  • 4th Place Open Women Marta Green
  • 5th Place Open Men Andrew Casey
  • 2nd Place Masters Men 30-39 Kevin O’Connor
  • 1st Place Masters Women 50-59 Josee LeClerc
  • 4th Place Masters Men 50-59 Paul Hardy
  • 5th Place Masters Men 50-59 Bob Boorman
  • 1st Place Masters Men 60-69 Gerry Brenemen

Day#3 Team Relays (Full Results) https://zone4.ca/race/2018-02-18/03ca747e/2018-teck-bc-championships/results/

  • 5th Place PeeWee Girls Sovereign Sweeties (Emily Lane/Linnaea Heidt/Shayla Flanagan)
  • 4th Place Midget Boys Megabots (Pedar Ree/Parker Munroe/Evan Sadesky)
  • 5th Place Junior Women Rainbow Unicorns (Paige Latta/Madison Land/Clara Hardy)

Aggregate Awards are presented to the best overall athletes throughout the season at CCBC sanctioned events per category. Consistency in these results are key to success is aggregate awards. Great job team! Special shout out to Paul Hardy, JD Coach and Dad for slaying it in the Master’s category. 

2018 CCBC Aggregate Award Recipients: http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/teck-bc-cup-series-2018-aggregate-awards

  • 1st Place Junior Girl  Paige Latta
  • 1st Place Juvenile Boys Lucas Sadesky
  • 3rd Place Juvenile Boys Torin Andrews
  • 1st Place Junior Boys Ian Oliphant
  • 3rd Place Masters 50-59 Paul Hardy

2018 Club Championships Award http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/bc-championship-club-trophy

The Club Championship Awards are presented by calculating club participation at CCBC Sanctioned events throughout the winter including Regional (Okanagan Cup) and Provincial Cup (BC Cup) Series events. For the first time in 7 years, Sovereign Lake has moved into the TOP 3, taking a whopping 2nd Place!! Do you think we can beat Larch Hills next year??? We will need to recruit a few more kids into Programs. Great work by our Programs Director Eric de Nys and all of our coaches for getting your kids involved in racing this winter.

  1. Larch Hills Nordic Society (114 points)
  2. Sovereign Lake Nordic Club (63 points)
  3. Telemark Nordic Club (55 points)
  4. Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club (45 points)
  5. Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Club (42 points)

World Junior Championships Report: Athlete Hannah Mehain

The team WJC Canadian Team flew to Geneva, Switzerland and then drove to Praz de Lys, France for a training and acclimatization camp before the races in Switzerland.  The sky was overcast and it dumped with snow for the first week that they were there but then the sun came out on the last two days, revealing the beautiful French Alps!  “I absolutely loved the hotel where we were staying and the French host who served us the most amazing food.  The mountains were beautiful and you could ski over a pass into another ski area.  Everyone there was very kind to us Canadians.  It was hard to leave.”

 The French Alps 

 Hannah out for a training session in Praz de Lys, France.

The first race of the World Junior Championships in Goms, Switzerland was the Women’s Junior Skate Sprints.  It turned out to be Hannah’s most successful race.  She qualified 27th out of 79 competitors from around the world.  Only the top 30 move on to the heats.  “I was happy to have made it to the heats for the first time at an international competition.  The uphills and downhills on the sprint course were very challenging and technical.  The day before I skied the downhill over and over until I was confident with my line.” During the quarter-final, Hannah was on the outside and got slightly behind halfway up the first climb and couldn’t close the gap.  She ended up 29th, the top Canadian Junior Women for that day!  “It was very motivating to be racing in the heats with the best juniors in the world and I realized just how fast I need to be in order to be competitive with the top.”

Goms, Switzerland was Hannah’s 2nd race of the competition.  “I had a great first half.  I could hear the traditional Swiss cowbells cheering me on as I raced!  Although I lost my focus in the second half, I was still satisfied with my race”.  Hannah ended up 45th out of 83 competitors, the second Canadian women behind Natalie Hynes from Whitehorse who was 36th.

The third race of the competition was the 10 km Skiathlon, where you had to ski the first 5 km Classic and then switch skis and poles in a transition area and skate the last 5 km.  This was Hannah’s first mass start race at World Juniors.  The competition was fierce with 65 competitors starting all at once.  “I focused on staying calm and clean in the start.  I wanted to pace the beginning so I could push in the last lap.” The course was very challenging, looping back into the stadium four times and doing the two very long sprint course hills each loop. “For me it was a success!  I didn’t fall or break a pole and I even had to dodge a fall in front of me.  My skis were fast and my pacing was good.”  Hannah ended up 37th, the second Canadian Junior behind Natalie Hynes who was 24th.
The last race was the Relays where each team member skied 3.3 km.   Hannah was the first to go for the classic leg on the Canadian Junior Women’s team of four, followed by Natalie Hynes of Whitehorse (classic), Annika Richardson of Thunder Bay (skate), and Alexandra Racine of Mont Orford, Que. (skate).  “I raced my heart out in the relay today.  I had an excellent start and was able to get into 4th position by the end of the first long climb.  I maintained 6th position until about 3/4 into the race where I could feel the lactate building up.  I struggled to keep going as fast as I could up the long second last climb.  We were in tenth spot when I tagged Natalie.”  The rest of the team gave a solid effort and we finished 14th.
“While flying home, I could feel every muscle in my body ache.  I knew that I had given it my all, not only in the relay but in all of the races at World Juniors.  For me, that is a very satisfying feeling.”
Hannah has many people to thank.  First of all, thanks to Cross Country BC, Cross Country Canada Women’s Committee and Jess4Kids.  She would also like to thank her sponsors Fischer, Swix, Julbo, Nordic Ski Grinds and Stussi Sports.  Lastly, thanks to all those who have helped her get to where she is including her parents, her first Sovereign coach Darren Derochie and her present coach Adam Elliot.

SOVEREIGN LAKE RACERS STRONG AT WESTERN CANADIANS

January 19 – 21 saw 11 Sovereign Lake athletes and a couple of masters take to the Riverbend Golf Course for a weekend of intense cross-country ski competition at the Haywood Western Canadians in Red Deer, Alberta.

Red Deer is preparing to host the Canada Winter Games in 2019 so this was a means to get some preparation in for their organizing committee and race crew.  The weather was pretty decent for cross-country skiing but a lack of snow challenged the facility.  They managed to rob snow from the golf course and pack and groom it into the short courses that created an exciting spectator venue for sprint and distance races.

Day 1 saw Classic Sprints dominate the day. 

 Paige Latta leading the start of a sprint heat with her famous power starts.

All 11 racers Qualified to race in the heats which is a great accomplishment at this level of competition.

Junior Girls started us off with a fast and technical 800M course.  Clara Hardy, Hannah Stocker, and Madison Land qualified to the quarter heats but didn’t get past that round.

Paige Latta won her first quarter heat and came second in her semi sending her to the A final.  She took the early lead in the final heat but was boxed out in a tight corner and finished 5th overall.

Ian Oliphant, Junior Boys 800M race was fast and exciting.  He placed within the top two in all of his heats advancing him to the A Final where his textbook technique took him to a Gold medal.

Ian Oliphant pushing hard on the left in his Team BC suit. 

Charlie Hiam, visiting from Australia, joined the SLNC crew and was thrilled to qualify in his first Western Canadians event.

Torin Andrews and Lucas Sadesky also skied the 800M course in the Juvenile boys category both qualified but didn’t advance past their quarter heats.

Midget Boys had a fast 300M course and Pedar Ree dominated every heat taking Gold.  Parker Munroe just missed making it into the semis but was pleased with his efforts.

Sierra Munroe placed 7th in the Min Midget Girls category for that day.

 

Day 2 brought on Classic Distance competition.

The Junior Girls and Boys took 3 laps of a 3.3km course creating a 10km distance.  Paige Latta just missed the podium and took 4th.  Clara Hardy, Hannah Stocker and Madison Land had strong performances keeping them in the middle of the pack.

Ian  Oliphant was leading the race but took a bit of a stumble in his third lap and wound up 7th.  Charlie Hiam was near the end of the pack but was happy to not be the last racer into the stadium.

Juvenile Boys had a 5km race with two laps of a 2.5km course.

Torin Andrews took Gold and Lucas Sadesky Silver for their efforts.

Midget Boys also skied the same 5km distance and Pedar Ree and Parker Munroe had respectable placings in this large group.

Sierra Munroe completed 3km and place 9th in the Mini Midget Girls.

 Parker Munroe skating into the stadium.

Day 3 Split the Competitors into teams of 3 for a Skate Relay race.  Athletes were grouped by province for a showdown of sorts.

Junior Boys started the day with a 3×3.3km course and Ian Oliphant was on the BC Machine team.  They took the Gold.

Charlie Hiam raced with a mixed group including a Juvenile skier and took 9th.

Junior Girls had our 4 spread out.  Paige Latta was placed on the BC Twisted Sisters team and anchored them to a Gold podium finish.

Clara, Hannah, and Madison all did super work in supporting their teams.

Juvenile Boys  Lucas Sadesky and Torin Andrews teamed up with a third BC Athlete on Team Avalanche and took 4th.

Midget Boys skied 3 x 3km and Pedar Ree’s Team Heavy Duty won Bronze.  Parker Munroe raced up in the Juvenile category and had a great experience racing with the older skiers on a longer course.

Sierra Munroe’s team of the BC Ice Pirates finished the day on a 3 x 3km ski placing 1st.

Master skiers Paul Hardy and Chris Andrews skied a 10km course and both placed 6th in their age groups.  Chris said it was a fun and fast ski.

The next events for SLNC racing will be the Okanagan Cup in Kamloops Sunday, January 28th.  Ian Oliphant and Paige Latta will be heading to Ottawa January 31st – February 4th for Eastern Canadians and some of the JD athletes will travel to Prince George for BC Cup#2.

SLNC nominated “Best XC Ski Resort in North America” by USA Today

Sovereign Lake Nordic Club has been nominated in the latest “10Best” Readers’ Choice travel award contest! Their expert panel selected Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre as a contender for Best Cross-Country Ski Resort in North America, which has just launched. Their contest, which is being promoted by USA TODAY, gives voters four weeks to vote for the candidate of their choice at http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-cross-country-ski-resort/. A person can vote once a day for the run of the contest.Image result for 10best.com

Voting ends Monday, November 20th, 2017 at 11:59am EST and the winners will be announced on 10Best on Friday, November 24th, 2017 at 12:00pm EST, then later on USA TODAY.

Prior competitions have been hotly contested, and we look forward to seeing how we can rock the vote in our own community!

Please tell all of your friends, family and other members to Vote Sovereign today…tomorrow…and the next day, right through November 20th.

RESULTS of the Call for nominations – SLNC Board of Directors

Dear SLNC Members:

We (the 2017 Elections Committee) are pleased to announce that eight SNLC members put their names forward for the Board this year!  The strong response is testament to the vitality, enthusiasm and volunteerism of the members of our club.  Huge thanks to everyone who stepped up!

Since we had eight Director positions available, no election is required this year.  The eight nominees will become members of the Board by acclamation, effective as of the AGM on October 18th, 2017:

  • Sharon Clarke (returning)
  • Sandra Ecclestone (returning)
  • Sylvia Herchen (new)
  • Mark Nichiporuk (new)
  • Guy Morazain (new)
  • Pat Pearce (returning)
  • Greg Sadesky (new)
  • Bruce Sandilands (new, past SLNC Board member)

Profiles of this year’s nominees can be seen here under Candidate Slate 2017, and you can meet many of them at the AGM on October 18th.

The eight nominees will join Brent Ree and Brian Wills, who are starting the second year of their two-year terms.  We will have a full Board of 10 Directors, including a mix of new and experienced Board members.

Congratulations and thank you to all Board members.

The SLNC 2017 Elections Committee

Hugh Hamilton, Randy Savoie, Kim Taylor

 

Membership Has Its Privileges

With winter just around the corner and the ski swap behind us we are focussing on membership registrations and our best ever Early Bird Prize Package yet!
 
Register prior October 31st for a chance to win a Twin Fish Trek ATB Inflatable paddle board, paddle and carry bag worth over $1700 from Kalavida Surf Shop, our newest club sponsor! 
 
Want to improve you upper body strength and balance in the off-season? Stand up paddling is hard to beat for an off season activity. In order to be entered into the draw you must be a CLUB MEMBER. If you are purchasing an SLNC or Dual Area pass from us at Sovereign you are automatically entered to win. If you are an upgrade pass holder from SilverStar you must go to our online registration page and purchase your $30 membership.
 
Inline images 1If this isn’t enough, Cross Country BC has introduced a CLUB MEMBERSHIP CONTEST as an incentive for BC clubs to garner the most membership registrations prior December 1st.
 
Whichever club is able to secure the most memberships by this date is entered into a draw for one of 6 prize packages valued at up to $4000 which can be used for a membership raffle or year end grand prize. One of the prizes is a set of 10 skis, boots and poles for our Youth Programs.
 
We have already surpassed last years early season registrations so lets keep that momentum going.
 
Membership does have its privileges so stay tuned for more great prize contests, member discount announcements and events, exclusive to our membership as the winter unfolds.
 
Did you know that Sovereign officially became the LARGEST CLUB IN THE COUNTRY this past winter! This is a huge step forward for our club and it would not be possible without all of you, our great community of skiers.
  
Largest Club in the Country: 1652 members (Lets break 1700 this year!)
 
Largest Daily Groomed Network of Ski Trails: 105km
 
We have a lot to be proud of so join today!
 
 

Call for Nominations: Sovereign Lake Board of Directors

We are looking for enthusiastic people who want to help Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre continue to offer the finest Nordic skiing anywhere (in our humble opinion).   The main requirement to be a Board member is a commitment to Sovereign Lake, an ability to spend 8-12 hours per month on Board activities including a once-per month Board meeting, and the willingness to commit to a 2-year term on the Board.

In alignment with the club’s bylaws, nominations close at midnight on October 8 and nominations cannot be submitted from the floor at the AGM.  You must submit your application in advance.

To put your name forward, please complete a brief bio (items to include are listed below) and email it to the SLNC Election Committee members.  Bios will be posted on the SLNC web site at least 5 days prior to the AGM.

Complete details concerning the nomination process, information about the Board and the election process are found below.  If you have any questions or need further information on the elections process, please contact any one of us at the emails below.

Your 2017 SLNC Election Committee

SUMMARY INFORMATION:  ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Nomination Deadline:  Midnight on Sunday, October 8.  Important note:  Nominations cannot be submitted from the floor at the AGM.

Election date:  Election to be conducted at the Annual General Meeting, Wednesday October 18, 2017 at 7:00 pm, at the Schubert Centre.

Who Can be Nominated:  Current SLNC Annual Members.

Duties, Responsibilities, and Time Commitment: http://www.sovereignlake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Duties-and-Responsibilities-of-the-Board-of-Directors-1.pdf

Required Nomination Bio Information: 

  1. Why are you interested in running for the Board?
  2. What would make you a valuable member of the Board?
  3. Is there anything else you would like to share with the SLNC membership in considering you for a Board position?
  4. A photo in jpeg format.

Number of Board openings in this election:  Seven (7)

Length of Board Term:  2 years.

Returning Board Members:  Brent Ree, Brian Wills, and Michelle Wolfe.

Election process:  If more than 7 nominations are received, there will be an election by ballot at the AGM that is conducted by the Elections Committee.  Candidates will present themselves briefly during the AGM.  If a candidate cannot be present, his/her bio will be read aloud by one of the Elections Committee members.  If less than 7 nominations are received, the Board will be appointed by acclamation, however, you will still be required to give a short presentation.  More information can be found regarding the election process in the SLNC By-Laws Section 4.7 http://www.sovereignlake.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/SLNC-Bylaws-Jan-2017.pdf

Additional Information on Club Governance:

Go the “Club” section of the SLNC web site:  http://www.sovereignlake.com/club/ and look for the “Club Governance” section at the top right of the page.  You can link to information about the current Board, procedures, terms of reference, strategic plan, and other related topics.

SLNC Welcomes Eric de Nys as new Programs Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 20, 2017

With a focus on delivering a full roster of programming from Bunny Rabbits and Biathlon to Ski Academy and Masters,  Eric brings new collaborative vision to the delivery of Programming at Sovereign Lake Nordic Club.

Eric hails from the city of Prince George where he raced as a junior at Caledonia Ski Club, racing at the World Junior Championships in 1994, and becoming a medallist at both the Canada Winter Games and Canadian National Championships. Following the path of coaching once his race career ended, Eric has spent his entire adult working life immersed in Nordic sports – first as a successful athlete followed subsequently by diving into coaching and athlete development at Foothills Nordic Club based in Calgary, AB. Driven to continue on the coaching path, he enrolled in the National Coaching Institute in Calgary. Two subsequent coaching jobs with Alberta development teams led Eric to an 8 year term with Cross Country Canada as the Senior Women’s World Cup Head Coach and Assistant Head Coach on the Men’s World Cup team. As Head Coach, he lead athletes at numerous World U23 and Junior Championships, World Cups, and 2 Olympic Games. Following the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games, Eric was released from Cross Country Canada following funding cutbacks.

Biathlon Canada, based in Canmore, hired Eric soon after his CCC tenure as the new High Performance Technical Director to lead the Senior World Cup Team to success at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games.  It was here that Eric held a supervisory role in the administration, long term strategizing, and planning of Biathlon World Cup Team. The world of high performance coaching at the National level is a challenging one. With Biathlon Canada also facing funding cutbacks the position was terminated effective May of 2017.

Eric offers long term vision, and a unified approach with exceptional technical, administrative, and leadership skills. As the new Programs Director, the position caters to the requirements of Programs by providing full time year round training opportunities and assists the club in the creation of short and long term targets to grow all facets of Club Programs to create a true “full service” model.  Eric will be moving his family to Vernon and will commence work with the club and athletes on September 5th. Please join us in welcoming Eric and his family to the Okanagan!

Job Posting: SLNC Club Coach

Sovereign Lake Nordic Club is seeking a highly motivated and skilled coach available for full time seasonal employment effective September 5th, 2017. This position offers an annually renewable contract with fair compensation package. The Club Coach position is not reliant on grant funds, offering stable and secure employment. Compensation is based on experience, abilities, certifications and track record of coaching athletes at a National Level.

Sovereign Lake Nordic Club offers the largest daily groomed network of ski trails in Canada (with partner SilverStar), is among the largest clubs in the province (with over 1650 members) and sits at a high elevation providing exceptional skiing conditions for 8 months a year. This past season, club members skied from October 14th through to June 4th on 100% natural snow. SLNC has an exceptional track record of hosting world class racing events including the 2011 World Masters Championships, the 2005 World Cup and annual NorAm.

Vernon, BC is a small city providing exceptional amenities with endless outdoor recreation opportunities taking place on three lakes, over 200km of hiking and biking trails, endless paved country roads and world class cross country and downhill skiing.

Resumes will be accepted until Sunday, August 13th. Please provide 3 industry references and 2 personal references. The Club Coach Job Description is attached. For more information please contact Troy Hudson (SLNC General Manager) at (250) 558-8916 cell, or by email at [email protected]

Club Coach Job Description

We look forward to receiving your application.

Kindly,

Troy Hudson
SLNC: General Manager
(250) 558-8916 cell
[email protected]
www.sovereignlake.com

Champ’s Pancake Breakfast

Join us for a Pancake Breakfast fundraiser to send Hannah Mehain, Sovereign Lake’s Junior Racer (and Junior National Team member) to the World Junior Championships located in Park City, Utah from Jan. 30th to Feb. 5th, 2017.
Come and enjoy some wholesome, home-made pancakes and coffee before or after your ski! Gluten-free and vegan options available. All  proceeds will support Hannah’s travel expenses to and from the WJ Championships.
Do you want to learn a little bit more about Hannah? Check out this great video featuring Hannah this past summer.
When:  Sunday, January 15th, 2017
Time: 9am- Noon
Where:  Sovereign Lake Lodge