The snow has arrived, and the cross-country skiing is great!

This coming ski year (2010-2011) the Kimberley Nordic Club is offering a program for skiers of all abilities to join an organized training group. Presently we have the Kimberley Nordic Racers that have catered to the youth, but we have no "masters" version of this program.

You don't need to be a "senior" to join, all age-groups are encouraged to come out. The "masters" version will be coached by qualified cross-country ski coaches, and will have regularly scheduled training sessions.

The focus of this group will be to allow participants to take part in a fun-filled winter sport, enjoying the outdoors with other skiers, developing friendships, improving your skiing techniques in both classical and skate skiing, as well as learning how to properly wax and maintain your skis. We don't expect everyone to become a racer. We expect a wide range of skiing abilities to be interested in this program, and though the focus will be on how to improve your skiing efficiency and speed, there is no obligation to enter any races.

However, this coming year will see the World Masters Ski Championships coming to Sovereign Lake in Vernon, and the club would like to see as many people as possible attend this event. The local Kootenay ski races also work on a points system, and more points would go to the Kimberley Club with more participants entered.

Presently we envision scheduled training sessions 2-3 times/week. Such as Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and Saturday or Sunday mornings. The coaches will vary, and may include Frank Ackermann, Paul Freeze and Delia Christianson. We would plan on having 1-2 sessions on proper waxing and ski maintenance. Furthermore, specific skiing workshops can be held in the winter for this group by inviting our ex-National Cross Country ski coach (Dave Wood) to come to Kimberley for a workshop. He is presently coaching the BC team out of Rossland, BC, and having his expertise so close by should be a great resource for us.

Membership into this program would require a cost of approximately $50, to help offset some of the costs of running this program.

Anyone interested in joining such a group, or who has any further questions, is asked to contact Frank Ackermann at 250-427-4278 or frankackermann@me.com

This group will get started within the next 1-2 weeks. All interested skiers are asked to attend a meeting this Sunday, November 28th, 2010, at the KNC Hut, at 8 p.m. to discuss the itinerary for the year. If you cannot make the meeting, please email Frank Ackermann for further information. See you on the trails.