The local cross country skiing community is wasting no time in putting its Olympic legacy plan into action.
From Jan. 12 to 15, more than 300 racers from across North America will converge on Whistler Olympic Park (WOP) for the 2012 Haywood NorAm World Junior/U23 Trials and Teck Sprints.
The event is a critical one for the athletes under 23 years old, who are vying for one of five spots to compete at the World Junior Ski Championships in Erzurum, Turkey in February. This will be the first FIS (International Ski Federation) event in WOP since the 2010 Olympics.
"This race series will be the first of many high-level competitions that we host," said chief of competition Dirk Rohde. "The Callaghan Valley is poised to become a premier racing destination. We are in a unique position with world-class racing trails, a large base of trained volunteers, and Canadian skiers are really starting to light up the podium on the world stage."
The Haywood NorAm race series enables the best skiers (seniors and juniors) from Canada and guest skiers from the U.S. to compete head-to-head throughout the early and later periods of the ski season. The series also encourages high-level domestic competition among regional skiers who aspire to national-team status. This produces international and national-level competition opportunities that facilitate team and trip selection and prepares athletes to compete in Europe.
"We are anticipating three great days of racing, and encourage the public to get involved," Rohde said. "Come volunteer, or just come watch the racing and cheer them on. These athletes are going to be going for it to earn their spot on the national team."
The event is organized by the Callaghan Valley Cross Country Ski Club (CVCCSC), with the active support of members of cross-country ski clubs in Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton.
The Haywood NorAm is an important part of the legacy plan for the venue that includes the development of local hosting and officiating capacity, sport and athlete development, and the development and strengthening of partnerships within the community and with sponsors. Many of the volunteer officials who are organizing the event received training and experience at the Olympics and are now beginning to organize and host these events themselves.
For more information, contact Rohde at (604) 942-6410, event chair Len Apedaile at (250) 203-0225, or go to the CVCCSC website, www.callaghanxcski.ca.
