Summit Lake Ski Hill

Sunday, January 7th, saw 21 Alcan Nancy Greene skiers and coaches sharpening their racing skills at Summit Lake. The snow fell hard all day, increasing the excitement. Racers reported that each run was like "first tracks". Once again, the same energetic, devoted coaches gave up their Sunday to provide an excellent experience for the community's children. Susan Madden, Doug and Brenda McQuair, Frances Swan, Elizabeth and Eric Waterfield, Matt McKee, and Alistair Skey have been working at this for years, as have Trish Cannon, Allison Alder, and Karen Likness. In other communities, it is common for parents to pay from $600 to $1000 for their children to participate in the Alcan Nancy Greene Ski League. Here, the fees are only $95 per child, as our coaches volunteer their time. This is not a common occurrence, but this is not an ordinary community.

Practices will be held every Sunday morning from 9:30 until noon for the younger racers, and from 12:30 until 3:30 for the High School Ski and Snowboard Team. There will be a few out-of-town events, and on Feb. 10th, Summit Lake will host a West Kootenay Zone E2 race. Volunteer help will be needed for this race, and the ability to ski is not a pre-requisite. The zone finals will be held at Phoenix, outside of Grand Forks, on March 11th.

There is still time to register for either racing programme. The ANGSL racers are from 6 to 12 years of age, although 5 year olds with skiing parents are being encouraged to join this year. The Summit Lake Racers' aim is the "development of a life-long love for winter sports", by building "physical, social, and personal skills...through team-centred practice and race participation." Competition is a secondary component and is optional. Call Trish Cannon at 265-4355 if you are interested in enrolling your child or volunteering your time.