A History of Cross Country Skiing in British Columbia
Landmark events and where to go to learn more!
1887 The first recorded cross country skiing in BC was at Revelstoke
Ole Sandberg is credited with introducing skiing to BC when he used ‘Norwegian Snowhoes’ (skis) for his prospecting activities at Albert Canyon in 1887. He used his home-made skis to climb up to his mine and then make the descent back down to the railroad.
More: http://www.revelstokenordic.org/news/a-brief-history-of-skiing-in-revelstoke/
1891+ During this early period clubs and events encompassed two ski disciplines – Cross Country and Ski Jumping
1891 Revelstoke Ski Club is formed
- The oldest ski club in BC
- Sustained membership since 1891
- From 1914 until the early 1960s Revelstoke was a leading Western Canadian site for holding cross country ski competitions
- In 1990 the cross country membership separated from the parent club and established the Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club
1897 A ski club is formed in Rossland
- For a period of time between 1898 and 1912 the
club in Rossland hosted annual cross country ski competitions as part of the
Rossland Winter Carnival
- Club activity was inconsistent in the decades that followed
- In 1983 the Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club was established
- The club has produced 2 Olympians – Rhonda Delong (1992) and George Grey (2006, 2010)
- The club was the 2nd in BC to hire a year-round, full-time head coach
1921 The Canadian Amateur Ski Association (CASA) is founded/incorporated
This was the start of nationally organized skiing in Canada
Cross Country Canada emerged from the CASA
The first National Championships is held on Mt Royal in Montreal, Quebec
It was called the Dominion Championships at the time
- This event has been held continuously since
1921, with the exception of 1941-46 (inclusive) when events were not held
because of World War II
- Until 1955 the Championship was one individual race of 18 km (give or take a kilometer or two)
- The male-only status of the event came to an end in 1954 when a women’s 9 km event was added
- The women’s event was not an annual occurrence until 1963
1923-1940
Canadian Ski Annuals and Canadian Ski Year Books: http://www.skimuseum.ca/CSA-CSYB_home.php
These documents include annual reports from some BC clubs during this period
1924 The first Olympic Winter Games includes cross country skiing
Chamonix, France
Alpine events for men were not introduced until 1936
Cross Country events for women were not introduced until 1952
1926 Hollyburn Lodge is built
Hollyburn Ridge, Cypress Mountain, Vancouver
The lodge is a heritage site ??
More:
1927 The Omineca Ski Club is established in Burns Lake
- Operating continuously since 1927
- The club produced 2 Olympians, Karl Engstad (1932) and Esther Miller (1976, 1980)
- The top BC result at an FIS World Junior Championships prior to 2017 was Chris Werrell’s 15th place finish in the 2004 Men’s Sprint event
- Pioneer coach Mary Anderson (refer to 1976)
- The club hosted 4 National Championships – 1976, 1977, 1989, 1996
- The club installed the 1st lit trail system in BC (1973)
- The club was the 2nd in BC to purchase a Snow Cat (1989)
- The club has hosted the BC Championships multiple times since 1930 (refer to 1930)
- More: http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/Pioneer%20Coach.pdf
- http://ominecaskiclub.ca/our-club/sample-page/
1929 All major clubs in BC unite to form Western Branch of CASA
- BC clubs include Revelstoke Ski Club, Omineca
Ski Club (Burns Lake), Hollyburn Pacific Ski Club (Vancouver), Grouse Mountain
Ski Club (Vancouver), etc. There were
reported to be 12 ski clubs in all
- The Western Branch was the forerunner of Cross Country BC, Cross Country Alberta, etc.
1930-1960
During this period clubs and events are mostly multi-discipline. At some point in the 30’s the Cross Country and Ski Jumping disciplines are joined by Downhill and Slalom
1930 The BC Championships was held annually prior to 1930, but there is no known record of exactly when and where this event was first introduced
1930 BC Championships caught on film
Hosted by the Omineca Ski Club, Burns Lake, February 11-14th, 1930
- Skiers attended from as far away as Vancouver,
Revelstoke, Princeton, Camrose, AB and the USA. Some travelled by boat and rail
via Prince Rupert
- These are the first known cross country ski races in BC to be captured on film
- More:
1931 National Championships, Revelstoke
Hosted by the Revelstoke Ski Club
- First ever national cross country ski championships
to be held in BC
- Disciplines: Cross Country and Ski Jumping
1932 Karl Engstad finishes 16th in the 50 km event at Olympic Winter Games – Lake Placid
- Best Canadian Men’s result until Pierre Harvey’s
14th in 1988
- Best BC result until George Greys 8th in 2010
- More about the skis Karl used:
Wells hosts 1932 BC Championships
More: https://wellshistoricalsociety.ca/sketch/wells-sports-leisure/
1936 Tom Mobraaten from the Vancouver Ski Club competes in Olympic Winter Games
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
More: http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/olympic-winter-games-bc
1938 The Silver Star Ski Club is established in Vernon
In 1970 the North Okanagan Cross Country Ski Club was established specifically for cross country skiing. In 2000 the club’s name was changed to Sovereign Lake Nordic Club
- The largest cross country ski club in Canada
- 1st club in BC to reach 1000 members (1991)
- 1st club in BC (and Canada) to reach 2000 members (March 2019)
- The club hosted an FIS World Cup in 1991 and again in 2005. These were the 1st two World Cups ever held in BC
- The 1st Masters World Cup to be held in BC
- The National Championships in 1995 and will again in 2020
- The club won BC Championship Club Trophy in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009
- The club produced the top BC result at an FIS World Junior Championships prior to 2017 – Lars Taylor’s 17th place finish in the 1989 Men’s 30 km skating event
1940-1946
There were no major cross country ski events in BC due to World War II.
1952 National Championships, Vancouver
Hosted by the Grouse Mountain Ski Club
Multi-discipline events
1958 The Hickory Wing Ski Club is established, Prince George
In 1987 the cross country membership separated from the parent club and established the the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club
- The club has produced 3 Olympians, Rolf
Petterson (1968, 1976), Ed Day (1976) and Hans Skinstead (1976)
- The top World Cup result prior to 2009 – Doug Gudwar’s 7th place finish in the 1978 World Cup at Vysoke Tatry, Czechloslovakia
- Pioneer coach Bjorger Petterson – TEST Program, NST Head Coach, etc. (refer to 1967)
- Dave Wood – NST Head Coach, National Junior Team Coach, etc. (refer to 1997)
- Nillo Itkonen, head coach of the Canadian cross country ski team at the 1964 Olympic Winter Games at Innsbruck, Austria
- Eric de Nys, Head Coach of the National Senior Women’s Team
- The club has hosted 6 National Championships – 1966, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1991, 2005 and co-hosted another 1981
- The club was the 1st in BC to host Canada Winter Games events
- The club was the 1st in BC to host a World Para Nordic Ski Championships
- The club was the 1st in BC to install a snowmaking system
- The club was the 2nd BC club to reach 1000 members (in 1996)
- More info:
National Championships, Kimberley
Hosted by the Kimberley Ski Club
Multi-discipline events
1961 National Championships, Revelstoke
Hosted by the Revelstoke Ski Club
Multi-discipline events
1964 National Championships, Revelstoke
Hosted by the Revelstoke Ski Club
Multi-discipline events
1965 As snow sports became more specialized, clubs and events began to emerge that were focussed solely on cross country skiing
1966 National Championships (Senior),Prince George
Held at Tabor Mountain
1st National Championships hosted by Hickory Wing Ski Club Cross Country skiing events only
1967 Bjorger Petterson is hired by Canadian Government to coach TEST program in NWT
Bjorger was from the Hickory Wing Ski Club, Prince George
- 1st
ever full time National Ski Team Head Coach
- Technical Delegate for 2 Olympics, 6 World Cups and 3 World Junior Championships
- Competition Chair: 1988 Olympic Winter Games, Calgary
BC Centennial Races.
Hosted at Tabor Mountain by the Hickory Wing Ski Club, Prince George
This was Canada’s first FIS (international) cross country ski competition
Skiers from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Canada and the USA participated
1968 Pioneer Coach Mary Anderson
Mary was from the Omineca Ski Club, Burns Lake
1st female coach to have an athlete compete in two Olympics and a World Championships
More: http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/Pioneer%20Coach.pdf
1969 National Championships (Junior),Prince George
Held at Tabor Mountain
The 2nd National Championships hosted by the Hickory Wing Ski Club This was the 1st National Junior Championships to be held in BC
1971 National Championships (Senior),Prince George
Held at Tabor Mountain
The 3rd National Championships hosted by the Hickory Wing Ski Club
1973 The Omineca Ski Club becomes the first club in BC to install a lit trial system
Located at Decker Lake. Kms ?
National Championships (Senior),Prince George
Held at Tabor Mountain
The 4th National Championships hosted by the Hickory Wing Ski Club
1976 Esther Miller is 1st female athlete from BC to attend Olympics – Innsbruck, Austria
Esther was from the Omineca Ski Club, Burns Lake
- Esther’s 32nd placing remains the
best ever result for a female athlete from BC
- She qualified for the Olympics again in 1980
National Championships (Senior), Burns Lake
The 1st National Championships hosted by the Omineca Ski Club
1977 National Championships (Junior), Burns Lake
The 2nd National Championships hosted by the Omineca Ski Club
1977 The South Cariboo Cross Country Ski Society is established – 100 Mile House
In 1982 the club changed its name to the 100 Mile Nordic Ski Society
- The club hosted Cariboo Marathon, BC’s largest
loppet (up to 1500+ participants)
- The club hosted 2 National Championships – 1988, 1996
- The club was the 1st in BC to purchase a Snow Cat
- The club installed the 2nd lit trail system in BC
- The club won the BC Championship Club Trophy in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
1978 Cariboo Marathon launched
Hosted by the South Cariboo Cross Country Ski Society
- This event became the largest ever cross country
ski marathon in BC, cresting at more than 1500 participants
- 1977-2014
1978 Doug Gudwar earns best ever BC result at FIS World Cup – Vysoke Tatry, Czechloslovakia
Doug was from the Hickory Wing Ski Club in Prince George
Places 7th
Best result prior to 2009 George Grey
1979 The BC Winter Games is launched
The host community is Kamloops
The cross country races were held at xxx and hosted by the Overlander Ski Club
More: https://www.bcgames.org/Games/Future-and-Past-Games and
The Bulkley Valley Cross Country Ski Club is established – Smithers
This area had seen cross country ski activity since the 1920’s, and in the late 70’s four local clubs amalgamated to form the Bulkley Valley Cross Country Ski Club
- Top ranked club at the 1993, 1994 and 1995
National Junior Championships – the first and only BC club to rank #1 in Canada
at the National Championships since such records were kept
- The club produced Jodi Barber who was the 1st ever Para Nordic athlete from BC to bring home an IPC World Championship medal
- Leading coach Gary Murdoch – http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/Gary%20Murdoch_0.pdf
- Graham Maclean, Coordinator of Technical Services for the National Ski Team
- The club hosted the National Junior Championships – 1999
- The club won the BC Championship Club Trophy in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2010
1980 The BC Championship Club Trophy is introduced
More: http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/bc-championship-club-trophy
1981 National Championships (Senior),McBride
Held at Bell Mountain
- Co-hosted by Yellowhead Ski Club (McBride) and
Hickory Wing Ski Club (Prince George)
- This was the 5th National Championships hosted by the Hickory Wing Ski Club
- During this period the National Ski Team headquarters were at McBride
Cross Country Canada introduced a new program called the Jackrabbit Ski League
The BC Loppet Series is introduced
Comprised of 12 events hosted in communities throughout BC and the Yukon
Program duration: January 1982 to March, 1999
More:http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/swix-csa-bc-loppet-series-trophy-0
1984 The BC Cup Series is introduced
At the time all races were classic technique
All races except the club relays were interval start
National Championships (Junior), Kamloops
Hosted by the Overlander Ski Club
1987 ‘Ski Cross Country’ is published using its current format
This is CCBC’s annual magazine publication. Its predecessor was the ‘BC Cross Country Ski Handbook’ which was published annually beginning sometime in the late 70’s
The 100 Mile Nordics becomes the second club in BC to install a lit trail system
100 Mile House. 4.5km of lit trails
1988 Cross Country BC established its own office
Prior to May 6th, 1988 Cross Country BC was the name of the cross country discipline of the BC Division of the Canadian Ski Association. After May 6th, 1988 Cross Country BC became the BC Division of Cross Country Canada
CCBC membership #s as of May 7th, 1988 = 4718
The 100 Mile Nordics become the first club in BC to purchase a large groomer
100 Mile House. Piston Bully
National Championships (Junior), 100 Mile House
The 1st National Championships hosted by the 100 Mile Nordic Ski Society
1989 Both Cross Country Canada and Cross Country BC are incorporated
Lars Taylor scores best BC result to date at FIS World Junior Championships
Location
17th place finish in 30km skating event
Lars was from the North Okanagan Cross Country Ski Club, Vernon
The Omineca Ski Club becomes the second club in BC to purchase a large groomer
Burns Lake. Piston Bully
National Championships (Senior), Burns Lake
The 3rd National Championships hosted by Omineca Ski Club
Skating events were introduced to the BC Cup Series
Some members objected strongly
Prior to this all competitions were classic technique only
1991 FIS World Cup, Vernon
Hosted at Silver Star Resort by the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club
- The 1st World Cup to be hosted in BC
- 1st ever use of Pursuit format on the World Cup circuit
- Competition Chair: Georgia Manhard, 100 Mile Nordic Ski Society
- Georgia was the 1st women to be Competition Chair of a World Cup in the history of the sport, worldwide
- Chief of Timing, Birte Ostby (100 Mile Nordic Ski Society) was the 1st woman in the history of the sport, worldwide, to hold this role
National Championships (Senior),Vancouver
Hosted at Hollyburn Ridge, Cypress Mountain, by Nordic Racers
National Championships (Junior), Prince George
Held at Otway Nordic Centre
The 6th National Championships hosted by Caledonia Nordic Ski Club
Cross Country BC membership #s pass the 10,000 mark – 10,791
The 1st BC club to reach 1000 members is the North Okanagan Cross Country Ski Club (Vernon) with 1,771
1995 National Championships (Senior),Vernon
Held at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre
The 1st National Championships hosted by the North Okanagan Cross Country Ski Club
Cross Country BC launched a new program called the CCBC Ski League
This program replaced the earlier Jackrabbit Ski League Program
1996 National Championships (Junior), 100 Mile House
The 2nd National Championships hosted by the 100 Mile Nordic Ski Society
National Championships (Senior), Burns Lake
The 4th National Championships hosted by Omineca Ski Club
The 2nd BC club to reach 1000 members is the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club (Prince George) with 1,050
1997 Dave Wood is named National Ski Team Head Coach
Dave is from the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club, Prince George
- Led the National Ski Team to unprecedented success which included 3 Olympic medals, a World Championship medal and Beckie Scott’s World Cup title
1999 National Championships (Junior), Smithers
Hosted by the Bulkley Valley Cross Country Ski Club
2001 Sprints are 1st introduced to the BC Cup Series
- The 1st BC Cup sprint race in BC was
held at Otway Nordic Centre and hosted by the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club of
Prince George
- Prior to this races in the BC Cup Series used an interval start format, with the exception of the club relays
- The Sprint format was first used at the Olympic Winter Games in 2002
- More:
2004 Chris Werrill earns best BC result to date at FIS World Junior Championships
Stryn, Norway
9th in Qualification Round; 15th in Sprint Final; skating event
Chris was from the Omineca Ski Club, Burns Lake
LTAD – Long Term Athlete Development Model
With a 2010 Olympic legacy in mind, Sport Canada introduces a model that is at the forefront of theory and practice
Our sport aligns all aspects of its athlete development programs with this model
More: http://www.cccski.com/getmedia/13d28c29-2b22-45c8-9caf-0a855583fe08/LTAD-guide- CCC.pdf.aspx
CCC Skill Development Program (SDP) is launched
- Cross Country Canada and Cross Country BC begin
to phase in the new SDP (Bunnyrabbit, Jackrabbit, Track Attack programs)
- This replaces the CCBC Ski League Program
- The new program is LTAD-aligned
2005 FIS World Cup, Vernon
Hosted at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre by the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club
The 2nd World Cup to be hosted in BC
Competition Chair: Rob Bernhardt, Sovereign Lake Nordic Club
National Championships, Prince George
Hosted at Otway Nordic Centre
The 7th National Championships hosted by the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club
George Grey scores best BC result ever at FIS World Championships
Oberstdorf, Germany
6th place finish in Team Sprint (with Devon Kershaw)
2005 Strathcona Nordic Ski Club is 1st BC club to hire a full-time, year round head coach
Dave Battison was the club head coach from 2005-2014
PacificSport Regional Coach Program
2006 Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club is the 2nd BC club to hire a full-time, year round head coach
Chris Manhard was the club head coach from 2006-2010, following which he became a National Development Centre Head Coach (Callahan Valley Training Centre) and BC Provincial Head Coach
2007 Whistler Olympic Park opens in the fall
Located in the Callaghan Valley near Whistler
Venue for the Cross Country, Biathlon, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined and Para Nordic events at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
The venue with the most medals up for grabs at the Games
2008 National Championships, Whistler
Hosted at Callaghan Valley by VANOC
2009 FIS World Cup, Whistler
Hosted at Callaghan Valley by VANOC
This is the 3rd World Cup to be held in BC
Competition Chair: Rob Bernhardt, Squamish Nordic Ski Club
George Grey 1st BC athlete to medal in FIS World Cup competition
Whistler, BC. Placed 3rd with Alex Harvey in Team Sprint
Jodi Barber 1st BC athlete to medal at IPC World Championships
(now called the World Para Nordic Ski Championships)
Vuokatti, Finland
- 15 km event
- 1st World Championship medal ever for a Para Nordic athlete from BC
- Jodi was from the Bulkley Valley Cross Country Ski Club, Smithers
- During her career she also won six IPC World Cup medals
2010 Olympic Winter Games & Paralympic Winter Games, Whistler
Hosted at Callaghan Valley by VANOC
- 353 of 460 (77%) of the volunteer officials are
from BC
- The Competition Chair is from BC: Rob Bernhardt (Squamish Nordic Ski Club)
- All 5 department Chiefs are from BC
- The Sport Manager is from BC: Len Apedaile (Strathcona Nordic Ski Club)
George Grey finishes 8th in the 50 km event at Olympic Winter Games – Whistler
Best BC result since Karl Engstad’s 16th place finish in 1932 – 78 years before
More info: http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/olympic-winter-games-bc
Cross Country BC membership #s pass the 15,000 mark – 15,146
2011 Masters World Cup, Vernon
Hosted by the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club
- This was the 1st time this event has
been held in BC
- There were 1134 registered athletes from 22 nations
- Athletes participated from all provinces and territories of Canada except Manitoba and Nunavut
- 380 volunteers contributed
2013 National Championships, Whistler
Hosted at Callaghan Valley by the Callaghan Valley Cross Country Ski Club
2014 Len Apedaile is 1st Canadian to TD Nordic Skiing events at a Paralympic Winter Games
Len is Technical Delegate for Nordic Skiing events at 2014 PWG in Sochi, Russia
Len is from the Strathcona Nordic Ski Club, Courtenay
Technical Delegate for the 2013 FISU Universaide in Trentino, Italy
Race Director for the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PeyongChang, Korea
Sport Manager for 2010 Cross Country (Olympic) and Nordic Skiing (Paralympic) events
2015 Caledonia Nordic Ski Club hosts cross country events at Canada Winter Games
Otway Nordic Centre, Prince George
This was the first time the Canada Winter Games was hosted by the province of BC
BC ranked top division in cross country skiing at 2015 Canada Winter Games
This is the 1st time BC is ranked the #1 province or territory in cross country skiing at the Games
2017 Gareth Williams earns best BC result to date at FIS World Junior Championships
Soldier Hollow, Park City, USA. 11th place in 20 km Skiathlon event
Gareth is from the Telemark Nordic
Club, Kelowna
2018 Natalie Wilke wins gold and bronze medals at Paralympic Winter Games
PyeongChang, Korea
- 7.5 km and sprint classic events
- Natalie is from the Larch Hills Nordic Society, Salmon Arm
- Emily Young (Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Club, North Vancouver) earns bronze in 7.5 km classic event
- These are the first ever Paralympic medals for BC athletes
Caledonia Nordic Ski Club is 1st BC club to install snowmaking system
The Caledonia Nordic Ski Club (Prince George) installs snowmaking at Otway Nordic Centre
2019 Remi Drolet earns best BC result ever at the FIS World Junior Championships
Lahti, Finland
- 7th placing in 30 km classic event
- Remi is from the Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club, Rossland
- Only two Canadian athletes in the history of our sport have had better results
The World Para Nordic Ski Championships is held in Canada for the first time ever
Hosted at Otway Nordic Centre by the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club of Prince George
Natalie Wilke medals at World Para Nordic Ski Championships
Prince George, BC
- 15 km classic event
- Natalie is from the Larch Hills Nordic Society, Salmon Arm
- She is the 2nd Para Nordic athlete from BC to win a World Championship medal
The Larch Hills Nordic Society wins BC Championship Club Trophy for the 10th time since 1980
This is the most times any club has ever won this title
They won the trophy in 1981, 1997, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
The club is located in Salmon Arm
The 1st
BC club to top 2000 members is the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club (Vernon) with 2,017
1. A record of our sport in BC and the Olympic Winter Games: http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/olympic-winter-games-bc. This includes a 1936 Olympian from the Vancouver Ski Club.
2. A record of BC and the National Championships: http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/national-championships-bc. This includes hosting the Nationals at Grouse Mtn in 1952, prior to Sigge’s arrival.
3. CCBC’s website page for articles on pioneers: http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/articles
4. An article on Pioneers of Skiing, 1928 from the Canadian Ski Annual: http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/Pioneer%20Days%20of%20Skiing.pdf. There is quite a bit of information here on organized cross country skiing in the Vancouver area.
5. From 1957 through the 70’s the Hickory Wing Ski Club dominated the sport, first in BC and then across Canada. See: –http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/The%20Club%20That%20Could.pdf
6. A link to the Canadian Ski Annual archive: http://www.skimuseum.ca/CSA-CSYB_home.php. This includes some interesting history on ski equipment.
7. In this article you will see that ski equipment for racers was a challenge in 1968, and what one club was doing about it: http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/Pioneer%20Coach.pdf
8. If you search in the articles at this link you might find more about the challenges of obtaining ski equipment and what the sport did as a result: http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/sad-news-canadian-ski-legend-bjorger-pettersen-passes-away
In summary, the Vancouver area was very active with respect to organized cross country skiing during the first half of the last century. Following World War 2 this activity dropped off. At the same time as the sport was struggling at the Coast, the Hickory Wing Ski Club of Prince George became a sport leader not just in BC but in Canada, and by the late 70’s clubs started springing up all over BC. Compared to other regions of BC the Lower Mainland remained relatively inactive from an organized sport perspective until the lead-up to 2010 when things really started to happen again.
Lance Whittaker’s Rossland, the Golden City[3] and Jordan and Choukalos’ Rossland: The First 100 Years,[4] and several internet and print magazine articles. Of the latter, perhaps Rolf Lund’s, “Olaus Jeldness and the Birth of Skiing in the Canadian West“[5] is most comprehensive and incisive. I h
Nils Skulbru