Last week cross-country ski athletes and coaches from all over the East and West Kootenay, and Canmore and Calgary, gathered in Kimberley for the annual Teck Fall Dryland Camp.
Frank Ackermann, from Kimberley, has been involved with cross country skiing for many years and he says the event has gotten bigger and bigger over the years, which he thinks is a reflection of both how much cross country skiing is growing as a sport for young people, as well as the excellent dry land training opportunities Kimberley provides.
He reports that this camp had 91 participants, ranging in age from 8 to 17, and 20 coaches, by far the largest camp Kimberley has ever hosted.
The weather was perfect.
The camp started on Friday with a recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which included a land acknowledgement, wearing orange shirts, and watching the Ktunaxa Creation Story. Over the 3 days of training, there were many different activities in which the skiers took part: core and stretching exercises, ski-striding to the top of the ski hill, classic and skate roller-skiing (including the epic Uphill Time Trial for the older kids), a roller ski agility course, orienteering, body weight strength exercises, trail running and road bike riding. The Teck-sponsored pink t-shirts made a splash all over town.
“This year’s camp was unique as the weekend coincided with the Alberta World Cup Academy ski team and the Canmore Nordic Ski Club each holding simultaneous camps in Kimberley — Kimberley was definitely the place to be for a cross country skier doing dryland training this weekend! The senior athletes from the Academy team joined our senior kids for an afternoon of Ultimate Frisbee, while the Canmore Nordic skiers divided themselves between the agility course and the Time Trial. This collaborative effort really made the weekend a “festival” of ski training for our young athletes.”
READ: 2020 Teck Kootenay Cup at the Kimberley Nordic Club
READ: Teck Kootenay Cup racing in Kimberley
