2022-23 Information Package

Telemark Race Team Information Package 2022-23       Learn to Ski Faster!

The Telemark Race Team is founded on the principle that teenagers enjoy improving their skills and fitness in a team setting. This helps each athlete to develop self-confidence and an identity as a capable, active person. The coaches are committed to providing an excellent program that provides athletes the ability to reach their full potential.  It is understood that the athletes have varying levels of goals depending on their particular circumstances.  Some will take part fully in the program while others will not. Races are the reason for our training and our existence as a team.  The most important thing is to approach the races as an opportunity to test yourself.  You should focus on doing your best, not on the results.

Athletes should attend practices at least twice a week on average, in order to keep up with the group.  Athletes who want to reach their full potential in ski racing need to attend more than that, including starting training in May.

The Mission of the Telemark Race Program is to deliver a good experience for the members while providing a supportive encouraging and progressively structured training environment so that they may achieve their goals of sports excellence

 Motto: Learn to Ski Faster

 Values: Adventure, Camaraderie, Integrity and Excellence

 More about Adam and His Coaching Philosophy

Telemark Team Rules created by your peers…

1. Focus on the task in order to get the most out of workouts. Chat and socialize at appropriate times only.
2. Listen and pay attention to coaches when they are talking.
3. Be courteous to all other skiers at Telemark, being especially aware of not blocking the trails.
4. For all workouts bring a water bottle, and a snack and a warm change of clothes for after.
5. Wear a watch or heart rate monitor to all practices.
6. Be on time to practice.
7. Show respect at all times for coaches, teammates, officials, parents, competitors and yourself.
8. Always represent the club and team with dignity.
9. Athletes 13 years or older should keep some form of training diary. No diary = no training plan.
10. Relay teams are chosen by the head coach. They are selected by the current season’s performances. The fastest skiers earn their spots on the fastest teams.
11. Bullying in any form will not be tolerated.

Registration Link HERE

Dry-Land Training

Dry-land activities include: running, roller skiing, hill-bounding, hiking, biking, roller ski triathlons, strength, core, soccer, ultimate and swimming

Entry Points guidelines for Telemark Racers L2C and T2T are available HERE

L2C’s will have at least 2 group training opportunities a week from May until the On-Snow season begins; generally 5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 9am Saturday mornings.

Train to Train “T2T”, and Track Attack “L2T” or “TA” will have at least 2 practices a week of optional training from September until the On-Snow season begins. Generally 6pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and some Saturdays or Sundays. There are also some dry-land training opportunities during the spring and summer. Please consult our website calendar for details. If you want additional details about the Practice Locations there is a “Practice Locations” Page under the “Athlete Information” Tab on our Website or follow this link

Roller skiing simulates skiing without snow. It requires roller skis, a cycling helmet, reflective vest, gloves, ski boots and ski poles with carbide tips. Do I need special tips?

“Great quality long lasting carbide tips saving you money. Replace your snowbaskets with these so you don’t have to replace your snow baskets which are more expensive. All Snow Baskets are not as durable as proper Roller Ski Tips but if your snow baskets tips are not Carbide they will wear out almost immediately and slip.” [RollerSkiShop.com]

The Ski Shops often stocks these tips. There are two different sizes of baskets. Most carbon and Fiberglass poles require 10 mm tips. There are some 9 mm poles like the Oneway brand.

Click Here for a Video which shows how to change your tips

The team does have some reflective vests and a few pairs of skis so that beginners can try out roller skiing. Here is the Telemark Roller Ski Safety Policy

Our good sponsor Swenor facilitates our team roller ski order for us in the spring at a very significant price discount. If you are interested in ordering skis in the spring please contact the head coach. Details of our team roller ski order will be posted on our website in the early spring. We also occasionally do a second order in the fall if the demand is high enough. One can buy roller skis, roller ski parts (like wheels) and tips themselves at a discount from Rundle Sport in Canmore; contact us for a discount code.

Hill bounding is ski striding uphill with poles which are about 10-15cm shorter than you would use for classic skiing. If you don’t have some old ski poles to use please contact Coach Adam.

On-Snow Training

Telemark Racers ski Tuesday, Thursday and on non-race Saturdays. T2T’s and 6:00 PM weekdays and 10:00 AM on weekends. L2C’s generally train at 5:00 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM on weekends without races.

Track Attack ski Tuesday at 6:00 PM and Saturdays without races at 10:00 AM.

Skiers should bring a headlamp to all weekday skiing. Classic skis should be prepared before the beginning of practice; show up early.  All members of the team do skate and classic technique so both sets of equipment are required. There are several options for equipment outlined in the FAQ part of our website https://race.teamtelemark.ca/new-to-racing/race-team-faq/ including: purchase new, purchase used, rent for the season, or rent as required.

Races

Races are the reason for our training and our existence as a team.  The most important thing is to approach the races as an opportunity to test yourself.  You should focus on doing your best, not on the results.

There are several races at a variety of levels to choose from.  Athletes and their parents should look at the race schedule to determine which races they will attend.

• Okanagan Cup races are more casual and fun oriented. They are a good choice for those getting started in racing but most team members will attend some of these.
• BC Cup races can involve more travelling. They are also fun and you get to compete against racers from all over the province.  BC Cup 1 is in Whistler, BC Cup 2 is in Salmon Arm and BC Champs are in near by Prince George. .
• Norams (Western FIS), Including Westerns are high level races that are suitable for most team members 13 and over. Local Norams are Vernon, Rossland, Red Deer (Westerns) and World Junior Trials in Canmore. This experience will help to prepare you for future Nationals, WJRT and Canada Winter Games.
• Nationals are the highest level races we will attend and this year they take place in Whistler in March. They are suitable for athletes who are training and racing at a high enough level 13 and Over.
• Loppets are fun, longer distance events focused on participation. They may be the main focus for some team members. I have put several of them on the schedule although we probably will not travel as a team to most of them.
• Track Attack Championships are the greatest event of the year; they are a lot of fun! It is a team oriented fun event. There are single year age categories and you earn points for your team just for showing up. It is in Salmon Arm this season. The competition is for skier born in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012; skiers this age will focus on this event.

Team Supported Races

Not all races that Exist will be fully team supported. I expect that whenever Telemark skiers go to an event that they will work together to find the grip wax and support each other however possible. A Fully Team Supported event will have a race management plan, coaches and likely some waxing support if it is a classic event. Low key events like Loppets or Okanagan cups may not be supported.

Race Registration and Licenses

Parents will register their own children for the races.  Most races are registered through Zone4.ca there are often registration deadlines to look out for we will attempt to keep you informed.

Race Licenses are highly recommended for serious U14 skiers. Athletes U14 and older will need a race license to enter some races.  You do not need a license for Okanagan Cup races or loppets. The U14 Nordiq Canada license is not expensive. Not having a season race license could make it less likely to make the BC Talent Squad and ineligible for other BC teams. Also, non licensed racers will start at the back of all seeded mass start events; BC Championships and Nationals are examples.

There are 2 options:

1. Nordiq Canada Season License:  This is good for the whole year.  If you are U16 age group or older and want to attend most of the BC Cup Races this is recommended.  It is necessary if you want to make the BC Development Squad or the BC Team or attend Nationals.  Performance Racers should all have this license.  You should get it before the first race (ie. soon!)To get a Nordiq Season License go to:    Nordiq and FIS License Link

You will need the following information:

Coach: Adam Elliot
NCCP L2C
NCCP # 984975

Club official: Brent Hobbs

2. Day License:  If the above does not apply to you, you can purchase a day license each time you register for a race. Zone 4 does this Automatically. This could be cheaper if you do not attend many races.

Race Management Plans

It is the both athlete and parents job to read the race management plan which is published on our website a few days before each major event; this will also go to your subscribed email. There is important information in this document including where you need to be and when, how you should warm-up and who might be there to help you, what needs to happen to your equipment and other stuff which help make races run smoothly. If you show up at a race and don’t know the answers to these questions you probably have not read the plan.

Race Plans

To help prepare for major races each skier should be familiar with a Plan for the event. Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail. A basic Pre-Competition Planner is found on below. Older Telemark Racers will have a more advanced Race Plan filled out than this; if they want their skis waxed.

Cross Country BC Athlete Development System

CCBC has a system of “teams” that provide selected athletes with training and development opportunities. These athletes can attend CCBC training camps in the spring, summer, fall and early winter. In the spring, athletes can be named to the following teams based on the previous seasons results. Please note that the criteria for the teams can change from year to year so the ages, etc. may vary.

Talent Squad: Athletes aged 13 to 15 are generally selected by BC Cup Top three YOB performances. The Head Coach can recommend athletes and some of the recommended athletes to be on the Talent Squad Reserve list.  Members are guaranteed to be invited to at least one TS camp.  Usually there is one or two dryland camp and one on snow camp.

Development Squad: This is for athletes 15 to 17 years old.  Selection is based on results in the previous season.  Usually there are 4 camps available and our Coach is the Head Coach of all of them.

BC Team:  This is for athletes 16 and older and selection is based on results from the previous year. Nationals podiums and CPL are major factors. Usually there are 4 camps available.

Training Camps

A lot of our training year is focused around a series of training camps.  During camps the athletes will stay together for eating and sleeping.  Usually there will be morning and afternoon workouts and often there will be team meetings or educational discussions. The camps can vary from a weekend to a week or longer.

Club Camps: These are usually for the whole team and often are single Camp Days.

Regional Camps: There are normally 2 camps held for the Okanagan Region.  There is usually one in September and one in November hosted by us at Silver Star. Any of our Program members can attend these.

CCBC Camps: These are for BC Talent Squad, BC Development Squad and BC Team members.  They are by invitation only.  Sometimes if there is room available, I can get invitations for Race Team members who are not on BC teams.

Race Uniforms

While most of the team members have a uniform, it is not a requirement, especially for Track Attack Skiers.  Uniforms can only be ordered as part of a group order, normally in October for arrival in late November.  Notices will be posted well in advance on the web page. There may be some “outgrown” uniforms available — ask one of the coaches for help on this. It is preferred that everyone races in performance oriented clothing which will help them and the team be successful.

 Race Categories at most races except Loppets

Are generally two year categories with the age on New Years of the current season. U16 is 14 an 15 year old at the end of 2022.

Race Planner HERE

Nutrition HERE

Goals

Setting goals is one of the skills athletes should learn. Luckily, this is a skill which will be very useful in the others parts of your life as you get older. All of you should think of your goals for the upcoming season.  These can be broken down into the areas of competitions, training, technique, and health and nutrition.  The goals should be specific and achievable. Below are guidelines for setting goals and a form you can fill out.  Please write your goals down on the form and discuss them with one of the coaches. Remember to include the races you plan to attend.  Goal Setting Page HERE

Link HERE for Current Coach Information

2022-23 Competition Schedule

Races are in the Calendar Here!

Here is a list of Team Supported Races with Accommodations information

Adam’s Suggested Races

Track Attack Suggested Races:

Dec 17^th Revelstoke OK CUP 

Jan 7-8^th BC Cup 1 Whistler

Jan 28-29^th Track Attack Championships (Formally Midgets) 2013-2010

Feb 18-19^th BC Cup Revelstoke

Mar 3-4th BC Championships Telemark

Mar 11^th Telemark Apple Loppet

Mar 12^th Nickel Plate OK Cup

T2T Train to Train Suggested Races:

Dec 3-4^th Western FIS Canada Cup Vernon 

Dec 17^th Revelstoke OK CUP 

Jan 7-8^th BC Cup 1 Whistler

Jan 28-29^th Track Attack Championships (Formally Midgets) 2013-2010

Feb 18-19^th BC Cup Revelstoke

Mar 3-4th BC Championships Telemark

Mar 11^th Telemark Apple Loppet

Mar 12^th Nickel Plate OK Cup

Mar 10-19^th Nationals Thunder Bay U16 and Older

L2C Learn to Compete Suggested Races:

Nov 30-Dec 1st Open Only Western FIS Canada Cup Vernon

Dec 3-4^th Western FIS Canada Cup Vernon 

Dec 8-11^th Sun Valley Idaho Super Tour 

Jan 7-8^th BC Cup 1 Whistler and CWG Trials

Jan 18-21^st WJRT/U23 in Prince George Trials

Jan 12th-Feb 5th WJR U23 Championships

Feb 18-19^th BC Cup Revelstoke

Mar 3-4th BC Championships Telemark

Mar 10-19^th Nationals Thunder Bay U16 and Older