I was at Sovereign Lake (Vernon) last Sunday and at Telemark today. We are getting very close to snow time! Sovereign is open already with fair conditions, and Telemark has a skiff of snow on the ground.
Sovereign Lake Snow Cam today
No doubt some of you parents are worried about what gear your child requires to enjoy his or her experience as a member of our race team. Here is the list.
Junior Racing / Junior Development Team Equipment List
– One pair of classic-style skis (no-wax “fish scale” type are acceptible) — REQUIRED
– One pair of poles the correct length for classic skiing — REQUIRED
– One pair of skate-style skis — REQUIRED
– One pair of poles the correct length for skate skiing — REQUIRED
– One pair of “combi” boots, or else a pair of classic boots and a pair of skate boots — REQUIRED
– Headlamp, for night skiing (not too heavy or bulky) — REQUIRED
– Water bottle – REQUIRED
– Water bottle fanny holder, most athletes prefer the angled one — OPTIONAL
– Grip wax, glide wax, and associated equipment. Attend Coach Adam’s wax clinic before investing in this — OPTIONAL
– Racing uniform — OPTIONAL
– Heart rate monitor: not required for JD skiers unless Coach Adam tells you otherwise — OPTIONAL
– Bounding poles: only required if your child is participating in summer dryland practices, and Coach Adam will have some that you can borrow — OPTIONAL
– Roller skis: only required if your child is participating in summer dryland practices, and the team has several pairs that you can borrow. You will have the opportunity to purchase these in April as part of a bulk team purchase, so don’t worry about this now — OPTIONAL
– Clothing — your child will figure this out by talking to the other athletes. Don’t worry about it. Just make sure they dress in layers. No parkas or snow suits, please!
Where to get the Equipment?
Purchase new. We are sponsored by Fresh Air Experience and Kelowna Cycle, and they both offer outstanding equipment at outstanding discounts to our team athletes. Tell them you are shopping for a Telemark Junior Racing athlete and they will know exactly what you need and will apply the negotiated discount. I suggest you stay away from the mass retailers — you will get better equipment properly fitted at better prices from our sponsors.
Purchase used. Our athletes often “trade up”. Ask Coach Adam and/or send me an email and we will see if we can find outgrown race gear in the basements and garages of our older athletes. I recommend you stay away from Castanet, Kijiji, and Craigslist unless you really know what you are doing.
Rent for the season. Telemark Club supports Junior Racing with a special rental package. Race athletes can rent a complete ski package (skis, poles, boots) for $70.00 for the year. Note that the skis cannot leave the property (except as pre-arranged by Coach Adam for out-of-town races) and they must be returned to the rental room after each practice. Also, the annual rental skis can only be used for scheduled team practices and races, not for recreational skiing outside of scheduled team activities.
Rent as required. You can rent a ski package for $8 per day from the rental room. Note that you must complete the rental form and pay upstairs each time before you pick up your rental skis.
Coach Ross wrote an excellent article on ski selection for Junior Race that will help you understand what to look for and what the tradeoffs are. I suggest you start with that article.
Looking forward to seeing you on the snow at Telemark in the next few weeks!
