FAQ

What to expect

Telemark athletes will be training hard for about 1.5 to 2.5 hours on weeknight practices, and 2-3 hours at weekend practices. When Telemark is open for the season (normally mid December through end of March), we ski there. During dryland training, we rotate our training locations around the valley on both sides of Okanagan Lake.  There are several races throughout BC in December, January, and February.  Athletes new to the team should plan to attend races.  Some are same-day commitments (travel to Vernon, Kamloops, Salmon Arm, or Penticton), but others will be a 3-day commitment (Canmore, Rossland, Prince George, Whistler).

The athletes who excel tend to train an additional several hours per week on their own — strength, cardio, or skiing.

This is not all work, though. Members have a lot of fun and develop a very close group of friends, outside of their normal school crowd, who are an invaluable support group who are “always there” during tough times.  Most of our athletes cannot wait to get to practice or on the race course!

Cost

A breakdown of program costs can be found on the Registration page. Ski equipment can cost upwards of $1,000. The Telemark suit can be purchased in stages–the entire race kit (warm up and race suit) is approximately $400. There are also travel costs for hotel, accommodations and food. Note: we have a Team Van to assist with travel (nominal user fees applied). Telemark has a “financial assistance” program to help ensure that costs do not exclude eager young athletes from participation — contact Emily Young, if you need sponsorship.

How do I sign up?

Go to the Registration page to join the team.  But not yet.  Read the rest of this FAQ first!

I signed my child up now what?

This website is your best friend.

• The first thing you should do is subscribe to the mail list — click here.  We send out messages in the early afternoon in time to give last-minute schedule changes.
• Please let Head Coach Emily Young know that you have signed up so that you are on his radar. If you have signed up for Biathlon programs, please let Head Biathlon Coach Chris Halldorson know.
• Check the calendar regularly — it changes daily.

Fall/Winter Schedule

For Learn to Compete (L2C & L2C-Biathlon) programs:

• Tuesday nights from 5:30 to 7:30
• Thursday nights from 5:30 to 7:30
• Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 12:00
• Biathlon Programs have the additional practices:
  • Wednesday nights from 5:30-7:30
  • Sunday mornings from 10:00-12:00

For Train to Train (T2T & T2T-Biathlon) Programs:

• Tuesday nights from 5:30 to 7:30
• Thursday nights from 5:30 to 7:30
• Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 12:00
• Biathlon Programs have the additional practices:
  • Sunday afternoons from 12:30- 2:30

For Track Attack (TA & Biathlon Bears) Programs:

• Tuesday nights from 5:30 to 7:30
• Thursday nights from 5:30 to 7:30
• Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 12:00
• Biathlon Programs have the additional practices:
  • Saturday afternoons 12:30- 2:30

Summer programs: Both L2C and T2T have spring/summer training options.

My Child has No Experience

Give it a try!  Our program is flexible and there is lots of mentoring to help your child bridge any “late start” challenges.  All we ask of new team prospects is to come with a “can do” attitude and a smile.  We will even work with you on equipment needs, to ensure your child has race-quality gear to practice on while you check out the team.

What Equipment is Needed?

– One pair of classic-style skis (no-wax “fish scale” type are acceptable) — REQUIRED
– One pair of poles the correct length for classic skiing (shoulder height) — REQUIRED
– One pair of skate-style skis — REQUIRED
– One pair of poles the correct length for skate skiing (nose height) — 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 a wax clinic before investing in this — 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 (10-15cm shorter than classic poles), 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 when starting out.  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
– Roller ski poles: REQUIRED if you are roller skiing.  These are standard poles which have the baskets removed and replaced with a special roller ski tip which you can purchase at the local ski shops.
– Racing uniform — OPTIONAL.  Watch the emails in September and October for notices on how to get a uniform.
– 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!
– Ski bag.  You will not need one for your first year, but if you decide to get one, make sure it is large enough to hold at least 4 pairs of skis and poles.  Be careful not to purchase a downhill ski bag which is too short for adult XC skis! — OPTIONAL.

Biathlon Equipment

Telemark has a number of club rifles that can be used for a nominal annual fee.

Where can I get the Equipment?

Purchase new.  Fresh Air Experience is a long time club supporter and the only Nordic skiing retailer in Kelowna.

Purchase used.  Our athletes often “trade up”.  Each fall we host both and “internal ski swap” and a “public ski swap”. The internal ski swap is where we try to match up team members who have outgrown their equipment with those who are looking for new equipment. The public ski swap is open to the general public.  We recommend you stay away from Castanet, Kijiji, and Craigslist unless you really know what you are doing.

Parent Involvement

While we have 4 paid coaches, we still need support from parents who participate as volunteer coaches during practices.  The race parents meet once per month during race season to make decisions about team finances and other administrative issues that might arise.  And, of course, we hope that all race parents are active in recruiting sponsors, fundraising, and promoting the team in the community.

Team Structure (L2T, T2T, L2C, T2C, Post-Secondary High Performance)

The Team Telemark race team is unique in that it is an integrated biathlon and cross country ski program. Athletes from both the nordic and biathlon stream train together in one cohesive, supportive group. Within our team, we structure our programs around Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) stages, taking into account the physical developmental level, skiing proficiency and age cohort of each athlete.

• Learn to Train Stage: Track Attack and Biathlon Bears
• Train to Train Stage: T2T-1 and T2T-2
• Learn to Compete Stage: L2C, T2C and Post-Secondary

Each development stage has dedicated coaches who tailor training to the specific needs of that group, however we strive to create “cross-over” opportunities through common training locations, joint camps and special events.

Learn more about our Biathlon Stream here: Telemark Biathlon Programs

Learn more about of Nordic Stream here: Telemark Nordic Racing Programs

How Do I Sign Up for Races

Each athlete must register for each race.  The coaches will not do this for you.  Most race registrations are on Zone4.  Race dates can be found on our Supported Races page.

Do I need a  Race License?

Nordic skiing

Anyone 14 or older as of December 31 MUST purchase a race license to participate in major races (BC Cup, Westerns, Nor Am) or to qualify for Provincial or National teams.  If you are old enough (13 this calendar year) and wish to make any BC teams for trips or the season you need a Nordiq Canada Annual License.

Biathlon

Everyone who is part of the biathlon program must purchase a Biathlon Canada membership. This will allow you to enter competitions AND provide you with the required insurance to participate in biathlon.

Do I need a Race Uniform?

While most of the team members have a uniform and it is recommended, it is not a requirement, especially for younger athletes.  There may be some “outgrown” uniforms available — ask one of the coaches for help on this.

Telemark Racing Post-Secondary Team competes at World Junior Trails, Mont St. Anne, QC

Coaches

For the 2024/25 season:

Manager of Youth & Competitive Programs: Chris Halldorson

Head coach: Emily Young
Head biathlon coach: Chris Halldorson
Train To Train coach: Trevor Kiers
Track Attack coach: Jacob Miller
Biathlon Bears coach: Ondrej Par

Volunteer coach: Paul Shipley
Volunteer coach: Ross McKinnon
Volunteer coach: Brittany Webster
Wax Tech coach: Alex McDonald

Parent volunteer coach: Jamie Sprules
Parent volunteer coach: Gibo Serravalli
Parent volunteer coach: Magnus Aaserud
Wax Tech coach: Alex McDonald

Parent volunteer coach: Jamie Sprules
Parent volunteer coach: Gibo Serravalli
Parent volunteer coach: Magnus Aaserud
Parent volunteer coach: Heather Hendricks
Parent volunteer coach: Lance Carroll

Volunteers

Parent  Committee:
Committee Chair and Telemark Director- Pip Akins
Secretary – Terry Lum
Communications – Teresa Pavlin
Web Page – Barry Allen
Fundraising – Sonya Bridge

To inquire about volunteer opportunities or for information about the race team, contact Pip Akins