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Do I have to race to be a member?
No! The majority of our membership are recreational skiers. Yes we do have some high performance athletes and coaches including 5 Paralympians who raced in the 2010 Paralympic Games! But we also have beginners just taking their first strides on skis. The greater portion of the membership ski for fun as we are a very social club.
The history of our name stems back to the late 1980s when there was only one cross country ski club in Vancouver. A young, talented racer skied in all the BC Cup races and earned a spot on the BC Team. He was excited to be asked to represent BC at the National Championships. Unfortunately being a poor student he was scrambling to raise the money to travel to Eastern Canada where the Nationals were being held. He approached the club for support and was soundly turned down. Sigge Bjorklund, a member of that club's executive, was disappointed with the direction the club was taking as he felt that helping young promising skiers achieve their racing potential should be the mission of the club. Consequently a new club was formed and its name clearly identified its purpose from the other clubs!
Who runs the Nordic Racers?
The Nordic Racers Ski Club has been a registered non-profit society since 1992, and therefore is run by a volunteer executive. The Nordic Racers Ski Club holds an annual general meeting every summer where all members are encouraged to attend with their ideas, run for the volunteer executive, and enjoy some free food and beverages. For more information on the Society Act, click here.
The Nordic Racers executive operate in accordance with the club’s constitution.
What's a Loppet?
The term “Loppet” originated in Scandinavia where you have such great events as the Mora Vasaloppet in Sweden and the Birke Beinerrennet in Norway.
In the Vasaloppet in Sweden, the skiers ski from Berga to Mora (90Km) to commemorate the same trail the king of Sweden (at the time it was Gustav Vasa….hence the name Vasaloppet) skied about 500 years ago. About 15000 people take part in the Vasaloppet and approximately 1.7 million people watch it on TV.
So you are wondering, “What is a Loppet”. It is a great gathering of skiers who ski on a specifically groomed trail either classic (diagonal stride) or free (skating technique) of various distances. Enormous amounts of food and drink are consumed during the event. After there’s a party and celebratory banquet with awards and prizes and usually a time (dance).
The Loppet means different things to participants. For some it’s intense competition, for others it’s a relaxing way to spend a day outside, taking in the pristine beauty of the country side or wilderness, and enjoying the home grown entertainment and great food and drink at the rest stops along the trail.
In Canada, there are some great Loppets like the Canadian Birkebeiner in Alberta; the Keskinada Loppet in Gatineau Quebec; the Mont-Ste-Anne Loppet in Quebec; the Don Allen Saskaloppet in LaRonge Saskatchewan; and the Great Labrador Loppet in Newfoundland and Labrador to name a few.
(excellent answer borrowed from Cross Country Canada's website)
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