General

UPDATE ON AUG 21:

Telemark continues to be temporarily closed due to the high fire hazard and the active Evacuation Order due to the McDougall Creek fire. We have put up a barrier in the parking lot and ask that people stay away from Telemark for all activities until the wildfire threat has subsided. Telemark is safe at this time and the situation remains stable. We have made some preparations to keep our valuable equipment and buildings safe out of an abundance of caution. Let’s hope for a change in the weather and that crews can get the fires under control soon! We are so thankful for all the emergency operations staff, local, municipal, provincial and federal assistance that keeps us safe.

Our hearts, minds and sympathies are with all those who have been affected by the fires.

Former Paralympic and World medalist to lead race team program

The Telemark Nordic Ski Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Emily Young as Head Coach for the Telemark Nordic Competitive Program beginning August 1st.

During an extensive North American search, the club was thrilled to find the talent it needed in its own backyard; Emily is based in Kelowna. Besides an obvious enthusiasm for the sport, Emily brings to the role natural abilities in  communication,  collaboration, organization and the energy, skills and experience needed to develop and inspire the athletes. Her values align well with the Telemark values of Community, Inclusive, and Sport (for life).

“Telemark Nordic has long played an important role in my life as I skied and trained there during my competitive career. I can’t wait to get started and to join the incredible community of athletes and their families and to build on the highly successful program already in place. It might still be summer, but the most important training for our older athletes is happening now, and the snow is always just around the corner!” said Emily Young. 

Before embarking on her coaching career, Emily was a highly accomplished member of the Para Nordic/Biathlon Senior National Ski Team, competing and achieving podium finishes at 2 Paralympic Games, 4 World Championships, and on the World Cup circuit over 9 years. Her experience as a competitive skier and biathlete will be an asset to the club’s integrated ski and biathlon program.

Prior to Nordic skiing, Emily competed internationally in wrestling until she sustained a career-changing nerve injury to her right arm. Emily has also competed in several Ironman distance triathlons (able body).

Since retiring from the Para Nordic National Team, Emily has followed a pathway to a career in coaching. She enrolled in the National Coaching Certification Program levels and has gained valuable experience working alongside National Team coaches at Nordiq Canada’s Western Canada Next Gen dryland camp in Revelstoke and Canada Development Team camp at Silver Star. Emily was also invited to be the U20 Team Leader at the 2023 World Junior Championships in Whistler, and she supported the National Para Nordic Team at the World Para Nordic Championships at Soldier Hollow, as support coach staff responsible for coordinating logistics, ski testing and racecourse duties.

Just a reminder that our ‘Return-It’ bottle drive fundraiser is ONGOING and is always easy to do.  This fundraiser helps to support the Telemark Youth Competitive program.

Just drop off your empty refund bottles/cans etc at participating bottle depots. Give them our Telemark phone # 250-707-5925  and the $ will go to Team Telemark. The Columbia Depots in Kelowna will even sort the bottles for you but here are some simple rules to follow.

The Telemark Nordic Club is seeking an exceptional leader to join a tight-knit and highly motivated team of athletes and coaches as the Nordic Head Coach. Situated in B.C.’s Central Okanagan Valley (pop. 170,000), Telemark is a growing club with almost 70 skiers in the Competitive Program and a further 165 in the Youth Development Program (Jackrabbits). The 2023 season was our most successful season ever. Our team won the BC Championship title for the second season in a row, was the 7th ranked club at the 2023 Canadian National Championships, and had numerous racers compete at BC Winter Games, Canada Winter Games, and World Junior Championships.

Telemark is unique in integrating its competitive Nordic and Biathlon programs, and the Nordic Head Coach will coach athletes in both disciplines. As part of our club coaching team, the Nordic Head Coach has primary responsibility for planning and overseeing Nordic coaching activities for all athletes within the integrated program, including Track Attack (ages 9-11), Train to Train (ages 12-14), and Learn to Compete (ages 15-19). Key responsibilities include developing training plans, delivering technical coaching, coordinating volunteers, leading the team at competitions, and communicating regularly with athletes and families. The Nordic Head Coach also supports program development and strategic planning, athlete and coach recruitment, and integration with other club programs, including Biathlon, Youth Development, and Masters

The Nordic Head Coach is one of the most important positions at Telemark, and the successful candidate will play a central role in the future growth and success of the Competitive Program. The ability to provide high quality technical coaching is important for this position, but even more so are the skills and vision to help create a positive club environment in which our skiers can learn and grow.

We are guided by Nordiq Canada’s and Biathlon Canada’s vision of cross-country skiing and biathlon as ‘Sports for Life’ and are looking for a Head Coach who can support and inspire each of our athletes towards a lifetime of fulfillment in the sport. Some of our skiers have their eyes set on high performance, and the Nordic Head Coach will support these athletes on their journey to achieving excellence at the highest levels of the sport

The Nordic Head Coach reports to the Program Manager and works closely with the Telemark Coach Committee (including Biathlon Head Coach, Assistant Coach, and lead volunteer coaches) to plan and deliver progressive training programs structured on Nordiq Canada / Biathlon Canada’s Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model. As a full-time employee of the Club, the position offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.

If this opportunity to join our team interests you, we would love to hear from you! To apply, please submit a resumé and cover letter (maximum 1,000 words) to Mike Edwards, Telemark General Manager: gm@telemarknordic.com

Deadline for applications is June 18, 2023 or until a suitable candidate is found. For a full job posting and job description please see attached or link here  Telemark Head Coach

The sun has set on an amazing winter and The Telemark Nordic Centre is now closed for the season – and what a season it was! It started with a bang on November 4th when we had over 80cm of snow in just 3 days and we scrambled to groom the trails and get everything ready to open. We opened over a month earlier than usual (the earliest in 30 years) on Nov 12th and we stayed open until April 2nd making this our longest season on record with great snow conditions for both skiing and snowshoeing all winter long. Season passholders certainly got their money’s worth this year. We had almost 1800 members (the second most ever), record numbers in our programs, held our first winter outdoor concert on Valentines day, hosted a successful BC Championships & Loppet and started planning and fundraising for the Panorama Cabin.

Thanks to everyone -all the staff, volunteers, sponsors and especially the many skiers and snowshoers who helped to make this one of the best seasons ever!

See you all next fall for another great season of XC Skiing and snowshoeing at Telemark. Season passes and program registration for the 2023-24 season will be available by mid August.

Telemark still has lots of great snow. We are grooming daily and have amazing spring conditions. Sadly, we know that the xc ski and snowshoe season is coming to an end soon. We will have daily grooming on most trails until April 2nd. After that we will groom a few more times every 2-3 days as conditions allow. The snowshoe trails remain fully covered in snow and in great shape and will last a while longer as well.

Telemark will remain open daily 8am to 5pm until April 2nd. After that the day lodge will be closed for the season but some skiing will still be available with limited grooming. The last day for the day lodge to be open for night skiing is March 17th. For those who still want to ski in the evening the trail lights will remain on until 9pm daily until March 24th.

Spring Conditions! While we have lots of great snow and we are grooming daily until April 2nd, spring is here and conditions may vary. The snow is generally thawing during the day and freezing in the evening. The best time to ski will be in the mornings when the snow is hard, fast and smooth.  The snow will get softer and slower in the afternoon but skiing will still be good. In the evening when the temperatures cool the trails may be a little icy but still skiable for the experienced skier.

Come on up to Telemark for some amazing spring skiing and snowshoeing while the great conditions last. Check our Trail Conditions webpage to see the latest grooming and conditions.

Congratulations to the following Prize Winners of the Annual Fundraising Raffle in support of Team Telemark Competitive Youth Program. 2800 tickets were sold for $5 each and together we raised $14,000. Thank you kindly to the generous prize donors listed below.

1. Vinny Sharma ~ Fresh Air: Madshus Nordic pro skis/bindings/poles value $680
2. Chris Gramlich ~ Kelowna Cycle: Gift card $500
3. Elaine Sparks ~ Silverstar Mountain Resort: One night stay & 2 Nordic day passes – value $400
4. Carolyn Durley ~ The Cove Resort: One night stay – value $400
5. Erik Rozek ~ Swagman Sports Cargo Systems: Gift card $250
6. Royant Franck ~ Waterfront Wines: 3 course dinner for 2 – value $250 
7. Donna Bridge ~ Nineteen Okanagan Grill/19 Bistro @Fitz & Two Eagles: Restaurant gift card & round of golf for two – value $218
8. Prue Bernhardy ~ Fortis BC: Deluxe emergency hwy kit – value $180
9. Melanie Wilkie ~ Vega smoothie kit & mini blender value $170
10. Tammy Brown ~ Vega sport nutrition products – value $140 
11. Kerry Kriese ~ Snowshoes – value $80
12. Wendy Barnay ~ Kelowna Toyota auto detail – value $99
13. Sarah MacLeod ~ Hydration backpack – value $110
14. Chase Schiervon ~ Annabel Stanley Orb Sculpture – value $65 
15. Pendergast ~ Lakesider Gift Basket, value $50
16. Lynne Tereposky  ~ Nester’s Market gift card $25

Winners will be contacted by a Telemark representative to arrange prize pick up.
Prizes were drawn from lowest to highest value by a Telemark board member and other volunteers on Thursday March 9^th at the main lodge.

Last weekend – March 3-5, 2023 Telemark hosted a very successful BC Championships event. Over 600 competitors from all across BC and beyond came to Telemark to compete in three days of fun and challenging racing.

By all accounts it was a well run event and everyone had a great time and went home happy. It did not hurt that weather was just about perfect all weekend but the biggest reason for the success of the BC Champs is our many wonderful volunteers who put in many hours of time and commitment to help pull off such a great event. Thanks so much everybody who helped out.
Thanks also to all the many competitors and their coaches and families for coming to Telemark for the event. We love to see so many friendly faces, both new and familiar, having fun and challenging themselves at Telemark.
To top it off Telemark won the Club Points Championship for the second year in a row. There were Telemark competitors from age 5yrs to 85yrs contributing to our success. Congratulations to our hard working athletes young an old!

Last but not least…a BIG Thank-you to our Title Sponsor Teck Resources Limited, and our local sponsors: Stussi Sport, Fresh Air Experience, BMO Private Wealth, It’s a Bakery Lunch & Coffee, Marriott Towneplace Suites,  Nester’s Market, West Kelowna Save On Foods, and Vega. In addition, this event would not have been possible without a generous grant from ViaSport BC.

Next week we host the Biathlon BC U13 Championships and our annual Apple Loppet.