West Kelowna cross-country ski area enjoying a successful season

Photo: Mike Edwards

Telemark Nordic Club held a combined work party, free barbecue and annual general meeting on Oct. 26. About 70 volunteers split firewood, painted, did trail maintenance and a few other odd jobs, then enjoyed a free barbecue with burgers, hot-dogs, snacks and drinks.

Telemark Nordic Club has had a banner year, with regular snowfalls, successful fund-raising drives and community events, both before and after its ski area near West Kelowna opened on Dec. 15.

"Telemark is dedicated to promoting the sports of cross-country skiing, biathlon and snowshoeing and fostering a sense of community among outdoor enthusiasts," said general manager Mike Edwards.

"Located in the heart of the Central Okanagan, nine kilometres up Glenrosa Road (in West Kelowna), the club boasts an extensive network of groomed trails, modern facilities and a vibrant, welcoming community of skiers."

Preparations for the 2024-25 season began with summer grooming.

"We do a lot of brush-cutting, rock-picking and hole-filling, that kind of stuff. Every year, that gets better and better so we can open up as early as possible. We have a skid steer and a mowing machine that we use regularly in the summer and that really helps," he said.

A bottle drive team fundraiser on Oct. 6 involved collecting and sorting donated bottle and can recyclables, which raised $5,000 for the youth competitive program. The annual Telemark Ski Swap on Oct. 19 at Kelowna Cycle raised another $5,000.

Volunteers were back at the ski area for a combined work party, free barbecue and annual general meeting on Oct. 26, splitting firewood, painting, doing trail maintenance and other odd jobs.

"We had about 70 people helping out, including many of the programs’ kids. We accomplished so many jobs and enjoyed a great barbecue with burgers, hot dogs, snacks and drinks," said Edwards.

Telemark also hosted an orienteering event, organized by the Sage Orienteering Club, on Oct. 27.

"There were more than 70 participants in this (to be) annual event—all the kids from the race team," said Emily Young, coach of the competitive program.

All 250 pairs of custom Telemark-branded crew socks were sold by Christmas.

Photo: Annabel Stanley

Telemark Nordic Club held a successful one-hour ski challenge on Jan. 1, when 29 participants skied 111 laps of a 2.75-kilometre course for a total of 305 kilometres, a distance of about halfway across the province.

"We're looking at maybe getting another set of socks at some point to keep raising funds for the program," said Edwards.

Young also organized a Purdy's Chocolates fundraiser, to which Purdy's generously contributed $800, or 25% of sales.

Telemark also had successful early-bird season pass sales, thanks to $1,000 in prizes from sponsor partners, Fresh Air Experience and Kelowna Cycle.

"An adult season pass is paid off in only 11 visits and you have the flexibility to come to Telemark whenever you want for any amount of time," said Edwards. "Additionally, with a season pass, you are automatically a club member and can participate in one of our many programs. There is again a 25% discount on rentals."

Thanks to early-season snow, Telemark began rolling and packing in mid-November and got its big Pisten Bully groomer out the weekend before opening for the season on Dec. 15.

"We like to make sure we've got good, safe conditions when we open," he said. "We really manicure the trails and really groom only as necessary in the early season. We find in the long-run that helps us with much better conditions and much earlier skiing than we would (have) otherwise."

The club started the season with more than 350 pairs of new Salomon classic skis and boots to rent and they will also be used by 2,000 School District 23 students in the Ski S’Kool program.

"That's our biggest thing for this year. It's not cheap to buy that amount of equipment—a $90,000 hit to the budget—so we had to plan for it. We've got a really good relationship with Salomon Canada and were able to pay for it over a couple of years and get some good discounts. In a couple of years, we're going to replace all the skate gear too."

Over the holidays, you could join Santa on the ski trails on Dec. 21. However, the big event was the one-hour cross-country ski challenge on Jan. 1, when participants tried to complete as many laps of a beginner-friendly loop as possible in just one hour.

"It was great, was super well-received (and had) a lot of enthusiastic people. We had 29 people ski 111 laps of a 2.75-kilometre course for a total of 305 kilometres. That’s about halfway across the province as the crow flies. Entry was a food item, so we were able to donate a couple of big bins to the Central Okanagan Food Bank," said Edwards.

This season, the club is also offering “Icebreaker Sessions,” free introductory ski lessons and a guided ski for beginners or those who have only tried it a couple of times. Its youth programs are focused on developing ski skills, fitness and a love for the sport for children and teens of all skill levels. Expert coaches will offer adult clinics and group skiing for beginner and experienced skiers in technique improvement, fitness training and more. Discounted family memberships are available making it easier for families to enjoy the sport together. For more information on membership and programs, or to register for events, go to: www.telemarknordic.com or call 250-707-5925.

The club will host the 2025 Odlum Brown Biathlon B.C. U13 Championships Feb. 8 and 9 for 100 to 125 up-and-coming youth athletes, and the 2025 Teck B.C. Championships, a big deal with 550 kids from all across the province, according to organizers, from Feb. 28 to March 2.

In the longer term, Telemark still has plans to build a small cabin on the trails. Most of the approvals are in place and about $40,000 of the $100,000 cost has been raised so far. Final engineered drawings are needed with construction possible next summer.

Photo: Telemark Nordic Club

Telemark Nordic Club Telemark Nordic Club still has plans to build a small cabin on its trail system possibly next summer. Most approvals are in place and about $40,000 raised toward the $100,000 price tag.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.