XC BRAGG CREEK SKI AND BIKE SOCIETY
XC Bragg Creek’s Nordic season has come to a close and with the warmer weather we are gearing up for our Mountain Biking Programs.
Nordic Programs
That’s a wrap, folks! XC Bragg Creek Ski and Bike Society concluded the Nordic season in March with a series of events. Our youngest skiers, the Bunnies and Jackrabbits, finished with the fun Fruit Loops race; our biathletes ended with an inter-club race at the West Bragg Creek trails, and our Nordic racers competed in the Alberta Youth Championships hosted by XC Bragg Creek and supported by Bragg Creek Trails.
The 11th Annual Alberta Youth Championships took place at West Bragg Creek trails over the weekend of March 2 & 3, 2024, with youth skiers coming from all over Alberta and as far away as the Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan. Athletes stayed in a camp over the weekend, met new skiers from other clubs, and competed for club pride in three different ski events. Skiers arrived at Camp Horizon on Friday night and were bussed to West Bragg Creek to compete. The abundant snow over the weekend kept the amazing grooming volunteers from Bragg Creek Trails Association working hard. The cold temperatures resulted in a modified race schedule but still included the crowd’s favorite dress-up relay on Saturday. Back at camp, Moritz from Handle-Bar volunteered to barbecue bratwurst followed by movies or activities in the outdoor terrain park. The evening banquet included a guest speaker – Olympian Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt, and a dance. A presentation of Club banners at Snowbirds Chalet followed Sunday’s race. Awards were presented to the top 10 finishers for each year of birth and every racer scored points for the Club aggregate awards. This year, XC Bragg Creek won the small club banner and Foothills Nordic won the large club aggregate banner.
Alberta Youth Championships benefits from strong community support: from Handle-Bar helping with lunch and BCT providing optimum trail conditions to both Redwood and BCCA helping notify trail users with their signs and many, many local businesses providing prizes for every athlete who participated. Community volunteers donated 140 dozen cookies and 74 volunteers contributed over the two-day event. It is what makes the event possible, and we are so grateful to:
- Alberta World Cup Society
- Nordiq Canada
- Nordiq Alberta
- Biathlon Canada
- Biathlon Alberta
- Bragg Creek Trails
- Zone4
- Two Pharmacy
- Mabel & Marie’s
- Turkey & Pistols
- One of a Kind
- Best Little Wordhouse in the West
- Hooked on Bragg
- Degraff ‘s Hat Store
- Stone Willow
- AdMaki Creative
- Norseman
- Lifesport
- Salomon
- Redwood Meadows
- Bragg Creek Community Centre
- Cochrane Equipment Rentals
- Handle-Bar
- Safari
Mountain Biking Program:
XC Bragg Creek’s Recreational Mountain Biking program is for youth ages 8-18 who are beginning to intermediate mountain bike riders and want to continue advancing their skills without the pressure of competition. Registration for this program will open in April. We are also looking for volunteer coaches to expand the program. If you love mountain biking and want to share your love of the sport with a group of polite, enthusiastic kids, consider joining our team. Pricing, registration links, and information about volunteering are listed on our website: xcbraggcreek.ca.
Finally, XCBC is hiring! We are searching for a new program administrator. Do you love our mission and want to help us achieve it? Check out the job posting on our website.
Athlete Spotlight
This month features another dynamic duo of XCBC skiers; Logan and Colton Rostoker.
Logan and Colton are XCBC Nordic program members and are continuing their biathlon training with the Foothills Nordic Club. This pair brings a balance of hard work and fun to XCBC practices. They enjoy challenging themselves, elevating their teammates’ practice level through friendly and fun competition. Logan and Colton are excellent role models for sportsmanship. As members of two ski clubs, they represent their clubs with pride. No matter which club suit they wear, these boys give it their all and support their teammates’ performances, whether from XCBC or Foothills!
XCBC Sport(s): Nordic skiing and biathlon
Favorite West Bragg Creek Trail: West Crystal Line
