PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR OUR MASTERS XC PROGRAMS FOR THE 2023/2024 !
The Programs Team is working on your programing for next Season. Thank you for your patience.
Sovereign Masters XC promotes the joy of skiing, building friendships, and adding to one’s skiing skills in a fun social group setting. Masters XC is a successful blend of improving technique and building fitness in a relaxed atmosphere of fun, fitness, and camaraderie. Masters XC is a community-based cross-country ski program that offers group training sessions for adults.
If you are just skiing for fitness, just getting started, or are a seasoned racer, the Masters’ XC Program offers great training and a whole lot of fun!
Led by a HUGE group of volunteer coaches, this program aims to provide a space for quality learning at every skill level. While not for absolute beginners, our program does cater to relatively new skiers.
Check out the Group Options(TBD- Link not active) Overview page for details on the program details.
If you are looking for a program that’s more performance-focused check out our Master’s Performance, Masters Race Team, or Masters Biathlon Programs.(Links Deactivated while we plan our 2023-2024 Season)
MASTERS XC PROGRAM FACT SHEET
Meeting Place: Sovereign Lake Stadium in front of the Tech Building
When: TBD
Cost: $TBD per person, plus your season pass registration fee.
Available Spaces: 200
Night Group: TBD
Ski Ability: Should be able to ski the trails ‘Sovereign’ and ‘Half Sovereign’ comfortably. Would be great if you can ski ‘Woodland Bell’.
Pre-program: TBD
Group Descriptions: If you need a reminder of the Masters’ XC Groups Overview(TBD)
Orientation: TBD
Apres Ski: We are back in the lodge but moving downstairs for our after-session treat and hot drink social. Would love some volunteers to be able to help set up before the practice sessions.
Movement within groups: We are happy to allow movement from group to group within Masters XC once again as we did pre-COVID. With that said, there is still a need for group leaders to know and approve the group change. This is so as not to overload any volunteer leaders.
Donna Hansen
- Favourite Trails: Silver Queen
- Years Coaching: Newbie in skiing, 34+ years in other sports
- Why Coach: To help other beginning masters enjoy the pleasures of skiing, keep learning and assist other leaders
- Favourite food: Sushi 1st, dark chocolate 2nd
- Words of Wisdom: Fall down seven times, get up eight
Cynthia Flores
Level I USSA Coach, Level I CANSI Coach
- Favorite Trail: Passmore to Carl Wylie loop
- Years Coaching: 7
- Why Coach?: I love watching newer skiers fall in love with the sport, to see their breakthroughs and smiles.
- Favourite Food? Sushi
- Words of Wisdom: Life’s too short. Be joyful!
Rob Oxenham
CANSI Level 1
- Favorite trail: I like them all
- Years Coaching: 1 year
- Why Coach : I love helping others improve and gain confidence in their ability.
- Favorite food: NS lobster
- Words of Wisdom: “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right” – Napoleon Hill
Peggy Hung
CANSI Level II, NCCP- ICC + CCW
- Favorite Trail: The Zumas
- Years Coaching: 4 years
- Why Coach?: I love seeing people being active outdoors, regardless of age or ability. This is my way to encourage the community to XC ski and realize that it’s not as hard as they think.
- Favourite Food? Salmon
- Words of Wisdom: Progression, not perfection.
Karen Evans
CANSI Level III, CSIA Level II
- Years Coaching: 15+ in cross country and downhill skiing
- Why Coach?: It is fun! A great way to share a love of skiing and the outdoors.
- Words of Wisdom: We only have today. Be out there.
Kathrine (Kate) Ellis
USSA level II
- Favorite Trail: From the Summit, down Upper Paradise to Comin’ Round the Mountain, to Lars Taylor Way , ending up at Black Prince Cabin. Yahoooo!
- Years Coaching: 22 years
- Why Coach?: Skiing is pure joy. I hope to pass on my knowledge so others can experience that.
- Favourite Food? Anything except Liver.
- Words of Wisdom: Don’t wait.
Marcus Boyle (occasionally assist)
Brian Wills
- Favorite Trail: I like them all
- Years Coaching : Skiing for 67+ years
- Why Coach: I like to support successful programs like Masters
- Favorite Food: Berry Crumble
- Words of Wisdom : Tips Downhill!
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Gerry Furseth
CANSI Level ll
- Favorite Trail: Lower World Cup
- Years Coaching: 36
- Why Coach?: Reino Keski-Salmi taught me a lot about skiing faster and even more about the value of giving back to the community
- Favourite Food? Pasta!!
- Words of Wisdom: “The only purpose of exercise is to induce recovery”-Per Gaarder
Gerry Breneman
Cansi Level II, NCCP + ICC
Name of Group: Very Classy
Performance level: intermediate
Objective: designed to promote skiing more efficiently and stronger
- Years Coaching: 47 including track and field and cross country running
- Favorite Food; strong adherent of the See Food diet
- Saying: Take small consistent steps to achieve big gains
Franziska Plummer
CANSI level I, NCCP + ICC
- Favorite Trail: Aberdeen/Lars Taylor Way
- Years Coaching: About 15 years
- Why Coach?: To connect with x skiers. To learn how to get the best from them and seeing them progress, having fun in a safe and social environment.
- Favourite Food? Raclette and chocolate
- Words of Wisdom: There is no such thing as too much snow
Felicia Ogorman
- Favourite Trail: Skiing ‘neath the trees on Prince of Wales
- Years Coaching: Three in x-country skiing. A gazillion years in other sports
- Why Coach?: As a coach, I love to create positive, supportive environments, to make sure the learning is fun, the participants are feeling motivated to try new things, and that everyone leaves smiling.
- Favourite Food? During ski season, definitely a bowl of chunky chicken soup.
- Words of Wisdom: If the person you are talking to appears not to be listening, be patient. He may just have a little fluff in his ear. – Winnie the Pooh
Ward Strong
CANSI Level I
- Favorite Trail: White Elephant
- Years Coaching: 4 years
- Why Coach?: I love helping others discover my love for skate skiing. I also learn while coaching, which seems counterintuitive but is true.
- Favourite Food? Homemade babaganoush with baguettes
- Words of Wisdom: The journey is the goal
Murray Wood
Level 4 CANSI, Level 1 telemark
- Favourite Trail : Lars Taylor and out to Alder Point
- Years Coaching : 25 plus years
- Why Coach : love helping, love sharing
- Favourite food : a good peanut butter on marble rye bread toasted
- Words of Wisdom : “Don’t compare yourself to others. There is no comparison between the sun and the moon, they shine when it’s their time” – Akinleye Isaac
Rick Plovie
- Favorite Trail: Woodland Bell
- Years Coaching: 2
- Why Coach: For the shear joy of being with people who share my love of XC Skiing and a determined passion for always bettering one’s self
- Favorite Food: Did someone say food ?
- Words of Wisdom: Skiing is the next best thing to having wings
Johanna Tul
Check out the Group Options Overview (TBD)page for details on program details.
There are three available sessions each week:
2023-2024 Season Dates and Times TBD
Sunday 10:00 am -12:00 pm, Thursday 10:00 am -12:00 pm, or Thursday 6:30 pm -8:00 pm.
Sunday Morning
| 10:00-10:20 | Warm up |
| 10:20 | Meet your leader at the designated location for your group the Skookum |
| 10:30 | Ski with group |
| 11:45 | Cool Down |
| 12:00 | Coffee, treats, socializing (covid restrictions depending) |
Thursday Morning
| 10:00-10:20 am | Warm Up |
| 10:20 | Meet your leader at the designated location for your group |
| 10:20-11:45 | Ski with your designated group |
| 11:45 | Cool Down |
| 12:00 | Coffee, treats, socializing (covid restrictions depending) |
Thursday Evening
| 6:30 – 6:50pm | Warm Up |
| 6:50 | Meet in Stadium in front of Tech Building |
| 7:00-7:45 | Training Activity of the Day |
| 7:45-8:00 | Cool Down |
| 8:00 pm | Meet in outside of lodge for post-work out nutrition with the group |
What is SLNC Masters about?
Group based social skiing with varying degrees of structured skill development.
It’s summed up in the three Fs
Fitness, you don’t have to be very fit to join Masters but participation will help you to raise the bar.
Form, you will learn to ski more efficiently.
Friendly, all happens in a friendly environment.
What it’s not
It is not a boot camp, as in rigorous and intense training sessions.
See our other Masters Programs if you are looking for a higher level of training
Goals of the SLNC Masters Program
- To provide structure and support whereby club members have the means to raise their level of fitness and to improve their skiing proficiency.
- To provide support for those who want to compete
- Keep all participants informed of events and activities
- What’s more, the fee, TBD. SLNC Masters is still the best program for the money in the country, bar none.
- The program is club and membership-based, organized and delivered by club members.
- Technical support for certain sessions will be led by the head coach
New Initiatives
- To encourage recreational club skiers to participate in SLNC Masters.
- To offer a few speaker sessions over the course of the season (covid restrictions depending).
- To provide small group technique sessions.
- To organize social events eg. potlucks (covid restrictions depending)
- Goal setting and training for competitive skiers on key events.
Masters Start: TBD
Masters Finish: TBD
Holiday Break TBD
Stay tuned to this page for schedule adjustments we may need to implement due to club events that may cause us to need to be flexible like big races that use the stadium etc.
