Warm weather did not stop the skiers from participating in the Teck Northern Cup series race in 100 Mile House, but they did need to take special care of their skis.
The Teck Northern Cup is a series of races held across northern B.C. throughout February and early March. The series came to the 100 Mile Nordics Ski Club on Feb. 22, and it did not disappoint. Around 42 racers from across B.C. came to compete including sikers from the local 100 Mile Nordics Ski Club, the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club based in Prince George and the Overlander Ski Club in Kamloops.
However, in the days prior to the race temperatures were quite warm and snow was melting across 100 Mile House. This thankfully did not affect the race, however, special precautions had to be taken.
"It's warm. So warm that we have to use a special kind of wax called cluster," said Noah Duncan, a skiier with the 100 Mile Nordic Ski Club who won gold in the U16 Boys Division. "It's more like glue almost, and just helps to get a better grip in icy conditions."
Duncan was not the only skiier who had to apply such a wax as Jaxson Leclair, another 100 Mile Nordics competitor, also had to do so.
"It was just too slippery - and it was also very warm today," Leclair said.
However, Leclair added that it was very nice that the weather was warm as if it had been cold, everyone would have been in the 100 Mile Nordic Ski Club's Lodge to try and stay warm.
Leclair, who participated in the U12 Boys division of the race, went on to win a silver medal. He said that winning the silver medal felt very good.
"I haven't won a medal in, let's say, a year," he said.
Duncan has had a similar reaction, though this was the first time he's ever won gold.
"I feel nice. Actually, I was pretty excited when I got silver too," he said. Duncan had previously raced once before in the Teck Northern Cup series. He said that the toughest part of the race was by the time it was about to end.
"The end part is always the hardest," Duncan said. "You're the most tired at the end of the race."
Leclair stated that it was just nice to see people from all over B.C. competing in the event.
"It was interesting. It was just a really good race," Leclair said. He also praised the amount of work that was needed to get the Teck Northern Cup race to run smoothly.
"Thank you to (the volunteer), there were a lot of people."
Race organizer Gary Carlson said that the conditions of the ski trail were very nice, having talked to a lot of the racers, noting that they were "happy with the whole course".
"The condition held up very nicely, so Mother Nature was kind of in our favour," Carlson said. "We've got all these volunteers - 80 plus volunteers - that we really want to thank. And all the skiiers seem very happy.
"I think, all in all, it was a very successful race."
As for the Teck Northern Cup series, the next race is scheduled to take place on Mar. 8 in Vanderhoof.
