For the upcoming 2024-25 season, the UBC Nordic Ski Team will have two streams for prospective athletes to join the team through. The first stream is the Competition Group, for which athletes are expected to attend most practices and at least 2 race or training trips throughout the ski season. Athletes in the Competition Group are expected to have prior racing experience in both classic and skate skiing. The second option is our Practice Group, which allows athletes of all skiing experiences to join the UBC Nordic Skiing community, without requiring a commitment to racing or prior racing experience. No matter what group, all athletes are encouraged to attend all practices as well as team socials and events.

Athletes wishing to join either the Competition or Practice Roster can contact us at nordicski.sc@ubc.ca or find the TSC booth and Nordic Skiing Representatives on Imagine Day. We can also be reached on social media at @ubcnordicskiing for Instagram.

Eligibility Requirements:

We expect athletes to be dedicated team members and students. While prior racing experience is highly encouraged for the Competition Group, it is not a prerequisite for the Practice Group. Most importantly, athletes should be highly motivated, bring a good attitude, be willing to be a part of the team community, and be able to attend practices on a weekly basis.

Equipment Requirements:

• Basic Running Gear
• Properly fitted skate skis, boots, and poles
• Properly fitted classic skis, boots, and poles
• Basic wax setup (glide and kick)
• Rollerskis optional (helmet mandatory if choosing to rollerski)

The start of our 2023-24 race season kicked off in our January races where our athletes showcased how hard they’ve been training. In February, we came out of a weekend of racing at the Teck BC Cup #2 with 9 top 3 podium finishes in the Saturday classic sprint and 8 in the Sunday skate distance race. For the remainder of our season, our athletes showed growth in both results and team camaraderie. From going head to head with the best in the country at the National Championships, to competing in the 50 km P’ayak loppet in questionable snow conditions, it was a season for the books. Overall, we came out of our race season with a provincial UBC sweep, with 7 athletes awarded the top 3 University Aggregate Awards and approximately 5000 kilometres of collective skiing.

We are also proud to come away from the 2023-24 season with numerous TSC-granted awards including the Executives of the Year Award, our club leads Maggie Beckner and Reese Critchlow winning the Student Leadership Award, and graduating teammate Rachel Bates achieving the Legacy Award.

Nordic skiing at UBC has had an irregular history. From existing as an amalgamation of student-athletes to a club, to a varsity sport in the early 2000s, to a TSC club in 2015, to an
amalgamation of student-athletes again in 2017, and finally to our current status as a TSC club in 2018, we have certainly undergone some changes over time. What has remained constant is our tight-knit community and high level of racing and performance. Alumni still participate in races with UBC and regularly provide carpool rides to new members and rookies. Support from community stores, clubs, and organizations such as Hollyburn and Coast Outdoors has allowed us to regularly send athletes to races near and far. Over the years, UBC has consistently sent skiers to national championship races, as well as internationally to the United States and overseas. In 2011, UBC’s Jesse Heckrodt attended the World University Games in Turkey, where he led the Canadian men to a 31st-place finish.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact an executive member at nordicski.sc@ubc.ca, or via our Instagram page @ubcnordicskiing!

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