One final spring ski in La Mauricie National Park, Quebec. Photo: M. Pilotto
What a winter! Hot and cold and everything in between. I hope you managed to get through what was a trying ski season. I survived watching folks practice teaching in minus 27 C conditions at Nelson, B.C. Two weeks earlier, I had done the same thing in the same place, that time in the rain. But I skied some fabulous powder after receiving 95 centimetres of fresh snow in four days up in the Dezaiko Range. It was a tricky winter, but it was a fun winter. In the end, I hope yours was too. In late March, I was happy to get to SilverStar for the last day of the cross country Level IV course conducted by Jessica Stichelbout and John Gallagher. Four candidates successfully completed the course, and I welcome Adam Achs, Tony Fiala, Heather Lamson and Greg Munby to the “Order of the Four.” Congratulations to the four of you! I encourage Cyd, Jenia, Alison, Karen, Tracy and Daniel to continue the “climb up the mountain.” I understand the feeling of not getting there on your first attempt, despite giving it your best shot. I encourage you to try again next year. I'll be there to congratulate you when you reach the summit. As part of the same course, my good friend Michael Thomas apprenticed to be a cross country Level IV course conductor. I am delighted to announce that Michael was successful as he has put in the time and effort. Cypress Mountain Nordic has a very special leader running its nordic program. Well done, Michael. I would also like to extend my congratulations to Martin Beland and René-Martin Trudel, both of whom achieved a new level of telemark course conductor. Martin achieved his Level ll and René-Martin his Level l. Mae Hooper achieved her cross country Level ll course conductor as well. Congratulations to you all! Coming up at the end of April, Nordiq Canada will host its annual Nordiq Canada Coach Conference in Canmore, Alberta. Thank you to those of you who answered my call to attend the conference and represent CANSI. Jessica Stichelbout, Guy Paulsen and Tony Fiala, along with team captain Henry Madsen, will represent CANSI. It is my hope that sending such a strong group will show Nordiq Canada how serious CANSI is in finding future avenues for collaboration. Putting more Canadians on cross country skis should be the overarching aim of our organizations. I believe we can achieve this through collaboration. Finally, I would like to thank Rob Henderson for his efforts in organizing the on-snow sessions for upper-level cross country course conductors, held in November and March at Sovereign Lake. These sessions are proving fruitful in honing our technical skill development. From these sessions, video and descriptive wording is being developed with an eye to helping you and your teaching with clear examples of what good technique should look like. Thank you, Rob and your team, for the work you are doing. That's it for me for this season. I look forward to the next newsletter in the fall. I would be remiss if I didn't thank Ann Sullivan and Mireille Pilotto for the work they do in producing the monthly newsletters. Thank you both so much. Have a great summer! Denys Lawrence, CANSI President
CANSI Instructors had fun in the sun on St. Patrick’s Day at Sovereign Lake Nordic Club and Silver Star Mountain Resort. Back row from left: Heather Lamson, John Gallagher, Jenia Tishkina-Norman, Adam Achs, Greg Munby, Michael Thomas, Karen Evans, Jessica Stichelbout Front row from left: Daniel Talbot, Tony Fiala, Cyd Fraser, Tracy Kelly, Alison Hart Photo: Rob Henderson
Members of the Canadian team at Interski 2023 in Levi, Finland
Interski is an organization consisting of 31 nations and three international specialized organizations. It promotes, coordinates and develops all international matters relevant to snowsports instruction.* CANSI members may be aware of Interski, the world-leading congress of snowsports-teaching nations that meets every four years to demonstrate and compare techniques and methodologies. Attendance at Interski is vital for the promotion and development of participating organizations, and it ensures their certifications are relevant in the eyes of the global snowsports industry.* The next Interski Congress will be held in Vail, Colorado, in April 2027. CANSI, at the invitation of the CSIA, hopes to send a team of cross country and telemark participants, and we are seeking expressions of interest from any members who may want to be involved. As a participant, you will be expected to present in the opening and closing ceremony show runs as well as in technical demonstrations, workshops and inside lectures. You will also watch demonstrations by other nations and attend their workshops and lectures. The event is a very busy week, so we hope to have six members from each discipline to allow us to attend all the relevant workshops and lectures. A selection process is being developed, and successful applicants will be asked to report their observations to the CANSI general membership during and after the congress. Participation is partly subsidized by the association, but team members will be responsible for the majority of their costs, expected to be approximately $5,670 USD plus transportation to Vail. If you are interested in taking part in Interski 2027, please email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. John Gallagher, XC instructor Level IV Cross country coach, CANSI Interski 2023 team *Summarized from the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA) e-newsletter, March 26, 2024.
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