Canmore set to host FIS Cross-Country World Cup

It's the first time in eight years that the Canmore Nordic Centre is hosting a World Cup. Athletes from 19 different countries will spend two weeks in the mountain town west of Calgary for the event that kicks off Feb. 9.

Norbert Meier is the events chair and says the centre is one of the best cross-country ski venues in the world and it's open to skiers of all abilities throughout the season.

"We have an incredible facility thanks to the Olympics back in 88," he said. "It's been maintained and upgraded by the province in the 35 years since and it's phenomenal."

Meier says the area has seen some massive fluctuations in temperature for the month of January and track groomers are out every day maintaining the trails.

"We're weather watchers at this point," he said. "Clearly 15 degree daytime highs are not great for us but as long as it stays cold overnight, the snow holds up really well."

Meier says the snowmaking operation began in November at the facility to create a good base and he says that man-made snow holds up better than natural snow to warm temperatures.

The forecast suggests that temperatures may have peaked Tuesday, when they reached 15 degrees.

"We're hoping the forecast is correct and that it'll get colder on the weekend and maybe a bit of snow," he said. "So next week should be really great racing conditions because we start with a really good base of man-made snow."

Meier is expecting big crowds to watch the international competitors because the courses are spread out and that allows for more spectators.

"The thing about the Nordic center, there's so many places you can stand by the trail and watch the race," he said. "We'll get 15,000 people here and you'll feel the big buzz in the stadium but it's really on the corners up on the course, along the stretches and so on that people will line the course you know five, six, seven, eight  people deep and cheer so it's a big spectator sport."

VOLUNTEERS

A world event needs volunteers to make it run smoothly. Tara Spenrath is the manager of volunteers and says close to 350 people have signed up, one from as far away as Germany.

"After the pandemic we really saw a huge growth in the cross country sport and huge interest in it," she said. "Now people want to be involved, they want to see their idols in person and it's amazing and southern Alberta has a strong history of volunteerism."

Spenrath says her team will have a number of responsibilities.

"Everything from sorting our trash to help with our green initiatives to being out on the snow and being actual officials within the race," she said. "Each day we'll have minimum 200 people here at a time."

In 2008 Chandra Crawford won her first World Cup event at the Nordic Centre. Now the three time Olympian and gold medalist is a mother of four but still remembers training on the trails in her home town.

"I remember feeling nervous and I might train too fast or too slow, like it's just so exciting to prepare," she said.

She's looking forward to watching the national team and some of Canada's up and coming stars of the sport.

"When it's a race here at home, we get to have an extra dozen Canadians racing," she said. "So a lot of our young skiers, this is the most important race of the year for them, their big chance."

While Crawford will be hosting a number of VIP events for the World Cup, she says there are many other activities happening in the mountain town during the event.

"There are things for people who don't even care about ski racing," she said. "There's an Artwalk, a Nordic Market, there's a Fan Zone, and it’s going to be a whole tada, right and these mild temperatures? Not bad for spectating."

CHALLENGING CIRCUIT

Katie Weaver and Julian Smith are national team members and out for a late morning ski. Weaver lives in Canmore and trains here regularly. She says it's a challenging circuit with a lot of hills to climb.

"A couple of weeks ago I heard that it was minus 40," she said. "Now it is plus 10 so a big change in temperatures but I think it'll be cooling off for the World Cup and it'll be hard, fast conditions."

Smith grew up in Ontario and enjoys skiing at the Nordic Centre that he says has one of the fastest and longest straightaway finishes on the World Cup tour. He's hoping for big crowds.

"That's something that cross-country skiing needs," he said. "But also what we want so it's going to be really cool to have friends and family out seeing us and cheering us and supporting us but also just to have a crowd that wants the Canadians to ski their fastest."

Learn more about the Canmore World Cup here: https://www.albertaworldcup.com