Meet our dedicated coaches for the 2025 season of our Skill Development Program. All lessons are happening at the Elk Valley Nordic Centre on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Coaches Corner
kids activities
Skill Development Program
The ski lessons of the SDP program are going ahead for the 2024 – 2025 season. Lessons are expected to start in early January.
The Skill Development Program offered to our young skiers by the Fernie Nordic Society was actually developed by the nation-wide organization Nordiq Canada. The program is standardized across the country. All our volunteer coaches are trained according to the established structure to provide a consistent level of training to our skiers.
The levels in the program are aimed at the various age groups:
- Bunnyrabbit Program for children 5 years and younger
- Jackrabbit Program for children from 6 to 9 years old
- Track Attack Program for children 10 years and older
The Fernie Nordic Society provides training at these levels at our weekly Saturday morning and Tuesday or Thrursday after school sessions. Lessons run from January to March all at the Elk Valley Nordic Centre. Events may combine the efforts of other clubs nearby. This is a great opportunity for young skiers to improve their skills in a fun atmosphere and to challenge themselves.
Saturday Lessons
10:30 – 11:30 am
Tuesday After School
Lessons
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Thursday After School
Lessons
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Cost of lessons
Bunnyrabbit $60 for either the Saturday, Tuesday or Thursday sessions
Jackrabbit $70 for either the Saturday, Tuesday or Thursday sessions
TrackAttack $80 for either the Saturday or Tuesday sessions
Please note that enrollment into the program is done ONLINE for the 2024-2025 season. Please visit the online Zone4.ca page to register your child. Classic ski rentals for the season are available for youngsters enrolled in our program at a very low cost. Be sure to select this option during the online registration.
For more information about our program, or to register your child, you may also use our Contact Us page.
Important Documents
The documents attached below are our basic guidelines for running a fair training program for our young skiers. They are aimed at our parents and our volunteer coaches. We ask all parents and coaches of the 2024-2025 season to read them, to sign the relevant release forms and return to the coaches at the first ski lesson.
Documents (click to open and/or save):
Coaching Code of Conduct
Parents Responsibilities
Parents Fair Play & Photo Release
KAL TIRE is sponsoring the province-wide
SDP program again this year
Great Pumpkin Hunt on October 19
The 8th Annual Great Fernie Pumpkin Hunt returns. Family fun at the Elk Valley Nordic Centre.
Visit our friends at The Guide’s Hut on 2nd Ave in Fernie & pick up your tickets today for a community favourite!!
Two time slots available: 11 am to 12 pm or 12:30 pm to 13:30 pm
Tickets $10 each (**cash only**)
What to expect:
- ticket is valid for one pumpkin during the ticket time shown. Come early or stay late to enjoy all the other activities!!
- hot chocolate and coffee (please bring your own reusable mug)
- marshmallow roasting
- photos by donation
- crepes by donation
- parking in the Mt Fernie Prov. Park parking lot. Please use caution when parking along the roadways
- please leave your furry friends at home
- natural hazards exist at the Elk Valley Nordic Centre, please use caution & enter at your own risk
Bring yourselves, your family & your friends!
If you would like to volunteer to help with the event,
please visit out SignUpGenius page. Thank you!
A big thank you to our sponsors this year: Columbia Basin Trust, Save-On-Foods, The Guide’s Hut, Starbucks, EVR, Freshies and more.
Events planned for 2024-2025 season
The 8th Annual Great Fernie Pumpkin Hunt
The Fernie Nordic Society is excited to be hosting one of our community’s favourite events of the year! This popular event is open to the general public and is aimed at children up to 9 year old and their family. A great family event happening at the Nordic Centre.
What to expect?
When: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Where: Elk Valley Nordic Centre next to Mt Fernie Provincial park south of Fernie
Cost: $10 per pumpkin. Get your tickets now from The Guide’s Hut on 2nd Ave in Fernie (cash only)
- Fun searching for your favourite pumpkin!
- Hot chocolate (bring own mug)
- Marshmallow roasting
- Crepes by donation
- Emily Park Photography & more!
Parking: Ample parking available nearby in the park parking lot.
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11th Annual Community Fun Event
The Community Fun Event is returning on Saturday February 22, 2025 on the trails of the Elk Valley Nordic Centre. The event is open to everyone, club members and non-members alike.
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6th Annual Fernie Flying Viking Challenge
How about a fun challenge for yourself and your friends? Ski on the 25 km circuit of trails from the warming hut of the Elk Valley Nordic Centre and the trails of the Fernie Alpine Resort. There is a prize for best costume! A short ride on the chairlift is included in the fun. Do the loop twice to complete the event. Or a partner and you may ski the circuit together once, adding up to 50 km.
There are categories for Mini-Vikings too! Ski as fast or as slow as you want, by yourself or with a friend, on either a 1.3 km, 3.4 km or 7.5 km course. Add some fun with a costume..
Where: Elk Valley Nordic Centre
When: Sunday, March 23, 2025
Read More: our main event page is https://www.fernienordic.com/vikingchallenge
Registration Page: https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=340859
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More events to come:
Several of our group events should return this season:
- Full Moon Skis at the golf course or at the Nordic Centre
- Griz Days event
- Community Fun Races
- Fernie Flying Viking Challenge
- Illuminated warming hut area on Saturday evenings from 6 to 8 pm at the Nordic Centre
Check our calendar HERE. Make sure that you are on our email list so you do not miss anything.
P.S. the club is still looking for an energetic person to take the lead on some of these events. Give us a shout! It will be much rewarding.
2024-2025 Racers Information Package
New ski gear for our young skiers
Our club is working on getting new gear to replace the rental gear used by the kids in the Skill Development Program. Some of the gear is already ten years old. Here is another opportunity to help the club.
First the club is starting a fundraiser through Nordiq Canada toward this goal. And locally, The Guide’s Hut right here in Fernie has donated $2,000 worth of ski equipment with some additional amount related to the sales during February.
The Guide’s Hut
Supporting local businesses is supporting your community!!
The Guide’s Hut has so graciously donated $2,000 worth of junior nordic ski equipment to the children & youth’s programming junior rental fleet! Additionally, they will be donating a portion of the total sales of Nordic equipment sold in February up to a total of $2,000.
Looking for Nordic equipment & the opportunity to support FNS?
Visit our friends over at The Guide’s Hut & check out their awesome selection of inventory in store! The team can usually have skis set up & ready to go same day!
THANK YOU The Guide’s Hut
And thank you members, community & guests for supporting local small businesses & non-profit organizations!
Nordiq Canada Fundraiser
Give toward our goal of updating our fleet of ski gear for our young skiers. A fundraiser page is up at www.canadahelps.org/
A tax receipt will be issued for your generous donation.
Use the button below to visit the page today.
I want to make a donation