Kids Activities

Race Team

Race Team

The Fernie Nordic Racers is our own ski racing team. Aged from 9 and up, the team members follow a regular training before and during the ski season. They aim to improve their skills in a fun way.

Racers logo

The main goal of the Fernie Nordic Racers program is to establish a healthy, nurturing competitive environment. We feel that competition provides one of the best opportunities for children to be exposed to rules and social values as well as defining the need to get along well with others and be accepted as part of a team. The team will put a strong emphasis on promoting values such as tolerance, fairness and responsibility.

Improving skills while having fun!

One of our key initiatives is to have fun while learning to ski fast on nordic skis. We believe nordic skiing is a lifelong sport that promotes a well-rounded physical fitness base. Team members establish friendships with kids of different ages, from different schools and from various communities. These friendships play a positive role in their social development and add to the primary focus of having fun while skiing. Skiers learn both skate and classic nordic ski techniques. Positive attitude and sportsmanship are stressed.

Individual goals

Some team members seek high-level competition while others take a recreational approach to the sport and may not compete in races. Regardless of their level of competition, kids will have a lot of fun and develop healthy, life-long skiing skills and an appreciation of the beautiful mountain outdoors. Team members are encouraged to learn to be responsible for themselves in term of keeping track of all their gear, having appropriate clothing, water and snacks, and learning to maintain their own skis.

Any questions? Get in touch with a volunteer.

Join our team!

The 2024-2025 season of the Fernie Nordic Society will be the 11th year of the Fernie Nordic Racers. Our race team is for skiers 9 years or older who have been previously enrolled in nordic ski lessons for at least one season. If your child is interested in joining the team, please contact the Coach Johnny before September 30, 2024 through the Contact Us page on this site.
Visit this page at Zone4.ca to join the team!

For a more detailed explanation on this program, please follow this link to the excellent site of Nordiq Canada.

Becky Scott with 2015 winners
2019 winners
Our fourth time winners!
racers training
Dry-land off season training
racers training
Indoor summer training

New ski gear for our young skiers

Nordic Skier home, kids activities, RSS ,
sdp ski gear

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!

guide's hut ad


Nordiq Canada Fundraiser

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

10th Annual Community Fun R***s

10th Annual Community Fun R***s

The event will happen on February 24, 2024 on the trails of the Elk Valley Nordic Centre.

Come to ski, come to race, or come to cheer! Compete against your friends and enjoy the great trails. This is an annual community event that is really a fun race open to everyone. Participation is open to all skiers, club members or non-members alike, all ages and abilities.

As in previous years, there are several popular categories to choose from, a short distance and a longer one for the young or older skiers – your choice! – and the Chariot Glide category with an adult pulling a chariot with a passenger. The keyword here is FUN, so wear a funny hat or costume if you dare!

The event in 2024 will be held on the trails of the Elk Valley Nordic Centre. Participation is free for members of the Fernie Nordic Society. A trail pass is required for non-members. Our goal to make it a fun event for young skiers as well as older ones. Thank you to all volunteers organizing this event.

2024 COMMUNITY FUN RACES!

LOCATION:    Elk Valley Nordic Centre on Mt. Fernie Provincial Park Road (maps HERE)

DATE/TIME:    Saturday, February 24th with a 10:00 am start for bib pickup

Two ski courses to choose from. The 3 km long loop up the Lizard Lookout, around the Cedar Loop and back to the finish. The longer 7.5 km course goes across the bridge, around the Galloway Loop and back to the finish line. I hear there may be prizes or medals on the line?!

Participation in this event is free for everyone although non FNS members require a trail pass $15.

Registration/bib pick-up and warm-up will start at 10:00 a.m. and the race will beging promptly at 10:30 a.m., following a quick racer meeting. Cost of registration includes daily trail pass.

Parking may be limited, so please follow the indications from the parking attendants when you arrive.

Categories and distances

  • Lizard Lookout and Cedar Loop – 3 km – (all ages & Chariot Glide)
  • Galloway Loop – 7.5 km (teens and adults)

Register online here

Register for the event here. Non FNS members can purchase their trail pass at the same time.

Click here to register

Gentle notes!

  • Each 3 km and 7.5 km wave is a mass start
  • All for fun, fun, fun.
  • Costumes encouraged!
  • Don’t have nordic skis? Call The Quest at (250) 423-9252 or Gear Hub at (250) 423-5555 for rentals. Locations may be found HERE
  • If you’d like to help with this event, please visit our SignUpGenius page to choose an easy task

Two courses to pick from

community race 2024
3 km Course
community race 2024
7.5 km Course

Results of the last event in February 2023

Details of the times for each participant are shown on the www.webscorer.com website. Click on the following icons to access each page.

Races

Click here for results

Relays

Click here for results

Thank you to our hosts and sponsors!

Fernie Golf Club, Happy Cow Fernie, Fernie Chiropractic Inc,
Mantra Spirit Studio Fernie, Le Bon Pain Fernie, The Quest Fall Line Snow Sports,
Fernie Brewing Co., The Vogue Theater, Giv’er Shirt Works, Big Bang Bagels, City of Fernie

city of fernie

Previous Events

Inclement Weather Protocol

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FERNIE NORDIC SOCIETY (FNS) FACILITY CLOSURE POLICIES
INCLEMENT WEATHER PROTOCOL
Ambassador, Grooming & Skill Development Programs

This policy PDF is available for download

This policy provides guidance regarding the Fernie Nordic Society’s operations, including our Ambassador Program which supports the opening & closing of the Elk Valley Nordic Centre (EVNC) warming hut, grooming program, events & our Skill Development Program (SDP) during inclement weather. The policy does not apply to recreational skiers who are advised to “ski at their own risk”. However some services may not be provided during some weather conditions.

FNS reserves the right to close the EVNC and Fernie Golf Club trails, including the EVNC warming hut; this may happen at any time due to excessive rain events, wind events, lightning, cold and any other extreme weather phenomenon. The Ambassador Program that operates the EVNC warming hut will only be operated at temperatures of -20C or warmer. SDP & events will be cancelled at temperatures below -15C.

AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
The volunteer run ambassador program may be operated at temperatures of -20C or warmer. The persons responsible for making this call are Mike DeJong & FNS board of directors; specifically Jane Stevens, club secretary & lead of the program. If temperatures are colder than -20C, **the warming hut will not be opened** and a fire will not be laid.

VOLUNTEER GROOMING PROGRAM
The grooming equipment may operate at temperatures of -20C or warmer. The person responsible for making this call is Mike DeJong & FNS board of directors. Volunteer groomers are asked to stay very close to the EVNC warming hut on cold days. If the temperatures are colder than -20C, the grooming equipment will not operate for the safety of the volunteers.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM & EVENTS
SDP (Events will observe the SDP guidelines) will be cancelled at temperatures below -15C as measured/estimated at or before noon on Tuesday & Thursday & the night before or early morning on Saturday at the EVNC. FNS grooming & operations director Mike DeJong; alternatively, the FNS board of directors, is responsible determining if the lessons need to be cancelled and for informing FNS Administrator, Alisha Rella, of the decision. Alisha Rella is responsible for informing the SDP coaches & SDP families via email & social media if the session has been cancelled. SDP coaches should consider the following safety measures when skiing with young children during cold days (temperatures below –10C).

  • If children are inappropriately dressed they should be excused from the session and their parent should be notified.
  • Inform skiers and parents that a hat should be worn at all times. Ensure ears are covered to avoid frostbite.
  • Bring children inside when they say they are cold.
  • Choose areas that are protected from the wind and avoid activities in open areas.
  • Keep the young children close to the Warming Hut in the event that someone does get cold.
  • Allow additional time to warm-up; it takes longer to get the body warmed-up for sport activity in cold weather.
  • If in doubt cut the session short.