The Bulkley Valley Nordic Center welcomed 182 skiers for the mass start at their 33rd annual Wetzin’kwa Loppet.
Roger McMillan won the 60 km event in an outstanding performance by finishing three laps of the 20 km course in three hours, 16 minutes, 56.5 seconds.
Also of note were local U18 skiers Maya Clarke-Doering, Darah Gillis and Caitlyn Gillis who were three of only nine participants to complete the 60 km distance and U12 skiers Morgan Hamhuis and Ethan Rosenberger who were the youngest two skiers to finish the 40 km distance.
The chief of competition for the event, Robbie Dunbar, said that the Wetzin’kwa Loppet is all about participation and going the long haul. He said it was encouraging to see such high levels of participation in the event.
Almost 50 of the racers were part of the club’s Rabbit Ski Program, which offers kids four to 10 years old weekly cross-country ski lessons. Prior to the mass start, there was a parade and these young skiers showed off what they had learned while gliding (and shuffling) around the stadium.
To wrap up the day all skiers, their families and more than 50 volunteers who supported the race were invited to mingle and celebrate at a barbecue.
Dunbar said it was a beautiful, sunny day with the air temperature hovering around 0 C.
This is the first time the club has been able to host a mass start at the Wetzin’kwa Loppet in three years. In 2020, the race was cancelled altogether and in 2021 they hosted a virtual version.
This year they tried a hybrid model of the race, with the mass start event on March 12 and an option to complete the race virtually between March 13 and 20.
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1 km Bunny Trail Free Mass Start
Riley Holtzman; Rabbits male
Robin Wiggill; U12 male
Freya Guillon; Rabbits female
3 km Bunny Trail Free Mass Start
Ronen Pearce; Rabbits male
Soren Hersee; U12 male
Steve Williams; 18+ male
Emma Ellis; Rabbits female
Isla Hurry; U12 female
9 km Free Mass Start
Kohen Sanborn; U12 male
Leif Bourrie; U18 male
Dustin Hersee; 18+ male
Macey Nisbet; U12 female
Kate Wills; 18+ female
9 km Classic Mass Start
Nicholas Maclean; 18+ male
Morgan Pellow; 18 + female
20 km Free Mass Start
Gabriel Wimbush; U12 male
Finlay Beedle; U18 male
Ryan Chapman; 18+ male
Maisie Hoehn; U12 female
Gabby Hoehn; U18 female
Abby Morgan; 18+ female
20 km Classic Mass Start
Eric Holdijk; 18+ male
Ali Howard; 18+ female
40 km Free Mass Start
Ethan Rosenberger; U12 male
Caedmon Dunbar; U18 male
Michael Jordan; 18+ male
Morgan Hamhuis; U12 female
Wren Williston; U18 female
Nellie Dow; 18+ female
40 km Classic Mass Start
Len Vanderstar; 18+ male
Andrea Scarth; 18+ female
60 km Free Mass Start
Roger McMillan; 18+ male
Maya Clarke-Doering; U18 female
Helene Fleury; 18+ female
60 km Classic Mass Start
Alex Woods; 18+ male
Theresa White; 18+ female
1 km Virtual
Ethan Rosenberger; U12 male
3 km Virtual
Finn Rosenberger; U12 male
Isla Hurry; U12 female
Adrianne Rosenberger; 18+ female
10 km Free Virtual
Ethan Rosenberger; U12 male
Duran Hurry; 18+ male
Yeva Glover; 18+ female
10 km Classic Virtual
Robbie Dunbar; 18+ male
Poppy Dubar; 18 + female
20 km Free Virtual
Ethan Rosenberger; U12 male
Mike McMillan; 18+ male
Yeva Glover; 18+ female
20 km Classic Virtual
Robbie Dunbar; 18+ male
Cobey Oliemans; 18+ female
32 km Free Virtual
Kohen Sanborn; U12 male
Mike McMillan; 18+ male
Elsa Nisbet; U12 female
Abby Morgan; 18+ female
32 km Classic Virtual
Mark Gillis; 18+ male
Ali Howard; 18+ female
