The sun was shining on a crisp, clear day at the Bulkley Valley Nordic Centre last Sunday for the Bulkley Valley Open classic cross country ski race. A total of 67 skiers braved tricky conditions and fast downhill sections to take part in the race, said race organizer Steve Osborn. The tracks were so fast that two steep sections were bypassed at the last minute due to safety concerns.
“It’s a more challenging race this time,” he said. “It’s tricky for waxing, and the waxing part really counts for conditions like this.”
A solid group of 13 skiers under the age of nine took part in gaining racing experience, in an 800m course for the Atom division. In the Pee Wee Girls (9-10) race, Zoe Hallman won, followed by Caelen Ragsdale and Lydia Claire Lesawich. On the boys side, Jesse Smids won the Pee Wee race, with Marco Bucher in second and Gabriel Vandenberg in third. In Mini Midget Boys (11-12), Hamish Woods finished in first, followed by Skyler Recknell and Ethan Bucher. Gianna Ragsdale was the top finisher in Mini Midget Girls (11), with Magda Vandenberg in second and Amanda Wilson in third. In Midget Boys (13-14), Gabriel Price was first, David Walker second and Cody Askew third. In the Girls Midget race, Stephanie Wilson finished first, followed by Janay Ma and Ria Vandenberg. Kate Woods was the sole Juvenile Girls racer, and finished her 5 km course with a solid time of 18:58. The Junior Girls (16-17) race was won by Kaileen McCulloch, with Kayleigh Cuell in second and Johanna Vandenberg in third.
In the Open Men 15 km race, Chris Werrell finished in first, with Craig Osborn in second and Peter Krause in third. In the Open Women race, Teresa White was first, Irene Ronalds second and Anne-Marie Findlay third. For the Master Men (40-49) 10 km race, Kevin Kriese was the top finisher, followed by Marek Napiorkowski and James Cuell. Sybille Haeussier raced alone in her Master Women (50-59) 10 km race, as did Jody Barber in the Para Standing 10 km.
The race was followed by a separate event, the annual Buchfink Family Lodge Day, which happens on the last Sunday of January each year. A spot ski, which involves checking off several spots along an untimed skiing route, was one of the activities during the celebration of the lives and volunteering spirit of the Buchfink family. Prizes, food and drinks were also shared with nordic club members.