Strider Gliders
It’s 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Do you know where your children are? If you live in North Lake Tahoe and it is sometime between January and March, there is a pretty good chance they are at Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area in Tahoe City: laughing, falling down, getting back up, and having a whole lotta’ fun cross-country skiing as part of the Strider-Gliders After School Ski Program. Now in its ninth year, the program enrolls almost 150 kids, from four-year-old preschoolers to 5th graders, who join 35 instructors to find joy on the snow.
The goals of the program are simple: teach children how to cross-country ski and make sure they enjoy themselves doing it. One afternoon a week for eight weeks, students join other children of similar ability levels. They play games, have fun and learn how to ski. But the program is not designed to just get kids out skiing once a week: in November participants received cross-country skis, boots and poles on loan, and for the rest of this season can ski anytime they want at Tahoe XC. Many Strider-Glider kids can be seen on weekends, teaching their parents how it’s done.
Valli Murnane, Tahoe Cross Country Ski Education Association Director says, ‘the Strider-Glider program’s goal is to teach children to cross-country ski with confidence through playing games, development of skills, and by having a lot of fun. When a preschooler starts the program we want to see them continue to ski for the rest of their lives.’
While the primary focus of the program is to introduce kids to the sport, for some skiers, Strider-Gliders is the beginning of a life-long passion. Former Strider-Glider Michelle Cahill is now a 9th grader who skis for the North Tahoe High School Nordic Team. She started skiing when she was three, but it was Strider-Gliders that really got her excited about the sport. ‘Strider-Gliders helped me learn better technique, but it also made it a lot more fun because I got to ski with my friends,’ she said. ‘ My last year of Strider-Gliders I raced in The Kids Great Ski Race and then The Great Ski Race.’
Stretch It Out, Before and After
It’s the beginning of ski season and you can’t wait to get out there. But have you stretched? Are you flexible? Have you built up your muscle strength? One way to make sure your body is ready to ski is to regularly attend yoga classes. At The Yoga Space in Tahoe City a variety of classes are presented seven days a week, including the Yoga for Skiers class on Wednesday evenings. In January you can attend a Yoga-Ski Workshop presented by Tahoe Cross-Country and The Yoga Space, which begins with a yoga class designed specifically to focus on the muscle groups used in skate skiing, and is followed by a skate skiing lesson to put your yoga training to work on your skiing. Workshops are scheduled for January 6 and January 27. yogaspacetahoe.com , 530-581-1933.
In Truckee, the Tahoe Yoga and Wellness Center recommends a Yin yoga class, which is designed to deeply stretch those tight hamstrings. Tahoeyoga.com, 530-550-8333. The Lake Tahoe Wellness Center in Kings Beach has a ‘Yoga for Athletic Performance Class’ on Thursdays. Laketahoewellnesscenter.com, 530-546-8201.
Ski Races
Cross-country ski races are the ultimate community event, attracting every level of skier from Olympic-caliber racers to folks out for a relaxing day in the snow. The West’s most popular cross-country ski race, The Great Ski Race, runs from Tahoe City and ends at the Cottonwood Restaurant. Winners cross the finish line in just over an hour, while many racers take over three hours, some over five hours. But when the partying begins at the finish line, no one cares what your time was. So get out there and enjoy winter by participating in a cross-country ski race. For a complete schedule of races in the Sierra, go to farwestnordic.org
Upcoming Races: Even if you can’t pronounce it, you can still ski in the Sierra Skogsloppet on January 21 at Tahoe Donner Cross-Country. This 15-kilometer race starts at 10 a.m. on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. 530-587-9484, tahoedonner.com.
On February 10 race in The Alpenglow 20K at Tahoe Cross-Country. This popular race was cancelled last year due to a lack of snow, so this year be sure to get out there and enjoy this great local event. The race begins at 10 a.m. 530-583-5475, tahoexc.org.
Ready to take a Nordic holiday in February? How about heading to Yosemite? The Nordic Holiday race (striding only) is scheduled for February 23, and the Glacier Point Skate Race takes place on February 24. Enjoy the weekend and one of the world’s most incredible views from Glacier Point (it’s a race, but unless you are planning on winning, it is worth it to bring a camera and stop on the hairpin turns for the awesome view of Half Dome). While you are there, be sure to check out the waterfalls in full glory in Yosemite Valley. 209-372-8444, Yosemitepark.com.
~ Tim’s latest book is ‘Cross-Country Skiing in the Sierra Nevada.’ He teaches at Tahoe Cross-Country ski area.
