Youth Nordic Ski Racing Gets Kicking in Ohio and Western Pennsylvania

Sun, Jan  28, 2007 - By Tom Cook

The Ohio Nordic Ski Club, Hilltoppers XC and the Pennsylvania Cross Country Ski Association (PACCSA) are pleased to announce the revival of youth Nordic ski racing in the snowbelt region of Lake Erie, with junior races scheduled on consecutive weekends in late January and early February.

On Sunday, January 28th a 2K junior freestyle race will be held at Chapin Forest Pine Lodge Ski Center in Kirtland, OH hosted by Lake Metroparks. The Pennsylvania junior race, also 2K, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 4th at Laurel Ridge Cross Country Ski Center organized by PACCSA.

Both youth events will be held in conjunction with the traditional state championship races, with separate skate and classical races each day. The Ohio junior freestyle race will be held immediately following the 5K classical and 10K skate events.

An exhibition junior sprint race will also be held at Ohiopyle State Park on Saturday, February 3rd as part of the Ohiopyle Winter Festival hosted by Friends of Ohiopyle. The coaches and skiers of Hilltoppers XC, the youth skier development program of the Ohio Nordic Ski Club, will also be providing free ski instruction and youth ski rentals along with additional rentals donated by the YMCA Outdoor Family Center in Perry, OH.

The youth ski events are being made possible with sponsorship and other support from Alpina and Toko.