CCC:Best wishes to Dave Wood on new career opportunity

Tue, Jun  1, 2010 - By Davin MacIntosh

It is with mixed emotions that I inform members of Cross Country Canada, and the Nordic ski community, that our World Cup team leader, Dave Wood, will be leaving the organization on May 27, 2010 to return to his hometown of Rossland, B.C. where he accepted a head coaching position with the Black Jack Ski Club.

Dave brought a wealth of experience into our program that will be sorely missed, but will now be invested in the grassroots of our sport in British Columbia.

Since joining Cross Country Canada as a National Ski Team Technician in 1991, Dave quickly began working his way through the Canadian coaching ranks at the provincial and national junior level prior to becoming head coach of the National Ski Team in 1998, where his accomplishments are most recognized.

As head coach, Dave played a critical role in developing Canadian cross-country skiers into World Cup, World Championship and Olympic medallists.

Through many creative innovations established during his tenure, Dave orchestrated a Canadian approach to guide our nation’s best skiers from participants on the start line into Olympic and World Champions. Under his leadership, Canada ‘s Nordic skiers made a breakthrough in 2002 when Beckie Scott began finishing in the top-10 on the World Cup and became the first North American skier to win an Olympic medal.

Dave developed comprehensive athlete monitoring systems and long-term altitude training programs for the national team. He also led the coordination of strong sport science, medicine and technical support teams, and developed several Canadian technicians which gave our athletes the opportunity to excel.

And excel they did!

Sara Renner sprinted to a first-ever World Championship bronze medal in 2005, and Dave led the team to a season in 2006 that will go in the history books as the best ever. With Beckie Scott and Sara Renner leading the way, new stars began to arrive in Chandra Crawford and Devon Kershaw. The four athletes combined to rack up a total of 17 medals including two at the Olympic Winter Games. It was during this time the world began to see the emergence of the men’s program into podium contenders.

Dave, who will do some contract work for Cross Country Canada over the next year, was a master of travel planning and coordination of logistics for the World Cup and World Championship trips each year. His performance, drive, and most importantly his passion for cross-country skiing and for the success of Canadian athletes will be sorely missed by the entire national program.

On behalf of everyone at Cross Country Canada, I would like to thank Dave for his contribution to CCC and wish him all the best in Rossland.

Sincerely,
Davin MacIntosh
Executive Director
Cross Country Canada