ONTARIO MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024

 ONTARIO MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024

We are very excited to announce the location and date of the Ontario Masters XC Championships for 2024.

This will be at Arrowhead Nordic, in conjunction with the Arrowhead/Muskoka Loppet. The preliminary

schedule is:

Friday, Jan 26, afternoon 10 km classic

Saturday, Jan 27, morning 10 km skate

Sunday, Jan 28, morning 30 km classic (15 km for age groups 9 and over, 70+ years)

We will also have a social on Friday evening and banquet on Saturday night. More details will be available in

September/October.

Thanks to Arrowhead Nordic for stepping up!

AUTUMN TRAINING & SOCIAL

 AUTUMN TRAINING & SOCIAL

Circle Sunday, October 15 on your calendar. We are having our second annual Ontario Masters

Dryland training, activities and social at Hardwood Ski and Bike. The plan is as follows:

12:45 meet at chalet

12:45-1:00 Warm up

1:oo-1:45 ski striding intervals

1;45-2:00 cool down then change for next activity

2:00-4:00 activity options: road bike, mountain bike, hike

4:00-6:00 social time at Hardwood

We will be arranging a discount on trail passes at Hardwood for members. For more information or to

confirm your attendance, please contact Jane Ravenshaw: jane.ravenshaw@gmail.com

Final Ontario Masters Points series standings.

 Final Ontario Masters Points series standings.

For skiers with over 400 points

Men

Mark Orzel 500

Glenn Edwards 463

Perry Kirky 462

Eric Jackson 459

Brent Miller 450

Mike Gordon 449

Jason Vurma 448

Lloyd Button 428

Women

Sara MIlraith 493

Jane Ravenshaw 489

Chris Huet 479

Susan Kaczmarek 460

Shirley Granter-Button 441

Karen Ward 436

February Newsletter

 CANADIAN/ONTARIO MASTERS 2023

Hardwood Ski and Bike excited about hosting the 2023 Canadian Masters. The ski conditions are excellent,

the race courses are up and marked and logistics planned. The date of the event is Thurs. March 2 – Sat. March

4. The itinerary is as follows:

Thursday 2 pm 10 km skate

Thursday evening 4 – 6 pm Awards & Happy Hour (appetizers courtesy of Ontario Masters), cash bar.

Friday 2 pm 10 km classic

4 – 6 pm Awards & Happy Hour. (appetizers courtesy of Fischer), Cash bar.

Saturday 9:20 am –30km Classic Races (F1 to F8, M1 to M9)

9:25 am – 15km Classic Races (F9 and above, M10 and above)

9:35 am – 30km Skate Races (F1 to F8, M1 to M9)

9:40 am – 15km Skate Races (F9 and above, M10 and above)

6:00 pm – Canadian Masters Awards and Happy Hour/appetizers. Cash Bar

7:00 pm – Canadian Masters Banquet.

Sunday March 5

10:00 am – Social Ski or Activity (please check the following poll to see what is

offered)*

• https://poll-maker.com/poll4679974x97C443bB-146 Please respond by Feb 15, if you wish to

attend.

Please note the age / course distances for the event on Sat. Mar 4, which will be run in conjunction with the

Fischer Loppet.

The courses for the racing are up and posted. You can see them here, and go and ski them anytime at

Hardwood Ski and Bike.

Skate/Classic 10 km: http://www.pulseracing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Cdn_Masters_Classic-

Skate_10_km.pdf

Skate/Classic 15/30 km: http://www.pulseracing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022_Fischer_Loppetcourse.

pdf

For more information and registration, see the attached document for more details.

Registration: http://www.pulseracing.ca/2023canadianmasters/

ONTARIO LOPPET SERIES 2022/23

The Loppet Series is well underway! It is still not too late to join in! Your time will be adjusted according to

the age related handicapping tables and the fastest male and female skier will receive 100 points. Each skier

will receive points according to the percentage his/her age adjusted time is behind the fastest skier. If two

distances are offered, the shorter distance race time will be increased proportionate to the longer distance and

10% added before applying age handicap.

1. For the Loppet points, the best 5 age -adjusted races are counted for each skier from all of the races

participated in.

2. A skier must include at least 2 races from the Ontario Masters Championships at Hardwood

3. A skier must be a member of the Ontario Masters Cross Country Ski Association at the time of the event to

have his/her points tabulated for the event. An exception will be made for a skier who has never been a

previous member of the association.

Attached is the revised list of events and the results to Feb 1,2023.

Please direct any questions to Jane Ravenshaw at jane.ravenshaw@gmail.com

JAKROO ONE-PIECE SUIT

We have another Jakroo piece that members may want to consider. It is a one-piece racing suit. These suits are

made of a really nice material, and fit well. They have been well received by a club that has ordered their

custom design. This link below will show you the design which has been added to our clothing. The request to

add this design and new material came from some BC members who want to purchase the one piece race suit.

I have approved this new one piece race suit design to be added to our Jakroo store. We are hoping to

confirm 6 orders to get the team price.

https://jakroo.com/storefront?

storeId=HkdCll5UY&titleProp=Canadian%20Masters&bannerProp=https://jakroo.storage.googleapis.co

m/team_stores_banner/ByGAleqIK-7f627720d3efd-banner.jpeg.

The one piece suit design has been well received by our local Sovereign Lake Nordic club women and men

with our club design and colours. Hope you like the Canadian Masters one piece design with much improved

fit and materials.

MEMBERSHIP AND REGISTRATION

Our new season membership season began on May 1, at that time, the Zone4 registration for next year became

active. Thanks to everyone who has registered already. Here is a list of those 75 folks who have already

registered ( as of Jan 8, 2023):

Len Pizzy Kit Pizzey Deb DePass Paul Kadziora

Todd Randall Peter Hoffman Glenn Edwards Ivan Mackenzie

Susan Kaczmarek Stan Kaczmarek Joseph Kryger Mark Orzel

Jean-Emile Paraiso Jane Ravenshaw Mark Berger Wendy Grater

Christa Ramonet Perry Kirkey Linda Kirkey Harris Kirby

Michelle Gordon Michael Gordon Tom Lobsinger Jillian Flower

Stephen Flower Stefan Timms Kate Timms Sarah Pihel

John Wragg Ron Mahler Keith Mercer Judy Gauthier

Ken Godfrey Harry Vanderlugt Susanne Vanderlugt Maria Moreau

Chris Huet Mike Huet Karen Ward Beau Kent

Greg Lutick Ed Cottell Cathy Cottell Dale Irwin

Allan Magi Maureen Bretz Werner Schwar Brian Berry

Karel Mike Jana Mika Catherine Penny Doug Graine

Paul Miller George Condy Len Goodman Daniel Gallant

Marion Tilstra Mike Jones Rauno Makinen Ed Delaplante

Thomas Stieber Glenn Meeuwisse Ken Hawthorn Marcel Crete

Carlee Glendenning Heather Dixon Tom Welsh Tom Cook

Scott Campbell George Milne Taylor Pieprzak Shirley Granter-Button

Eric Jackson Nancy Chong Brent Poulson Andrew Young Mahoney

Paolina Allan Steve Fleck

For those who have not, I have a link here to the Ontario/Canadian registration page.

https://zone4.ca/register.asp?id=29169&lan=1&cartlevel=1

Masters Points

NEW Points update current to end of January

 

Athlete Profile: Werner Schwar

 Athlete Profile: Werner Schwar in the M6 category from Thunder Bay ON

Although in the sunny days of August, skiing seems far away, it will be here before we know it. Ontario Masters was able to catch up to Werner Schwar, one of our few northern Ontario competitors and ask a few questions.

How did you get into cross country skiing?

When I was 10 years old our family moved to 2 acres of property in rural Burlington. I had an old pair of downhill skis that I didn’t get to use much, so I just started skiing around our mostly flat property with them. I wore my heels raw trying to do this in downhill boots. My parents then got cross country skis for me to save my heels and at the same time for the whole family. I would ski after school making my own loop on our property and on weekends with my Dad in Bronte Creek Provincial Park when there still used to be snow in southern Ontario.

2. When did you start racing?

I actually started ski racing pretty late compared to many kids now. I went in the Burlington winter carnival ski race in 1978 (I think), hardly anyone else there so I won the youth category. The next year I went again and there were lots of other people racing including the Halton Ski Club. These other kids would blow by me on uphills, but I would catch up on flats and downhills. I thought that was odd, until I found out there was such a thing as grip wax that made it easier to go uphills. The summer after at the age of 15, I saw the same kids roller skiing and I said to my parents I want to do that too. So I gave Ernie Roth the coach of the Halton Ski Club a call asking if I could come out to their next practice. That practice was a mix of running, ski striding and strength – all things I had not done much before. I was so tired and stiff for days after, but was hooked and the team welcomed me in. My first real southern Ontario race was in the 1981/82 season at Mountainview in Midland, what a treat that was racing as part of a team with grip wax in real tracks – made it so much more fun and faster. I was addicted after that and was blessed to have an amazing first coach in Ernie and a great group of teammates that I am still friends with to this day.

3. Which is the first Masters World Cup that you attended?

My first World Masters was in Quebec City in 2002. I have been to the subsequent ones held in Canada - Sovereign Lakes BC and Canmore AB last year. Also was at Minneapolis, but contracted pneumonia the day of the first race. Tried to race the 10km and was green after, so my teammates forcibly put me in the car and sent me home.

4. How do you train for the Masters World cups?

I am really fortunate to belong to the Lappe Nordic Ski Club and again have a great coach in Eric Bailey and amazing young teammates aged 13-18 as well as few other masters. So basically I train with athletes almost 40 years younger, who push me and I keep them honest. A great symbiotic relationship. I get to see them get faster as they get older, and I try to just not get slower as I get older. There is a magical time when we are the same speed skiing and that is really fun, but only lasts a year until they are way faster. I also continue to race in the Open Category and go to some Ontario Cups – while it can be humbling it is also good experience trying to hang on to a faster skier if even for a short time.

5. How did you like the Canmore experience?

I love Canmore and the surrounding mountains and have loved skiing there ever since the first pre-Olympic world cup I raced there in 1986. So much has changed there since then. The courses pleasantly surprised me as before I raced on them I didn’t think they were that hard, but racing on them was challenging with no real rest sections until the end. Race organization and logistics were great. For me one highlight, I can’t lie, was winning the 45km skate race, standing on the podium with a gold medal and cowboy hat on and name and Canadian flag on the screen behind me, while the national anthem was being played was pretty great. I also was lucky to stay with two former Thunder Bay skiers for two weeks which was great and we cooked some amazing meals together. Skiing backcountry in the mountains with Mike Jones after the event was also amazing and made it hard to leave.

6. Any plans to attend future Masters World Cups?

I would love to attend them all in the future, but work, other commitments and costs are a bit of a barrier. Would have considered Seefeld next year as I have relatives in Germany that are not that far away (at least by Thunder Bay driving standards), but the 2023 Ski Nationals are in Thunder Bay and I am co-chair of the organizing committee, but will also be racing myself as well. Even though I am way behind the winners it is still a hoot to race the best in Canada and pretend I am still a young ski racer. I definitely plan to be at the next Canadian or American World Masters.

Congrats to Werner for his Gold in long skate (45 km) ,and a Bronze in M2 relay at the World Cup in Canmore this past March! The picture shows Werner (6028) at the finish (what a close race!) in his 45km race just squeezing out fellow Canadian Dave McMahon by .5 of a second.

Good luck Werner in fall training and for the season ahead.

2023 Canadian/Ontario Masters Championships

2023 Canadian/Ontario Masters Championships will be hosted at Hardwood Ski and Bike from March 2 to March 4.

See "Championships" tab for full info