Youth Programs

Teen Skate is our recreational skate-only youth program. The emphasis is on a fun, social environment with the opportunity to develop ski skills, physical literacy (agility, balance, coordination), and speed. Teen Skate follows Cross Country Canada’s ‘Learn to Train’ level of athlete development, which is the third level after Bunnyrabbits and Jackrabbits or DynaRabbits. It’s designed for Kanata Nordic members 11-16 (YOB 2011) who’ve completed Jackrabbit Level 4 or have equivalent experience.

Registration for 2022-23 opens September 11th at noon for returning members and September 18th for new members. Enrolment in programs requires a club membership.

Teen Skate (11-16 yrs) Program Information for 2022-23

The TEEN SKATE PROGRAM focuses on a combination of participatory and competitive elements. The lessons combine technique work, touring and fitness activities.

Due to increased interest in the program, for the upcoming 2022-23 season three Teen Skate classes will be offered (subject to sufficient registration):

Teen Skate 1* – Full for 2023 season!

TS1 is for youth skiers aged 11-16** (YOB 2011) who are new to the skate ski technique, who need additional time to practice and reinforce the basic technical elements, or who prefer to ski at a slower pace. Lessons combine the teaching and practicing of the fundamentals of skate skiing (Offset, Diagonal skate, Free skate, double poling techniques, hill techniques) as well as a 3-5 km trail ski. Starting the season already with some aerobic conditioning will enable students to maximize learning and applying the techniques of skate skiing. Lessons will be Saturday mornings.

Teen Skate 2* Full for 2023 season!

TS2 is for skiers aged 11-16** (YOB 2011) who are skate skiing at an intermediate level. Lessons combine the teaching and practicing of skate techniques (Offset, Diagonal skate, Free skate, One skate, double poling, hill techniques) along with a 5-7 km trail tour. Lessons will be Saturday mornings. A good level of aerobic fitness is expected for this class.

Teen Skate 3*

TS3 is for youth skiers aged 11-16** (YOB 2011) who have a few years intermediate/advanced skate skiing experience and want to hone their technique while skiing 8-15 km during a lesson on Sunday mornings. The lessons focus on optimizing speed and efficiency of the 5 Gears (Diagonal skate, Offset, One skate, Two skate, Free skate) through improved weight transfer, long balanced glide and more torso engagement. A good level of fitness is expected for this class.

3-5 of the TS3 Sunday classes are conducted in Gatineau Park. A pass is required for skiers aged 13 and over. Day passes, Family passes and Season passes are available. Information can be found at the following link – https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places/gatineau-park-winter-passes.

* Occasionally, at the discretion of the coaches, a student may be moved to a different class to better accommodate his/her/their skill level. Please register in the class that suits the skill level.

** Minimum age for registration is 11 (YOB 2011). Contact KNteenski@gmail.com before registering next season if you have any questions.

What’s Included in Teen Skate?

Registration includes both dry land pre-season training and on-snow sessions as soon as the weather permits. Teen Skate instruction is exclusively in the skate technique and participants are required to have skis, boots and poles compatible with skate skiing.

  • Fall training begins after Thanksgiving with Saturday morning hikes, ranging from 5-10 km over varied terrain. Energetic parents and siblings are welcome to join us.
  • Winter training takes place on Saturdays or Sundays (depending on the class), mainly on the trail network starting from the Kanata Nordic Cabin at Wesley Clover Parks (411 Corkstown Rd.) or from the Kanata Nordic cabin at the Wesley Clover Park Equestrian Centre (401 Corkstown Rd.). In addition, there may be several weekend ski tours within an hour’s drive of Kanata (during regular class time, plus driving time).
  • Weekly winter evening training sessions, designed to focus on technique improvement, are held at WCP on Wednesdays (beginning January 11, 2023 from 7:00pm to 8:00pm).
Register    

Program Dates and Cost

Dry land Training: 

Saturdays 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, beginning October 22, 2022.
These sessions are for youth registered in Teen Skate 1, Teen Skate 2 and Teen Skate 3. Energetic parents and siblings are welcome to join us.

Ski lessons:

Teen Skate 1: Skiing Saturdays (beginning January 7, 2023) 10 am – 11:30 am

Equipment: TS1 participants are required to have skis, boots and poles for skate skiing. While skate specific equipment will allow for more successful performance of skate technique, classic or combi equipment is permissible (skis must be waxable and the full length covered with glide wax; longer poles (nose-height and with skate appropriate baskets/tips) are required.)

Teen Skate 2: Skiing Saturdays (beginning January 8, 2022) 10 am – 11:30 am

Equipment: TS2 Participants are required to have skis, boots and poles designed specifically for skate skiing.

Teen Skate 3: Skiing Sundays (beginning January 8, 2023) 10 am – 11:30 am

Equipment: TS3 Participants are required to have skis, boots and poles designed specifically for skate skiing.

Combined class (for TS 1, 2, and 3): Wednesday evenings (beginning January 11, 2023) 7 pm – 8 pm

Program Price: $170.00

If you have any questions please contact Heather Boswell, Teen Skate Coordinator.

Register    

Refund / Cancellation Policy: Membership fees are non-refundable.

  • Teen Skate program registration fees will be refunded, less a 20% administration fee, within the first 7 days of the on-snow component of the program. No refunds will apply to withdrawals on or after the 7th day. To obtain a refund, please contact registration@kanatanordic.ca

Please note:

  • Kanata Nordic reserves the right to cancel any programs with insufficient registration or without volunteer leaders. In this case every effort will be made to find an equivalent program or a refund will be offered.
  • Kanata Nordic programs are subject to the will of Mother Nature. We follow Nordiq Canada’s weather guidelines in terms of program cancellation. This means programs will be cancelled if conditions are unsafe or temperatures are below acceptable limits. We attempt to reschedule cancelled events but at the discretion of group leaders. The Club will attempt to give its members as much notice as possible for program changes caused by inclement weather or adverse conditions.
  • In the event that program instruction days are cancelled by Kanata Nordic at the direction of Provincial or Municipal authorities in response to the COVID health emergency and classes cannot be rescheduled in the current ski season, credit will be given for a portion of the program fee towards 2022-2023 registration fees.