On Saturday, December 28, the Airdrie Nordic Club will be hosting an event from 10:00 am to 2:00 p.m. that will provide free cross-country ski gear for people who have never tried it or who are looking to get back into cross country skiing.
The Nordic Club will host the ski gear try-out at the Northeast Regional Park, which is set to tentatively open on November 30. Lorri Derbowka, the president of the Airdrie Nordic Club, said that volunteers will be at the park to help size people and teach them how to use the equipment.
Derbowka said the Nordic Club has set up an Eventbrite page where people can sign up to take a pair of skis out in the park. Interested individuals should go to the Nordic Club’s Facebook page or the events Eventbrite to sign up for a time slot, Derbowka added.
Last year, the Nordic Club had about 58 people come out and try the free ski day. Derbowka said the reception from those that came out was very positive.
“All we saw were happy faces and people saying, ‘please do this again’ and ‘I want to get back into skiing’ or ‘I've never done this before and now I want to do it again,’” Derbowka said. “That kind of motivated us to do it a little bit earlier in the year so that people might have a chance to find some equipment and have a couple of months of the winter time to keep skiing, but it was very well received and we're very excited to do this event again.”
According to Derbowka, the event is meant to be accessible for people of all skill levels. “We are making this accessible for people and our goal is to be able to see people come out and snowshoe [and ski] in the Northeast Regional Park.”
Even though Airdrie’s proximity to the Rocky Mountains and the abundance of natural cross-country ski locations therein may seem like a more ideal ski setting, the Nordic Club is hopeful that the free ski try-out will offer a less serious and potentially intimidating location to try skiing.
“Because it's a very short distance and in our backyard nobody in Airdrie is more than 10 minutes away from the Northwest Regional Park, it makes it very easy.” Derbowka said. “It's less daunting than having to go get equipment and drive an hour and buy a park pass for Kananaskis so I think it's going to increase our fellow Airdronians doing an outdoor winter activity and I think it's going to make it easier for them.”
But is cross-country skiing difficult? The winter elements can be harsh and unforgiving, but Derbowka and the Nordic Club believe that anyone who is interested should give it a try.
“It's as easy as walking, and it gets you off the couch, it gets you outside in the sunshine, it gets you your fresh air and as long as you can walk, you can do this,” she said. “There's even paralympic athletes who are on Cross Country Skis, so there is no limit, everybody can do this.”