PROGRAMS AND LESSONS
The Yellowknife Ski Club offers a range of programs for all ages and abilities to advance skills, encourage healthy living and have some fun in the snow! Not seeing what you’re looking for? Let us know and we’ll try to help.
YOUTH PROGRAMS AND LESSONS
From our youngest Bunnyrabbit skiers (age 4) to High performance (ages 13+) the Yellowknife Ski Club has programming for all ages to encourage skill development, fitness and love of winter recreation.
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We ask that participants please show up early so that lessons start on time. Jackrabbits will ski for the first hour, with the last half hour intended for skiers to enjoy hot chocolate and snacks upstairs in the chalet.
Parents are required to ski with Bunnies (typically aged 4-5) Parents are welcome to join younger classes, so you can learn to ski with your kids!
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For youth who have completed Jackrabbits or reached a comparable skill level in skiing. The program focuses on skill development, fitness, training and (for those interested) introduction to competitive skiing.
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Biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing or snowshoeing with marksmanship. Athletes race over a set distance, alternating skiing/snowshoeing with stopping at the shooting range to fire at targets. The Yellowknife Biathlon Program is sanctioned by Biathlon NWT and Biathlon Canada.
All biathlon athletes are required to be active participants in either the Track Attack, High Performance or Go Ski programs at The Yellowknife Ski Club. Practices are held three times per week and focus on marksmanship, range safety and biathlon race procedures. Participation in the program is dependent on rifle availability.
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For youth who have completed the Jackrabbit and/or Track Attack program or have reached a comparable skill level in skiing. Training is varied and challenging (but also lots of fun) with a focus on improving technique, increasing efficiency (speed), fitness and participation in ski races. Some extra expenses may be incurred and the group fundraises to help offset race travel and equipment costs.
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This is a recreational ski program for youth that want to participate in a weekly group ski with friends. The focus is on outdoor recreation and can include adventure skis, obstacle courses, scavenger hunts and enjoying time on the trails in nature. The interests of the group will guide the activities.
Memberships are required to sign up for any program or lesson.
SKI PARENTS
Gather at the club once a week to meet other parents with preschool aged children, socialize your kiddos and get a ski in on the beautiful trails at the club! Depending on who attends, the group can:
Ski the trails together (with kids in various forms of personal ski pulks - there are 2 pulks at the club)
Split into groups so some parents can ski as adults only while the other parents watch the kids
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Register as a ski club member, or pay the day use pass
Register for the ski parents program. The fee is $20.00.
Connect with other parents to plan a time by joining the Ski Parents Facebook Group.
ADULT PROGRAMS AND LESSONS
Come and learn with us! We have CANSI certified ski instructors that provide group lessons starting as soon as we have enough snow on the ground. Learn the basics to get you comfortable on our trails and around town or improve on the skills that you already have.
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New to skiing? New to snow??? This series is for you. We will take you from square one and get you comfortable on skis. How to choose equipment, what to wear, how to get up when you fall, how to move down the trail, how to get down and up hills. By the end of this series, you can expect to comfortably ski green (easiest) trails at the ski club or comfortably ski on the lakes around town.
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Comfortable on the lake trails and the Snowflake? Are you nervous on hills? Never taken an actual ski lesson? Want to be more efficient? This series is for you. We build on the basics and get you more comfortable navigating hills, building more efficient technique, changing your technique with changing terrain and becoming a smooth and efficient skier.
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If you are new to skate skiing or have never taken a lesson, this series is for you. We will build on the basics and introduce the various techniques that make up skate skiing: one-skate, two-skate, offset, free skate and diagonal skate. By the end of this series, you will be able to navigate the easy trails at the ski club. Must have your own equipment, Overlander Sports does not supply skate ski rentals.
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If you have been skate skiing for a while and are trying to improve your technique, efficiency and speed, this series is for you. Refine the various skate techniques and make your hill climbs smoother. Must have your own equipment, Overlander Sports does not supply skate ski rentals.
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Have you skied the Frostbite 55 and are looking for a new challenge?
Learn to train on land and skis to feel confident and ready to participate in some of the iconic Nordic ski events ( Birkebeiner, here you come!)
Join the YKSC’s Ski Team Head Coach for a program that includes on-snow instruction in technique, training volume, race strategies and more (8x90min sessions between Nov 22- Mar 21) and 2 evening sessions on core/Strength and waxing strategies.
Also included is a weekly training program that you can choose to follow that is a combination of dry land and ski workouts for the season.
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We can provide lessons for your special group events. We can also provide private lessons. Click HERE to contact us.
Stay updated on our latest offerings by signing up for our newsletter or following us on social media where you’ll receive timely information about upcoming programs, special events, and exclusive promotions.
Participants must provide their own boots, skis and poles.
COMMUNITY COACHING
Volunteer coaching is the cornerstone to our Club’s programs. Two national training programs – Introduction to Community Coaching and Community Coaching – provide new and seasoned skiiers with the basics of successful coaching.
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The Introduction to Community Coaching (ICC) Workshop: can be completed in 10 hours, and requires no skiing expertise. The focus of this workshop is on planning and leading age appropriate games and activities that will make skiing fun for children, while at the same time teaching them the key technical component of skiing – balance and rhythm. At the end of this workshop, coaches should be comfortable teaching beginner skiers, and have the skills to plan a season and deliver an effective and safe lesson.
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The Community Coaching Workshop is a 16-hour workshop for coaches who have already completed the introductory course, and who have at least one season’s experience teaching children to ski. This workshop focuses on teaching and refining the “FUNdamentals” of cross country skiing. By the end of the workshop, coaches will have learned techniques to teach diagonal stride, skating and all uphill and downhill techniques. They will also learn the appropriate progressions for these skills, as well as how to identify and correct common technique problems. Proficiency in the techniques is not required prior to participating in this workshop, but “certification” at this level requires that a coach be proficient at all the Level 5 Jackrabbit techniques.
Upcoming workshop dates are listed on our events page. For more information or to sign up for our next workshop, please contact us.
