x-c skiing

Maya MacIsaac-Jones: Reason to Believe

/ Skiplus / Leave a comment

The picture below shows what a top athlete looks like after a supreme effort. Moments before, Maya MacIsaac-Jones was helped up back on her feet after winning the junior sprint at the World Jr Championships selections in Duntroon, Ontario.

Maya MacIsaac-Jones

Maya MacIsaac-Jones, exhausted after her victory

«I felt tired during my qualifier today but by the time I got to my semi-final and final I was feeling great, said Maya after the race.

«I was surprised at how the final ended up playing out. I just went as hard as I could from the start and managed to keep the lead. The great skis from my coaches for the heats were a huge help too.

«I have been working really hard towards this so it is great to see all that work pay off!»

The win qualifies Maya for the World Jr Championships in Kazakhstan.

And yes, there is reason to believe.

 

Dan Roycroft – The man behind Zone4

/ Skiplus / Leave a comment

Here he is, Dan Roycroft. We took the opportunity during Friday’s rest day in Duntroon (for NorAm races) to connect with the «brain» behind the essential zone4.ca website.

Dan Roycroft

Dan Roycroft

Dan is an ex-member of the Canadian national x-c ski team and founder of Zone4.ca, the top race timing system in North America.

Zone4 is also working on a new custom chip timing system that will, when ready for public use, be a huge step forward in the world of race timing.

Long live Zone4!

The Zone4 headquarters at Highlands Nordic in Duntroon, Ontario

The Zone4 headquarters at Highlands Nordic in Duntroon, Ontario

 

Maya MacIsaac-Jones: Greatness Awaits

/ Skiplus / Leave a comment
Andrea Dupont and Maya MacIsaac-Jones

Andrea Dupont and Maya MacIsaac-Jones very happy with their Saturday results in Rossland

We’ve written a lot about the CNEPH junior men skiers in the last few days, after their stellar performances over the last week-end. The Quebec armada took five of six spots on the junior podiums in the opening two NorAm Cup events in Rossland, BC .

Par Pierre Shanks

The junior girls performances are also worth taking notice, as the same three girls stole the show!

Continue reading →

Frédérique Vézina : Born to Compete

/ Skiplus / Leave a comment
Frédérique Vézina

Frédérique Vézina

Lac Sergent is a beautiful small lake slightly north-west of Quebec City. The surroundings are peaceful and the lake is home to a CanoeKayak club. Frédérique Vézina’s parents met at the lake when they were teenagers and today own their own chalet there. On Saturday mornings, in the summer months, the residents head to the shore for a get together and occasional races.

par pierre shanks

That’s where we found Frédérique Vézina, who just graduated from Cross Country Canada’s junior national team, when I arrived for an interview at the end of July. Her mom Annie Langlois, a volunteer at the club, brought me over, explaining that «Fred», as everybody calls her, had decided at the last minute to enter a race with a buddy of hers. See, when she’s not training during the summer, Fred is a wicked kayakist. As a matter of fact, Frédérique Vézina will pick you up on any challenge you might throw at her, she’s that competitive. In her mind, her body, her soul.

Continue reading →

The Moment of Truth

/ Skiplus / Leave a comment
Down to the wire between Emily Nishikawa, Heidi Widmer and Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt/Finale très disputée entre Emily Nishikawa, Heidi Widmer et Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt

Down to the wire between Emily Nishikawa, Heidi Widmer and Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt at a Nor-Am race earlier this season (Photo: Shelly Peachell)

While a whole lotta people are all about Canada’s men olympic hockey team selection, x-c skiers in Canmore are getting a ready for THEIR most important moment of the year. We talked Monday about the CNEPH skiers, but starting Wednesday, Skipresse will also be paying attention to the rest of the pack.

Continue reading →

Chandra Crawford: Of Love and Guts

/ Skiplus / 1 Comment

chandra_canada_com

By Pierre Shanks

Chandra Crawford had huge ski boots to fill when she somehow unexpectedly made it to the Canadian Olympic Team barely three months prior to the 2006 Olympic Games.

The top guns, Beckie Scott and Sara Renner, were still there but the time had come to prepare the Next Generation and at 22 years old, that’s exactly what Chandra was, a promising athlete for the future. Little did they know.

Continue reading →