Minnehaha Nordic is about good fun, good sportsmanship, and good health, about appreciating the cold parts of God’s creation, about making friends, and about learning life’s lessons, and of course, learning not just to Nordic ski, but to Nordic ski fast. It might not be in that order, but it’s all important to us.
When you join Minnehaha Nordic, you join a team that is supportive and caring and fun. Your coaches and teammates will cheer for you on the trail, their parents will cheer for you – even if its below zero! Your coaches and teammates will help you learn how to ski. If you join the team with little ski experience, you’ll leave someday with a lot! If you join the team with a lot of ski experience, we’ll help you train to ski faster.
On the MA Nordic Ski team, everyone participates. There are no benches, no sidelines. If you want to race, you’ll be in a uniform and on the starting line! If you don’t feel ready, we’ll help you get to the point where you are.
In Nordic skiing you’ll learn how to go up hills and down. If you have never gone downhill on a pair of skinny skis in a lightning fast track – you’ve never really had fun!! Of course you’ll learn how to slow down and stop too.
We have a lot of fun but our team works very hard. Our boys’ and girls’ teams are often the Conference Champions. Our boys team has enjoyed being Section Champions as well as being on the podium at State. For the past 20 years we’ve always sent someone (or two or three) to the State Meet each year. Our best skiers work hard all year long – and it shows.
Practice is Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday for middle school skiers and Monday-Friday and Saturday for Varsity/JV skiers! Saturday mornings are great for a nice long ski in the woods, but will also be used for more intense work outs. Middle school and new skiers can practice as little as two days a week if you’d like – just to try it out and see how you like it.
Busing is always difficult but we always come up with a plan! We will practice at SOUTH CAMPUS the first few weeks of the season. Practice begins at 3:45pm and ends by 5:30pm. Upper school skiers can take the bus from north campus to south campus. If skiers are driving from North Campus, they must wait until 3:30pm to enter the parking lot. Once the snow flies, practice is at Battlecreek, Theodore Wirth, or Hiawatha Golf Course. Due to travel time, skiers return to the North Campus between 6 and 6:15pm. Family members may pick up their skier at the park after practice which ends at 5:30pm.
Fees:
Activity Fee + ski passes to St. Paul & Mpls = TBD (7th-12th grade)
Activity Fee + ski passes to St. Paul & Mpls = TBD (6th grade)
How to PAY for activity fee/passes/rental fee? There are NO BARRIERS for students wanting to be a part of the Nordic team. Financial assistance is always available! Just talk to Britt!
Types of Races:
Mixed Relay: Male and Female skiers do a relay together where each skier skis a 1 to 2km loop and will tag off to a teammate after the completion of their lap. Teams can be two, three, or four skiers. Relay can also be same gender.
5km Classic or Skate Race: Each skier skis a 5km individual classic or skate race. Teams win according to points from each skiers placement at the finish line. 6th graders and middle school skiers will only do a 2.5km race. JV and Varsity skiers will be the only skiers to ski a 5km.
5km Pursuit: Only Varsity and JV skiers ski a pursuit race. Skiers ski a 5km classic race the first day. However the skiers finish on the first day will determine how they are placed for the second day of a 5km skate race.
Duathlon: Skiers ski a classic loop then change skis and poles and ski a skate loop.