Hello Black Jack members,
I would like to introduce myself; my name is Dave Gibson and this is my first year as club president. We have many new exciting things happening at the club this year! We have new board members, coaches, a masters program, social programs, grooming standards, and new grooming equipment. We also will be implementing a 5 year strategic plan to provide goals and direction for the club.
First off, I would like to thank the countless volunteers that work hard to bring you the best skiing experience that Black Jack can provide, without them, none of this would be possible. We have some members who have been volunteering for 30 plus years. Absolutely incredible dedication, my hat is off to you.
We are currently looking to add a person to the board as the coordinator of volunteers and communications. We are looking for an energetic person to fill this role and help our club provide the best communication that we can. When you are out and about skiing, or in town and see a volunteer, please thank them for the role that they play in creating and supporting Black Jack.
We are currently grooming at biathlon and we have seen outstanding early season conditions. We have started on our lower trails as well, but there isn't full coverage as of yet. The GPS tracking for the large groomers is currently non-operational and we are working hard to get the grooming information out to our members. If you don't follow us at Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club on Facebook, then please give us a follow as we will be using this platform to get daily grooming information out as part of our communication strategy this season. Look for our updated 2020-2021 grooming standard on the main page of our website that will be released soon. Please click the following link to find our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BlackJackCrossCountry and our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raceblackjack/?hl=en . You can also find the grooming report by clicking the button on the main page of our website: Grooming Report.
Our Kiosk and rentals will be opening on December 1, 2020 and we look forward to having an official opening to the season. To help our wonderful kiosk staff, please wear your trail pass in a visible location. We really encourage this as it will help us quickly recognize the people who need help with purchasing passes and reduce our contact as we can visibly recognize our members.
The COVID-19 protocols that have been outlined from CCBC will bring some changes to our ski season but I feel that with a little work and cooperation, we will have a successful winter of cross country skiing! Face coverings will be expected in both access points at Biathlon as well as the main trailhead. Please be patient in the parking lots when they are busy to give people the space they need to feel safe under the current guidelines. To ensure a safe and long ski season, we need every member to comply with the social distancing guidelines outlined by the Public Health Officer. Our parking lots are small and this area is of utmost importance to maintain our social distance guidelines. I urge you to do everything in your power to keep us up and running all winter. All cabins will be closed and will be emergency use only. Our December race has now been canceled due to the latest information released from the province. You can read Black Jack's comprehensive COVID-19 Safety plan HERE.
Please be respectful of others on the trails and remember your trail etiquette. Please do not ski in a group full width of the tracks, as it puts the people passing you in an uncomfortable position of being too close to your family or "safe two" members. Please ski on the right side of the trails and allow people to pass on the left. We have had collisions in the past so let's all work together to stay safe and keep our trails open all winter long!
We are proud to announce the Headlamp Heroes series. It will be a fun social race series, totalling 6 nights. The format will be set up to allow for fun relays, team events and individual events. Our goal is to include as many of our club members in our series regardless of how fast or slow you ski. We want to have fun and be inclusive to all our members. Our first event in the Headlamp Heroes series will be on December 2nd and given our current restrictions, will be done on an individual basis with Strava. Details will come soon on this.
This year we have many new coaches; Greg Kilroy is our new head coach joined by Bella Howden who will be our rabbits coordinator/coach and Wes Savil who will run our masters program. Our new coaches will be a valued addition to our excellent coaches Dave Wood and Fred Bushell. We are very lucky to have this kind or expertise available in our club. We are striving for excellence from our littlest of rabbits, our national team members and this year, our masters. Look for details of the masters program to be sent out very soon!
The board has taken on a very large task of a five year strategic plan. I would like to thank Chris Legler for leading this task as well as all of the board members who have put a lot of time into this endeavour. With Chris's expertise, we will have a very clear picture where the club is heading and how to get there! We are excited to be sharing our plan with you very soon.
The club is also in the process of fundraising for a new snowmobile that will allow us to use the Ginzu for cost effective grooming and it will also reduce our environmental impact. If you are able, please consider donating to the cause. Please click the following link: https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/Cross-CountrySkidefondCanada/club-donation.html. Every donation helps in supporting our club.
I am very excited to be in the new position of president, I am looking forward to working with the board members, our new coaches and our wonderful Black Jack Ski Club members. I can be reached at dave.gibson@century21.ca and I look forward to your constructive feedback.
Happy skiing,
Dave