“We’re very excited to partner with Nordiq Canada to bring live streaming to the 2025 Nordiq Canada Ski Nationals,” said Raphael Payo, from Salomon Canada. “Supporting the development of Canadian cross-country skiers is at the heart of our mission, and we’re proud to help make this event accessible to fans across the country.” 

Over 1,500 competitors, supporters, and ski enthusiasts are coming to Canmore from March 17-23 for the event. Racing on the same trails as the FIS Cross-Country World Cup hosted last season, Canada’s skiers will test themselves at a world class venue used to hosting some of the most prestigious events in the sport.  

“One of the best ways we can help grow the sport is by giving Canadians greater exposure to high performance racing,” said Megan Begley, Nordiq Canada’s CEO. “Not only will it allow ski fans to watch live, but the footage will allow us to create tools for coaches, officials, and athletes to continue learning and developing. It’s a super exciting project we are glad to see come to life”.  

The event will feature senior, junior, and Para Nordic skiers competing in sprints, distance races, and team events. In addition to national titles, the results will play a pivotal role in shaping next year’s World Cup and National Ski Teams. 

“We’re thrilled to have Salomon supporting the live stream at Nationals,” said Beckie Scott, a member of the Organizing Committee. “This partnership is an incredible opportunity to showcase our sport and the beautiful landscape of the Canmore Nordic Centre. We know there is demand for friends, family, and fans of the sport to be able to watch the events, and we are excited to be able to meet that demand.”  

The live stream will be available on Home Team Live, and more information on accessing the stream will be provided soon.  

For more information on the 2025 Nordiq Canada Ski Nationals visit:  

https://www.skinationals2025.ca/ 

Nordiq Canada Marketing and Engagement Coordinator 

Nathaniel Mah    

Nordiq Canada   

C: 403-700-4927  

E: nmah@nordiqcanada.ca  

The opportunity is possible due to race starts becoming available at P3 events and the U23 World Championships.  These additions were at the discretion of the High Performance Director as per point 4.2.c of the 2024-25 National High Performance Program Selection Criteria.

World Cup P3

• Graham Ritchie

Athlete race opportunities are supported by the High Performance Committee (HPC).

Members of this committee are:

• Graham Nishikawa (athlete rep – Para)

• Devon Kershaw (athlete rep – Olympic)

• Maria Lundgren (BC)

• Pauline Nadlersmith (MB)

• John Lofranco (Athletics Canada)

• Julie Beaulieu (Nordiq Canada)

• Chris Jeffries (Nordiq Canada)

“The qualification felt good — there were blue skies, we’re up here in the mountains, there’s good music playing, and I was just dancing all day,” said Schmidt, the reigning under-23 sprint world champion. 

Schmidt began her day by qualifying in 10th place. She then dominated her quarterfinal heat, finishing ahead of Finland’s Jasmi Joensuu. In the semifinal, Schmidt placed fourth but advanced to the final as a lucky loser with one of the fastest times. 

The final featured some of the sport’s biggest names, including Olympic and World Champion Jessie Diggins of the United States. 

“It was pretty surreal,” said Schmidt. “Jessie came up to me, cracked a few jokes and knew who I was, which really helped calm my nerves. Just lining up with athletes like her was unreal, and the vibes were so positive — it made the whole experience amazing.” 

Sweden’s Jonna Sundling dominated the race, winning in a time of 2:49.04. Norway’s Kristine Stavaas Skistad placed second with 2:50.32, while Dahlqvist narrowly edged out Schmidt for third in 2:51.91. 

25.01.2025, Engadin, Switzerland (SUI):
Sonjaa  Schmidt (CAN),  and Jessie  Diggins (USA), (l-r) – FIS world cup cross-country, individual sprint, Engadin (SUI). www.nordicfocus.com. © Authamayou/NordicFocus. 

“I think there was definitely a move I shouldn’t have made,” Schmidt said. “I got a bit excited and tried to move in front too early, and it didn’t work out. I made the same mistake yesterday, so I’ll learn from it. The podium is so close though, and it was still a really exciting race.” 

Schmidt’s result continues a string of strong performances from Canada’s women’s cross-country skiers. Earlier this season, Schmidt and teammate Liliane Gagnon (Quebec City, Que.) placed fifth in the team sprint in Davos, Switzerland. Katherine Stewart-Jones (Chelsea, Que.) followed with a fourth-place finish in Stage 3 of the Tour de Ski, while Katherine Weaver (Vancouver, B.C.) and Gagnon each recorded top-20 finishes in France last weekend.  

“I think the Canadian women are on fire right now,” said Schmidt. “The fire is contagious within the team. We are hunting for a podium, and the cool thing is we don’t know who it’s going to be. It can be any one of us, which is exciting, really inspiring, and it’s just a really great team to be around right now.” 

Schmidt made history last season as the first Canadian woman to win at the FIS Nordic Under-23 World Ski Championships. While her winters are dedicated to racing, her summers include unconventional training. 

“For the past two summers, I’ve spent eight to 10 weeks between April and June planting trees. It funds my ski career but also doubles as training,” said Schmidt. “The shifts are three days on and one day off, so on my ‘off’ days, I focus on ski-specific training. So far, it’s been working well for me.”  

Unconventional as it may be, it’s hard to argue with the results.  

Next weekend, Schmidt will compete in Cogne, Italy, in her final World Cup race before heading to Schilpario, Italy, for this year’s FIS Nordic Under-23 World Ski Championships where she’ll defend her world champion title. 

“Today definitely gives me a boost of confidence going into U23s, but I also know that it’s going to be challenging, so I’ll have to keep my head strong and know that I can push with my fitness.” 

Full Results: https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/results.html?sectorcode=CC&competitorid=235543&raceid=46806 

Get your ideas ready!

Here is the template for your design

The criteria for entering in the contest is as follows:

• Contestants must be currently enrolled in a Nordiq Canada Track Attack program
• Contestants must be under 12 years old
• Artwork must be of original work

Selection process and timelines:

• Designs should be submitted to Julie Beaulieu (jbeaulieu@nordiqcanada.ca) by February 18, 2025.
• Nordiq Canada will select 10 final designs and voting will occur via Survey Monkey. The voting period will run from February 18 – 25. Please remember that only Nordiq Canada members are eligible to vote!
• Announcement of the ‘winning’ neck warmer design will be posted on Nordiq Canada’s Facebook page and website.

Click above to view the Selection Rationale

World Cup P2

Congratulations to the following athletes selected to the Para Nordic World Cup competition team for Period 2 from January 25 to February 3, 2025, in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Athlete selections were based on the 2024-25 Para Nordic Competition Selection Criteria.

Competition project rationale:

• Athletes who have previously met World Cup Team standards.
• Athletes who have proven performances at a World Cup event.

The deadline to appeal all Team nominations is January 22, 2025, 11:59 PM MST. Appeals must be submitted in writing to Nordiq Canada’s Appeal Manager, Stefano Mingarelli, at stefmingarelli@gmail.com.

A $250 appeal fee must be paid to Nordiq Canada before an appeal can be reviewed. It is recommended athletes contact the selection authority (listed before) prior to submitting an appeal as issues can often be resolved outside the appeal process.

Summary of Athletes: 

Mark Arendz 

Collin Cameron 

Brittany Hudak

Natalie Wilkie

Derek Zaplotinsky 

Emma Archibald 

Christina Picton 

Logan Lariviere

Nicholas Randall (Guide)

Madison Mullin 

Tory Audet (Guide)

Jesse Bachinsky

Matt Cuddy (Guide)

Lyne-Marie Bilodeau

2025 IBU Para Biathlon World Championships

Congratulations to the following athlete selected to the 2025 Para Biathlon World Championships team from February 3 to 9, 2025 in Pokljuka, Slovenia. Athlete selections were based on the 2024-25 Para Nordic Competition Selection Criteria.

Summary of Athletes: 

Mark Arendz 

Collin Cameron 

Brittany Hudak 

Natalie Wilkie 

Derek Zaplotinsky

Para Cross Country World Ski Championships

Congratulations to the following athlete selected to the 2025 Para Cross Country World Championships team from February 10 to 14, 2025 in Toblach, Italy. Athlete selections were based on the 2024-25 Para Nordic Competition Selection Criteria.

Summary of Athletes: 

Mark Arendz 

Collin Cameron

Brittany Hudak

Natalie Wilkie 

Derek Zaplotinsky 

Emma Archibald

Christina Picton

Athlete nominations were made by the High Performance Committee (HPC) based on the 2024-25 Para Nordic Competition Trip Criteria. The HPC oversaw the selection process as per the Nordiq Canada Selection, Nominations and Announcement policy. Members of this committee are:

Final athlete selections were approved by Chris Jeffries, High Performance Director : cjeffries@nordiqcanada.ca

Changes to the Board of Directors

Nordiq Canada warmly thanks Bruno Caron and Madison Koekkoek for their time on the Board. Both have stepped down. Angus Carr, former Chair of XCSO and governance guru, has joined the Board to add support until the Annual General Meeting. Thank you, Bruno, Madison, and Angus!

Happy Trails, Dave Pym

It is with sadness and gratitude that we bid adieu to Dave Pym who passed away last week. As Managing Director of the Canadian Snowsports Association for almost two decades, Dave supported Nordiq Canada, Divisions, clubs, and athletes by managing insurance and Canada’s relationship with FIS. Dave was an incredible resource who was led by his passion to support athletes. Dave will be greatly missed and forever appreciated.

Ski Like a Girl Podcast Online Launch Party 
The Ski Like a Girl Podcast hosts invite you to an online launch party from the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta.

• Date: Thursday, January 23, 2025, 12:00 noon (MST)
• Register here for the Webinar Zoom link: https://ualberta-ca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_72E1FGstTN6jh-2VP1LQ-A#/registration

To learn more about the podcast, visit the Ski Like a Girl website and podcast on Aviary, and Spotify.

The opportunity is possible due to race starts becoming available at P3 events and the U23 World Championships.  These additions were at the discretion of the High Performance Director as per point 4.2.c of the 2024-25 National High Performance Program Selection Criteria.

World Cup P3

• Pierre Grall-Johnson
• Sasha Masson

U23 Nordic World Ski Championships

• Sasha Masson

Athlete race opportunities are supported by the High Performance Committee (HPC).

Members of this committee are:

• Graham Nishikawa (athlete rep – Para)

• Devon Kershaw (athlete rep – Olympic)

• Maria Lundgren (BC)

• Pauline Nadlersmith (MB)

• John Lofranco (Athletics Canada)

• Julie Beaulieu (Nordiq Canada)

• Chris Jeffries (Nordiq Canada)

Click above to view the Selection Rationale

Congratulations to the following athletes who have been selected to the 2025 Nordic Junior and U23 World Ski Championship Team, competing in Schilpario, Italy from January 24 – February 10, 2025. Athlete selections are based on the 2024-25 Nordiq Canada Competition Selection Criteria.

The deadline to appeal Team nominations is Tuesday, January 15, 2025, 11:59 PM MST. Submit an appeal in writing to Nordiq Canada’s Appeal Manager, Stefano Mingarelli, at stefmingarelli@gmail.com.   

A $250 appeal fee must be paid to Nordiq Canada before an appeal can be reviewed. It is recommended athletes contact the selection authority (listed below) prior to submitting an appeal as issues can often be resolved outside the appeal process.   

Selection Rational  

• In evaluating selections World Junior Ski Championship is a development competition; U23 World Ski Championships is a performance competition.  
• Sprint and distance events are not ranked or weighted more than the other. Selection is based on achieving best performance in each event.  
• Time behind winner evaluations were taken from the overall race winners time, not the category winner’s time. 
• Team size was expanded from 20 to 22 to provide more international race opportunities and optimal team performance. This means fielding the athlete best suited to start the race to achieve an optimal result. 
• There are no roll downs in the selection. 

SUMMARY OF SELECTIONS 

World Junior Ski Championship Team 

Alison Mackie – Edmonton Nordic Ski Club, AB – AWCA 

Clara Hegan – Nakkertok Nordic, ON 

Minty Bradford – Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club, YT 

Constance Lapointe – Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club, YT  

Anika Wallin – Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club, BC – AWCA 

Finn Redman – Telemark Nordic, BC 

Justin Boudreau – Club de ski de fond Montériski, QC – CNEPH 

Jonas Rolseth – Canmore Nordic Ski Club, AB – AWCA 

Eamon Wilson – Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Club, BC 

Ben Field – Canmore Nordic Ski Club, AB – AWCA 

Zachari Moreau – Club Nordique Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC 

World U23 Ski Championship Team 

Sonjaa Schmidt – Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club, YT – AWCA 

Liliane Gagnon – Skibec/Léviski La Balade, QC – CNEPH 

Jasmine Drolet – Black Jack Ski Club, BC 

Amelia Wells – Strathcona Nordics, BC – AWCA 

Katya Semeniuk – Nakkertok Nordic, ON – AWCA 

Helen McCulligh (Not Eligible Due to FISU) – Kanata Nordic Ski Club, ON – 

Xavier McKeever – Foothills Nordic Ski Club, AB – AWCA 

Max Hollmann – Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club, ON – AWCA 

Luke Allan (Declined) – Nakkertok Nordic, ON 

Tom Stephen – Foothills Nordic Ski Club, AB – AWCA 

Derek Deuling – Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club, YT 

Ry Prior – Club Chelsea Nordiq, QC – AWCA 

Staff

Jouni Pitkänen – U23 Lead Coach

Maria Lundgren – U20 Lead Caoch

Julien Lamoureux – U20 Assistant Coach / Wax Tech

Tormod Vatten – U23 Assistant Coach / Wax Tech

Julie Beaulieu – Development Lead

Alain Masson – Wax Tech

Luke McGurk – Wax Tech

Fergus Foster – Wax Tech

Leif Lennie – Wax Tech

Athlete nominations were made by the High Performance Committee (HPC) based on the 2024-25 Nordiq Canada Competition Selection Criteria. The HPC oversaw the selection process as per the Nordiq Canada Nomination, Selection and Announcement policy. Members of this committee are:

• Graham Nishikawa (athlete rep – Para)
• Devon Kershaw (athlete rep – Olympic)
• Maria Lundgren (BC)
• Pauline Nadlersmith (ON)
• John Lofranco (Athletics Canada)
• Julie Beaulieu (Nordiq Canada)
• Chris Jeffries (Nordiq Canada)

Final athlete selections were approved by Chris Jeffries, High Performance Director.