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Mono Nordic Ski Club hosts annual open house, ski swap

November 21, 2019   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The early snow this year may be a little off-putting to some people, but for members of the Mono Nordic Ski Club, it means an early start to the skiing season on the Monora Park trails.

The Ski Club held an open house as well as a ski swap at the Monora Park pavilion last Sunday, November 17.

It was an opportunity for people to come out and meet Club members and see what Nordic skiing is all about. 

Around 200 people turned out for the morning event.

The day also featured a ski swap where skiers could find some used, but good condition equipment.

The annual ski swap is a bonus for families who have children who are Nordic skiers but need to be outfitted every year as they grow. 

“This is the earliest we’ve ever started,” said Mono Nordic club president Gerry Gregorie, of the fact that skiers are on the trails in mid-November.

“Today is our annual open house. The Club has been in existence for 35 years and we’ve had an open house almost every year. We have a ski swap today and seasonal rentals. We’ve invited a number of vendors to bring used ski equipment so we can offer to our members, a good deal on used equipment, particularly for kids because kids are always growing. We are also doing a bake sale today for a fundraiser.”

The Club is raising funds for a new storage building to house equipment needed to groom and maintain the trails.

“We’ve put together a fundraising committee so we will having a some events to help raise funds,” Mr. Gregorie said. “We’ve also approached some local service clubs as well as an outreach to our members and past members.” 

Maintaining the ski trails requires the help of volunteers who keep the trails in shape for the season as we

“We have a two-way membership,” explained long-time Club member Ross Martin. “One is a full member, the other is a volunteer rate which is half the price. Volunteers groom the trails. We have around 20 volunteers who did this. It works really well.”

Volunteers also take care of the trails in the off-season including trimming bush to make a clear pathway as well as getting the base ready for the skiing season.

The Club is proud of some of its members who have gone on to high levels of competition.

The local high school Nordic Ski team also trains on the trails at Monora Park.

There are currently about 380 members in the Club, making it one of the largest and most active Nordic Ski clubs in the province.

The Monora Park trails wind through a large area on the property and offer everything from shorter routes to long distance trails for those that are into serious training.

The Club hosts several special events through the ski season including a Family Day ski day, a ladies event, and an invitational competitive ski competition.

You can keep on top of what is happening at the club and register for membership by visiting www.mononordic.com.

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