After months of anticipation, the World Cup is ready to get underway in Canada. A welcome reception for World Cup athletes and officials will be held tonight in Vernon, at the base of Silver Star mountain. Stay tuned to FasterSkier.com for coverage. We will feature an interview with Canadian World Cup racer Chandra Crawford later today.
Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre, Vernon, B.C. December 6, 2005. The Welcome Reception for athletes and officials of the 2005 Viessmann FIS World Cup of cross country ski races will feature a North Okanagan menu. The reception, to be held on Thursday, December 8th at O'Keefe Ranch, will be catered by the Cattlemen's Club Restaurant. The menu will feature herbed pate, smoked steelhead B.C. salmon served with Armstrong dill cream cheese and capers on a chicory leaf, oysters served with a mirepoix of vegetables in vinaigrette, miniature Cattlemen's Club spicy pork burgers, stuffed mushroom caps with wild mushrooms and fresh herbs, thinly sliced beef fillet with horseradish cream in a puff pastry case, raspberry and almond tart with eggnog and vanilla bean sabayon. The Summerhill Organic Winery's 2001 Blush and Okanagan Spring Brewery's 1516 Bavarian Lager will be the libations of the evening. Ten chefs will begin preparing the food on Wednesday, December 7th.
Host for the reception will be the City of Vernon; title sponsor of the event is the World Cup Pinnacle Sponsor Haywood Securities.
Entertainment at the event will include Rob Dinwoodie, local country and western singer, and Mosaic Cultural Choir, strolling Christmas carolers. The Ranch Museum and O'Keefe Mansion will be open for viewing.
Over 160 athletes from 23 nations will be the honoured guests at the Welcome Reception, along with team coaches, officials, local elected officials and sponsors of the 2005 Viessmann FIS World Cup, to be hosted on December 10th and 11th by Sovereign Lake Nordic Club. The Reception is by invitation only.
