Frozen Thunder – FasterSkier

Visit Canmore: Some Off-the-Ski-Trail Suggestions

Ella HallNovember 16, 2021

For those who have yet to experience the beauty of Canmore, Alberta, a Google search for photos of the town alone should provide sufficient motivation to put it on your travel bucket list. A dramatic skyline of rugged and imposing peaks provide a backdrop to main street, the Nordic Centre, and pretty much anywhere else you could visit in the Kananaskis Valley. Smaller than its perhaps better-known neighbor, Banff, the streets of Canmore are lined...

News Racing

Covid-19 Positives Linked to Frozen Thunder

FasterSkierNovember 18, 2020

Yesterday, RMOTODAY.com, reported 11 “active” cases of Covid-19 linked to Frozen Thunder, an early season on-snow event organized at the Canmore Nordic Centre. According to the news report, athletes, clubs, and national governing bodies like Nordiq Canada and Biathlon Canada were notified about the cases on November 17. RMOTODAY contacted Chris Dornan, Nordiq Canada’s communications director, who emailed, “These individuals are in quarantine and following all of the required protocols in place to protect themselves and the...

Canadian National Ski Team Racing

Nordiq Thunder 2019: Notes, Quotes, and Photos

Gerry FursethNovember 17, 2019

The unofficial kickoff to the western Canadian racing season was held on November 13th and 14th. The traditional King’s Court sprint and interval start distance races are now called Nordiq Thunder — a re-brand from Frozen Thunder – but the relaxed feel and clockwork organization remain the same. With no trip selections on the line, the 93 sprinters and 105 distance racers were there to test their fitness and tune up for the races that...

News Other Racing

Frozen Thunder Day 2 Distance Race Rundown: Canada’s Emily Nishikawa and Russell Kennedy Win

FasterSkierOctober 30, 2018

Frozen Thunder (Canmore, Alberta) 7.5k/10k Freestyle On Tuesday, Frozen Thunder at the Canmore Nordic Centre in Canmore, Alberta hosted women’s and men’s individual start freestyle races. The women raced 7.5 kilometers, the men 10 k. Canada’s Emily Nishikawa (AIAWCA/CNST) won the women’s 7.5 k skate race in a time of 21:05.9 minutes. Nishikawa’s pacing was peerless as she skied the fastest splits at every checkpoint. Dahria Beatty (AIAWCA/CNST) placed second, stopping the clock 24.0 seconds...

News Racing Results

Frozen Thunder Booms on Day 1 Classic Sprint

Gerry FursethOctober 30, 2018

The North American season kicked off today with classic sprints at Frozen Thunder in Canmore, Alberta. Most of the top athletes were treating this as a chance to do some race intensity and were more focused on training and process goals than on actual results. The day’s results are summarized in the rundown. Chief of Competition Thomas Holland had expected a smaller turnout this year, partly from fewer people traveling to Frozen Thunder in a...

Biathlon Biathlon Canada General News Racing

Biathlon Canada Finalize World Cup Team Following Trials (Updated)

Alex KochonNovember 11, 2017

Note: This article has been updated to include comments and verification from Biathlon Canada High Performance Director Roddy Ward, and explain the modified shooting format used for Friday’s sprint. *** Almost exactly two weeks before Biathlon Canada sends the rest of its World Cup team to Europe for the first trimeter of International Biathlon Union (IBU) World Cup racing, the national team held trials this past Tuesday through Friday on snow in Canmore, Alberta. Three...

Canadian National Ski Team General News Other Racing

Frozen Thunder Day 2: Euro-Bound Holmes, Valjas Top Distance Races

Gabby NaranjaNovember 4, 2017

Frozen Thunder lived up to its name on Friday, with temperatures hovering below the legal race limit prior to the start of the second competition series of the week: the women’s 7.5- and men’s 10-kilometer freestyle individual starts. An hour delay was enough time to see temperatures rise to -10 degrees Celsius (14 Fahrenheit), and many skiers bundled in Buffs in prep for the five to six laps of racing. Overcast skies were a celestial...

Canadian National Ski Team News Other Racing

Frozen Thunder Day 1: Locke Wins Qualifier for World Cup Spot; Valjas Outlunges Thompson in Final

Gabby NaranjaNovember 2, 2017

Clouds heavy with building snow and a winter-storm warning already in effect cast a second anticipatory shadow over a jittery group of racers gathered on Wednesday for the first Frozen Thunder race of the season at the Canmore Nordic Centre in Canmore, Alberta. At stake for some of the top Canadians participating in the day’s classic sprint was the opportunity to secure the final spot on the men’s World Cup team for the first period...

Biathlon Canada Book Review Canadian National Ski Team Continental Cup General Racing

Longer, Stronger Frozen Thunder Open in Canmore

Chelsea LittleOctober 27, 2017

Frozen Thunder is back, but it’s not the same Frozen Thunder you knew before. Every year, snow is stored all summer at the Canmore Nordic Centre in Canmore, Alberta, and rolled out in October to provide local ski and biathlon teams with on-snow training opportunities. This year, the loop has changed. “It feels good to be back on the snow after such a long time away,” Biathlon Canada’s Nathan Smith wrote in an email. “The...

General Lifestyle Places to Ski

Early Snow in Canada, Call for Submissions

Gerry FursethOctober 17, 2017

When you think of skiing in Canada in October, Canmore’s Frozen Thunder is probably one of the first places that comes to mind. There are more options and some snowmaking that might surprise you. This month, Canadians are skiing on natural snow, machine-made snow and farmed snow. We know skiers are already out and about in Alaska and other parts of the U.S. as well, which is why we want this year’s early season “U.S....

Canadian National Ski Team General Interviews News Olympics Racing World Cup

Confidence in Hand, Thompson Gunning for PyeongChang Spot

Chelsea LittleSeptember 11, 2017

This week’s featured articles are made possible thanks to the generous support of Masters World Cup 2018.

Camps General Lifestyle Places to Ski

November Skiing in Canada: Where The (Skiable) White Stuff Is

Gerry FursethNovember 29, 2016

As promised, the Canadian version of “Where the (Skiable) White Stuff Is” (a.k.a. November skiing) is here, minus the bit about classic sprint in Canmore, Alberta, and ending in click here). If your favourite early season spot isn’t featured, you are in good company. Let us know in the comments below. And if you are visiting Canada, remember that the U.S. dollar is worth $1.35 up here. *** CAMPS XC SuperCamp Where: Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre and...

Biathlon News Racing

Crawford Crushes Biathlon Canada Team Trials; Gow Leads Canadian Men

Gabby NaranjaNovember 14, 2016

Biathlon Canada's World Cup team selection races wrapped up last Thursday, with two sprints at Frozen Thunder. Along with Canada's Rosanna Crawford, Julia Ransom, Megan Tandy, and Scott Gow, Americans Lowell Bailey, Tim Burke, Joanne Reid, and Susan Dunklee reached the podium by the end of trials.

Biathlon General Interviews News

Green Focuses on Core to Remedy Back and Rev Up for Another Season

Gabby NaranjaNovember 10, 2016

After addressing various back issues and logging a solid summer of training, Biathlon Canada's Brendan Green, who turned 30 last week, feels ready to go for the 2016/2017 IBU World Cup season.

General News Racing Regional / Local

Racing Resumes in America with the Race to the Outhouse #1

Gavin KentchNovember 7, 2016

Ski racing on natural snow has returned to North America. APU skier Scott Patterson used Saturday morning's Race to the Outhouse #1 to "lay down the law on some juniors and masters" en route to an easy victory.

Canadian National Ski Team General Multimedia Photo Gallery Racing Training

Frozen Thunder 2016: Notes, Quotes and Photos

Gerry FursethNovember 7, 2016

Quotes, observations and photos from the Frozen Thunder freestyle distance, classic sprint and skate-sprint qualifier last week in Canmore, Alberta. “Frozen Thunder is definitely a huge asset to western North America. There is no doubt that it helps get you into ski shape long before the season starts,” local skier Russell Kennedy states.

Canadian National Ski Team Continental Cup General Para Nordic Racing

With World Cup Starts Up for Grabs, Cockney Wins Frozen Thunder Classic Sprint Qualifier

Gerry FursethNovember 2, 2016

Update: Early Thursday, Cross Country Canada (CCC) announced that Jess Cockney has been selected for World Cup Period 1, referencing both his Olympic history and last season's World Cup top-10 result.

Biathlon Canadian National Ski Team General

Holmes and Green Take 2016 Frozen Thunder Distance Titles in More of a Training Scenario

Gerry FursethOctober 29, 2016

In Canada's first unofficial on-snow race of the 2016/2017 season -- which most of nearly 100 competitors viewed as a training effort -- American Chelsea Holmes and Canadian national-team biathlete Brendan Green topped their respective fields in the 7.5 and 12 k freestyle races.

Canadian National Ski Team General News Other Regional / Local

Frozen Thunder Officially Open (Photo Gallery)

BrainspiralOctober 23, 2016

Canada's famous Frozen Thunder officially opened Saturday after the Canmore Nordic Centre dumped an estimated 400 truckloads of snow onto its 1.3-kilometer loop in Canmore, Alberta. By Sunday's end, the loop should be roughly 2 k.

Camps Lifestyle Resources Training

Thanksgiving Camp Guide: Where To Go in the U.S. and Canada

BrainspiralNovember 26, 2015

Sure, West Yellowstone's the biggest and one of the longest-standing annual November ski camps in North America, but there are several other options across the U.S. and Canada for early season skiing. Start planning next year's trip now.

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