The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Ski enthusiasts will gather this weekend for the 29th Annual Centaloppet. After a year off due to cold weather, the Centaloppet is back, and Flin Flon Ski Club member Dave Price hopes that the event will return with some of the gusto that it displayed during the late '70s and early '80s. "At start time last year, it was 30 below zero with a bit of a breeze blowing," said Price. "The last couple of years, there has been very little snow. This year, the snow conditions are the best they have been for many years, the trails are in great shape, and the forecast is for milder weather. It would be nice to think that we can have the sort of participation we had in the '80s, where for several years we had over 100 people lined up on the starting line." The last time the event was held, in 2002, just under 30 skiers participated, despite the fact that the gold medal hockey game between Canada and the United States was on at the same time. Anyone in Flin Flon who owns a pair of skis is invited to join in the fun. There is no entry fee, and the emphasis is on participation, not competition. Everyone has an equal opportunity to win the Centaloppet Cup, as a handicapping system is used to prorate each skier based on age and gender. "Over the years, the Centaloppet Cup has gone to some very young kids, and also to some people in their fifties and sixties," said Price. "On the other hand, the purpose of the Centaloppet is not to race. The main people is to just get people out on the trails." Aside from the prestigious Centaloppet Cup, there are prizes for everything from the largest family to the happiest face. The Centaloppet begins with registration at the Ross Lake Market Garden on Sunday at 1 p.m. The ski is an easy four kilometre route, beginning at 2 p.m. with a massed start on Ross Lake, and ending at the Ski Club, with a gathering at the Ski Club's Chalet for some refreshments and socializing. "It's a great, fun event," said Price. "The trail conditions are absolutely fantastic. If you haven't been a part of the Centaloppet before, this is your chance. It's a great experience." Even if you have never been on skis before, you can still participate, as the course was designed for people of all abilities. "You don't be nervous about being a part of this," said Price. "It is a very easy course. There aren't any hills or anything like that. My mom was visiting from Whales in the 1980s and she had never been on skis before, and she did it. If she can do it anyone can do it. For more information on the Centaloppet or the Flin Flon Ski Club, contact Dave at 687-4317 or Larry at 687-5073.
