Author Archives: robertjmcmahon

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

Please thank your skier(s) for inventing and/or performing their own let-it-snow dance(s) this past week!  All efforts combined have appeared to work!

Jeff Hampshire of Nordic X-Ventures has indicated that all ski trails at Assiniboine Park will indeed be fabulously mechanically groomed for both classic and skate techniques for tomorrow’s session.  Body armour will not be required!

And Mother Nature is forecast to give us a -13 degree Celsius air temperature with a -19 windchill at the start of skiing.  As such, the session is indeed on!

Meet at The Hummocks at 13:30 on Sunday, 8 February 2015.

Please bring a reusuable mug for hot chocolate (to reduce avoidable waste).  We won’t turn you away from the hot chocolate if you don’t have one, but if you can bring one, great.

Hello Jackrabbit Managers!

Tomorrow’s session is… sigh… wait for it… cancelled…

Puddle sticks…

And were not cancelling because of the weather, even though that is going to be -21 degrees Celsius with a -28 windchill at the start of the now cancelled session.

Nope, we are cancelling because of the boiler-plate snow.  Without body armour (hard on the outside and soft and squishy on the inside) every (frequent) fall to the rock-hard snow would result in a plethora of “owies“.

Not the memories of skiing we want our kids to have.

So, in lieu of our group session on Sunday, if your kids are interested in creating their own let-it-snow dance, let them know that their coaches are in full support of this activity.  We need more snow!

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

Tonight’s session of “Fast Rabbits Thursday 6” has now been cancelled!

Coach Ihor’s let’s-cancel conversation just before noon included words such as “broken poles”, “body armour”, “zero grip”, “Piston Bully”, and “unhappy kids”.

No indoor session will be held either.

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

Tomorrow’s “Fast Rabbits Thursday 6″, for Thursday 29 January 2015, is cancelled.  Likely.

Or it will be moved from the Windsor Park Nordic Centre to a safer venue.  Maybe.

Or just cancelled.  Probably.

Bottom line is that we don’t know at this time.

A definitive answer will be posted on Thursday around noon.

The reason for this whole-lotta-indecision is that tonight’s “Wednesday Night Race #7” was cancelled due to “…icing as a result of the rain and sleet…” and “…the rain is freezing on the snow [therefore] the conditions are getting treacherous…” on all of the ski trails at the Windsor Park Nordic Centre.

Given that reports from Windsor Park Nordic Centre on Sunday indicated that it was already icy, additional “icy-ness” on Wednesday would likely prove to be a safety hazard.

If, however, Coach Ihor is able to find a suitably safe place to ski somewhere in Winnipeg on Thursday evening, we will let you know the location at around noon.

Temperature is forecast to be -18 degrees Celsius with a -24 windchill at skiing time.  Skies to be clear.  Moon to be shining.

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

Also as announced by Coach Ihor this past Sunday:  Track Attack skiers are encouraged to register and to participate in the “CCSAM Manitoba Cup Race #2” this upcoming Saturday, 31 January 2015 at 12:00.

Register online no later than 19:00 on Thursday, 29 January 2015.

Show up at the Falcon Ridge Ski and Recreation Area chalet no later than 10:30 on Saturday, 31 January 2015.

If you do decide to register, please also e-mail Coach Ihor to let him know so that he can coach (and possibly transport) your skier on Saturday.

For your information, after the race, at 14:30, will be the “Biathlon Open House at the Biathlon Range specifically to experience Biathlon shooting. Ages 10 +”.  This was hugely popular last year during our Jackrabbit Expedition.

Having said all that, the latest weather forecast is predicting -26 degree Celsius air temperatures with a -37 windchill.  If this turns out to be likely to occur (closer to race day) this race will again be postponed.

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

Coach Ihor’s and Coach Rob’s groups are invited out to the Windsor Park Nordic Centre on Thursday, 29 January 2015, at 18:30 for “Fast Rabbits Thursday 6″.

The latest weather forecast is predicting a -19 degree Celsius air temperature with a -23 windchill at skiing time.

Technique (classic or skate) to be determined.

Daily trail pass (and hot chocolate, if required) is the skier’s responsibility to purchase in the clubhouse.

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

As announced by Coach Ihor this past Sunday:   Bunnyrabbits, Jackrabbits, Track Attack skiers, their parents and/or caregivers are all encouraged to register and to participate in “Wednesday Night Race #7 / Schools Race #2” this upcoming Wednesday, 28 January 2015 at 19:30.

Register online no later than 21:00 on Tuesday, 27 January 2015.

Show up at the Windsor Park Nordic Centre clubhouse no later than 19:00 on Wednesday, 28 January 2015.

If you do decide to register, please also e-mail Coach Ihor to let him know so that he can coach your skier on Wednesday evening.

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

The latest weather forecast is predicting a -11 degree Celsius air temperature, 20 kmh winds from the south, and a -20 degree windchill, for the start of tomorrow’s skiing session.

So, you guessed it:  For “Sunday Session (10)”, Sunday, 25 January 2015, meet at 13:30 on The Hummocks in the Nature Playground (same place as last Sunday).

And yes, there is plenty of skiable snow still on the ground (after this week’s “heat wave”).

Bring a reusable mug for apres ski hot chocolate (with wagon wheels), likely to be consumed in the Duck Pond Shelter.

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

The latest weather forecast is predicting a -14 degree Celsius air temperature, 10 kmh winds from the north, and a -20 degree windchill, for the start of tomorrow’s skiing session (https://spotwx.com/products/grib_index.php?model=meteocode&zone=r1.15&tz=-6&title=FPWG11&lat=49.89975&lon=-97.13749).

Because of this, “Sunday Session (9)”, Sunday, 11 January 2015 will indeed run, but we will meet at 13:30 on The Hummocks in the Nature Playground (same place as last Sunday), not in front of the Lyric Theatre.

Bring a reusable mug for apres ski hot chocolate (with wagon wheels), likely to be consumed in the Duck Pond Shelter.

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

Coach Ihor’s and Coach Rob’s groups are invited out to the Windsor Park Nordic Centre tonight, Thursday, 15 January 2015, at 18:30 for “Fast Rabbits Thursday 4”.  Even though it has “4” in the title, don’t let that fool you:  This will be our first on-snow Thursday session this winter.

Meet Coach Ihor in the clubhouse at 18:30.  While Coach Rob is unable to attend tonight’s session, it is likely that Coach Katherine, Coach Jeff, and Soon-To-Be-Coach Yan will be in attendance to have vertical ski fun with the younger skiers.

The latest weather forecast is predicting a -17 degree Celsius air temperature with a -20 windchill at skiing time.

Technique (classic or skate) to be determined.

Daily trail pass (and hot chocolate, if required) is the skier’s responsibility to purchase in the clubhouse.

See Google Maps for location (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Windsor+Park+Nordic+Centre/@49.859899,-97.099657,1426m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x52ea76e64794ac85:0x1028d8f8d5753b9f?hl=en).