While many of us Gusties like to complain about the snow on the ground, members of the club Nordic ski team on campus take full advantage of it by racing lengths ranging from 1.5 kilometers to 55 kilometers through the white fluff. Many students may not know what the Nordic ski club on campus is all about, so continue reading to find out more about a fun way to spend time outdoors in the winter that may be of interest to you.
“Nordic skiing, which is also known as cross country skiing, transitioned from a varsity sport to a club sport in March of 2014. We have both men’s and women’s clubs. Similar to most club sports, we have a wide range of ability and commitment levels. We have skiers who are completely new to the sport, as well as experienced skiers who can beat a lot of Varsity level racers from other colleges,” Head Coach Jed Friedrich said.
The beauty of a club sport is that experience and talent levels can vary greatly, leading to more participation.
One of the most talented skiers here at Gustavus is Senior Marit Sonnesyn.
“Marit is one of the best skiers to ever ski at Gustavus, regardless of club or varsity status,” Coach Friedrich said.
Sonnesyn, who was a member of the Nordic ski team while it was still a Varsity sport during her First-year here, has a rich family history when it comes to cross-country skiing.
“My family has been really into cross-country skiing for a long time. I’ve been skiing since I was about four years old. I was on the Wayzata High School team from seventh to twelfth grade grade,” Sonnesyn said.
Although many positives come from being a club sport, Sonnesyn does admit to missing the days of Nordic skiing being a varsity sport on campus.
“My favorite memories are from when we were a varsity team. There were many fun van rides up to Michigan. We were able to travel as a team to college races much more when we were a Varsity Team. I’m still able to compete at college races now, but usually I’m traveling to races with my dad. And while we can compete at college races, we don’t count in the results and can’t compete at NCAAs, even if we have good enough results to make it.
We’ve been able to open the club up to more recreational skiers who race at a lot of the local citizen races, which is a great thing. The club has grown this past year and I think it will continue to grow. It’s still not the same as being a competitive collegiate team though,” Sonnesyn said.
The team does, however, still travel to different locations for competitions and, occasionally, practices.
“We’ll meet for practices about 4-5 times per week, plus a race. We ski in the Arb, at the local golf course, and we sometimes head up to the metro if there is a lack of snow or a change of scenery. The competitions are mostly held in the metro area,” Coach Friedrich said.
One meet that the club competed in earlier this season was the City of Lakes Loppet. At the meet, first-year Connor Sandok tallied an impressive race. Unlike Sonnesyn, Sandok had no prior experience competing in cross country skiing prior to coming to Gustavus.
“I wanted to try something new for my first year at Gustavus. My high school didn’t have a Nordic team or even a club. I only skied recreationally with my family when I had time. At the involvement fair, I recognized two seniors from the cross country team and they encouraged me to try out the club this winter, despite my inexperience. I really like Nordic skiing, but my specialty is really alpine skiing,” Sandok said.
The season will conclude this weekend at ‘The Birkie.’
“Our last and biggest race is this upcoming weekend at the American Birkebeiner in Cable, Wisconsin. There will be around 10,000 people in attendance. Some of our skiers are racing 55 kilometers in the woods. It sounds really intimidating, but it’s a beautiful trek through the woods,” Coach Friedrich said.
Starting next winter, there will be a ski rental program on campus for those who don’t own their own equipment. Above all, Nordic skiing here at Gustavus is meant to be a great outdoor activity in the Minnesota winters we experience on campus. New members are always welcome to join, regardless of experience or talent.