Plans are for the cross-country skiing races to be held in the morning, with fat bike races in the afternoon. Although the distances were still being discussed, in 2022, there were ski races of one, four, nine and 16 kms and fat bike races of nine and 22 kms.
Guenther said they had around 75 participants, with about 60 of them skiers last year. Cross country skiing is of course more established, but there are hopes that the fat biking, which uses bikes with larger tires so they can travel in the snow, will continue to grow in popularity. There is already a strong support base locally.
As the first Feisty Rooster was held in early 2020, it became essentially the last event before the pandemic hit. They only missed one year, before returning in 2022.
Although technically a race, Guenther said the event is not too competitive. They have participants from three to 70 years old, and the classifications are in skill not age categories.
“It is not really that intense, that competitive,” he said. “You go by what you are comfortable with. It is really about getting out and having fun.”
At the same time, they do draw from a fairly large area. In the past people have come from Brandon, Riding Mountain, Winnipeg and the Morden/Winkler area. They are hoping the word continues to spread.
“You really want to put on a good event if they travel that far. But one other goal is to bring out our local recreational skiers.”
Turtle Mountain Nordic has taken on a new project this year. Boissevain School has started a cross-country skiing club, and the Nordic club has taken them under their wing. Guenther said there are a number of first time skiers there, so they are introducing them to the sport and the Lake Adam trails. There are around 30 kids signed up and they come out on Thursdays after school. He said they teach them basic technique, with the encouragement that “everyone falls, so you have to learn how to get up.”
Turtle Mountain Nordic meets on the weekends as well, which attracts more families. One interesting activity is skiing at night, particularly under the full moon. It can be an awesome experience.
“It is amazing how bright it is, with the full moon on the snow,” Guenther said. “There are shadows. You don’t need head lamps.”
Another positive this year has been the heavy snowfall. There is no shortage of the white powder in the park to ski on. With the temperatures perking up, this helps as well.
With Feisty Rooster on the way, they are making preparations, such as getting t-shirts made and gathering prizes. There is even talk of a costuming class. Guenther said it is a great addition to the area in more ways than one.
“It is a great way to highlight the park and the great job the workers do out there, and what a great multi-use facility it is. As soon as you bring folks in from outside the community, it is good for the town businesses. Hopefully, we can draw people back to the area.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff