One final spring ski in La Mauricie National Park, Quebec. Photo: M. Pilotto
What a winter! Hot and cold and everything in between. I hope you managed to get through what was a trying ski season. I survived watching folks practice teaching in minus 27 C conditions at Nelson, B.C. Two weeks earlier, I had done the same thing in the same place, that time in the rain. But I skied some fabulous powder after receiving 95 centimetres of fresh snow in four days up in the Dezaiko Range. It was a tricky winter, but it was a fun winter. In the end, I hope yours was too. In late March, I was happy to get to SilverStar for the last day of the cross country Level IV course conducted by Jessica Stichelbout and John Gallagher. Four candidates successfully completed the course, and I welcome Adam Achs, Tony Fiala, Heather Lamson and Greg Munby to the “Order of the Four.” Congratulations to the four of you! I encourage Cyd, Jenia, Alison, Karen, Tracy and Daniel to continue the “climb up the mountain.” I understand the feeling of not getting there on your first attempt, despite giving it your best shot. I encourage you to try again next year. I'll be there to congratulate you when you reach the summit. As part of the same course, my good friend Michael Thomas apprenticed to be a cross country Level IV course conductor. I am delighted to announce that Michael was successful as he has put in the time and effort. Cypress Mountain Nordic has a very special leader running its nordic program. Well done, Michael. I would also like to extend my congratulations to Martin Beland and René-Martin Trudel, both of whom achieved a new level of telemark course conductor. Martin achieved his Level ll and René-Martin his Level l. Mae Hooper achieved her cross country Level ll course conductor as well. Congratulations to you all! Coming up at the end of April, Nordiq Canada will host its annual Nordiq Canada Coach Conference in Canmore, Alberta. Thank you to those of you who answered my call to attend the conference and represent CANSI. Jessica Stichelbout, Guy Paulsen and Tony Fiala, along with team captain Henry Madsen, will represent CANSI. It is my hope that sending such a strong group will show Nordiq Canada how serious CANSI is in finding future avenues for collaboration. Putting more Canadians on cross country skis should be the overarching aim of our organizations. I believe we can achieve this through collaboration. Finally, I would like to thank Rob Henderson for his efforts in organizing the on-snow sessions for upper-level cross country course conductors, held in November and March at Sovereign Lake. These sessions are proving fruitful in honing our technical skill development. From these sessions, video and descriptive wording is being developed with an eye to helping you and your teaching with clear examples of what good technique should look like. Thank you, Rob and your team, for the work you are doing. That's it for me for this season. I look forward to the next newsletter in the fall. I would be remiss if I didn't thank Ann Sullivan and Mireille Pilotto for the work they do in producing the monthly newsletters. Thank you both so much. Have a great summer! Denys Lawrence, CANSI President
CANSI Instructors had fun in the sun on St. Patrick’s Day at Sovereign Lake Nordic Club and Silver Star Mountain Resort. Back row from left: Heather Lamson, John Gallagher, Jenia Tishkina-Norman, Adam Achs, Greg Munby, Michael Thomas, Karen Evans, Jessica Stichelbout Front row from left: Daniel Talbot, Tony Fiala, Cyd Fraser, Tracy Kelly, Alison Hart Photo: Rob Henderson
It’s almost time to put storage wax on our skis and put them away for the summer, but there’s one more thing to think about for the next ski season – CANSI uniforms! CANSI uniforms not only look sharp, but they identify you as a professional instructor. We encourage everyone to wear one while teaching. If you are a CANSI course conductor, you are expected to wear a CANSI uniform when conducting or examining certification courses. There are two great options: 1. The Arc’teryx Practitioner AR Hoody is a comfortable, lightweight jacket that’s primarily oriented toward cross country ski instructors and course conductors. 2. The Arc’teryx Ski Guide jacket is a high-end windproof Gore-Tex shell that’s suitable for both telemark and cross country.They both come in CANSI red and feature a small logo on the front and a larger logo on the back. They come in both men’s and women’s styles. To order yours, please send a note and payment to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Please note that we need to receive your order and payment NO LATER THAN MAY 1, 2024. That’s not much time, so this is the time to act! There won’t be another opportunity to order uniforms for the 2024-25 season. The good news is that we’ve been able to hold the line on price this season, so costs are the same as last year: $225 + tax for the Practitioner, $600 + tax for the Ski Guide. CANSI National looks forward to seeing many of you wearing our uniforms next season! Option 1 - Practitioner AR Hoody - $225 + GST & PST The Practitioner AR Hoody is particularly suited to the needs of cross country ski instructors. It’s a highly breathable, lightly insulated mid layer designed to manage vapour and temperature across a broad range of output levels and temperatures. The hydrophobic Octa® Loft liner actively wicks moisture away from the body while the Fortius™ Air 50 fabric allows air into the system to move vapour out. This jacket is designed to keep you dry while providing thermal warmth and strong weather protection from a highly durable face fabric. For more information, visit the Arc'teryx website to view the men's and women's versions of the Practitioner AR Hoody.
Option 2 - Ski Guide Jacket - $600 + GST & PST This is a high-end Gore-Tex shell with lots of pockets and weatherproofing, designed for mountain professionals to carry the tools of their craft while operating in harsh mountain environments. For more information, visit the Arc’teryx website to view the Ski Guide jacket in women's and men's versions.
Members of the Canadian team at Interski 2023 in Levi, Finland
Interski is an organization consisting of 31 nations and three international specialized organizations. It promotes, coordinates and develops all international matters relevant to snowsports instruction.* CANSI members may be aware of Interski, the world-leading congress of snowsports-teaching nations that meets every four years to demonstrate and compare techniques and methodologies. Attendance at Interski is vital for the promotion and development of participating organizations, and it ensures their certifications are relevant in the eyes of the global snowsports industry.* The next Interski Congress will be held in Vail, Colorado, in April 2027. CANSI, at the invitation of the CSIA, hopes to send a team of cross country and telemark participants, and we are seeking expressions of interest from any members who may want to be involved. As a participant, you will be expected to present in the opening and closing ceremony show runs as well as in technical demonstrations, workshops and inside lectures. You will also watch demonstrations by other nations and attend their workshops and lectures. The event is a very busy week, so we hope to have six members from each discipline to allow us to attend all the relevant workshops and lectures. A selection process is being developed, and successful applicants will be asked to report their observations to the CANSI general membership during and after the congress. Participation is partly subsidized by the association, but team members will be responsible for the majority of their costs, expected to be approximately $5,670 USD plus transportation to Vail. If you are interested in taking part in Interski 2027, please email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. John Gallagher, XC instructor Level IV Cross country coach, CANSI Interski 2023 team *Summarized from the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA) e-newsletter, March 26, 2024.
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Time off your skis can mean more time on the mat. Try this 20-minute workout to improve your core endurance or go to Documents > Fitness for exercises that will help you balance better on skis.
Take the time to refresh your knowledge with CANSI's Teaching and Technique guides for both XC and telemark skiing. Find the manuals in Documents. For a visual approach to learning, click on Videos (menu on the left side of your profile page at cansi.ca) for information on everything from skiing expectations for telemark Level I to XC lane changes and step turns.
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