Wausau Nordic Ski Club Off to a Great Start
| Jon Oestreich, President, Wausau Nordic Ski Club Happy 2024! The mission of the Wausau Nordic Ski Club is to support cross-country skiing in Marathon County. We will work to support XC skiing and to enhance facilities and programs that support XC skiers of all ages and ability levels. From my viewpoint, it is rewarding to see all generations of the WNSC work together and ask questions to merge time-tested proven best practices with emerging trends in the Nordic ski world. For example, those recently hiking at Nine Mile know that the flags, trail signs, and mailboxes are up and ready for our enjoyment. Younger, newer, and all skiers would not be able to enjoy the Cookie and Kids loops or fires at Nine Mile’s various fire pits if not for the dedicated volunteers of the WNSC retiree generation. This generation volunteers their time to get certified through training by the Marathon Parks Department to use the wood splitter for firewood and then deliver wood to the numerous fire pits at Nine Mile for public use enjoyment. Younger and new WNSC generations continue to encourage their children to learn the cross-country skiing lifestyle. It takes contributions from all generations for the WNSC of us to be successful. Everyone benefits from this healthy, active, outdoor lifestyle. Thank you each of you and all WNSC generations for your efforts. Jon Oestreich, President Wausau Nordic Ski Club |
| Adult Lessons – Keep your fingers crossed for snow. 2024 Lesson Dates Lessons will be held at Nine Mile on Tuesdays Evenings: January 9,16,23 with January 30 “rain-date” The WNSC Adult Lessons program would not be as successful as it is without the volunteer time and expertise of our WNSC member instructors. More information about free adult lessons can be found at: |
wausaunordic.org/adult-lessons
MORE KIDS ON SKIS
Wausau School District
200 3rd-generation Nordic Rocks ski bindings were delivered to Wausau Nordic Ski Club on December 22, 2023. The 3rd-generation Nordic Rocks ski bindings will replace the current 160 Nordic Rocks ski bindings at five Wausau School District elementary schools. Knicker Nordic & WNSC members will do the WSD Nordic Rocks binding changeover. Thank you John Burke for your lead with the Wausau School District. CXC donated 75 Rossignol slide-on NNN bindings to WNSC. Thank you, Kiwanis of Wausau and Knicker Nordic for donations to upgrade the Nordic Rocks ski bindings in Wausau School District elementary schools.
DC Everest School District
Financial donations continued for area school districts after the capital campaign Wausau Nordic’s Community and Youth Ski Outreach Expansion was met. The DC Everest school district received an $11k donation from the DC Everest Education Foundation for 75 Nordic Rock skis to include 1 Nordic Rocks Sit Ski for 5 DC Everest elementary schools. The lead DC Everest elementary school Physical Education teacher with other DCE elementary school physical education teachers will implement the Nordic Rocks program into the DCE curriculum to meet DCE’s physical education curriculum objective: Lifetime sports. A handful of WNSC members in partnership with Wausau’s Knicker Nordic will provide an in-service to DCE Elementary Physical Education teachers on how to use skis to be XC self-sufficient. The Nordic Rocks skis were delivered by CXC to DCE Greenheck Turner Fieldhouse on December 22, 2023. Dave Hugus, David Borgemoen, Jon Oestreich, and DCE representatives accepted the Nordic Rocks skis.
Newman Schools
Has an interest in adding Nordic Rock skis to Newman Elementary schools. Discussions will continue in early January 2024.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Wausau East High School Activities Director reached out to WNSC for consultation meetings between the Wausau East Grounds Crew and Wausau City Parks. The Wausau East High School William “Bill” Smiley Memorial Cross Country Running Course was designed to accommodate multipurpose cross-country ski trail use in the winter. Most recent trail & terrain modifications occurred in November and December 2023. The intent is to increase multi-purpose winter trails for Greater Wausau neighborhoods. Current discussions indicate that WNSC will not be responsible for grooming Wausau East High School XC trails.
Doepke Park Ski Erg Update
Since we don’t have snow yet, might as well construct the shelter framework for 2 Ski Ergs at Doepke Park. Ski Ergs are used for dryland fitness and will be installed spring of 2024, supporting a healthy, active, outdoor lifestyle. See images below: Ski on, Jon Oestreich.
