The Wausau Nordic Ski Club
Wausau Nordic Ski Club
Started in 1971/72 as the Wausau Area Cross–Country Ski club, the Wausau Nordic Ski Club, from the beginning, has featured outings to Big Sandy Creek, Mission Lake, Eau Claire Dells Park, Eau Pleine Park, High School Forest, Zimmerman Farm, Mead Wild Life Area, Half Moon Lake, Indian Head Golf Course, Underdown Recreation Area, and Merrill Council Grounds State Park, among others, and also is a co-host of the Badger State Games at Nine Mile Forest Recreation Area.
The Club is for skiers of all levels and ages, and is involved with a competitive high school cross country ski program, offers the “Snow Striders” for children ages 4 through 9 at Nine Mile, hosts the Snekkevik ski race at Nine Mile, offers free adult ski lessons, tours, and social events, and is committed to offering opportunities for all.
The Wausau Night Gliders (NG) are a club program sponsored by the Wausau Nordic Ski Club, and Membership in the Club is required to participate. The program prepares athletes for middle school and high school competitive teams. There are two components within the Night Glider Program – a Development Team called DEVO (early stages of learning technique) and a Racing Team (skiers ready for competition). As skill levels increase, the expectation is that athletes will move into the competitive group of skiers. The (link ⇒) Structure Chart contains the expectations for each group, cost of program, and many more details. We set our roster in spring based on number of coaches we have to manage and run a quality and safe program. Eligibility for these Programs is “Grade Based”.
The Wausau Nordic Ski Club has been awarding scholarships to athletes that participate on either the Wausau East/West Ski Team or the Wausau Nordic United team. The latter was also known as Newman or Newman/Marawood in the past. The scholarships originated with funds that were left over from the installation of lights on the trails at Nine Mile and is referred to as the VanErt Scholarship. In more recent years, the family of Hans Berg has provided funds for an additional scholarship. The Club, at its discretion, has provided additional scholarships for additional qualifying athletes.
Club meetings, trips to ABR and elsewhere, and ski swaps – who could ask for more from a cross country ski club!