OUA Nordic Championships in North Bay
For the second year in a row, North Bayites are encouraged to break out their cowbells and celebrate winter while watching incredible student-athletes compete in the OUA Nordic Championships. Nipissing University is proud to host the 2015 Northgate Tour De Nipissing OUA Nordic Championships February 13-15 at locations across the city.
Top Ontario university Nordic ski teams are clamouring to hit the trails to compete. The Lakers team has high expectations and are looking to capitalize on their home-snow advantage.
“We are all thrilled to be hosting the Nordic Championships. The people of North Bay are going to have a lot to cheer about,” said Lakers Nordic head coach Toivo Kovukoski. “Your Lakers student-athletes have been working hard all season and are ready to go. I am super proud of them and really looking forward to an epic weekend of ski racing and festival fun.”
Skiers will have an official training day on Thursday, February 12, beginning at 1 p.m. on Nipissing’s campus trails (located near the pond).
The exciting head-to-head action begins Friday, February 13, with night races at Laurentian Ski Hill from 5-7.30 p.m.
For Saturday’s events the competition moves to the Nipissing campus trails with a 6.6 km Classic Interval Start Prologue race starting at 11 a.m. The day will be concluded with a banquet and awards ceremony at the Wall starting 12:00 p.m.
The Championship weekend wraps up on Sunday at North Bay Nordic Club trails with the 10 km race at 9 a.m.
“This is a terrific opportunity for Nipissing and the city to showcase one of our defining characteristics – that we live in a fantastic winter city,” said Mike DeGagné, Nipissing’s president and vice-chancellor. “Over the course of the weekend, we will welcome top athletes and coaches from universities all over Ontario who will get to see and experience this terrific community.”
"The whole team is looking forward to representing Nipissing University on our home trails at the OUA Championships, and showcasing how hard we've worked this past year," said Nordic team captain, Kajsa Heyes. "This is such a great place for skiing and we are excited to share that with all the competitors, coaches, and spectators."
“This is going to be an exciting weekend for our university, our community and our student-athletes,” said director of athletics, Vito Castiglione. “This truly is a unique event for North Bay and I’m pleased that Nipissing can celebrate the spirit of competition with our city.
“On behalf of the City of North Bay, I would like to say how proud we are to be working with the University to attract events that show off how truly wonderful winter is in North Bay,” said Mayor Al McDonald. “The event will help promote North Bay throughout the province and the nation. This is great news for our city as we are home to some fantastic young Nordic athletes who will look up to the University student athletes as role models, helping to inspire our youth to value sport and academics.”
This year’s championships will be augmented once again by a Winter Festival, running through to Monday February 16 to create a truly local winter experience. There will be a number of activities for the whole family including a paintball biathlon, dogsledding, shopping, hot beverages and food.
For more information, including race maps and a complete itinerary, check out the website:Northgate Tour de Nipissing.