Upcoming Events

Three Rivers Ski Rennet (Skiwerx Series)

01/19/2019

This is a great event for new racers! Showcasing the man made snow loop at Hyland Lake Park in...

Hoigaards-MYSL Team Sprint Series

01/23/2019

Classic this week! The Minnesota Youth Ski League and Hoigaard's invite you to Theodore Wirth...

Loppet Classic Team Sprints (Skiwerx Series)

01/31/2019

Team Sprint format (classic technique) on Thrusday (Skiwerx Series). Skating (individual) on...

MyXC Festival & Championships

03/02/2019

Our celebration of winter. The Festival events are all day Saturday (including the Fishscale...

K COUNTER TOP 10

Skier	Club	KM
Anders W	Hyland Lake	409.25
Philip L	Hyland Lake	359.84
Max M	Hyland Lake	305
Eli A	Wirth Saturdays	220
Soren W	Wirth Saturdays	206.6
Alexander A	Hyland Lake	176.4
Patrick A	Hyland Lake	175.4
Lukas W	Hyland Lake	134.13
Hyrum L	Bunker Hills	124.9
Caleb C	Tamarack SkiSparks	124

Tamarack Youth Ski Club

Primary tabs

tamarack

Location

5287 Otter Lake Road

55110 White Bear Township , MN

Phone: 651-407-5350

See map: Google Maps

Minnesota

Venue Name:

Tamarack Nature Center

Registration:

Not yet full

Meets:

Saturday

2:00-3:30pm

Starts:

January 5, 2019 - 2:00pm

Dates:

1/5, 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/2 (festival day)

Rentals:

Club Rentals - closed

Membership:

$45

Ski Pass:

MN Ski Pass for skiers 16 and over

Leader:

Doug Cran ,

612-910-9009

Email:

tamarack@mysl.org

Welcome to the Tamarack Youth Ski Club

The 2019 season will be a great year for the kids at Tamarack Youth Ski Club. This is a volunteer led program. Every family is urged to help in some way. Please see below for volunteer information.

November 12 Announcement

Our Club Equipment Rentals have now been spoken for. We encourage you to purchase new or used equipment at the following locations:

Boulder Nordic Sports (BNS) -- Bloomington
FinnSisu -- St. Paul
Gear West -- Long Lake
Hoigaards -- St. Louis Park
Joe's Sporting Goods -- St. Paul
Pioneer Midwest -- Osseo
Play it Again Sports -- various locations

Schedule and location

Tamarack SkiSparks will meet for 8 Sundays beginning with our first meeting Saturday, January 5, 2019 from 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM at the Tamarack Nature Center. We will be meeting in the Garden Building. Please park in the parking lot near this building (the lot nearest to Otter Lake Road) and enter through the wooden gate. Bathrooms are located in the main Nature Center building.

We will have our end of season celebration at the Midwest Junior Championships and Festival at Wirth Park on Saturday, March 2.

Announcements

For Saturday, January 19, 2019 we will be meeting at Elm Creek from 2 - 3:30. Elm Creek is located off Hwy 610 just north of the Elm Creek Boulevard exit in Maple Grove. It may be quite busy, being only one of a few skiable locations. While there is limited parking near the building, be prepared to have to park in the overflow lot down the road past the building. There is a shuttle bus that runs between the overflow lot and the building. We will meet on the deck by the building (or inside near the back by the Creekside Grill if it's very cold) and then head out to the practice area a little ways to the southwest of the building.

Because it is forecasted for a high of 10 and a windchill near zero, we will likely only ski until 3 pm.

Here is the information from MYSL regarding Elm Creek............

Elm Creek
Location	Elm Creek Park Reserve, Winter Recreation Area Main Chalet and Cross Country Ski Area: 12400 James Deane Parkway, Maple Grove 55369
Parking	Please plan to arrive at Elm Creek at least 30 minutes before your club time. You will need to allow time for the shuttle service from the overflow parking lot. Signs will be posted if the main parking lots are full.
Rental Equipment	Rental equipment is purchased inside the main chalet. After you pay for rental equipment, then you head to the equipment building to pick up the equipment.
Passes	Everyone 12 and over needs an "All Parks Pass" through Three Rivers Parks. Daily passes are $9. Annual passes are $75 for first family member, $37.50 for additional members. Annual passes can be purchased online (highly advised because the line can be LONG!) https://www.threeriversparks.org/activity/cross-country-skiing
Meeting Area	Clubs can meet outside of the main chalet. Do not plan to meet inside the chalet. Use the patio on the West side of the building, overlooking the trails. You can have your check in here and set up snack. Skiers may move in to the chalet to warm up after grabbing snack. Its very important to have a volunteer stay with your snacks for the duration they are out and have clear signage of which club's snack it is. There will be probably be more than one club around when you are at Elm Creek, so clearly labeling your table will be important.
Trail/Lesson Areas	The trailhead right off of the parking lot is roomy enough to get new skiers aquanted with their skis. There is just enough room for some follow the leader. Older and more experienced skiers may head South on the trail until they get to the practice area. If parents are walking along to the pracitce area, there is a small path on the left of the trails. ABSOLUTELY NO FOOT TRAFFIC ON THE TRAILS. Parents not on skis may stand off to the edge of the practice areas. Parents should not plan on walking throughout the area.
Summary	Please plan to arrive at Elm Creek at least 30 minutes before your club time. You will need to allow time for the shuttle service from the overflow parking lot. Signs will be posted if the main parking lots are full. Passes and rental equipment are purchased inside the main chalet. After you pay for rental equipment, then you head to the equipment building to pick up the equipment. Clubs can meet outside of the main chalet. Do not plan to meet inside the chalet. Use the patio on the West side of the building, overlooking the trails. You can have your check in here and set up snack. Skiers may move in to the chalet to warm up after grabbing snack. Its very important to have a volunteer stay with your snacks for the duration they are out and have clear signage of which club's snack it is. There will be probably be more than one club around when you are at Elm Creek, so clearly labeling your table will be important. the trailhead right off of the parking lot is roomy enough to get new skiers aquanted with their skis and warmed up. There is just enough room for some follow the leader. Older and more experienced skiers may head South on the trail until they get to the practice area. If parents are walking along to the pracitce area, there is a small path on the left of the trails. ABSOLUTELY NO FOOT TRAFFIC ON THE TRAILS. Parents not on skis may stand off to the edge of the practice areas but should not plan on walking throughout the area.

Weather and cancellation policy

We will not ski if the air temperature is below -2˚ F or the wind chill is below -10˚ F, or at the leader’s discretion. Always check the website or email tamarack@mysl.org with questions. Cancellations will be posted on this web page and notification sent through email.

Children should be dressed in layers. A moisture wicking under layer, an insulating layer, and a wind proof layer are typically appropriate. Please use your discretion noting your child’s activity level and the outside temperature/wind chill. Often a winter jacket and snow pants or a snowsuit are too warm once the child gets skiing unless they are young and in the beginner group.

Equipment

We have some great equipment for skiers to use for a nominal fee - $35 for the entire season. This equipment can be taken home and used for family outings. Please remember we have a limited number of ski packages and sizes, so register early. If you paid for rental equipment on-line but were not able to be outfitted, you will be reimbursed for the fees.

Our rental skis are classic no-wax skis. We do not have skate ski equipment available on a rental basis. Children skiing in level 5 or above should have their own skate skis, boots, and poles. In addition, for children skiing at level 4 or above, waxable classic skis are highly recommended.

Registration

Please register early to insure a spot at Tamarack. Register on the main page for MYSL by selecting "Club Membership."

Levels and age guidelines are as follows:

For children who are new to MYSL, assign the child to the lowest skill level that spans their age as of January 1. If a child has skied at least 10 times, consider advancing them one skill level. It is common for kids to repeat skill levels, so returning families need to choose a skill based on last season’s performance, but still staying within the age ranges. Coaches will assess children at the first meeting, but it is important for parents to accurately assign levels by age during the registration process.

Classic ski lessons: Level I: Ages 4-7 (parents ski along with the child), Level 2: 6-8 (parents check in occasionally), Level 3: 7-10, Level 4: 8-12

Skate ski lessons: Level 5: 9-13, Level 6: 11-14

More about skill levels here: http://mysl.org/skill-levels. Questions about levels? Contact us at tamarack@mysl.org.

Communications

We will be communicating with Tamarack SkiSparks families via email. We need valid emails for all. When you register please include a contact e-mail address.

MYSL is on Facebook! You can “like” the MYSL page to get general announcements, photos and videos from each of the MYSL club.

Need to contact us? Email us at tamarack@mysl.org

Volunteering

This is a volunteer run club. The success and affordability of this program comes directly from your contributions of time, energy, and talent. By registering for this club, you are committing to the club’s success and are agreeing to volunteer.

Level 1 skiers will need to be accompanied by an adult. Coaching at level 1 is a great way to accompany your child. We are also in very great need of coaches for all levels 1-6. Please consider coaching as it is our number one need! You do not necessarily need to coach at your child’s level.

Following are some suggested areas of volunteer service:

Coaching:

We really need your help! This is our biggest need and is one of the most rewarding ways in which you can help the club. Kids get more out of the program when the coach-to-kid ratio is low, and coaches need not be experienced skiers to volunteer. The MYSL program makes it easy for a coach to know what to do. An eight week curriculum has been prepared for every class level and each day's lesson is printed on a card that can be carried in your pocket. The pocket guide also provides many helpful tips and games to keep classes enjoyable and interesting. You do not have to be an elite level skier to be a coach. All you need is a desire to help kids and have fun. Contact us at tamarack@mysl.org to sign up.

Junior Coaches:

High school aged skiers, we need you! We rely heavily on high school volunteers, who are fun, friendly and in far better shape than most of us. Coaching for Tamarack SkiSparks qualifies as a service commitment for NHS. Think about how great this will look on a college application! Contact us at tamarack@mysl.org to sign up.

Assistant and Sub Coaches:

As an assistant coach, you can support a coach by accompanying the group on the trails and helping skiers. If you feel like your skiing level is at the same level as the level your kids are signed up for, you would be a fantastic assistant coach! You are not in charge of the instruction, rather you are there to make sure the kids are safe, have an adult to bring them to the bathroom, and can assist with activities.

If you are a sub coach, you can fill in when a coach isn’t able to make it to ski club.

Snack Coordinator:

Set up sign-up for parents to bring weekly snacks and send reminders. Be available on ski days to help organize and clean up snacks. Contact us at tamarack@mysl.org to sign up.

If you have ideas about how to help kids learn to ski, now is your chance to make it happen.

K Counter leaderboard

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Skier	Distance (km)
Caleb C	124

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