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Vail Nordic Center under new management
By Alex Miller
DAILY STAFF WRITER
VAIL — Mia Stockdale has spent enough time on skinny skis to know a thing or two about cross-country skiing. Along with partner Shane Sluder, Stockdale has taken over ownership of the Vail Nordic Center, located at the Vail Golf Course in wintertime. The center manages some 27 kilometers of groomed trails under the auspices of the Vail Recreation District.
A former professional mountain bike racer who’s coached local high school Nordic teams and teaches cross-country skiing, Stockdale said she and Sluder hope to reinvigorate the Vail Nordic Center with lower prices on gear and clothing, more fun events and greater attention to trail maintenance.
“The terrain is great here,” Stockdale said. “And you’ve got beautiful views of the Gore Range.”
As pretty much the only full-service Nordic center in the county, Vail Nordic Center occupies a niche for those looking for groomed trails to ski, skate or snowshoe on. The retail shop has a full line of gear, including snowshoes, skis — classic, backcountry and skate — and clothing. There’s also a full rental shop and ski-tuning and repair services.
Outside, the Vail Rec District’s snowcat keeps 17 kilometers of track for classic and skating groomed, along with another 10 kilometers of snowshoe trail.
“It’s for folks who want a slightly mellower experience than snowshoeing in the backcountry,” Stockdale said.
Easy entry
As a sport, Nordic skiing may not be nearly as big as lift-served alpine skiing, but it has a lot to offer, Stockdale said. For one thing, it’s a lot cheaper: You can get into a brand-new package of skis, poles, boots and bindings for around $300, she said. The daily trail fee is only $5, $40 for a 10-punch pass or $65 for a full season pass. The exercise value of Nordic skiing is without question, and the whole mood is a lot more laid-back than up on the big ski hills, Stockdale said.
The goal is to keep that mood going at the nordic center, she said.
“We want people to hang out here,” she said. “The restaurant here is doing coffee, hot chocolate, baked goods and homemade soups, so it makes for a nice, comfortable and friendly atmosphere.”
For those who need some help getting started, lessons are available through the Nordic center. In addition, Stockdale said they plan to offer a variety of special events throughout the winter, starting with an open house Saturday to kick off the season. Wax clinics and a race series will also be on the calendar at the Nordic center this winter.
A little history
Nordic skiing has been around for at least 4,000 years in the Nordic nations where deep snow covers the landscape six to eight months of the year, although the exact origin of skiing cannot really be identified geographically, according to the Web site Masters Athlete Psychology and Performance.
The first practitioners were probably the migratory Sami of what is now northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland, living very near the Arctic circle. Professional ski competitions date to as early as 1767. Many of the participants were in the military. Before 1850, skiers didn’t even use two ski-poles, just one long, multipurpose staff.
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