Agassiz cross-country skier Laurens van Vliet ended this year’s ski season on a high note.
van Vliet competed in the Sovreign2Silverstar Ski Marathon that ran April 1 and 2. The Agassiz athlete placed second in the 70 to 74 male group, completing a 21-kilometre race with a time of 1:36:25.
He said the ski conditions were excellent that day, the atmosphere was amazing and he was very pleased with his finishing time. This Vernon-based race heads fairly high in elevation at about 1700 metres above sea level. van Vliet typically trains for cross-country skiing at Manning Park Resort, which is around the 1100 to 1200-metre mark. The higher elevation makes for less oxygen, which presented its own challenges.
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An estimated 750 people competed in the Sovreign2Silverstar Ski Marathon. Competition was divided into classic and free technique skiing and 40-kilometre and 21-kilometre races. The full race runs between Sovereign Lake and finishes on the main street of SilverStar Mountain Resort’s village.
van Vliet trains at and is sponsored by Manning Park Resort. In the off-season, he typically cross-trains by logging dozens of kilometres and hours on his bicycle.
van Vliet would like to thank the staff at the Nordic Centre at Manning for their support during his training on the groomed and track-set trails.
adam.louis@ ahobserver.com
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