Kelowna nordic club opens for the season, locals expected to flood in

The Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club is welcoming cross country skiers and snowshoers to its trails.

"We have received around 50 centimetres of snow over the past couple days and the groomers have been out fine-tuning the machines. They will be on the trails again early this morning, so it would be best not to head up before 9 a.m.," writes Wendy Vandenberg with the club, in a Facebook post.

The club offers both cross country ski and snowshoe trails on McCulloch Road.

Skaters will find soft conditions today, but better conditions are expected tomorrow, according to the post. Vandenberg asks that snowshoes stay on marked trails.

Each cabin will have an occupancy limit for the winter season.

Early bird prices for memberships are still in effect until Nov. 30.

Cross country ski gear has been flying off the shelves this winter as more people turn to the outdoors during COVID-19.

“Cross country (sales) definitely have been through the roof," said Play It Again Sports co-owner Mike Boback, in a previous interview with iNFOnews. The store sells various new and used sports equipment and is located in Kelowna.

Snowboard and winter clothing sales have declined a bit compared to last year because Australians and tourists aren’t around this year due to COVID-19. They tend to be the biggest buyers of winter clothing while locals already have their winter gear at home so they’re seeing fewer sales. They also like to snowboard, he said.

READ MORE: Central Okanagan snowbirds flock to cross country skis instead of flying south

Locals are more than making up for that dip however, he said.

“We’re seeing a lot of what you would call snowbirds that would normally go down south and now they’re here. Maybe they can’t downhill ski but they cross country. People are looking to do stuff so they just want to make sure they have access to equipment,” Boback said.

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