Getting into the spirit of racing in middle school
While in the winter the Tahoe region might be best known for it’s downhill skiing, with Tahoe Donner Cross-Country, Royal Gorge, Tahoe Cross-Country and Northstar’s cross-country venue all right here, the North Tahoe/Truckee area is the greatest concentration of groomed Nordic skiing in North America. People head to the cross-country ski areas for a great aerobic workout and the wonderful views, but once cross-country skiing gets into your blood, it is the great spirit and devotion to the sport that you see from your fellow skiers, and in my case, fellow parents of children who race, that makes this activity such a great part of our community.
Middle school girls racing at Auburn Ski Club
While us Nordic folks have to admit that cross-country skiing is a poorer step child to the big downhill resorts, cross-country skiers are just as devoted and excited about their sport as those who get to the lifts early to catch the powder. And they pass it on to their kids. At Tahoe Cross-Country in Tahoe City, for example, there are over 250 kids in the Strider-Glider’s after school cross-country ski program and the North Tahoe Middle School has over 50 kids on their cross-country ski team, with a total school enrollment of only about 300 kids.
The interest amongst Truckee kids and their parents is equally strong, including my twin children who began cross-country skiing when they were 5 at the Auburn Ski Club, then went on to race for the Alder Creek Middle School, then the Truckee High School Nordic team as well as the Far West Nordic Team. While a busy real estate business has kept me from attending all of their races, I try to get to as many as I can and what I see is the best of what Tahoe and Truckee has to offer. Not only do I see kids with a wide range of abilities doing their best in a challenging sport, but I see parents and other locals waxing skis, helping out with training, and driving car loads full of kids hundreds of miles to watch kids ski. Why? To introduce their children to a healthy, outdoor sport that you can do for a lifetime. Right here, in the best place to cross-country ski in America.
YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH PLACES 
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