As the oldest continually operating ski club in Canada, the Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club continues to hold a central place in the town’s recreation culture. With the resignation of long-time general manager Daryl Ross earlier this year, Amanda Cockburn has stepped into the role to continue the vital work and legacy of the club.
Cockburn, who is also executive director of the Local Food Initiative, was drawn to the club as a community organization. She aims to ensure everyone feels supported by the club and has access to its wide range of services, from trails to coaching to events.
An extensive trail network
The Nordic Ski Club maintains 35 kilometres of groomed trails on Mount Macpherson, which Cockburn described as the club’s “holy grail.” Maintaining safe, high-quality trails for all is made possible by the efforts of the operations and trail crew, groomers and volunteers.
The club also has around six kilometres of night skiing, an experience Cockburn hopes to enhance by building more of an evening culture with firepits and socializing. The club also offers a dog loop for those wanting to bring their pets on their skiing adventures.
Recently, the club adopted Nordic Pulse, an app-based grooming report system for cross-country ski trails. For a medium to large nonprofit club, the software was a significant investment, made to improve the experience for both riders and the grooming team.
The grooming map is embedded directly into the Nordic Ski Club’s website, where riders can check trail status, difficulty levels and elevation. It also saves groomers from having to manually update trail status after finishing each trail, and adds a safety aspect.
“We’re exploring whether we can actually use Nordic Pulse for our safety plans,” Cockburn said. “For example, if a groomer doesn’t check in on a night shift, we can see where they are in real time.”
Looking forward, the club has received approval for a new five-kilometre, high-elevation trail set for 2026, aimed at advanced skiers and training groups.
Supporting development
Beyond maintaining high-quality trails, the club has a commitment to developing skiers at every level. Offering adult lessons, both group and private sessions, technique workshops and the Masters Program, which brings together skiers with a more athletic focus, the club has a wide range of services.
“It’s for people who are perhaps a bit more experienced with skiing, but want to continue to do it alongside other people,” Cockburn said.
The Nordic Ski Club also supports athlete development through a race program led by coach Tindra Wikson, who moved to Revelstoke from Sweden. The club has a strong record of athletes reaching qualifying races and achieving great results in national competitions.
“I’m always about the idea that you get out what you put in,” Cockburn explained. “We have those excellent volunteers, our coach and resources to help you be your best and succeed if you want to.”
Youth development is a major focus for the club, running programmes tailored to all ages and abilities – from beginner skiing to fitness training, competition prep and even survival skills, plus school programs from Grade Four through Grade 10.
Events and community focus
The Nordic Ski Club further brings the community together through hosting a range of events over the winter season. An annual favourite is the Lantern Ski on New Year’s Day, open to all skiers. Riders will ski up to Ole Sandberg Hut for food and hot beverages under lantern light.
Last year, the club launched the Big McInnes, a new tradition celebrating Al McInnes’ dedication to trail building and grooming. In the event Feb. 28, 2026, participants will take on the challenge of skiing all the trails McInnes helped create.
Recently, the club partnered with Selkirk Saunas, not only to offer members discounted services but also to explore the idea of a sauna event day at the club.
With the 2027 Winter Olympics approaching, Cockburn hopes to organize a ski jumping community event to celebrate, during which members could give the activity a try. Ski jumping has deep roots in Revelstoke — once home to renowned jumpers and historic competitions — and remains a core pillar of Nordic skiing.
Nordic skiing for all
With such a broad range of offerings to the community, ensuring skiing is accessible to all is central to the club’s mission. The club has been working with the Revelstoke Adaptive Sports (RADS) and has secured grants to purchase some modified equipment. Whether that’s improved bathroom access or clearer signage on their trails, inclusivity is a top priority.
“Even if it’s just one person, they should have the same access as the high level athletes do,” Cockburn said. “I want people in the community to have a good time skiing safely. That’s our focus—making sure it’s safe and successful.”
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