Adult Programs

Adult League is back for our fifth year!

What to expect

Build technique, fitness and fellowship with 10 weekly sessions, monthly wax clinics and weekend daylight sessions, and league swag. Each session will start with a warm-up, group gather, and technique drill, followed by a workout, cool down, and homework for the week. Sessions run the week of January 4 through the week of March 8, 5:30 – 7 pm. We’ll have cheerful group ski vibes and fun challenges. Together, we’ll work toward refining your efficiency and unwinding habits that are keeping you from your best ski days.

Mark your calendar for a tentative meet and greet AND wax and ski prep, December 10th, 6-8 pm.

Who is this program for?

Camaraderie with those preparing for ski races as well as those who want to improve their ski-abilities! We expect that all skiers are at least “beginner-intermediate” skiers* who can comfortably ski 5-10 kilometers. There are two groups** for the 26/27 season:

Group 1 (Wednesday): You can ski a 5k at the campground or Montana Creek no problem, but are still learning about different polling techniques and aren’t able to easily balance on one ski or easily glide down the trail. For Group 1 we will focus on the fundamentals of establishing balance, glide, and timing. Once the fundamentals are locked in, you will have the opportunity to push your abilities and challenge yourself. This group will have a beginner-intermediate feel.

Group 2 (Thursday): You can ski all the trails in Juneau and are familiar with V1, V2, and double polling, and you want to refine your technique. You’re looking to push yourself and your skills to work on efficiency and feel stronger on the trails. You may even have a race goal in mind (perhaps at a big race – see you at the Buckwheat, Tour of Anchorage, or the Oosik?!). The Thursday group will have an advanced-intermediate feel.

*New to the sport or just starting out? Eaglecrest offers ski lessons and you can look for various pop-up events hosted by the JNSC catered to skiers of all abilities, beginners included. Once you get some kilometers under your skis, we look forward to having you join us in the future!
**Group Selection: Skiers are welcome to request the group that suits them best, though the coaches may suggest a group to a skier based on knowledge of skier abilities and/or to help balance group size.

Note about attendance: This is a progressive program where each practice builds upon the prior. While we understand that it is impossible to make every practice, we’d encourage you to only sign up if you think you can make at least seven of the ten weeks.

What gear do I need?

We recommend that participants have both skate and classic skis as we will have practices tailored towards both techniques. Skiers in Group 2 should have both skate and classic gear. For skiers in Group 1, we don’t want gear to be a limitation and will work to accommodate the gear that you have at each practice or lead you to the gear you need.

There are also several local options for buying skis:
Foggy Mountain Shop (stop by their Nordic Night for November first Friday), the annual Ski Sale/Swap (the JNSC will have a booth), the JNSC Ski Season Kick-Off (a ski sale/swap will accompany) or post for gear on our website.

Program Cost: $250*
*supports grooming and trail maintenance, coaching stipends, races and events, ski wax, swag, guest coaches, and all the many associated costs that go into running our program. All participants must be members of the Juneau Nordic Ski Club. If not a current member, a membership can be added to your order by clicking the “suggested items” below.
Questions? Contact Abby Jahn at abbyrnjahn@gmail.com.