North Shore Nordic SkiSparks Club

Welcome to the MYSL North Shore Nordic SkiSparks Club!

A warm, hot-cocoa welcome to the Minnesota Youth Ski League North Shore Nordic club webpage!

We are a volunteer led non-profit organization that teaches youth how to ski.

When: Join us Sunday afternoons 2:00 - 3:30p.m. 

Sessions Dates:  January  7th, 14th, 21st, 28th. February 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th. Make up date: March 3rd

What: Fun and games on skis, basic skill development. Children earn snowflake pins as they advance in their cross country skiing skill levels.

Ages: 4-14yr olds

Where: Two Harbors High school (1640 County Hwy 2 Two Harbors, MN 55616) 

A map of the exact location will be emailed after registration. 

We will meet outside the high school ski team wax room which is the building underneath the bleachers of the football field. The wax room is heated and will be available for children to warm up if needed. Ski rental equipment and after-class hot cocoa and snacks will be available in this area. Lessons will primarily be held on the high school ski teams ski trails that are on the football/soccer fields and the several surrounding connecting trails to the Erkki Harju trails. 

Registration: Register online now! Registration can be found at myxc.org under “Find a Club" and locating the “North Shore Nordic Skisparks Club” to fill out your online registration form. Cost for the season is $40. Club classic ski rentals are $35 but these are limited to first-come-first-serve. Registrations will remain open until we reach a max of 40 skiers, then we will start a waitlist. The more coaches we have the more skiers we will be able to accept. 

Levels: Skiing is family fun, so we encourage all family members to join the youth skiers throughout lessons and play along with us! We plan to have 3-4 levels this year. 

We request that all level 1 skiers (ages 4-5 year olds) have a caregiver with them or near during practice times. The caregiver can be on or off skis. All adults skiing with the group must be registered volunteers (including caregivers of level 1 skiers).  

Equipment: Rental equipment is limited and will be assigned to individuals on a first-come, first-serve basis based on their registration. Skiers will have to provide their own classic equipment (skis, boots, poles) once all of our ski rentals are taken. The MYSL North shore nordic ski rentals are classic, no-wax/"fish scale" skis. If you paid online with MYSL to lease/rent equipment for the season, but were not able to be outfitted, you will be reimbursed for the fees.

Snacks: There will be a snack provided at the end of each session. These will be simple store bought snacks as well as beverages (hot cocoa and water) provided. The high school wax room will provide as a “warming hut” if needed.

Weather: If the weather is too severe or the conditions are too poor to hold classes, we will send out an email Sunday morning notifying of a cancellation. If classes are cancelled, there will be one make up date provided at the end of the season. Parent discretion is always advised. Sessions may be shortened due to cold weather. 

Waiver: MYSL waiver is required for every skier and volunteer.

Volunteering: This is a non-profit organization that is fully run/led by volunteers. Families are welcome to help in anyway they want! It is strongly recommended that parents wanting to help their child during the lessons be on skis.

If you feel like your skiing level is at the same level as the level your kids are signed up for, you would be a fantastic assistant coach!  You are not in charge of the instruction, rather you are there to help make sure the kids are safe, have an adult to help get skis on and off, and can assist with activities. We can provide you with volunteer coach training and ski review if desired, but this is not required. You can register on the MYSL as a volunteer whether it is to join us on the snow or just help set up snacks and cocoa. It is fun and rewarding to be a part of the great nordic ski community! 

Communication:  Email northshore@myxc.org with questions. Information can be found on the MYSL club website page or on our club Facebook page. Call/text Megan (218.780.6158) with any additional questions or concerns.   

Miscellaneous: 

1. MYSL Covid-19 policies: Face coverings are recommended but not required.  
2. Bathrooms: No bathrooms are available at the facility. The high school is locked on weekends. Please make sure children have taken care of bathroom needs before practice.  Coaches cannot leave the group to help someone find a bathroom, but parents can.
3. Clothing: As the saying goes— “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” Hats and mittens are required. Snow pants and mittens that resist water are best. We recommend wool socks to keep feet warm and maybe long underwear. You may also want to try hand/feet warms if you know your child gets cold easily. 
4. Announcements: Announcements will be relayed via email. Please provide the email address that will need to know the most current announcement/cancellation information when registering. 
5. Please be on time! We will be getting started right away. We want to avoid kids standing around getting cold while others arrive.

Our main goal is to help foster a love for skiing and being outdoors with others on the north shore! Come share the ski love and join MYSL North Shore Nordic Skisparks!