Making a Difference on and off the Trails

When Beth Major and her husband Tim Furbacher first moved to Northern Michigan, they never anticipated that they would become the founders of a Nordic Ski program. "This was never part of our plan," says Major. "But when you see the gorgeous groomed trails in the area with NO kids on them, and then you hear that there's no program for the kids to learn the beauty of Nordic Skiing, well, we didn't really have a choice."

So the Nordic arm of the Crystal Community Ski Club was born. Their goal? Get kids outside in the winter experiencing snow sports with as few barriers as possible. This meant getting grants and donations for skis and equipment, recruiting a team of PSIA-certified instructors and volunteers, and creating a program that takes kids that have never even heard of cross country skiing and building their skills until they are eventually able to compete on the high school nordic team (which they also had to create).

In its fourth year, more than 650 kids participated in the Nordic Program, and the girls high school team placed 4th in the state of Michigan.

"It’s kind of like a miracle really; it’s so amazing to see kids doing this sport. A lot of them never even knew what it was four years ago,” Major says.

Major and Furbacher donate countless hours of their time teaching kids, fundraising and facilitating a sustainable program that can continue to build a culture of cross country skiing for years to come.

"Countless times I heard in our community, 'I've always wanted to try XC' or 'I used to'…" Furbacher says. "Turning thought into action: Step 1, lower the barriers, provide equipment, instructors, a facility. Step 2: Start with the KIDS - they will lead the way!”

Rocking the Community with Nordic Rocks!

Our coaches have been hard at work this year in classrooms throughout the community introducing 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classes to the sport of cross country skiing. The goal is to visit each classroom for four different sessions of cross country skiing. At the schools, special skis are utilized so that the kids can strap the skis onto their own snow boots. The skis are also shorter for easier mobility and storage.

New this year: bringing several 4th and 5th grade classes to the Nordic Training Center at Crystal Mountain to use real nordic skis and experience groomed trails. The kids loved this experience, especially the hot chocolate at the end.

Special thanks to Bear Lake, Betsie Valley, Buckley, Crystal Lake, Frankfort, Kennedy and Onekama for participating in this program.

And huge thanks to Share Winter, Manistee Community Foundation, PSIA Central Education Foundation and Every Kid Sports for helping to fund this important program.