Cross Country Skiing - Made for the Valley

In the early days in Camrose, cross country skiing (originally called ski running) was one of the main winter sports. Most of the skiing activities were for trapping and travel for fun along the animal trails. 

In Camrose the sport of skiing was essentially hiking on skis often through the Stoney Creek Valley with its hills on either side which greatly added to the fun. The older Norwegian settlers, men and women, would go on ski hikes. It was quite something to see them glide across the snow with their long easy strides. Their skis were made of oak or hickory with a rat trap type of binding.

There were always annual cross country skiing championships, with races in different age groups as well as the junior and senior championships. Many of the Scandinavian immigrants did very well in competitions and Camrose was well known across Canada for its excellent cross country skiers. In the early days, skiers raced on a trail across a field, over fences, across railroad tracks and under bridges with times tracked by a stopwatch.

The Camrose community held a winter carnival every year. The carnival included ski competitions for young and old, events at the rink and around town. It’s been described as a Norwegian day celebration. 

Camrose Skiers – early success in competition

In the 1930s, skiing really came into its own with nearly all the younger people trying it, using anything that resembled skis. Many proved to be top skiers such as Melvin Sjolie, Stan and Maurice Paulson, Rod Burger and Doug and Don Marler. The Marler twins were very daring. Once, they took their homemade bobsled to the top of the ski jump scaffold and came down. They didn’t quite make the foot of the hill and ended up being pretty racked up.

Paul Gotaas – the King of Western Marathon Skiers

One of those skiers was Paul Gotaas who immigrated to Camrose in 1926. He first competed from Camrose in the winter of 1926-27 and won races in Camrose, Banff, Jasper, Prince George and Edmonton. He won the famous 32-mile Banff to Lake Louise race three successive years and was awarded the Jeffries Trophy. Paul was chosen for the 1932 Canadian Olympic team but for lack of financial support was unable to attend. He gave much to the sport as a coach, judge and volunteer. 

More information about Paul Gottas

Garry Gibson - Cross Country Skiing's time had come

In the mid-1970s Garry Gibson (the Gibber) lead a movement to increase the local profile of cross country skiing. Using his skills as a team builder he convinced the Rotary Club of Camrose to donate skies and set out recruiting teenagers with good athletic skills from the City of Camrose and Camrose Lutheran College. Soon a small nucleus of skiers developed and the Camrose contingent started dominating the provincial competition.

In this period the Ole Uffda Loppet and Biathlon began in Camrose. Garry soon realized that a competitive program needed a good facility. He and other members of the Camrose ski community worked with the city to upgrade the skiing facilities and have Camrose designated a Nordic training centre. They were successful and received funding for a few years until the Canmore facility opened.

Garry’s advice, “It’s important that a skier set their own personal goals and focus on beating themselves. Rather than an athlete thinking they can do it on their own, they must do it with the help of others on the team. They can support each other in doing it.” 

“If you are your very best for yourself, you can do unbelievable things. That has been an axiom or principle that has been part of our whole program.”

It is interesting to note that Garry learned to ski as an adult in Burns Lake, B.C. from a former Camrose Ski Club Olympian, Kaare Engstad. 

More information on Garry Gibson

Carol Gibson – Camrose Cross Country Ski Olympian

One of Garry’s skiers was his daughter Carol who began her cross country racing career with a local race in 1974. Garry invited Carol, her siblings John and Nancy and a few of their friends to join the College team as junior Vikings. Her mother Dorothy volunteered to manage the team and it became a family adventure.

Carol had a successful career starting as a junior, on the Canadian National Team for ten years and on the 1988 Canadian Olympic Team.

Carol had this to say as she prepared for the 1988 Olympics. “It is important to be able to recognize your natural talent, then have the commitment and dedication to develop it. It is necessary to be disciplined enough to stick to the game plan and be prepared to chip your way to the top and still keep the dream in mind as a source of motivation.”

More information on Carol Gibson

Cross Country Skiing – Now and then

In the 21st century, innovations in trail grooming and track setting along with electronic timing equipment, finish line cameras, audio-visual equipment, snow-making capabilities and other advances have enhanced the sport of cross country skiing for all levels of skiers. 

In the words of Irvin Servold, “Let us not forget the old-timers and the gift they brought with them to Alberta when they settled here. The true concept of cross country skiing remains the same now as it was then: do the best you can, wherever you can, for the development of one of the best life-long sports in the world.”

Born in Trondhjem, Norway in 1901, Paul emigrated to Camrose in 1926 where he worked as a mechanic until his retirement in 1952. Like most Norwegians, Paul couldn’t remember learning to ski. In his words, “I think I must have been born on skis – at least I was skiing from early childhood.”  He competed extensively in cross-country ski races and cycling as a boy in Norway.

Paul first competed from Camrose in the winter of 1926-27. That winter he won races in Camrose, Banff, Jasper, Prince George and Edmonton. He competed in the 1928-29 and 1929-30 seasons winning the 32-mile race three successive years. He was awarded the Jeffries Trophy – one of his proudest possessions. In 1929 he won the 10-mile and 40-mile marathons in Banff.

Paul was chosen for the 1932 Canadian Olympic team.  For lack of financial support, he was unable to attend. “Times were hard in the 1930’s. It was a matter of digging into your pocket when you wanted to compete”, said Paul. That year he competed in the Western Canadian Championships held in Camrose where he won the 9-mile and 32-mile races.

Paul kept in shape year-round with long distance runs from his Camrose home to the Battle River Valley and back. In ski season training runs would take him to Hay Lakes return or Duhamel-New Norway return.

Paul is remembered as a dedicated, enthusiastic and thorough coach over a 40-year period. Of coaching he said,” I got as much enjoyment from teaching young kids - that’s what kept me active so long.” His students include many great local skiers – Olympian Irvin Servold, his own sons Carl and Paul Jr., Bob Hurlburt, Ken Rayment, Gordon Lund, Bob Osness and others. For many years, Paul would annually fill his car with junior skiers bound for meets at Banff.

Paul was an active member of the Camrose Ski club from 1926 to 1968, and a member of the Western Canadian Ski Association for many years. Over the years he held many executive positions and served as a judge. Paul helped rebuild the Camrose ski jump in 1930 and then again in 1965.

When he could no longer ski he had many memories of his athlete days. He remembered the quiet of the countryside on a clear cold morning - the quiet, broken only by the crackling of wind in the frozen trees or by the “shoosing” sound of his skis sliding through the snow; the challenge of a marathon ski race; the thrills of winning a coveted, hard-to-win trophy. He remembered the satisfaction of feeling every muscle, every nerve, respond to the racer’s bidding, the roar of the crowd as the champion crosses the finish line.

For his efforts as an athlete and coach, he was inducted into the Lions Sports Hall of Fame in 1968, a lifetime member of the Camrose Chamber of Commerce and Sons of Norway Lodge, and was made an honorary Camrose Lutheran College Viking in 1981.

Dr. Garry Gibson was born in Vancouver in 1931. He started cross country skiing at 8 years of age when a Finnish logger made him and his two brother birch skis. He was introduced to cross country ski racing as an adult in Burns Lake B.C. by a former Olympian, Kaare Engstad.  After his first race, when he was passed by a man twice his age, Garry was destined to follow this sport for the rest of his life.

After obtaining his Master’s Degree in Physiology he began his new career as the Director of Sport and Physical Education at Camrose Lutheran College. In those early years he coached basketball and had little time for skiing. His subsequent PhD in Outdoor Leadership and Sport history in 1973 allowed him to return to his first love in coaching endurance sport. 

When Garry decided in the mid-1970s that cross country skiing needed to have a higher profile in Camrose he enlisted the help of a few Norwegian ex-patriates who were living in the area and who possessed great technical knowledge of the sport. The Rotary Club of Camrose donated skis and Garry set out recruiting teenagers with good athletic skills from the City of Camrose and CLC. He put them on skis with the aid of the Norwegians. “I’m a team builder,” said Garry. “I use the resources of people around me.”

Soon a small nucleus of skiers developed and the Camrose contingent started dominating provincial competitions. Dr. Gibson (nicknamed Gibber) wanted more from his skiers than medals. “I wanted athletes who are good students, have high values and care about other people,” said Garry. He also wanted his athletes to stick with their sport later in their lives. It will keep them fit and active and possibly themselves turn to coaching. Garry encouraged his athletes to participate in other sports in the off season – to stay in shape and to have fun.

To meet the coaching demands of his skiers, Garry became a Level II National Coach with Level III Practical and Level II Ski Instructor. To provide various programs of competition Garry initiated the formation of the College Ski League with a focus on the Alberta Winter Games and the organization of the Alberta Cup. In this period the Ole Uffda Loppet was born, an Alberta Cup race held every year in Camrose, and the sport of Biathlon was started with the help of Daryl Phillips and later Don Roger. Garry became part of the Alberta Ski Association Executive to further develop skiing at the Provincial level.

Garry realized that a competitive program needed a good facility, so with the City of Camrose he developed a five-year plan to build a stadium, increase the height of the ski hill, and extend the ski trails to the Camrose Shooting Range. The next 20 years and two more five-year plans led to construction of a Ski Lodge and Storage Garage, widening of the trails to accommodate classical and skate skiing and the completion of a new Biathlon shooting range. With funding from the Alberta Urban Parks program Garry helped to design a multiuse trail in the valley to accommodate roller blading and biking. In 2002 the venue was dedicated as the Camrose Nordic Centre.

Good programs can only develop with the cooperation and skills of many people, and the Camrose program had the aid of such people. Our first official Biathlon coach was Daryl Phillips aided by Willy Pederson of the Camrose Shooting Club. Through the years Joan and Hans Skinstad had a profound effect on both cross country and biathlon. Garry organized the program but people like Ingo Henschel, Jan Robinson, Darren Grosky, George Smith and Terry Musgrave also made a major contribution in coaching the teams.

Both Garry and his wife Dorothy continued to volunteer locally, provincially, nationally and internationally after Garry’s retirement. They have deservedly received many awards for their outstanding efforts. They were both a part of building the sport – as parents, coaches, managers, timers, bus drivers and more. “I’ve been involved because I love the sport and I love the kids,” said Dorothy at the time. In Garry’s words, “Camrose has a long history in this sport (Nordic Skiing). It’s been fun to be a part of the modern history."

Carol Gibson began her cross country ski racing career with a race on her hometown trails in Camrose in 1974.  The Camrose Rotary Club had donated 50 pairs of skis, boots and poles to the Camrose Lutheran College where Carol’s dad, Garry worked as a professor of Physical Education.  Garry, who had learned to ski from Kaare Engstad (a former Camrose Ski club Olympian) started a ski team and invited Carol, her siblings John and Nancy and a few of their friends to join the College team as the Junior Vikings.  Her mother Dorothy volunteered to manage the team and so began a family adventure centered around cross-country skiing.

Carol represented Camrose at the 1978 Alberta Winter Games in Medicine Hat.  She was selected to Team Alberta in 1979 for the Canada Winter Games in Brandon, Manitoba followed by the Canadian Junior Nationals in Sudbury, Ontario.  After winning the overall title at the Canadian Junior Nationals in 1981 in Campbellton, New Brunswick, Carol was named to the Canadian National Team.  She spent the next decade representing Canada at World Championships, the World Cup Circuit and the 1988 Olympics held in Canmore, Alberta.  She retired from her ski career at the end of the season in 1990 after being named the overall Canadian Senior Champion in Mont Ste. Anne, Quebec.

Carol went on to study physiotherapy at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and has practiced in Canmore, Alberta since 1995.  She has worked with National Cross Country and Biathlon teams and was the lead therapist for the Biathlon team at the Olympics in Vancouver, BC in 2010.  

When she returns to Camrose, you can find her hiking to the top of the ski jump hill, mountain biking out in Happy Valley or tucking down the Dipsey Doodle on her favorite trails here in Stoney Creek Valley.

Career Highlights

As a junior skier, Carol competed in the Canadian Junior cross-country championships. In 1980 in Whitehorse she finished in second place and in 1981 in Campbellton, N.B. she finished first and was awarded the Shell Cup. She not only made history for herself but for Alberta as well because she was the first skier in the province to bring home the trophy.

A highlight for Carol came in 1987, when she was a member of the relay team of Jean McAllister, Marie-Andree Masson, Angela Schmidt-Foster and Carol that won silver at a Pre-Olympic World Cup ski race at the Canmore Nordic Centre.  Carol also considers her 17th place at the World cup in the 5km Free Technique at La Clusaz In France, her 9th place finish in the 6.8 Free Technique in Baretschruti Switzerland and her 26th place finish at the 1988 Olympics to be major accomplishment of her career.

Carol retired from racing in 1990 after nine years with the national team. In her words, “I wanted to leave the sport when I still love to race.” She won her first Canadian women’s overall championship that season after collecting numerous silver and bronze medals at the senior level since 1982.

Carol has been named a life-long member of the Camrose Ski Club.

What does it take?

Carol had this to say as she prepared for the 1988 Olympics. “It is important to be able to recognize your natural talent, then have the commitment and dedication to develop it. It is necessary to be disciplined enough to stick to the game plan and be prepared to chip your way to the top and still keep the dream in mind as a source of motivation.”

Cross-country skiing requires intense concentration and mental preparation, especially for the steep, winding courses set up at Canmore, where athletes could travel as fast as 80 km an hour on their narrow skis. One wrong move can wipe out the training of as much as 10,000 km a year. 

Throughout the year Carol trained 60 to 85 hours a  month - in excess of 750 hours a year. Her training included a wide range of disciplines ranging including running, swimming, rowing, mountain biking, and hiking. To this list she added ski-specific and strength training.

• 1979 - qualifies for Canada Winter Games 
• 1980 - National Jr. Championships – 2nd in 5km classic
• 1981 - Canadian Jr. Championships - overall junior champion
• 1981 - Joins Sr. team – 3rd in relay at Canadian and North American Championships  
• 1982 - Canadian Jr. Championships – overall junior champion, qualifies for World Juniors
• 1983 - North American Junior Champion; competes in World Championships and World    
•              University Games 
• 1984 - National Jr. Champion; qualifies for World Jr. Championship team and Polar Cup
• 1985 - World Jr. Championships – rank 31st; winner Canada Cup
• 1986 - Canadian Sr. Championships – ranked 4thoverall; winner Canada Cup
• 1987 - World Cup Canmore – 2nd in relay
• 1989 - Canadian Sr. Championships – ranked 6th

                        - North American Championship – ranked 1st

• 1990 – Canadian Sr. Championships – national champion

Information Sources

• Four Seasons Environmental Centre material – prepared in 2007 – spearheaded by Ken Duncan; research and writing by Glen Hvenegaard, Chad Winger, Susanna Bruneau, and Kim Macklin. 
• Camrose Ski Club archive
• Gibson family scrapbooks
• Gotaas family archives

Photo Sources

• Glenbow Museum Collection
• Gibson Family scrapbooks
• Camrose Ski Club Archive
• Camrose and District Centennial Museum Collection
• Darcy and Lea Polny - Graduates of the Alberta University of Arts, Darcy and Lea Ponly worked as graphic designers for many years under Groundwater Communications while raising their family; they now spend time creating fine art. Darcy has written and published two children’s books and his watercolours have won seven international fine art competitions. Lea paints in acrylics and volunteers her design and marketing abilities to support the Bailey Theatre.