Hartsburg to take part in Snow Champs Chomp

NEWS RELEASE

SEARCHMONT SKI RUNNERS SOO FINNISH NORDIC SKI CLUB

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Searchmont Ski Runners and Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club Announce “Dinner of Champions”

Sault Ste. Marie – New event to help young snow-sport competitors

Craig Hartsburg knows what star athletes are made of. The head coach of the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds and Canada’s World Junior Gold Medal Team will share his insight with young Sault Ste. Marie athletes at the first annual Snow Champs Chomp on February 5th. The event, sponsored by Algoma’s Water Tower Inn, will raise money to cover training and competition costs for Sault Ste. Marie’s emerging cross-country, downhill and snowboard champions. Almost 50 local businesses have donated products for door prizes, and the silent and live auctions.

As the evening’s guest speaker, Craig will share highlights of Canada’s January 5th World Championship win in Sweden to serve as a backdrop for his motivational message to young competitors. “Ultimately,” says Craig in a pre-event interview, “it comes down to being the best you can be. The important thing is that young athletes need to focus on their goal, their dream, whether it’s to win a gold medal, or to just be really good at their sport.”

Snow Champs Chomp is organized by the Searchmont Ski Runners and the Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club, and by Britta Wolfert, mother of Ontario SBX (snowboard) Team member, Myrica Hinich,

The Sault area has a long and enviable record for producing snow-sport winners. For over 50 years, the Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club has been producing winter champions such as Olympian Wayne Dustin and 2006 Canadian National Champion, Adam Kates. For almost as long, the Searchmont Ski Runners have launched provincial and national team notables like John Mealy, Amy and Lauren Lattimer, Jillian Keast, and Lise Marie and Brigitte Acton. Eighteen-year-old Myrica Hinich took up snowboarding six years ago. Her first snowboard race was an Alpine event held at Searchmont last season. From there, it was a smooth ride to the Provincials, then the Nationals, then Ontario’s SBX team.

"We are very excited about this," says Britta Wolfert. “Our family can't afford the level of training Myrica needs. I think it's wonderful that people and businesses in the community are coming together to help these kids compete. And with Craig as guest speaker, we have yet another winter sport involved in this first-time event."

Event Information

Snow Champs Chomp will be held at the Pavilion at Algoma’s Water Tower Inn on Monday, February 5th, with a reception at 5:30 pm and a winter-hearty dinner at 6:30. Activities include door prizes, a silent auction, and a live auction with well-known auctioneer David Halle. Tickets are available at Algoma’s Water Tower Inn, Source for Sports and Searchmont Resort, or call Britta at 705 759-8116 for ticket delivery. Adults $25. Children and students $15.

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