Gliding along the fresh powder to the hills to practise their tricks, the Yukon cross-country ski team was certainly in their element.

Thanks to the two new snowmaking machines Cross Country Yukon bought in partnership with the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club this year, the young athletes were able to train on the manufactured snow Thursday evening for the first time.

Head coach Alain Masson said the team practices year-round but without the snow they run and do their endurance training that way.

They still did an hour and a half run before going on their skis to test out the new snow, Masson said.

The club got the machines up and running Wednesday night and continued Thursday morning getting some fresh powder by the trails around the ski chalet and down by the jump hills for practices.

This isn’t the first time the team was on skis this season, with earlier snowfall allowing for some skiing on trails, Masson said. But recent warmer weather made the conditions too dangerous and also prevented them from using the snowmakers.

With cooler conditions in the forecast, Masson expects them to continue operating the machines allowing practices to continue on skis.

With their first competition coming up in less than a month, the snow will give the racers an ability to train leading up to the Alberta Cup as well as club qualifying races for the 2018 Arctic Winter Games.

The club will be heading down to the first Alberta Cup race in Canmore Dec. 2-3.