There were screams and cheers heard all over the Kwanlin Dun ski trails this morning, as students tried their hand at cross country skiing for the Kwanlin Klassic.

The event was hosted by the Kwanlin Dun First Nations to help kids celebrate a healthy lifestyle, and hopefully hook them on cross country skiing early.

Gary Bailie, director of community services for Kwanlin Dun, and coach for the Kwanlin Koyotes, said the event was all about building a bridge to the Kwanlin Dun community.

"It's just about Kwanlin Dun sharing with everybody,” he said. "It's nice to bring people into the Kwanlin Dun environment.”

Bailie hopes the event will help promote kids to be active.

"It's all about being healthy,” he said.

The kids got the chance to get on a pair of skis, some have been skiing before as part of the Kwanlin Koyotes, but some had not.

The first time skiers had some great help – at the hand of Olympian Madeleine Williams and national team member and Yukoner Graham Nishikawa.

On a break from the World Cup circuit, Nishikawa said he can't believe how much the program has grown since he began helping out.

"It's kind of grown and grown,” he said.

When he began with the program, Nishikawa says there were about three to four kids. He was happy to see well over 30 students happily trying out the Kwanlin Dun trails.

Nishikawa said this kind of programming is important to continue to develop skiers.

"There's this grass-roots program that you need to have,” he said.

The kids spent the day on the trails, playing games and earning prizes.

Bailie said the program is part of Kwanlin Dun's "Back to the Land” philosophy. He says cross country skiing is a perfect sport for the Yukon, and gives the opportunity for the students to learn an appreciation for the land.

While out on the trails, the students are taught about animal tracks, and how to identify the critters that left them, as well as different plants and trees.

"When they develop a passion for the land they're going to want to protect it,” Bailie said. "(They learn) just by going there and having fun along the way.”

Bailie remembers the Yukon national team being made up of mostly first nations skiers. He hopes to see an aboriginal resurgence on the national team, whether they be from the Yukon or any other area of Canada.

"I think of them as pioneers, trail breakers,” he said. "I'd love to see some aboriginal skiers on the nationals ski team.”

Bailie said if that were to happen, it would help local skiers keep with it.

"What we really need are some success stories,” he said.

Bailie lives by a crucial saying, that children are better at imitating their elders than actually listening to them.

He was happy to see the Kwanlin Dun trails bustling this morning.

"I'm just really happy and honoured that everybody's here,” Bailie said.

The coach was also honoured to have Williams and Nishikawa participate.

"It's a real inspiration,” he said, adding that the kids cheer them on at events around the world, and it's great for them to actually meet and learn from them. "It shows them where they can go in the sport.”

Bailie was also pleased that the two busy world-class athletes came out at all.

"They take the time to come and ski with the kids,” he said. "It's a big deal.”

But Nishikawa says it is something he can't wait to do every year when he returns to the Yukon.

"I love to do this,” Nishikawa said. "Everybody wins. It's pretty cool to see.”

Bailie said the trails at Kwanlin Dun are open to the public free of charge, including ski equipment.

"I just like to see people ski,” he said.