The Yukon Zone of the Canadian Ski Patrol System has operated in Whitehorse since 1983. In that year, Cross Country Yukon hosted the first ever Nordic World Cup race in North America and having on-trail first aid was a requirement of hosting.

In 1993, the zone has expanded to include an Alpine Patrol that provides injury prevention and treatment services to the Great Northern Ski Society facility at Mount Sima.

Patrollers take extensive training and are required to re-certify every year before being permitted to patrol.

This training includes first aid training and other training, such as lift evacuation exercises, search and rescue techniques should anyone get lost and so on.

" I can t believe that I did it! It was such a rush! First I'm sitting on the chair – then I am repelling down a rope,” said enthused Denise Norman following her successful descent in a lift evacuation practice in 2008. Norman has been a member and trainer of the patrol for almost 10 years.

We have rookies who have a single season under their belts and veterans of the patrol who have been ski patrollers for almost 30 years said Tim Sellars, president of the Yukon Zone.

Anyone wishing to join ski patrol need only contact a member of the patrol, complete a registration form at the Sport Yukon office at 4061 4th Avenue, or go on line at: www.yukonzone.org to find out more information. Registration is open until Sept. 30.

For more information, contact: Tim Sellars 668-6095 (home) or 667-8118 (work).

Submitted by Don White