About Us

The UW-Madison Nordic Ski Team is a semi-competitive, co-ed racing team that competes in a variety of citizen races around the Midwest. Practice begins in the fall and includes running, hill-bounding, circuit workouts, and some rollerskiing twice a week. Once it snows, we ski at Elver Park on the west side of Madison during the week and travel to train or race on most weekends. Race highlights include the SISU Ski Festival, Noquemenon, City of Lakes Loppet, and American Birkebeiner.  This club is a great opportunity to ski at some of the Midwest's best nordic ski centers with a great group of people. We welcome anyone who is interested in nordic skiing. Current members range in all levels of ability and competitiveness. We provide the opportunity for all those that love nordic skiing to get on the snow!

Practice Information

Fall Practices (cold weather without skiable snow):

• Monday & Wednesday, 6 pm: Informal long runs usually leave from the bottom of Bascom Hill.
  
• Tuesday & Thursday, 6 pm: Meet at either the bottom of Bascom Hill or the Shell (emails for location are sent before practice) for workouts focusing on core strength and skiing-specific muscle groups
• Weekend rollerskiing is common, but there is currently no set schedule
  
• All are welcome at fall practices, even if they have not yet paid dues

Winter Practices:

• Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6pm: The team skis at Elver Park, weather and trail conditions permitting. Practices generally last till around 8pm, though some vans may leave earlier or later.  Currently, we have three pickup locations: the Shell, Lakeshore near the Porter Boathouse, and Southeast at the Kohl Center.
• Tuesdays, 7pm: 5K and 10K races at Elver organized by MadNorSki ($5).

Team Dues

• Full nordic team membership ($150): covers all transportation plus lodging for trips
• Hoofer Ski & Snowboard Club membership required (additional $35)
• Pay for membership at the Outdoor Programs Office (OPO) in Memorial Union, located in room 5210 while new Hoofers facilities are under construction.

Other Costs (Optional)

• Apparel: If 12 or more people want uniforms, they will cost around $120 each. If fewer than 12 people are interested, the cost will be more than that. In addition, we plan to make T-shirts for the team again this year; typically the cost for the shirts is around $12.
• Equipment: The team does not provide skiing equipment for members. However, in early December Hoofers runs a ski resale where you can find heavily discounted equipment (new and used).
• Spring break trip: Let the directors know if you have interest in a spring break trip.  In the past, the team had sought out some early spring skiing, but there has been a lack of interest recently and many members opt to join the rest of Hoofers SNS in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for downhill skiing.

Team Directors

Katie Roberts • Adam Sperling •Rachel Vorlander

For general questions or to request more information about the team, please write uwnordic@gmail.com.