Whistler Nordics has a new head coach.
Former NorAm Cup-level racer Nicolas Pigeon, who hails from Gatineau, Que., is excited to head west to join the club.
Pigeon reconnected with an old friend, Cross Country BC provincial coach Chris Manhard, when he was in town for the Canadian National XC Championships last spring. He picked Manhard’s brain for opportunities and was looped in with Whistler Nordics.
Whistler held some appeal to Pigeon, as he hopes to dabble in alpine skiing while he’s in the resort.
“I can work anywhere in Canada, so I wanted to go to the best place in the world for skiing,” he said.
As a coach, Pigeon took inspiration from some of those who led him in the past, and will carry on their torch of creating well-rounded humans.
“We’re not just making good athletes, but we’re making good people,” he said, highlighting virtues such as responsibility and hard work.
Pigeon also said caring for athletes’ mental health will be at the forefront of his approach.
With many of the registered athletes skewing younger, Pigeon said the club plans to attend some BC Cup and regional events, but will potentially look at higher-level competition in the years to come.
Club president Tony Peiffer is excited to fill the head coaching position, which had been vacant in recent seasons, and hopes Pigeon’s arrival will draw athletes in the corridor to racing. While there was a wave of local Nordics skiers that moved on to higher levels, such as Joe Davies joining the British Cross Country Ski Team, Michael Murdoch racing at the University of British Columbia and Peiffer’s daughter Benita cracking the national biathlon team, there hasn’t been a sustained interest in high-level competition in recent years.
“We’re trying to rebuild that racing component,” Peiffer said, noting six athletes are currently registered. “This year, we see that program as a building year. We’ll see how Nick does in that environment. We’ve got to get some kids out to races.
“It just takes a little time and some committed parents to come along with them, and hopefully that generates enough interest to get the thing going.”
In addition to Pigeon’s focus on developing the club’s community race program for younger athletes, Peiffer said Pigeon will also provide guidance to masters-level racers.
“We’ve had lots of interest in masters over the years, but never enough coaches,” he said.
The club has filled the head coach position in the past with Jessica Aldighieri and current vice president Maria Lundgren, and figured offering the role as a part-time position was the best way to go.
“A club our size, it’s tough to support a head coach financially, but we’re going to give it a try,” Peiffer said.
For more, visit whistlernordics.com.
