When you donate to Durango Nordic, you are helping a vibrant non-profit club to provide individuals of all ages and abilities the opportunity to learn, enjoy and improve in the sports of Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.
"Nordic skiing is an incomparable, lifetime sport. It challenges athletes with adverse weather and grueling races; it attracts tough individuals with a love for the outdoors regardless of the cold and dark. Nordic creates a peerless community of role models for our youth. I benefited greatly growing up as part of the Durango Nordic Ski Club. It taught me to be tough, and exposed me to kids and adults that were a positive influence. I returned to the team as a coach to give our athletes that same opportunity - to become a part of a community and gain a passion that will help guide and support them for their entire lives." - Gunther Ott, Coach
"Durango Nordic, the junior club that I grew up in, provided me the coaching and values that have stayed with me through my professional ski racing career. Durango Nordic has a long tradition of great coaching and raising kids well. I am excited to support Durango Nordic and see this tradition continue for years to come." - Tad Elliott, professional Nordic ski racer
"I have Nordic skied since I was eleven years old. I have learned to work hard towards goals and how to recover when I don't reach them. I have used it as an outlet to keep me balanced and fit, because I have found that my mind is sharpest when my body is in tune. My coaches taught me how to be more than just a lifelong skier, but a better human being. Nordic has taught me to be strong, dedicated, and so, so happy. Nordic skiing will be a part of me forever because of this wonderful program and these wonderful people." - Carter Reiter, DNSC U18 athlete
"One of my favorite feelings in the world is the feeling of the brisk winter air blowing against your face as you ski over the fresh snow that fell the day before. Only few things can match the special sensation that comes from Nordic skiing. Over the years, Durango Nordic has become more and more like a family. I make friends that I know I will be friends with for the rest of my life. I love Durango Nordic and look forward to everything from a hard practice to singing songs on the van rides together. Thank you for creating something this special for me to look forward to every winter." - Ruth Holcomb, DNSC U16 athlete
"Durango Nordic has been inspiring young (and old) skiers for decades. From Legacy Olympic coaches, to current US Ski Team members, to the bus loads of kids introduced to sliding on snow each year, the club has made life-long skiers of many. As a college student in 1981 I was inspired; as a parent seeing his kid grow and thrive in the program, I'm awed. The spirit of camaraderie, teamwork and respect has been a common thread through the years. I support DNSC not only for the community it builds, but the character." - Andy Corra, DNSC parent
"Durango Nordic is an inclusive organization that provides an incredible opportunity to kids of all abilities to find their passion and explore a healthy lifestyle with one another. The teaching progression through games and relays teaches technique and sportsmanship all while the kids have fun! DNSC nurtures the health-minded community that we live in and continues to develop a rich circle of friends based around our Nordic sport. DNSC is family." -Janet Wiley, DNSC parent
"As a veteran of 50 years in the sport, a parent of a DNSC alum and an enthusiastic volunteer, I have had a chance to learn a few things about cross country skiing. Though XC skiing is fun like any sport, it is also a discipline in the truest sense. Participants are gently coaxed into that discipline by having fun skiing and hanging out with friends, often in the cold and the dark, while conditioning their bodies in this most demanding of sports. As they grow in skill and fitness, kids learn that hard effort pays off. They learn they are made of more than they ever thought. Through patience, persistence and perspiration, kids learn to overcome those daunting tasks we all face in later life, whether in school, on the job or in the day to day. In other words, xc skiing builds kids' character and changes the very core of their being." - Dave Sigurslid, DNSC parent and Nordic Center volunteer
The Durango Nordic Ski Club provides opportunities for Nordic skiing and other human-powered outdoor recreation to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds in Southwest Colorado while serving as a steward of our home in the heart of the San Juan Mountains.
Founded in 1954, DNSC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates the Nordic Center at Purgatory. Our mission is to help young athletes achieve great things as individuals and as competitors by providing financial, developmental, and organizational support to the athletes and their coaches. To support our youth program, we operate the Nordic Center and offer individuals of all ages and abilities the opportunity to learn and enjoy the sports of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
The Nordic Center benefits San Juan and La Plata Counties by offering our many visitors a unique experience consistent with the region's economic interest in access to diverse recreational resources. With over 5000 unique skier visits the Nordic Center contributes to the attractiveness of this region as a tourist destination and our overall economic vitality.
Containing 23k of groomed trails, the Nordic Center is the largest Nordic facility in La Plata and San Juan Counties and the only location that offers its residents and visitors with reliable winter conditions and essential services to maintain and access these trails, including grooming, on-site rental equipment, lessons, and a lodge with bathrooms and other amenities. These essential services make the Nordic Center an attractive destination for local residents and tourists visiting San Juan and La Plata Counties. The northern portion of the terrain maintained by the Center is located in San Juan County and comprises roughly 25 to 30% of our entire trail network. It also provides the only recreational opportunity in San Juan County south of the major passes.
We have a rich history. The Nordic Center hosted the United States National Nordic Championships in 1971 and the NCAA Championships in 1975. The Nordic Team maintains a long history of engaging area youth from both San Juan and La Plata Counties in a healthy and active outdoor lifestyle. Each winter, we serve hundreds of youth and, over the years, thousands of youth have participated in our programs leading to positive outcomes. Examples are competing and coaching in the Winter Olympic Games, World Championships, National Championships, and National US Ski Team. For some, this experience has helped them gain scholarships and enrollment in top US colleges and universities. Former local Olympians that trained with DNSC include Mike Elliott, A.P. Small, Ronnie Yeager, and Tracy and Lanny Barnes. Our area youth desiring to compete on a local, regional and national scale rely on the Nordic Center for training and hosting competitions; its existence is essential to the viability of a youth program.
Organization name
Durango Nordic Ski Club
other names
DNSC
1954
Tax id (EIN)
84-1068223
Category
Recreation & Sports
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
49786 US 550Mailing
3302 East 3rd AveLa Plata County, CO, US
San Juan County, CO, US