Students from Pontiac High School and McDowell Elementary were whizzing around the PHS school grounds on Friday in the school’s inaugural Pontiac Loppet.
What exactly is a loppet, you might ask? Well, according to PHS outdoor education teacher Jordan Kent, a loppet is a long-distance cross country skiing race with groomed trails and post-race celebrations.
“It’s like a bonspiel in curling. It’s just one of those funny words,” Kent said of the term.
Students in all grades competed in races of various distances. The two-kilometre race traced the perimeter of the school’s soccer field, while the three-kilometre and five-kilometre racers went downhill toward the RA ballfield, around the field and back up.
Some students were more experienced on skis than others, managing the downhill sections more handily. Other beginner skiers wobbled and fell, but all remained in good spirits.
“I hope that they enjoy the competition, and that they fall in love with doing this sport. It’s a wonderful sport to do in the winter – it gets us outside and it’s just lots of fun,” Kent said.
Kent’s outdoor education course is an elective for Grade 11 students at PHS. He said his students do a variety of activities, from archery to camping to outings in canoes or bikes. He said this week he will be sending about 20 skiers to a ski challenge in Gatineau Park that will pit them against other students from the region.
“It’s a challenge, and schools from all over the Outaouais come. There’s hundreds and hundreds of kids on the trails,” he said.
Kent said more schools were scheduled to attend the loppet, but unfortunately some cancelled last-minute. He said he would like to continue holding this event in future years.
“This is really just the inaugural year. I’m looking to really grow this and invite a lot of other schools,” he said.
