68-year-old N.W.T. skier heads to Masters World Cup in Canmore — for fun

As Dennis Bevington prepares to square off against fellow cross-country skiers from around the world at the Masters World Cup in Canmore, Alta., he says he's not in it to win it — he just wants to enjoy the ride.

"I put in my time on the ski trails over the last two years and we'll see what happens. I'm not in line for any medals, but I love participation," said Bevington, 68, who lives in Fort Smith, N.W.T.

It's the second time Bevington is racing in the cross-country ski competition, which runs from March 3 to 11. He skied in the 1995 Masters, 27 years ago, and says he finished in the middle of the pack.

"It was a great thing to do," he said, noting the age groups for the Masters go right up to 90.

"It's something that you can look forward to in your later life, and there are some tremendous skiers from around the world that will be there."

He'll be skiing in the 15-kilometre skate ski race Saturday, the 15-kilometre classic race Sunday and the 10-kilometre skate ski race Monday.

Patti-Kay Hamilton, who also lives in Fort Smith, has raced at the Masters in the past. Her husband, Don True, joined Bevington for that race back in 1995, along with some others from Fort Smith.

Hamilton said her advice to skiers at the Masters is to hang back a bit at first, then pass people as the race goes on.

"You can have up to 100 people all starting at once, so you can imagine the mayhem at the start," Hamilton said. 

"The real serious racers, of course, want to get out fast and early, but the danger is you're going to break a ski because somebody might ski over your ski — because it's hard not to — or, what happened to my husband, he broke a pole."

Hamilton said she hopes Bevington does well, though she noted there will be big differences in the weather that's hit Fort Smith this winter and the weather skiers will experience in Canmore.

Bevington's wife, Joan, says he skied about 60 kilometres a week, in frigid temperatures that sometimes dropped below -30 C, to prepare.

She's down in Alberta with him to cheer him on as he races.

Joan says her husband is "pretty cool" about the race's mass start — though, she added, "it scares the bejeebies out of me."

"I just hope he doesn't break a ski or a pole or something," she said with a laugh.

'Enjoy what you can do'

Bevington has worn a lot of hats in his life. He was the N.W.T.'s NDP MP from 2006 to 2015. He also served as Fort Smith's mayor between 1988 and 1997.

He's done many athletic events over the years, such as the annual 30-kilometre Thebacha Loppet ski run. He and Joan, a physiotherapist, both stay active — they recently returned from a 1,000-kilometre bicycle ride in Spain, Joan noted.

For Bevington, the great part about skiing is what it does for his health.

Speaking to CBC as he trained in the Rocky Mountains in the days leading up to the Masters, Bevington said it's one of the ways he stays active as he gets older.

"I was out there today climbing up a great big hill, and that felt pretty good," he said.

That commitment to staying active means he has to push through the aches and pains that don't go away as quickly as they once did, he noted — but the payoff is worth it.

"I think it's more just to enjoy what you can do as you get older," he said.

"Stay fit and you'll enjoy your life as you go on through the decades."