Kamview Nordic Centre release
THUNDER BAY -- Kamview Nordic Centre hosted the 2nd Annual Run or Walk for Reijo on Aug. 28. One hundred and eighty participants from the cross country ski, trail run, and Finnish communities took to the trails, heedless of the cool damp weather, to remember our friend Reijo Puiras.
The family of Reijo Puiras, 65, announced his passing on August 4, 2017, at home, surrounded by his wife and children.
Puiras learned the gruelling, demanding discipline of cross-country skiing as a boy in his ancestral home of Finland. As a young man, he represented Canada in the sport at the Winter Olympics. He built ski trails on the rolling hills of his private property outside Thunder Bay. The popularity of his trails among his skiing friends was such that he had to further develop the property, creating a training facility now used for international competitions.
His role in the sport as a builder led to his induction into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. He founded the Lappe Nordic Ski Centre to encourage more Canadians to take up a sport long dominated by athletes from the Nordic countries and the Soviet Union.
"The more racers we have," he once said, "the more Wayne Gretzkys we're likely to find."
An outgoing, friendly personality did not mask a burning competitive spirit. Puiras claimed 10 city championships in Thunder Bay. He raced at the 1974 world championships in Sweden, the 1975 U.S. nationals in Vermont, and the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.
The Lappe Ski Centre started the Reijo Puiras Legacy Fund to continue the advancement of cross-country skiing in the region. For the second year in a row at the Run or Walk for Reijo, a minimum donation of $10 per runner or walker was suggested and all donations went to the Reijo Puiras Legacy Fund. This year almost $1,900 was generously donated.
An abundance of draw prizes were handed out last evening including a single Thunder Bay Nordic Trails and Lappe Nordic Centre Combined membership, as well as fabulous gear from Fresh Air.
There were two courses marked - three kilometres and six kilometres. Participants were encouraged to walk or run either of these distances or any other distance of their choice, as long as they stayed on the marked trails, as some of the other trails are under construction in preparation for the upcoming ski season.
Thunder Bay Nordic Trails General Manager, Dave Suttie, and Lappe Nordic Centre Owner, Tuija Puiras, both agree that this event will continue for many years as it’s an amazing opportunity for the ski community to get together and celebrate the life of Reijo. Many generations of skiers will benefit from his legacy.
