The Independent Nordic Development Initiative for 2010 (INDi2010) returns for its third year as a cross-country skiing powerhouse buoyed by the continuing long-term goal of putting someone on the Olympic podium at the Vancouver 2010 Games.

After a very successful season in 2006/2007, INDi2010 has been able to recruit two of the most highly sought after skiers in Canada, and will also have to deal with the loss of two key team founders. Olympian Dan Roycroft and former NTDC Thunder Bay racer Skeets Morel join the team to boost the depth on the men’s side to new heights, while Jeff Ellis and Tara Whitten move on to other focuses.

The INDi2010 Racing Team is gearing up for the new season with ample enthusiasm from it's new recruits. Dan Roycroft, a 2006 Olympian, three-time World Championship team member and multiple time Canadian champion is coming off the most successful season of his career that saw him represented Canada in the inaugural Tour de Ski, score a 31st place at the World Championships and win a national title. Dan brings a new level of experience to the team as one of Canada’s best and most consistent distance skier. His entrepreneurial spirit and insight as the owner of Zone4 Systems will also be of great value to the program.

Joining Dan is Skeets Morel, a member of the National Team Development Centre in Thunder Bay for the past three years, who has emerged as an internationally competitive sprinter. Skeets has twice represented Canada at the World University Games, where in 2007 in Torino he had the best result of the Canadian men qualifying 10th in the sprint and finishing 27th. He is also a 4 time All-Canadian and one of Canada's top young sprinters. With his raw speed Skeets brings an abundance of desire and excitement to the team.

The team will also have to deal with the loss of key team members Jeff Ellis, who has moved to Alaska for training and Tara Whitten, who will begin her masters degree in the fall and step back from high level competitive skiing. The whole INDi2010 Racing Team is truly honoured to have had the opportunity to call Jeff and Tara team mates and would like to thank them dearly for their invaluable contributions to INDi2010’s first two successful seasons.

The core of last year’s team returns to form the 2007/2008 squad made up of veterans Gordon Jewett, Karla Mika and Rhonda Sandau, team sophomores Mark Doble and Tasha Betcherman and excited freshmen Dan Roycroft and Skeets Morel.

The new and returning members of the INDi2010 Racing Team are eager to continue to build on the success of the program and top last season’s medal haul of 63 podium finishes. The team will gather for their first training camp of the new season in early July at a secret location in western Canada.

2007/2008 INDi2010 Racing Team (with hometown)
Dan Roycroft - Port Sydney, Ontario
Karla Mika - Kinkardine, Ontario
Gordon Jewett - Canmore, Alberta
Mark Doble - Barrie, Ontario
Rhonda Jewett (formerly Sandau) - Canmore, Alberta
Skeets Morel - Parry Sound, Ontario
Tasha Betcherman - Thunder Bay, Ontario