“A week of camp life is worth six months of theoretical teaching in the boardroom” ~ Lord Baden Powell
Camp dates 2024: August 18-21st
- Grade 12s arrive at camp at 2 pm on August 18th
- Grade 9-11s arrive at camp at 4 pm on August 18th
- Campers are to be picked up from Camp Barnard at 12 pm on August 21st
Here is the list of campers for the August 2024 camp
Who is eligible for 2024 Oak Bay cross country camp?
- incoming grade 9 runners new to Oak Bay, with a sincere interest in running for the Oak Bay Cross Country team in the fall of 2023
- returning grade 9-11 runners who attended practice on a regular basis and ran league races and the Island Championship race, to the best of their ability, in the fall of 2023
- if you are in grade 9-11 and did not run for the Oak Bay cross country team in 2023, please meet with Mrs. Kubicek to determine your eligibility for the 2024 camp
Questions? email Mrs. Tessa Kubicek at tkubicek@sd61.bc.ca ; phone number for camp contact will be provided to all registered athletes leading up to camp dates.
To register, complete the forms below and email to Mrs. Tessa Kubicek. Pay the Camp Fee of $250 by cheque made out to Oak Bay High School.
Oak-Bay-XC-Camp-Registration-form
Our amazing kitchen staff in 2018!
King and Queen of the Bluff All-Time Top 10
King and Queen of the Bluff Results
The 2022 XC Camp Bluff Run.
Dance Contest Judging Guidelines (note: guys, the judges do not want you to dress in female clothing anymore. Try something different please and you must keep your shirts and pants on). Bonus points for choreography and pre-planned production. In 2023, we are changing up the format slightly. There will be four dance groups in this competition: Junior Girls, Junior Boys, Senior Girls, and Senior Boys.
Parent help is needed in the kitchen. Contact Tessa Kubicek if you are able to help. A one day shift is also appreciated.
Parent help is also needed to assist with running the camp. Contact Mrs. Tessa Kubicek at tkubicek@sd61.bc.ca if interested.
We will be in Keego Kitchen in the Kaa and Sona cabin circles. It is on your right near the parking lot, directly beside the large grass field.
General Information
The Oak Bay Cross Country Camp, entering its 34th year, is part of the Oak Bay Cross Country tradition.
Camp traditions have grown over the years including the development of several unique sport-specific drills, such as bean bag volleyball, assassins, hash harrier runs, inner tube pool polo, coaches’ dumb decathlon, a team dance contest, and many others used by top athletes around the world.
For more information email Mrs. Tessa Kubicek at tkubicek@sd61.bc.ca
Remember to Bring
REMEMBER TO BRING:
- DO NOT BRING WATER GUNS, BALLOONS OR ANY PRACTICAL JOKE ITEMS. THE CAMP IS FOR BUILDING TEAM COHESION. PRACTICAL JOKES HAVE NO PLACE.
- AN INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE ABOUT RUNNING AND SOME HISTORY ABOUT THE PERSON/ATHLETE WHO WROTE THE QUOTE
- A BASEBALL GLOVE (IF YOU HAVE ONE)
- CUTLERY, PLATE, BOWL, CUP, & MUG
- MESH BAG TO HANG UP YOUR PLATE, BOWL, AND EATING UTENSILS
- SLEEPING BAG & PILLOW
- ONE BLANKET
- RUNNING GEAR
- TWO TOWELS & BEACH TOWEL
- SUNSCREEN & INSECT REPELLANT
- SCHOOL APPROPRIATE SWIMWEAR
- HAT
- WARM CLOTHES
- THREE PAIRS OF RUNNING SHOES (one pair will get wet in the Bog Run)
- FLASHLIGHT
- DARK CLOTHING OR CAMOUFLAGE GEAR FOR ASSASSINS
- IN A ZIPLOCK BAG: A FEW BAND-AIDS, MOLESKIN, TAPE, TYLENOL
- A WATER BOTTLE
- KARAOKE/DANCE COSTUME AND KARAOKE/DANCE SONG (PLAN IN ADVANCE WITH YOUR GROUP – USE GOOD JUDGEMENT HERE, See the contest criteria above)
- A BIG GARBAGE BAG TO TAKE HOME WET CLOTHES
- A PAIR OF GARDENING GLOVES
- YOU MAY BRING YOUR CELLPHONE, BUT YOU SHOULD NOT BE ON YOUR CELLPHONE UNLESS IT IS TO PLAY MUSIC FOR YOUR TEAM. THIS CAMP IS ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR TEAM, NOT YOUR PHONE. YOU WILL BE ASKED TO KEEP YOUR PHONE IN YOUR CABIN.
History
The Oak Bay Cross Country Camp has had over 550 campers attend. For a history of past campers click here
The first ever Oak Bay Cross Country Camp was held in 1988. Six campers took part. The camp was held at Coach Butler’s parent’s cabin on Thetis Island off the east coast of Vancouver Island near Chemanius. Highlights included the annual slow pitch challenge at the local elementary school. Sydney 2000 Olympian Zach Whitmarsh took advantage of the storage shed positioned in the middle of left field to hit towering home runs. The Banana Speed Eating contest began in 1990 after Coach Butler bought 85 more bananas than necessary. Early winners included current Lambrick Park coach Tom Turnbull, Zach Whitmarsh, and Tanya Landman, who remains the event’s only two-time winner. An unfortunate choking incident by the fiercely competitive Janet Collier in 1999 ended the Banana Speed eating competition. The grade wide dance-off began in 2000 with many memorable performances.
By 1992 the camp had grown to 30 participants, too big for the Thetis Cabin, so the camp moved to its new home at Camp Barnard in Sooke, BC. A record 96 participants took part in 2001. The setting at Camp Barnard is ideal for camp activities including swimming, hiking, running games like Colours and Sticks, the annual game of Assassins and of course, running. Thanks to Carol Bennett, the grand lady of the Oak Bay Cross Country Camp, and parents such as Gayle Hunt, Nola Jackson, “Zuppa” Dave Secco and Trish Neal, the camp has become famous for its meals, thus the “Eating Camp” nickname currently used by many camp participants.
The camp has had over 575 participants over the past 31 years, many of whom returned to camp the following summer because they were “hooked”. The tradition continued in 2014 despite the difficult strike endured by teachers, parents, and students. 2015 marked the year that the 550th Oak Bay runner attended the camp. 2019 will mark the attendance of the 600th camper.
2018 marked the final year that Mr. Butler led the camp. He is proud of the legacy the camp has left for the hundreds of Oak Bay runners who have participated. He wishes to thank the dedicated parents who ran the camp kitchen, his parents for the use of their cabin in the camp’s early years, his wife Sue for her support looking after their three young children and to his children, Liam, Elise and Cara for always supporting the camp, even when they were very young.