Dave Nighbor has developed into one of the most lethal and exciting skiers to watch in Canada. Growing up in North Bay, ON, the youngest of three children to his parents Martin and Dawna Nighbor, the writing has been on the wall for a successful career in the historic and demanding sport of cross-country skiing his entire life.
In the early 1990s Martin and Dawna Nighbor made the decision that their children were going to rise to the pinnacle of athletic achievement in the sport of cross-country skiing. Dave’s father, Martin, was a man who thrived and eagerly instilled the qualities of hard work, determination and pure grit into his children and from an early age rallied the family around the motto, “if you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat.”
Armed with iron-clad determination, “Team Nighbor” began their journey young; often training rain or shine before their elementary school classes by foot, bike or skis on the many trails, paths and roads of the Northern Ontario community. By the time he was 8 years old, he had competed and won the “Family Division” at the Canadian Ski Marathon held in Ottawa every January, four years running. Logging more kilometers than most teenage boys, Dave and “The team Nighbor dream” was starting to take shape.
Martin and Dawna saw real talent in all three of their children, and while all three young Nighbors’ grew up to be highly successful ski racers at the National level, Dave was able to breakthrough internationally. Dave burst onto the Canadian ski-racing scene at the age of 12 with vigor and focus. Martin and Dawna coached their son well and when Dave was just 16 years old his parent-coaches saw their passionate work come to fruition: Dave made his first of 3 Canadian National Junior teams. In his illustrious junior career he would amass multiple Provincial and National Junior titles and represent his country at three World Junior Nordic Championships. By the time he was ready to tackle the senior ranks he would leave in small company; as one of the most decorated junior skiers Canada has ever produced.
As a 5-year member of Canada’s Senior National Ski team, Dave has continued to progress and represent Canada internationally. To date, he’s competed at 4 Under 23 World Championships as well as making the step to cross-country skiings’ biggest stage by racing for the Red and White at the latest World Nordic Ski Championships, held in Sapporo, Japan in 2007. Although a dominant force on the domestic Nor/Am circuit, his World Cup aspirations have started to blossom as well, with some promising results on the 2007/08 World Cup circuit including finishing the grueling “Tour De Ski.”
Dave is also fervent about sharing his knowledge, experiences, and gusto with the younger generation of Ontario ski racers. He has spear-headed camps in his native community of North Bay, ON for the past 2 years which have been a hit with young and old at his homegrown club, North Bay Nordic.
With drive, determination and passion Dave has steadily improved every year, and now with 2010 on the horizon, that childhood dream of representing his family, and Canada on the Olympic stage seems on the brink of becoming a reality. That “team Nighbor” fire that has been burning deep within Dave and those Olympic ideals of “Citius, Altius, Fortius” or “Swifter, Higher, Stronger” motivates and reminds Dave daily he is on track to becoming a Canadian Olympian.
In addition to chasing down international glory, Dave enjoys art, graphic design work, spending quality time with his girlfriend Nicky, listening to music, hanging out with friends, good coffee, the odd beverage, barbeques (a true Nighbor tradition) and chilling out in his spare time.
