According to an email from Soldotna High School Athletic Director Kyle McFall, high schools will be able to start ski practice Monday.

Cross-country skiing is the only sport the Alaska School Activities Association is allowing right now. ASAA said cross-country skiers could have started practice Nov. 16, with competitions Nov. 27. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District has not been allowing skiing due to high numbers of COVID-19 cases in the area.

McFall came up with a coronavirus mitigation plan that will work for skiing practices and events across the peninsula, with schools needing to substitute their trail-specific locations.

The first competition scheduled for peninsula teams is the Homer Invite on Jan. 16 at Ohlson Mountain. Schedules are subject to change.

According to the mitigation plan, when athletes arrive at practice, they must stand at cones 10 feet apart. Athletes must conduct all workouts 10 feet apart. Athletes must wear face coverings the whole practice unless engaged in high aerobic activity in which they are more than 10 feet apart. Coaches and volunteers also must wear face coverings.

Any waxing the athletes do themselves will take place outside, with athletes expected to provide their own kick wax kits. Any shared waxes, like glide wax and specialty kick wax, must be applied by coaches and or their assistants. Coaches can wax indoors without the presence of athletes.

At the competitions, spectators will be limited to two per each student-athlete in the event. Those spectators are required to wear masks and maintain proper social distancing. Coaches, staff and volunteers at the meet also must wear masks.