Here are a couple of pictures that Austin took at the BKL Festival today. Over 500 kids competed in the great event. Many thanks to Breadloaf and the great organizing commitee (including alum Barney Hodges and his wife Chris). The whole weekend seemed to go perfectly with great races, perfect conditions and smiling faces. 
Tess had her best race of the season and finished in the top 10.
Mackenzie 🙂
Chloe battled hard.
Pip is amazing (she skied the whole race with her eyes closed).
Sophie had an excellent race.
Mackenzie hammers up the hill.
Alex was “in the zone”.
Tess smiles after a great effort.
Wow, it’s been a couple days since I’ve managed a post…Birkie Fever will do that to you! In between finishing work and driving up to get the bibs (thanks to the Birkie Office for putting that at Hayward this year), it’s a miracle I managed to get up to the race at all!
I’ve been putting together some photo archives from the various people I know who got pictures up there at Hayward. If you
I was nervous coming into Birkie week. I think everyone was wondering what the weather was going to do, with having a big warm up the week prior. To add to this, I snapped one of my good race skis a week before the Birkie! But after a last minute trip to Finnsisu and fitting with Devin I had a new pair of skis, complete with a famous Finnsisu Fine grind and Devin’s spectacular wax prep. The scary thing was that I picked up the skis on Friday on my way up to Hayward and Saturday morning would be my first time trying them out. But skiing around the warmup loop 20 minutes before the start I knew Devin had worked his magic, I had some rockets on. Now I just needed to have a conservative start and not blow up on the north half hills. I quickly found myself in the middle of a huge 30 plus pack, which stuck together for nearly the whole race. I’ve never felt so fresh at 00. I was just conserving and waiting for someone to make a break and split the pack. The Ks kept clicking away until we were less than 5K from the finish and about to hit Lake Hayward, which is a 3K stretch before Main Street. I thought about my Mora 35K race from a few years ago when I jumped ahead of Andy Schakel on the lake and ended up pulling him across only to have him out sprint me to the finish. But I also knew that I didn’t want it come down to a huge sprint on Main Street. So I made the decision just before the lake to ski to the front and take a gamble on opening a gap across the lake. I thought I could either try to put the “hurt” on these guys and make a break or end up pulling them all across (with a head wind). Two guys from the pack followed me about half way across, but I was able to keep a strong v2 up and hold about a 6 second gap into Main Street and right across the finish line. I actually got really close to catching Dave Chamberlain just before the end. My goal for the past few years has been to break into the top 50 (I’ve been 51st prior), so I was totally pumped to end up in 39th. Woohoo!! Catch the Birkie Fever!
I was nervous coming into Birkie week. I think everyone was wondering what the weather was going to do, with having a big warm up the week prior. To add to this, I snapped one of my good race skis a week before the Birkie! But after a last minute trip to Finnsisu and fitting with Devin I had a new pair of skis, complete with a famous Finnsisu Fine grind and Devin’s spectacular wax prep. The scary thing was that I picked up the skis on Friday on my way up to Hayward and Saturday morning would be my first time trying them out. But skiing around the warmup loop 20 minutes before the start I knew Devin had worked his magic, I had some rockets on. Now I just needed to have a conservative start and not blow up on the north half hills. I quickly found myself in the middle of a huge 30 plus pack, which stuck together for nearly the whole race. I’ve never felt so fresh at 00. I was just conserving and waiting for someone to make a break and split the pack. The Ks kept clicking away until we were less than 5K from the finish and about to hit Lake Hayward, which is a 3K stretch before Main Street. I thought about my Mora 35K race from a few years ago when I jumped ahead of Andy Schakel on the lake and ended up pulling him across only to have him out sprint me to the finish. But I also knew that I didn’t want it come down to a huge sprint on Main Street. So I made the decision just before the lake to ski to the front and take a gamble on opening a gap across the lake. I thought I could either try to put the “hurt” on these guys and make a break or end up pulling them all across (with a head wind). Two guys from the pack followed me about half way across, but I was able to keep a strong v2 up and hold about a 6 second gap into Main Street and right across the finish line. I actually got really close to catching Dave Chamberlain just before the end. My goal for the past few years has been to break into the top 50 (I’ve been 51st prior), so I was totally pumped to end up in 39th. Woohoo!! Catch the Birkie Fever!
I was nervous coming into Birkie week. I think everyone was wondering what the weather was going to do, with having a big warm up the week prior. To add to this, I snapped one of my good race skis a week before the Birkie! But after a last minute trip to Finnsisu and fitting with Devin I had a new pair of skis, complete with a famous Finnsisu Fine grind and Devin’s spectacular wax prep. The scary thing was that I picked up the skis on Friday on my way up to Hayward and Saturday morning would be my first time trying them out. But skiing around the warmup loop 20 minutes before the start I knew Devin had worked his magic, I had some rockets on. Now I just needed to have a conservative start and not blow up on the north half hills. I quickly found myself in the middle of a huge 30 plus pack, which stuck together for nearly the whole race. I’ve never felt so fresh at 00. I was just conserving and waiting for someone to make a break and split the pack. The Ks kept clicking away until we were less than 5K from the finish and about to hit Lake Hayward, which is a 3K stretch before Main Street. I thought about my Mora 35K race from a few years ago when I jumped ahead of Andy Schakel on the lake and ended up pulling him across only to have him out sprint me to the finish. But I also knew that I didn’t want it come down to a huge sprint on Main Street. So I made the decision just before the lake to ski to the front and take a gamble on opening a gap across the lake. I thought I could either try to put the “hurt” on these guys and make a break or end up pulling them all across (with a head wind). Two guys from the pack followed me about half way across, but I was able to keep a strong v2 up and hold about a 6 second gap into Main Street and right across the finish line. I actually got really close to catching Dave Chamberlain just before the end. My goal for the past few years has been to break into the top 50 (I’ve been 51st prior), so I was totally pumped to end up in 39th. Woohoo!! Catch the Birkie Fever!
I was nervous coming into Birkie week. I think everyone was wondering what the weather was going to do, with having a big warm up the week prior. To add to this, I snapped one of my good race skis a week before the Birkie! But after a last minute trip to Finnsisu and fitting with Devin I had a new pair of skis, complete with a famous Finnsisu Fine grind and Devin’s spectacular wax prep. The scary thing was that I picked up the skis on Friday on my way up to Hayward and Saturday morning would be my first time trying them out. But skiing around the warmup loop 20 minutes before the start I knew Devin had worked his magic, I had some rockets on. Now I just needed to have a conservative start and not blow up on the north half hills. I quickly found myself in the middle of a huge 30 plus pack, which stuck together for nearly the whole race. I’ve never felt so fresh at 00. I was just conserving and waiting for someone to make a break and split the pack. The Ks kept clicking away until we were less than 5K from the finish and about to hit Lake Hayward, which is a 3K stretch before Main Street. I thought about my Mora 35K race from a few years ago when I jumped ahead of Andy Schakel on the lake and ended up pulling him across only to have him out sprint me to the finish. But I also knew that I didn’t want it come down to a huge sprint on Main Street. So I made the decision just before the lake to ski to the front and take a gamble on opening a gap across the lake. I thought I could either try to put the “hurt” on these guys and make a break or end up pulling them all across (with a head wind). Two guys from the pack followed me about half way across, but I was able to keep a strong v2 up and hold about a 6 second gap into Main Street and right across the finish line. I actually got really close to catching Dave Chamberlain just before the end. My goal for the past few years has been to break into the top 50 (I’ve been 51st prior), so I was totally pumped to end up in 39th. Woohoo!! Catch the Birkie Fever!
Wow, what a crazy race! If the mass start events trend toward this kind of stuff, with lots of attacking, I think that’ll only be a good thing for the sport. As it was, the all that action may have turned the results a bit inside out from what people were expecting. I’ll have a more detailed look at the results (along with the women’s pursuit) tomorrow.
Even with all the attacking, lots of skiers ended up very close to the front, yielding them very low FIS points. Also, quite a few folks (15) were lapped and pulled from the race.
![](http://www.statisticalskier.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/wsc_men_pur_red.png" "wsc_men_pur_red")
![](http://www.statisticalskier.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/wsc_men_pur_dst.png" "wsc_men_pur_dst")
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After racing the Birkie in Wisconsin yesterday, I hitched a ride to Minneapolis and flew to Europe. It was a pretty crazy move, one that I am temporarily regretting because my legs really seized up in the car and then on the plane, and I am currently unsure whether I will ever be able to ski (or run, or move) again.
I’m usually really bad at sleeping on planes, but this time it was no problem. I was exhausted! The few minutes I had to wait in between eating the dinner they served us and them collecting the trash seemed like eternity; I just really wanted to pass out.
But I was kidding about regretting the trip – I am definitely sure that I made a good decision! I am currently in Amsterdam waiting for a connecting flight and watching the men’s World Championships pursuit live on TV. Tonight, I’ll be in Oslo, and tomorrow, I will be right there in Holmenkollen stadium watching the races and helping FasterSkier with reporting. Since there aren’t many races in New England next weekend, I don’t have to feel guilty about missing them, and honestly, watching the biggest races in the World in the most packed, electric venue in the world is going to do as much for my love, understanding, and appreciation of the sport and get me more excited about skiing and racing as doing another ski race myself possibly could.
So anyway. I have a lot to look forward to in the next week.
But the last week was pretty good too – I had a lot of fun at the Birkie! I actually felt horrible for the first 10k, and was really slow, so that was a bummer, but after that I had fun, much more fun than last year. And I managed to avoid getting frostbite, which was something of an accomplishment after hearing stories of what happened to some other racers. Regardless of the fact that I seem to be a really poor marathoner – for some reason I’m much worse at marathons than any other race – I am planning on doing quite a few more Birkies.
It was a tight finish for the guys freestyle, CXC Bryan Cook was the 1st American, 5th overall. CXC also had the other top U. S. finishes with Brian Gregg 2nd American, 8th overall and Matt Liebsch just a hair off . Result times shown are confusing due to ‘starting gun time’ for the first 6 finishers and ‘chip time’ for all others. complete results
Video of the men’s exciting finish.
Congratulations to Caitlin who took the top spot for the womans freestyle.
Caitlin, with race cheeks, working the crowd
Photo finish for some. Brian #11 in the red hat.
Who is that guy in black in the finish area? Photo Credit: David J. Owen
Chad finished in the same time as he did a few years ago.
Liet finished just over 5 hours and in good spirts!!!!. Congratulations on her first Birkie.
Once again we have some potentially misleading FIS points, as Bjørgen, Kowalczyk and Johaug skied away from the field a bit. I’ll have a closer look at the results that adjust for this on Monday. It was mostly the usual suspects at the top, but what a race for Maria Rydqvist, though!
![](http://www.statisticalskier.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/wsc_wom_pur_red.png" "wsc_wom_pur_red")
![](http://www.statisticalskier.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/wsc_wom_pur_dst.png" "wsc_wom_pur_dst")
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My sister Kari dances with the statues in Oslo’s Vigeland Park. The park takes its name from Gustav Vigeland, who put in a couple decades making the 180 statues that fill the place. Interestingly, all the creations are naked, save for Gustav’s image of himself, which is fully-clothed. In the winter’s white with the flowers are far from being in full bloom the park feels stark, but still quite beautiful in it’s own right.
The first nights in Norway’s capital were marked by incredible cold, high pressure weather, complete with clear nights and both the sun and the moon making appearances throughout the day.
Now the city is cloaked in an impressive cloak of fog. The trees and shrubs are all painted in a wind-blown white, and the snow’s gotten both warmer and greasier. This photo comes from a hall of the triple-decker corrugated steel containers the Americans and Italians are waxing out of.
My sister Kari dances with the statues in Oslo’s Vigeland Park. The park takes its name from Gustav Vigeland, who put in a couple decades making the 180 statues that fill the place. Interestingly, all the creations are naked, save for Gustav’s image of himself, which is fully-clothed. In the winter’s white with the flowers are far from being in full bloom the park feels stark, but still quite beautiful in it’s own right.
The first nights in Norway’s capital were marked by incredible cold, high pressure weather, complete with clear nights and both the sun and the moon making appearances throughout the day.
Now the city is cloaked in an impressive cloak of fog. The trees and shrubs are all painted in a wind-blown white, and the snow’s gotten both warmer and greasier. This photo comes from a hall of the triple-decker corrugated steel containers the Americans and Italians are waxing out of.
My sister Kari dances with the statues in Oslo’s Vigeland Park. The park takes its name from Gustav Vigeland, who put in a couple decades making the 180 statues that fill the place. Interestingly, all the creations are naked, save for Gustav’s image of himself, which is fully-clothed. In the winter’s white with the flowers are far from being in full bloom the park feels stark, but still quite beautiful in it’s own right.
The first nights in Norway’s capital were marked by incredible cold, high pressure weather, complete with clear nights and both the sun and the moon making appearances throughout the day.
Now the city is cloaked in an impressive cloak of fog. The trees and shrubs are all painted in a wind-blown white, and the snow’s gotten both warmer and greasier. This photo comes from a hall of the triple-decker corrugated steel containers the Americans and Italians are waxing out of.
My sister Kari dances with the statues in Oslo’s Vigeland Park. The park takes its name from Gustav Vigeland, who put in a couple decades making the 180 statues that fill the place. Interestingly, all the creations are naked, save for Gustav’s image of himself, which is fully-clothed. In the winter’s white with the flowers are far from being in full bloom the park feels stark, but still quite beautiful in it’s own right.
The first nights in Norway’s capital were marked by incredible cold, high pressure weather, complete with clear nights and both the sun and the moon making appearances throughout the day.
Now the city is cloaked in an impressive cloak of fog. The trees and shrubs are all painted in a wind-blown white, and the snow’s gotten both warmer and greasier. This photo comes from a hall of the triple-decker corrugated steel containers the Americans and Italians are waxing out of.
My sister Kari dances with the statues in Oslo’s Vigeland Park. The park takes its name from Gustav Vigeland, who put in a couple decades making the 180 statues that fill the place. Interestingly, all the creations are naked, save for Gustav’s image of himself, which is fully-clothed. In the winter’s white with the flowers are far from being in full bloom the park feels stark, but still quite beautiful in it’s own right.
The first nights in Norway’s capital were marked by incredible cold, high pressure weather, complete with clear nights and both the sun and the moon making appearances throughout the day.
Now the city is cloaked in an impressive cloak of fog. The trees and shrubs are all painted in a wind-blown white, and the snow’s gotten both warmer and greasier. This photo comes from a hall of the triple-decker corrugated steel containers the Americans and Italians are waxing out of.
With World Championships finally underway in Oslo, things are getting busy again. Here’s what’s been cooking this past week:
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I considered Thursday’s freestyle sprints to be hors d’œuvres for the rest of the World Championships, so I was happy the semis and the finals were all excellent competitions – even if the North Americans did not quite ski up to expectations. Marit Bjørgen and Marcus Hellner both skied tough, clean races that they won on strength and speed – not luck or even guile.While Bjørgen’s gold was more or
I considered Thursday’s freestyle sprints to be hors d’œuvres for the rest of the World Championships, so I was happy the semis and the finals were all excellent competitions – even if the North Americans did not quite ski up to expectations. Marit Bjørgen and Marcus Hellner both skied tough, clean races that they won on strength and speed – not luck or even guile.While Bjørgen’s gold was more or